February 13-15, 2023

I’ve been up since 2:00 a.m. with an upset stomach and a blistered lip. The last couple of days I’ve had a double whammy of the lizards and sunburn. Now I got the trifecta.

I found a site to stream the Super Bowl since I’m awake. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m in Thailand watching it alone and sick at 6:00 a.m. but it was boring. I reset my goal for the day to find a new place – one with air conditioning and real floors, walls and ceilings.

I debated leaving here sooner than Thursday, but there isn’t another place that makes sense. Hopefully my new room will help me relax and enjoy the slow paced nature of this island. So far it seems I like it more than it likes me.

Nankonak Bungalows ended up being the place for me. It’s an extra 500 baht per night but worth it. I texted Pramot to let him know I was leaving and met him to give his key back. He didn’t charge me for yesterday’s boat tour or the drinks I took from the community fridge instead of a refund. Works for me.

I moved everything five minutes down the road, already feeling slightly better just at the change of accommodation. After reading for a while, I took the scooter out to find food that might not upset my stomach. After scouring several markets and 7 Eleven, I walked away with ginger juice, coconut water and some nuts. I tried finding chapstick with SPF but no luck. After a good night’s sleep I think I’ll be fine.

When I drove across the island to the market, I passed four Thais collecting garbage on the side of the road. I hadn’t seen this before, but more so, they were so friendly. One gave me a giant wave, his hand arc from one side of his body to the other, the others all smiling broadly. The people on this island are all extremely friendly. Everyone smiles, waves or nods even if we haven’t had any interaction. It’s quite nice.

Someone’s shadow reflecting off the tile floor beneath my curtains startled me. Lizard PTSD.

Matus sent me some pictures from Khao Lak. It was nice to see something new today, even if it was only a few photos.

Today is the first day I felt a little lonely. Definitely brought on by not feeling well and not getting out much. It will be really nice to meet up with Travis and Stephanie in Bangkok in a few days.

For the next two days, I just rested and worked on feeling better in preparation for my travel day to Bangkok.