The secret to good backpacking

2/11
Don't plan and don't bring too much stuff. We have the latter down pat and it's really come in handy while being in the islands and going boat to boat. Everyone is sweating in the blazing sun rifling through to find their bags and we just walk right off.

The planning, well this part we haven't been very lucky with. Seems we're damned if we do damned if we don't. Based on recommendation we decided we'd go to Koh Phi Phi which is on the western coast and we booked our room a few days back. Fast forward to last night in the terrifying room in Koh Tao and we decide we've had enough of the tourist/beach scene and want to just head north but alas our hotel is non refundable and we already booked a non direct route of boat/bus to Phuket so off we go. We leave Koh Tao at 1000 and our booking says we'll arrive between 2000-2100. HA! Our one boat ride turned into two with a total of four stops, then a bus ride followed by a taxi ride where we were taken to a "bus terminal" which was someones store front that sold over priced food and then tried to swindle us for more money to get somewhere else, the owner was not happy when we said just take us to wherever we already paid for. It was delay after delay and we finally arrived at a dark ally at 1035. We had no idea what to do so we started walking and found a travel agency and they had an air con room, problems solved! We got much needed showers and had the best sleep we've had in awhile.