Right, so journal entries up to this point have been Eric's realm except.

Apparently that changes today!

This morning in Koh Tao I said good-bye to Eric, my love, who has been by my side 24/7 for the last 8 months. I think he needs a break from me. I whispered sweet nothings like "Get a job" in his ear and was off for mainland Thailand and beeeyooond :)

The weather was threatening, but mostly just Portland grey and overcast.

For the first 15 minutes of our journey we were tortured with a DVD of "Coyote Ugly." When it just stopped I thought, "This is a good sign." For those who believe in signs and omens -- and who doesn't -- the next sign didn't bode as well. The replacement DVD was "Castaway." What had I gotten myself into? I immediately began to look around for my PFD (personal flotation device - life jacket) and looked covetously at one peaking out from the seat in front of my neighbor. I quickly sized up the situation and decided I could definitely take her out if the need arose! All kidding aside, I watched diligently to ensure that if there were survival tips to be gleaned I would glean them before this ship went down! Alas we arrived at the dock just as the movie flickered "4 years later ... " so I never did get to see the end. With the proliferation of bootleg DVD movies for sale here I thought this might be a ploy to sell the DVD at the dock for those of us who would like to see the end. Not to be ... I'll just have to go through life wondering ...

Anyway, the ferry ride was ultimately uneventful. We landed and walked ashore on one of the longest dock/piers I've seen. I'll bet it was 3 or 4 football fields long (OK maybe 2 and a half) and the braces were frest cut unfinished branches -- hmmm good thing I'd spent the last hour and a half brushing up on water survival techniques!!

One hour later we boarded a VIP double decker air con (read refrigerated to below freezing) bus to Bangkok . In the future, I'll avoid the seats on the left side -- when the sun came out I felt like an ice cube in the Sahara .

The bus ride allowed for 4 more movies. But you guessed it, we only saw 2 all the way through. I'm sure this is a marketing scheme! Not too bad though the sound wafted in and out at every 6th word or so, it did provide lovely color pictures to watch.

I finished a book "Vernon God Little." I highly recommend it. My seat mate thought I was a little weird as I laughed out loud. Nothing new for me! My seat mate was a nice Canadian gal who was torn between staying one more month in Thailand and going home to see her beloved Edmonton hockey team in the Stanley Cup finals. My money's on the ticket home. When I asked her had they been in the finals anytime recently, she coyly looked at me and said, "Not in my lifetime." Ahhhh, well if she'd said not in your lifetime Val that would have been something. If she was 19 I'd be surprised, ahhh youth.

It's time to brave the throng of taxi touts and guesthouse hawkers to try to find my way off the bus and to The Atlanta hotel. Deep breaths, smiles everyone, smiles!

More later,

valerie