Koh Lanta, 11/28/2012

After a short stint in the Cameron Highlands, I am back in Koh Lanta for 4 weeks of Muay Thai before heading to Melbourne.  Training has started well.  Getting into the two-a-days is going to take a little time.  I am starting slowly this week and planning to ramp up.
I have always wanted to fight in Thailand, one of my goals is to do one or more professional level fights before I can not compete anymore.  But at the same time I have always been a little nervous to step in the ring with someone who has been boxing since they were 6. Every time in Thailand before I had a reason not to box.  Going straight backto work or more travel was usually enough to convince me that I shouldnt fight.  Wouldnt want to be injured back at work.  Or not be able to enjoy the rest of my trip.
But this time it appears that my trainers have found my weakness.  Instead of asking if I want to fight, as they did on day one, yesterday they simply asked, "when are you going to fight?".  Since it was a different question, I had to give a different answer.  So know I am looking to set a fight for the last weekend that I will be training, I think the 23rd of December.  A nice pre-xmas bash.  Now I have something to focus on and will not really be able to skip on training days.  I wanted to get back into fighting shape for my arrival in Melbourne, I cant really see a better way than this.
Still a little nervous though, and I think I am going to have to ride my bike like 20k a day or two after the match to get to the Krabi bus station.  So I really hope that I dont have to do that with a broken foot.  then there is also the tough mudder Jan 14th.  But I think its more in my head than anything else.  Who knows, maybe I can finally get my nose straightened out.
Other than training I have not been up to much since arriving in Koh Lanta.  I am trying to work through the online Melbouren Uni website, but so far have been thwarted at every turn.  The website is not compatible with my tablet so I can only log in from the internet cafe.  I had trouble with my login so they gave me an email address to contact to sort the problem.  Email was returned as an invalid address.  Going to head back and try again today.
The other good thing I have found a good tree for my hammock not far from where I am staying.  I am trying to make a point to get to the beach at least every other day for a swim and some hammock reading time while still on a beautiful tropical beach.  Melbourne will be nice, but I dont think the water is going to be quite the same from what I remember on my last trip through.
Brief sidenote, fucking flies are eating my ankles, why cant the hair that protects the rest of my legs cover my feet.  I would gladly trade the freakishness of super hairy feet to relief this itchy. anyway...
Finally I think I am set to do a triathlon in Melbourne in either late march or early april.  Both pretty short courses overall, 500-800m swim, 20-26k bike, 5-8k run.  I think they would both be ideal ways to start working toward the more grueling olympic distance of 2k swim, 60 or 80k bike, and 20k run.  might need some time to work up to that.  At least my boxing cardio should be through the roof.

Cameron Highlands, 11/23/2012

The last couple of days have been spent in the Cameron Highlands. A highland area east of Penang.  It is a complete change from the coastal areas that I have been traveling through up to this point.  It is cool, incredibly wet, and mountainous.  Much more like Northern Vietnam than anywhere recent.  The rains come on the regular in the early afternoon and tend to wrap up by 5.  But once you figure that out and prepare it is a welcome chnage from the humid heat of the coast.   The area is littered with strawberry farms and the fresh produce is amazing.  So much to choose from, all so fresh and good.  Excellent dried mango as well.
Yesterday, we hiked through the jungle to one of the highest points in the area.  The view was in constant flux.  The clouds would roll in and out so quickly a vista would reveal itself and instantly disappear.  On one bluff we stared out into the mist wondering how far the drop was, how far the view was if unobstructed.  As the mist cleared the view was for miles clear and a massive drop off the cliff.  Near the top of the trail is the mossy forest.  An old growth forest with a slightly raised walkway through the trees.  After the hike we went down the hill through a massive tea plantation and on to a bee farm.  Quite a bit of hiking but the landscape was beautiful.
Today we went to see the Rafflesia "flowers".  Billed as the largest flower in the world.  As I learned today, they are not a flower, but a fungus.  And as a fungus, they are not the largest.  But still, quite impressive.  Also because it is not a flower it does not need sunlight to bloom and therefore a can "bloom" on the forest floor.  They are massive.  Almost a meter across and the center section larger than a basketball.  To attract insects they have as slight odor of rotting meat.  It wasnt very strong, but it wasnt pleasant either.  A fair amount of flies can attest to the accuracy of the small.  As I learned today, they only bloom for about 7-10 at a time.  Guides walk through the forest marking the bulbs so they can track which flowers will be in bloom and when.  Today there were two flowers in full bloom.  And a variety of bulbs from golf ball to soft ball size.
The flower blooms kind of like a cabbage.  Leaves wrap around in a ball and slowly expand over 9 months.  Eventually it falls open revealing a large central cavity with a spiky pistil like center.
the hike also included a lot of wonderful flowers and insects that were around every turn.  After the hike we had a brief blowgun demonstration and target practice.  I was the only person able to bullseye the target.  So if school doesnt work out I might have a career chance in the monkey hunting business.
Tomorrow is the bus to Butterworth and time to head back to Thailand for a month of boxing camp.  Then time for Australia.  

