Two Beers and a Pretzel

On the 11th, I took a ferry, bus, and overnight ferry to Koh Pangnan island on the Gulf side of Thailand.  Steven had recommended “Bottle Beach” on the North side of the Island, and he was right.  This is exactly what the doctor ordered.

It also helps that I met a group of British girls that proved that yes, 18-20 English girls are nearly the most inebriated and annoying thing on Earth, but by 24, they’ve gone through a metamorphosis into actual women who occasionally exercise moderation.  They’re cute too…

I’m staying at Smile Bungalows.  I have a nice place with a queen sized bed, fan, and private bath for 350 bhat/night ($11).  Not on the beach, but I have a view, and it’s a 100 meter walk.   They have a great restaurant/bar, ridiculously friendly staff, and there are only about 100 people staying on this little bay, so everyone is relaxed and happy.

The only way there is by boat, or 4 wheel drive over a mountain.  Even the food resupply arrives by boat.

There are a few downsides…

With the shallow, coral-deficient bay, snorkeling is not so good.  The sunrise and sunset are both blocked by opposing mountains, and if you want anything not available at the 3 small bungalow resorts, you have a 2 hour journey ahead of you.  Power is usually off during the day, and internet connectivity is a joke (yay!).  The biggest actual problem appears to be the resident brown cobra who eats the rodents and scares the crap out of the girls.

…but I can live with it.  This place is so chilled out that you never want to leave…