Last Day in Had Yao - Koh Phangan

Last Day...and heading North Tomorrow ~

Breakfast at the hotel...a good stride & walk on the beach and then we booked our trip with ferry and bus to the train station in Champhon...done! Glad we lined that up for the morning ~  It will be some serious traveling from here on out....getting to Bangkok and then straight to the border of Cambodia to the town of Aranya Prathet from there straight to  Jerry & Wilma in Batambang, Cambodia.  They emailed us this morning tell us they would prefer to have us come straight to them from Bangkok because there is elections going on in Cambodia next week and they said that because of that there is a lot going on...people excited - a lot of travel because people have to travel to get to the voting booth and they advised us to come directly to them and not be in the midst of all this happening! We surely respect their suggestions and so therefore we are going to do a "B-Line" straight to them - traveling tomorrow Friday and Saturday - I believe it will be about 1000 miles altogether...tuk-tuk, ferry, bus, train, bus and maybe a taxi or so! 

So anyway - we did start our day - getting prepared....

This is "Maan" he serves us a lot at the hotel...seems to be drawn to us...and calls us "papa" and "mama" - our new names! Maan enjoys being in our pictures! 

The coconut tree right there by the table - is just so neat to see!

Just look at those coconuts...beautiful!

So interesting how they grow in bundles like that! 

 After all the booking's for our trip....we started our day renting another scooter.

Today....Thursday began as a sunny day but as the morning went on and turned towards noon the weather had changed a bit.  Nevertheless we did go ahead and rent a scooter wanting to discover the northern part of the island.  We also wanted to go by the "Home Stay" of the couple Paul &  Anniina Rogers, we meant at that church last Sunday, in the little town of Had Khom which we knew was also north from us.  We do think we found it - but of course they were not home...waiting on the baby to be born on Samui there close to the hospital.  

We enjoyed some very steep hills - up and down....so fun zipping around on that scooter!  Nick is very careful and Ellen - from the back seat..(YES a back seat driver!!!)  is watching ahead for signs, and cracks and holes in the road up ahead! Team Work! 

All at once it began to rain...and rain....and rain even harder!  We found a little place to dive into and have some coffee and snack - which we thankfully did because it rained - yes...CATS & DOGS! We sat under the bamboo hut enjoying the surroundings and just let it pour! Warm rain...lots of it and enjoying our veggies sandwiches and hot coffee! We were dry...and cozy watching out to our surroundings!

These ladies on the beach were cleaning the fish...looked like shrimp.  They sat through all the hard rain and wind! My soaking wet too! 

Oh by the way let me explain what this is OK? Very often in the restaurants - mostly in the smaller places along the road - which this one was! They have this little containers on the table...and the paper coming out the top right? Well it is  toilet paper ....no it is not  for that BUT for using as a napkin! Yes they take the inner cardboard out and pull it up and you tear off a piece to use to wipe your hands & mouth! Gosh I have seen it several times and just had to share this with you as well! 

Well this little restaurant - we stayed at for about an 1.5 hr to stay dry...DID have a restroom...and Ellen got her first experience - yes what else does a person do????? When ya gotta go...you gotta go!

I wanted you all to see...I tell you this.....FIRST I was thankful I asked Nick for the toilet paper in our backpack...yes we have reserve handy for all emergencies!  And then when I saw the only toilet available...well closing the door - I notice a handle on the door.....oh I was ever so thankful for that handle being there!!!! Yes something to hold onto that is - an interesting experience...and new experience....Nick just laughed at the table when I returned!  Thank GOD for toilet paper!!!!  and YES a door handle....HA!

Oh... the water basin, is only to run water for those who rinse with the little plastic pan...and water to throw into the toilet to flush it down.  NO...there is no flush handle...just flush by scooping water into the hole!  If it wasn't for the door handle to hold onto - well Ellen would of had to wait!  

Very thankful to that door handle! HA!

We decided to take a chance - and head home...and then the rain started up again...well we made it of course...wet but in one piece! 

Some really neat Thai fishing boats in a little bay...so colorful! 

We got back around 3 this afternoon and dried up and it is the plan to meet up with Irwin & Maggie this evening for dinner...unless they got stuck in the weather someplace on the island! 

We did meet up with Irwin & Maggie for dinner...at a restaurant very close to our hotel....Peppercorn!  Run by two people from Austria.

We had a great evening...just continuing sharing one another's lives!  

We agree to stay posted - and I do hope to do that Irwin & Maggie!

They took the tuk-tuk home after a really nice dinner together!

...and YES! they too had a down pour of rain on their scooter too! But they were troopers....and they said they also looked forward to meeting with us at dinner time!