Aroung Georgetown. 11/15-11/20

This last week has been really busy.  Jayci and Kristin both flew in on the 15th.  Pablo and Manuel (not sure how to spell his name) arrived by bus the same day.  With a group there is a lot more time spent thinking about what to do, but a lot less actual doing.  Still it  is nice to have people to travel with for a while to break the solo adventure.
The Penang butterfly farm was really cool.  There are thousands of butterflies flying about in the enclosure.  Had to try really hard not swat at things flying into my face or landing on the back of my neck.  But once over that feeling it was a beautiful place.  On the way out they have several small reptile and insect exhibits and a large collection of mounted butterflies for purchase (I got a small one).
Just outside of Georgetown in Air Itam is one of the largest buddhist monestaries or temples in south-asia or Malaysia (not sure which).  It is a massive site with a giant stature of Guan Yin.  Even here the Chinese are everywhere.  All the obligatory buddhist things are there.  Turtle pond.  Pagoda.  Dozens of alters with golden statues.  But it still had a few things to make it different from the stock temples you see in most places.  Along with the snake temple there are some nice sites around Penang.
11/20 marked the opening of the second annual battle of the food hawkers, curry mee challenge.  The opening round is open to the public to try the various curries and vote for a favorite to narrow the crowd down to the top three.  During the week there are a variety of foods prepared and at the end of the week the best of the best battle for a cash prize.  11 curry stalls each handing out a decend size portion made it impossible for us to eat through all the stalls.  I think I made it through 5 or 6, but the last two was a tasting bite only.  They really should limit the portions if they want everyone to be able to try all the different stalls.  Pablo may have made it through a few more, Jayci only made it through 3 or 4. All in all I dont think our votes were very well informed, but oh well.  It made for a great lunch.
Jayci flew out this morning (11/21) and I will be heading inland to the Cameron Highlands for a coule days with Pablo, Kristin and Manuel before making my way back to Koh Lanta for my month of boxing...

Penang International Bridge Marathon, 11/18/2012

The Penang Bridge International Marathong (for me the half-marathon) was my second event that I have taken part in.  It was a pretty big affair and much better coordinated than the event in China.
The marathon started at 2am, the half at 3 and the 10k at 6 and 7.  Despite the odd times, it felt pretty good and was the only way to beat the heat.  I was concerned that running at 3am would throw me off, but it didnt really seem to have a noticeable affect.  My official time for the race was 1:46.28.  4 minutes slower than my first.  However, I stopped to stretch for a minute and also suffered a rough abdominal crap that forced me to slow down and walk through a water station or two.  On top of that when I finished I felt much better.  My calfs was strained, but am already to be up and running on it, as long as I take it easy.  All in all a vast improvement over my original performance.  Also to my surprise, I placed 59 out of 5,705.
The race itself was a hugge event.  There must have been something like 15-20,000 people either running or coming in for support.  It was nice to see how a proper event can be managed and makes me look forward to taking part in more in the future.  Maybe a tri once I land in Australia.  But first the Melbourne, Philips island Tough Mudder in January.  I am looking forward to that race. A few people I have met while traveling who have done them in the past have all had good things to say.
After the race, and a nap, and a large lunch.  Jayci and I headed out to the national park.  Originally the ideas was to hike through the park to a beach on the west side of the island.  But pre-race planning may have been a little overly ambitious.  We decided to take  the boat instead.  On the beach I was finally able to try out my new hammock.  It is fantastic. Although it did ruin the plan of walking around looking at things.  Once we were able to settle into the position I dont think we moved for an hour or two.  After sunset and the boat ride back, the early race and lack of sleep finally caught up and it was time to crash for a solid 10-hour recovery sleep.
2 half-marathons down.  102 and 106 minutes. If I can find a proper support for my calf, I think I could push for a 90 min time.  Time to start checking the race calendar for AU.  Plus racing should help a lot with my cardio for getting back into the ring.

