 To the most famous of the Koh Chang (Elephant Island) getaways we go! My basic provision for returning to Thailand is that I never want to set foot on Koh Phangan or Samui again, and when you add in the death of a novice diver on Koh Tao last week, that knocks out the major places in the Gulf of Thailand except Chang and Samet. Pretty sand can be found anywhere, but bad vibes can ruin everything. Koh Chang was lovely in terms of tourists, residents, and fun(potentially dangerous) waves. I can take care of the undertow threat, but will skip the violent tourist deaths and cab drivers on meth, thanks.
 Hey, boys-- do you happen to be an Olympic-level competitive swimmer? How about an Abercrombie model? No? Do any side work in Bangkok as a Rosso Men's Underwear spokesman? No? Then, please don't wear that Speedo. This fella was also wearing pink Crocs, which are SO wrong, but I couldn't get a clear shot while he was walking in front of us.
 Look quick! PEPY dorks on the beach! The island is gorgeous, and still maintains its Jurassic Park appeal despite the decline in velociraptors, the rocketing increase in development, and the amoebic multiplication of 7-11s and ATMs. The poorer cousin of the 7-11 is a 7-Years combini done up in similar color scheme. And the backwater cousin of the 7-Years is, naturally, the 7-Days. Most everything in our local 7-Days was stale or flat, but the ice cream case was pretty decent. The roads are hilly, windy, and deadly, but it doesn't stop incompetent gaijin from trying to ride motos with their rented Thai women perched behind them. When they misjudge something and stall mid-hill, you want to laugh, but the sight of a moto crashed into a guardrail made me more freaked out than anything. For a prettier impression of the island, Tim made a video: get the full mood music K-Chang experience right here.
 We stayed near Lonely Beach, which wasn't as much lonely as introspective. And it could've been friends with the other beaches if it wanted to. The waves washed away Timmy's sand castle... kids never understand about the tide. At night on the beach as part of the standard fire poi show, one man inexplicably wore a feathered headdress. No, he did not go up in flame. And he didn't try and sell any of those creepy little wooden frogs. |
