Day 31 - Tuesday, March 15 - Ko Lanta

I've made a decision - I'm going to motivate!

I'm leaving Koh Lanta after 10 glorious days and moving on. I may be scrapping my plans for Ko Pha Ngan all together. The tentative plan is to travel even further south to the Satun Province. Satun is the Andaman coast's southernmost province and borders the northernmost tip of Malaysia.

"Down there, one can enjoy the most beautiful national parks of Ko Tarutao and Thaleh Ban."

According to Lonely Planet, "Ko Tarutao National Marine Park remains one of the most beautifully isolated and pristine coastal areas in all of Thailand, in part because it requires a bit more effort to get there." They continue to say, "this was probably a good reason it was chosen as location for the 5th 'Survivor' television series, broadcast in 2002."

So, if all goes as planned, I'll be heading there tomorrow for some camping in the National Park, and then to Ko Lipe, one of the other 51 islands that make up the National Park.

Therefore, as if yesterday WASN'T a lazy day, keeping with tradition, today was my Ko Lanta Lazy Day.

I met Mr. and Mrs. Rippey (a.k.a Matt's parents) on the beach and chatted for a while. The Rippey family (and Merislise, Matt's friend) headed down to Bamboo Bay to see where Matt was when he was swept away by the Tsunami. I hung around Miami for a little bit and then rode my bike down to meet them. It's very similar to Khlong Jak where I was with Tuci and Nadine for the first few days on Lanta. Matt reinacted his experience and I made notes for the movie version. We sat at the newly re-built restaurant and had a drink.

I left the Rippey's and headed a little further south into the park at the tip of the island and then went back to Miami.

I sat out, swam, and relaxed. Later in the day, I went into the local village to get some necessities that I wasn't sure they were going to have in Tarutao. After all, it's just a National Park and aside from a little shop for drinks and hopefully some film, not really sure they'll have much of anything.

Back at Miami, I found Dave and Carolina having a mid-afternoon snack, and the other Dave was on the porch getting ready for happy hour. Katie was enjoying an afternoon alone. We all enjoyed our last Miami happy hour together and the 4 of them went to Cook Kai for dinner and I went, as is, in the very same clothes I've been wearing for a week, to the restaurant at Miami. I ordered a whole fish grilled with some vegetables but it wasn't that good. Magnus and Santi, a young Sweedish couple joined me for dinner and we had a nice time. They've been here just as long as me and when I was in my original bungalow, they were my across the path neighbors. We talked about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Just as I was finished with dinner, Matt came over and sat with us. The conversation swayed from Tsunami to Bush to Samui to Lanta and everything in between. We all watched Mong's fire show and had a few libations. Magnus and Santi left and Matt and I had a few more beers, talked about "Lunch in Milan", the name of the movie we are going to make, and drank Cobra Blood courtesy of Mong. It was quite gross and I don't advise anyone to do the same on their next visit to Thailand.

Dave, Katie, Dave, and Carolina came to Mong's for a farewell drink, we all exchanged information, hugged, kissed, cried, and promised to keep in touch forever and ever.

Called it a night at 2AM, said my goodbyes to Matt, packed, and went to sleep anxiously awaiting the chirping of my alarm clock at 6:30AM so I could be ready for my 7:00AM mini-bus to my next destination.

I'm sad to be leaving Lanta but I know there is another Paradise waiting for me.