And its official...

This morning I got the email from the University of Melbourne with my acceptance to the Graduate Diploma program in Psychology.  So it looks like I will be spending the next year in Melbourne.  From what I have seen looking around, after that year I am going to be piss broke and move back to the cheap paradise that is South (east) Asia.

Georgetown, 11/13/2012

Georgetown is the main city area on Penang Island.  It is a pretty cool place.  The cultural mix provides a wonderful blend of food, architecture, and visuals.  Areas are as developed and first world as any place I have been.  The malls look like they could be anywhere in the US, except for somes of the brands.  Today there was line out the door and around the corner for Starbucks.  Something I can not understand given that there was another only a couple hundred meters away and a Coffee Bean around the corner.  But regardless, Starbucks is live and well here.  I had lunch at TGI Fridays and bought a new pair of running shoes at the Nike outlet and paid a US price for them.
Yet earlier today I was at the snake temple.  So named because of the resident pit vipers that reside in the trees in the court yard.  Highly poisoness, although I dont think fatal, there are a lot of them on the property.  There several stories as to why they are there, but now its seems more like tourist draw than anything else.  There was also speculation as to whether they are still venomed or not.  I dont think thats a verb but it is now.  I would like to think so, makes it more fun. The whole time I think I only saw one more, it was the more display one inside, not in the trees in the courtyard.  It was nice to see a temple with something different.  Also the temples here are mostly pretty small and still in daily use, unlike most of the temples I visited in China.
In Cambodia it was hard to tell if the temples were in real use or not.  They were all pretty busy, but most people seemed to be there paying respects to the recently deceased king.  So I am not sure if that is what normal turnout would be like or not.  In Thailand there are many monks in the temples/wats/etc but not a lot of regular foot traffic coming through.  And I am not sure how many of the monks want to be there or are there for education and a bed.
I need to find something to do tomorrow, I am trying to leave some things to do with the group when they arrive.  So its time to search for the more obscure things to do in Penang.  Flea market anyone?

Fucking Florida Cranberry Juice, Penang, 11/12/2012

Penang for the most part has been great.  The food is amazing.  The city has found a way to belnd Malay, Chinese and Indian culture with a little of the old European influence left over from when it was first settled by the British way back.
Last night I went to see a movie and before hand walked through the Carefour looking for snacks.  They had cranberry juice.  I havent seen cranberry juice in months and although a bit pricey I had to have some.  Immediately after purchasing I headed back toward the theatre and cracked open my new bottle of juice.  So excited I took a giant swig on the escalator and damn near spit it all over the person in front of me.  I do not see how anyone could call that beverage cranberry juice.  To achieve that flavor the only thing I could think of was robotussin cut with grenadine.  It was syruppy, sickly sweet, warm (which only made things worse), and only suitable for mixing in small amounts with vodka.  It has been the only downside so far to my time in Penang.  I should have realized that cranberry juice does not come from Florida, thats oranges, but after a while when you see something you miss one can overlook those things. Anyway, at least the movie was decent.
Otherwise Penang is pretty cool.  Although, you have to get away from the city it would appear for the beaches to be any good.  Tomorrow is Dwali, an Indian festial, and a lot of services might be closed for the day so I might rent a motorbike and head to the national park which is supposed to have some of the nicer beaches on the island.  Yesterday I did my last long run before the race.  I felt really good, but now my legs are really worn.  I think I did about 13-14k.  Today I just want to run enough to get warm and stretch.
Dwali tomorrow, friends arriving in 3 days, race in 5 and and interview with the residence hall tomorrow.  Its nice to have a few, but not many things to do.

Trat, 11/4/2012

I have now arrived in Thailand.  It is interesting to note the changes that come up between countries.  Being on a bike gives a unique perspective to some of the immediate differences from one place to another.  For instance, on crossing into Thailand on of the first things that jumped out (at) to me was the size of the dogs.  From Vietnam to Cambodia there are plenty of loose dogs roaming about, and on a bike you get an occasional chase.  But there were always of the size that I thought, "if you catch me I can kick the shit out of you with my bike shoes, no problem."  The first couple dogs I have seen in Thailand make me think "if you catch me with angry intent, im fucked."  Things like rotweilers and german shepards, dogs that can do some damage and not just look hungry.  Maybe being more affluent and off the menu allows people to keep bigger dogs around.  Either way when cycling through villages you notice how big and plentiful the loose dogs are.

