Thailand: First day on Koh Lanta

We arrived at the island as the sun was setting. That was the longest taxi ride ever! Our driver got lost and past the place, but I saw it. I can't speak Thai though and he didn't speak English, like most of the drivers we'd had in Chiang Mai and Bangkok. I pointed for him to turn around, but he didn't understand and just kept going! Finally he stopped and asked a stranger who spoke English. I explained to the stranger that we'd past the place and I saw it about 5 minutes the other way down the road. Finally we made it. We went straight to dinner at the closest restaurant on the beach. The coconut milk shake (above) was good, but the food was blah and touristy and not at all Thai. What a disappointment! As I'd said before, food in Chiang Mai was far superior.
Here is our little bunglow. I had difficulty finding a room for this week as even though Bangkok and Chiang Mai had many cancelations, the beach area didn't. The room was nice. The only downside was the door you see with the curtain. This leads to a bathroom which is outside. It's pretty and has a little garden and you shower outdoors, but there is a big gap under the door, which means any critter can get in...lizards, beetles, etc... We didn't have much of a problem though there were a lot of tiny ants one day.
Below: The back view of the outside of one of the bungalows.

Above: The beach behind the hotel. It was nice and clean, but nothing special like the islands we visited later.
Below: A catapillar in the garden in our bathroom.

We went into town to get me some much needed flip flops. Above is a bunch of coconut shells. Fresh fruit was fantastic and so cheap! Some guidebooks say not to eat it because uncooked stuff is an easier way to get sick. I followed this rule at first, but then it was just too tempting with it's freshness and low prices so I gave in. I did get very sick later in Thailand, but this didn't appear to be the cause, but who knows really. I would eat it again if I went back.
The streets of the small town on the island.


Fresh fruit for sale!
We enjoyed a good lunch by the water. I would have gone back here, but the place was kinda far from our hotel.

Then later that evening, we walked about 30 minutes or so trying to find my friends hotel who lives in Bangkok, Thailand who was vacationing in the south as well with his girlfriend and his friend. We had a wonderful Massamun curry for dinner and fresh fruit wine. It was fantastic! Then we walked back with everyone to our hotel by walking along the beach as far as we could before having to resort back to the road. We enjoyed our first day on the island!