Ko Samet

I'm not going to post much because the sun just came out and I'm at the beach. I just have a little time to kill before my new friend gets back fom the bank and we can walk back to the guesthouse.

Ko Samet is one of the less-developed islands in Thailand, but resorts still seem to be sprouting up around it. There's still just one dirt road (or, more accurately, one mud road filled with puddles spanning the width of it, since it rains every night) running the perimeter of the island, but my guess is it'll be paved within two years. Last night I stayed in a little bungalow with a fan, public bathroom way out of the way, mosquito net (complete with gaping holes throughout) over the bed, and the sound of Justin Timberlake, Shakira and bullfrogs outside throughout the night. All at the same time.

Tonight I'm springing for the more expensive bungalow down the beach, on the beach with more old people and fewer backpackers. British people seem to have the worst taste in music. (Sorry UK Paul, if you still read this thing)

Anyway I was talking to this girl Sabrina, who's from Ireland, and she helped me come up with a decent story idea about how tourism in Thailand has changed over the last five, 10, 20 years. I think it's actually an interesting story, especially when you consider that *everything* was in English up in Chiang Mai, which I guess I wasn't expecting -- at least to that extent. Everything is becoming Westernized, which I guess helps their economy some, but they continue to struggle and now a tourist can come here and successfully avoid all Thai culture -- even outside of Bangkok.

It's still there though, if you venture out and look.

I got the e-mail address of a British guy who came here five years ago and has seen a lot of these changes, so I can talk more to him if I decide to do the story.

Anyway my last day in Chiang Mai was cool... I chatted it up with a few monks at one of the temples. They sit outside and you're supposed to go up and talk to them so they can practice their English. All three were from Laos and wanted to return there after finishing... monk school? They all had one year left, and one was 21, so I'm assuming the others were as well.

So one wanted to be a journalist who writes about Buddhism (I guess they have those in Laos?), one wants to be an English teacher back in Laos, and the third wanted to know if I lived near Las Vegas.

The temples in Chiang Mai were pretty cool -- they date back pretty far but my notes are in my bag and I don't feel like getting them out -- plus I doubt that any of you care too much about the details of Chiang Mai temples or the archaeological findings up there.

OK, I'm headed to the beach now. I was going to go snorkeling but have since decided that I'm way too tired to do anything but lay out on the sand and eat whatever the people pass by with to sell. Can't believe I'm leaving tomorrow...