       Another thing that stands out is the amount of road-kill I passed between the border and Trat (such an attractive sounding place).  When you are tired and eyes down, you notice a lot of things imprinted into the asphalt.  It can be a fun game to guess what it was, you get bored on the bike.  Anyway on crossing into Thailand, the amount of road-kill seemed to increase dramatically, lots of snakes and frogs.  The occasional rodent or bird, a dog.  I thought of 3 factors  that could contribute to that.  One, the roads on the Thai side of the border are really nice, and therefore people drive a lot faster.  Two, people are not so poor so they may not be trying to eat anything and everything that they can catch.  And three, it may be a lot more bio-diverse.  I am leaning toward number two.

      The third difference that stands out right away are the number of police and military checkpoints.  Other than borders I cant remember police in any of the three countries I passed through.  A couple police vehicles passed me in northern Cambodia, but they may have been emergency response, like an ambulance.  Since crossing into Thailand I have already gone through 3 checkpoints.  One police and the other two appeared to be military.  And it is the first country to remotely check my bags (granted the guard pressed on my backpack for about 2 seconds before waiving me through, but its still more than all the other borders combined).

       I am sure if you crossed on a bus you might notice other differences first.  Most people on the bus are not actively trying to avoid running over the already run-over road-kill, but I am trying to keep my bike at least a little clean. 

Koh Lanta, 11/9/2012

Yesterday I went on my first wreck and third night dive.  While a little pricey, the diving here is fantastic.  The wreck was nothing special, a car and passenger ferry that hit a reef and sank in 1997.  Still it is pretty cool to see a boat sitting on the bottom of the ocean.  And because of the habitat that it provides, there is a ton of aquatic life all over the boat.  At one point I lost my group because the fish were so thick you couldnt see more than a couple meters.  

The other issue that was a slight detraction from the trip was the size of the group...34.  The dive leaders kept saying wait till the high season (starting december) and the boat will be taking groups of 44, the boat max.  I have never been with more than 10 or 12.  Having this many people made it hard at times to keep with your group and when there was something cool there was almost a line of people waiting to have a look, and fish are not always the most accomodating in waiting for everyone to have a look.  that being said, it also meant there were a lot more eyes checking the reek and finding some cool things. Like a zebra eel, all black with white stripes.  Pretty cool.

The second dive was the reef that the ferry crashed through.  Finally the night dive.  Visability was great, there was the same group so there were a lot of lights under the water.  I enjoyed the trip and am glad that I had the chance, but if I go again it is going to have to be with a smaller group.  Even if that means going on a crappier boat.  

Tomorrow I will be heading to Penang to settle in and get ready for the race.  I think I am pretty ready.  I have been running quite a bit and think my legs should hold up pretty well.  Although I am a little concerned about shin splints coming back. They always seem to come in when I start Muay Thai training.  The change in routine, frequency of workouts, and intensity is hard to prepare for.  I am hoping that the race training will help but I also will be taking advantage of the nice rooming arrangements and the in room fridge to ice my legs.

Anyway, 9 days till the race, a week to rest, a month of boxing and then a flight to Melbourne.  I am looking forward to staying in one place for a while.  Boxing will be a nize change of pace and then of course Melbourne (assuming I get in, have to wait till the end of the month to hear from them) will be very different as well. I finally got myself a hammock today, although I am still looking for a place to hang it.  I hope i can find a place in Melbourne to put it up as well.

Ko Lanta, 11/7/2012

A few notes regarding previous posts.  I would have loved to have been able to write about how awesome it was diving with the phlorescent (cant spell that) plankton.  But the dive was called on account of rain.  Didnt really think that would happen.  But apparently the with the already low visability in that region (south Cambodia) diving in the rain just adds to much sediment to the water.  And with a night dive they likened to driving in a blizzard with your lights on, it just reflects everything and makes visability even worse.  So they called the dive.  Was able to swim at night a few times and when you make it out into the deeper water you can still stir up the water enough to get the plankton to glow around you.  Its not a mass amount, more like tiny green spects in the water, only there for a couple of seconds and then they fade back into the darkness, but still pretty cool.  Something to look foward to on another trip.
Second, the dogs seem to keep getting bigger.  Today, I met the tallest and possible biggest dog I have ever seen/touched.  The gym here, not sure who, has a great dane.  It could make a pony feel small.  I knew someone in Denver with a GD, but it was still only a couple months.  This thing is a horse.  Standing normal on all fours, his shoulders are above my hips, his head about the middle of my chest.  Thin, but the presence that dog has is impressive.

