This is it!

So the time has come for me to write my final travel blog post. I know I haven't really been posting for the last 3 weeks or so and that is because I've just been on the islands not really doing much. I guess I'll start there. I traveled from Cambodia back to Bangkok and then took an overnight train and then a boat to Koh Phangnan. I was supposed to arrive there for the 'Dark moon party' but it turns out the travel agency where I booked my accommodation through had the dates wrong and I showed up one day too late. I have to admit this wasn't such a big deal to me, I like big parties but I knew that there was a party to be had every night so I wasn't too worried about it. After a short nap I woke up and went to the bar where I met some great guys, 2 from Pakistan and 2 from Ireland, not to mention the proprietor of the guesthouse Nong, (I thought his name was actually Long, but turns out I was wrong). We had some fun and went down to the full moon beach for a beach party. Maybe because its low season and not the full moon party, but the party was just whatever. Vang Vieng in Laos was way more fun. The best part of the night was the ride home when I met some great people that were staying next door to my guesthouse in a place with a great pool. The next 4 days consisted of pretty much sitting in the pool all day and all night. It was truly one of the highlights of my trip so far.

After Koh Phangan was Koh Tao, a great little island with some amazing snorkeling and the start of the World Cup. Met some friends from Bangkok and Koh Phangan there so that was great and other than that really didn't do very much.

Next was Koh Samui, my least favorite of the islands I think. Mostly older people and less travelers, didn't really meet anyone worth writing about and didn't do anything worth writing about.

Then was Ao Nang, which is not an island but the coast of the Andaman Sea. Took my first long tail boat trip there in rough water, that was the first time I thought I was going to go over board. I also didn't do a whole lot there but ate some great wood fired pizza for 5 bucks a pie. The guesthouse I stayed was really nice and had some good people in it too.

Finally where I'm currently writing you from is Koh Phi Phi, everyone's favorite island. This place is great. No cars, everything is within walking distance and there are lots of good places to eat and drink and be merry. Beach parties aplenty, and general great times. I've been hanging out with an international group that is now breaking up as some head to the full moon party and others are heading back to Bangkok and I'm on my way to Hong Kong.

Some Final Thoughts

So now that I'm at the end of my trip it seems like a good time to reflect on the past 3 months. When I first arrived in Bangkok I was thinking to myself why am I here, I'm all alone and how am I going to meet anyone in this strange country. I was totally wrong. I've met so many great people and had so many unreal experiences that all my fears were quickly silenced. The days I spent alone ended up being my choice when I needed some time alone. These past few months have been some of the best of my life and I'm both sad and excited for it to be ending. I feel now that my trip is ending that I could keep traveling for more months like I was scheduled to but at the same time there are many things that I'm really looking forward to when I get home. I've met a fair number of people that have said that they couldn't travel alone and thought I was really brave for doing so. The fact of the matter is, you're never alone. There is always someone else to meet and somewhere else to go. That is really the beauty of traveling in a place like Southeast Asia. At home you wouldn't just go up to a table at a pub and sit down where here that is almost expected. When you go out at night there is no telling who you're going to meet and what will happen.

There are obviously too many stories to tell here so I hope that anyone that is reading this and interested in my stories will be able to hear them first hand starting next week. I want to thank everyone who has been reading the blog for without you this would have just been for my parents.

I would urge anyone who is thinking about traveling to do it. It has been one of those experiences in my life that I don't think I'll ever be able to forget. Thanks to all the friends I've met, hopefully we can meet again sometime.

Thats all for me,
Talk to you soon,
Dave