Oh wow, Koh Tao.

Koh Tao was our last stop and my favorite by far. It is the smallest of the islands and known for its scuba diving. You can be certified in a 4 day course for next to nothing. For the full certification, 4 days of training, multiple open dives, accommodation, and food, it costs less than $300! How crazy is that?! Welcome to Thailand. Sadly enough, we didn't leave ourselves enough time to take the course, but we were able to go snorkeling. But luckily, this means I have to go back to Koh Tao. I have decided that the opportunity is too great to pass up, and I must back to Koh Tao and be certified. Would anyone like to join me?

The island is very small, but absolutely wonderful. It is filled with a young crowd of divers and party goers. Everything on the island is located along one beach, and within walking distance. The streets were lined with delicious restaurants opening out over the water. At night the beaches are filled with fire twirlers and loud American music. The video at the bottom includes a few of our fire show experiences, and it is definitely worth watching.

While in Koh Tao Koreana and I had our first Thai massages. They were amazing. We were lying along the beach, listening to the waves breaking while being prodded and massaged for an hour. And it only cost $10! Thailand is pretty sweet.

There are also quite a few restaurants in the area that show movies in the early evenings. While having a beer our first night in town we watched the Hangover! If you haven't seen it, you must. I already bought my pirated copy, and after watching it three more times, it is still funny. One of the photos shows the Britney Spears music videos we were watching while waiting for our movie on the beach. Britney Spears on the most beautiful beach I have ever seen? Gosh, this must be heaven.

Our time on the island was wonderful, but I was ready to go home by the end. I wasn't ready for our trip home, however. While this trip didn't involve any neighbors throwing up or sleeping in airports, it did involve an interesting overnight ferry.

Koreana and I decided to take the overnight ferry from Koh Tao to Suratthani. From there we would take the mini bus to Phuket and the plane to Bangkok and then the bus to Khon Kaen. It all seemed simple enough. We had done the same exact trip on the way down, so this was going to be easy. And by taking the night ferry we would save a night at a hotel, so things were looking up... until we got to the ferry.

We each received a number when we checked in. It corresponded to our mattress. Well, I am using the term mattress loosely. The number corresponded with the sheet on the floor and the 14 inches of floor space we had on the boat. I felt like an illegal immigrant fleeing Koh Tao in hopes of finding a better life on the mainland. Oh my word. The pictures don't do the boat justice, but for the sake of my parents, or anyone that wanted me to survive the trip, I think that is a good thing.

About 30 hours later, we had made it home safely. Our entire trip was wonderful and filled with stories. My foot is still swollen, but my nose is covered with freckles, and I'm loving it!

To check out the video, go to this link.