I took the bus (well two buses and two ferries) from Trat to Ko Lanta yesterday.  ABout 28 hours.  The real kicker was the ferry.  Everything online said that the ferry starts running in the beginning of November, but on arrival I found that this year the boat does not start until the 12th.  It was suggested that I could ride to the island (theres a bridge), only 150k.  It did not sound appealing.  I was also told that I could take a boat to Ko Phiphi and then make a connection to Lanta.  The only problem is the added time.  There was also a minivan running from the pier to lanta, sounded good.  Then, no roof rack, no way to take the bike.  Fucking bicycle.  So two ferries it was.
At this point my sense of time is totally fucked.  As I just wrote I was thinking that I took the ferry yesterday, but it was this afternoon around 1 that I arrived here.  28 hours on the bus screws with my sense of time.  Anyway, I made it the gym where I will spend December.  Small but should good to focus and with only a few people here it will be nice to have a good trainer to student ratio.  I do hope a few more students come in as the high season approaches though so there are more sparring partners.
Tomorrow, I am going diving.  Hopefully I will get my night dive.  I found a shop offering a wreck/reef/night dive combo.  I have wanted to do a wreck dive for a while, and I really like night dives. Tomorrow should be cool.  And since its afternoon and night diving, I can sleep in and dont need to be there until 11.  And can get my morning run in on the beach.
It is really beautiful here.  The water is fairly clear, the beaches are kilometers long and white sand, and there are Mantas and shark schools in the dive sites.  I might want to find a way to get back and stay for a while.  There is an animal rescue that would provide free accommodation for month volunteers or more, but working 6 days a week doesnt leave much time to enjoy the island.  I am thinking about going by some of the schools and seeing if I can set up some part-time teaching for the month I will be here when I get back.  Maybe can pick up some private students for a couple nights/hours a week.  Cant hurt to ask around, although I dont really have the clothes to make myself look respectable...

Ramble on (1) (fully updated)

This was written some time back, but have not been able to get it from my tablet to online until now...

People on the road continue to be solid and enjoyable companions.  But somehow it is hard for me to truly engage and connect with people I know will be gone so soon.  As much as I want to be open and flow with the experience I have trouble changing the mental box of short encounter why bother to possible future encounter, engage fully.  Additionally the short term nature of the relationships in positive environments creates perceptions that often, over time are not in line with the more "real" version or personality.  Most people are happy, more outgoing, accepting of less desirable situations, tolerant, etc when on vacation in a beautiful place with a group of road seasoned situationally induced friends.  It is hard to be a demanding bitch with a group of newly met travellers.  But over time comfort leads to changes, or reversion, in behaviour that is not always positive.  Quirks become annoyances, habits that are rarely performed become know, biases and beliefs can be voiced at odds with your own, unknown before because the situation has not had a chance to present itself while on the road in rural Laos. 

         At this point in the trip I am finding myself pulled in two directions.  Part enjoys the freedom of the road, novel experiences, and beautiful new places.  The chance of meeting the rare traveller whom with which you can truly connect.  Yet another side knows the chance to meet and establish   close relationships is far better when you stop moving.  A rolling stone gathers no moss and rolls alone.  China was a great and powerful experience for which I am grateful.  But I know that the last year in Wuhan I precluded relationships with people not because they were bad but because I had already decided I would be moving on to somewhere new.  Why risk the hurt and challenge?  It is so much easier to just cut it now. 

        Looking back I have done the same before in the US before I left for China.  Deciding to cut off or not allow a relationship to grow because the decision to go was already made.  How could the two exist at the same time?  And moving on to a new place has always seemed to win out.  Read the bumper sticker "live without regret", how?  With time so limited and the world so big its not possible to live a life in one place and not think of the chances one had to live a life in another.  I am grateful the choices I have made, good and bad, have brought me to where I am. But how can you not think of the other roads not taken?  I have been lucky to have the chances and choices to get me here. But everyone means something else has to be foregone.  Obviously to complain while in the midst of a 4-6 month vacation about the quality of my life and the outcomes of my choices is not the way to go.  Complain is not the right word... Wax philosophical maybe   better.  Where is this going?  I dont know.  Where I am I going?  I dont know either.  Well tomorrow I have a bus ticket to Phonsavan, friends to meet in Pakse, a race in Malaysia in Nov and another in January and some thoughts about a month boxing and diving in Thailand.  But thats not what I meant.  I thought writing this out would help to clear my head so i could get some sleep, but it has only raised more thoughts.  I want to find a way to slow down time so i can reconcile my two halves.  Or maybe i want to speed up time so that i can arrive at the destination.  Course that would require knowing what the destination is.  Or maybe "the destination is the journey" to quote someone, but thats just confusing to think about.  Now I guess its time to stare at the ceiling and think about my destination/journey and maybe find and answer or a question first and then an answer.  So annoying to get the answer before the question.  I hope I dont snore and wake the other 7 people in the hostel room, they're all so quiet.  Some thing I dont miss about China. 

100km from Cambodia, A world away

Sitting in the Trat night market is a culinary and olfactory delight.  Pad thai and fried rice all around.  A street of all kinds of fresh, fried, steamed, and any other method of cooking.  The fruit is ripe and sweet.  The cashews are cheap and giant.  Two large fried chicken drumsticks for $.30 each.  A bowl of noodles cooked next to you for $1.  I had forgotten why everyone likes Thailand.
Laos was pretty good for food.  But outside the big cities it can be hard to find.  Cambodia was very hit or miss.  If there were tourists, there was food. If not,then you had to get lucky.  Trat is not a tourist city.  It is a way-point to either Cambodia or Koh Chang.  Yet, here there is a vibrant night market with tons of cheap delicious eats.
The difference between Thailand and the other countries are in some sense so mior and yet already after 2 days it feels entirely different.  The biggest and immediate sense you get is that the people (for the most part) are not struggling to survive.  The prosperity of peace has done amazing things to uplieft Thailand way beyond the level of its neighbors to the west, north and east.
I hope to be able to return to Laos in time and see the changes following the path as some of its more fortunate neighbors.

9k North of Khlong Yai, 11/3

I decided to get back on the bike today and try to find a nice beach to spend a day or two.  After a few hitches, I have success.  I am staying in a beach side resort, there doesnt seem to be any other people here.  A little pricey at $20 a night, which is after I asked if they could make it cheaper (and they did by about 15%).  But it is the nicest room I have had since ... well its been a while since AC, hot water, wifi, TV and a mini fridge were all in one place.
I have found that crossing the border on the bike is quite nice.  Unless you have already arranged transport, dealing with tuk-tuks a the border is a real pain in the ass.  They know your stuck and take advantage.  The border security also seem to allow bikes to pass with checking bags (taking it all apart would be a real pain in the ass).  However, I keep forgetting things like, "ïs there a holiday in XXX today?", or "did the king of Cambodia just die and so all the shops are closed", "what day is it because all the banks and currency exchanges are closed on the weekend", its the little things I keep forgetting to check.
In Koh Kong I tried to change my yuan to dollars or baht, but the rate was terrible.  A few places suggested that I go to Pnom Phen.  At least they have a sense of humor.  So I decided to wait, change in Thailand, save myself from going yuan to dollars to baht.  This morning I got on the bike, crossed the border and headed to Khlong Yai.  Some websites said it was a true untouched paradise in southern thailand. I dont know what the fuck they have been smoking, but its not the happy shakes, truffles or mashed potatoes from Cambodia.  There is no beach in Khlong Yai.  However, one site said the beaches to north were best, so I kept heading north.  Finally I found it.
An empty beachside resort, so empty there were only 3 cleaning ladies and no one spoke English. After a few minutes a young boy rode a bicyle in to tell me that they were all booked.  All booked? There are no people here... Tour group was the response.  So back on the road.  Next place, also empty, yet all rooms full.  Next place 1200 baht a night, $40 and it wasnt that nice.  Keep heading on down the road.  Pull in and ask, assuming it to be like 2000 since it was really nice.  Only 700.  Really?  Can you make it a little cheaper, like 600, I dont have much money... OK.  Now came the interesting part, I only had about $15.  Do you take credit cards?  No.  Can you change chinese yuan?  No.  Is there an ATM? Yes, 9k back in Khlong Yai.  So I dropped my bags in my wonderful room and pedaled my ass back to the bank I passed earlier and remembered thinking on the way past the first time, I should get some money, no there will be another one down the road... oh well.
Now I sit about 5 meters from the beach, gorged on good Thai, debating if I should swim now or wait till sunset.  Decisions, decisions.  I think it might take an extra day here to really decide.  And now that I know its the weekend, tomorrow has thai boxing on TV all day.  Now all I have to do is find way to get my TV down to the beach.