On to Thailand

I arrived at Bangkok late on Sunday evening after travelling to Hong Kong from Guangzhou by train. The train ride was pleasant. The train ride was smooth and without event. I looked out the window and I could see all the various factories and apartment buildings between these 2 major cities. The pollution is quite bad in Guangzhou, worse than it was in Manila. In Manila it is caused by the traffic. In Guangzhou it is caused by traffic but also all the factories which are manufacturing products for the whole world. I got sinus problems after about 5 days there and it persisted until I got on the island. Shirley has had it since November and felt some relief when she got to Manila. I got to Bangkok late and got a room at Maxim Inn. I was not too crazy about the hotel or the area so I moved the next day to another area where many backpackers go and so the hotel are less expensive but my room was better. The hotel had a small pool and there was a variety of people staying there. I met Nick a young German who told me about Ko Phangan an island right next to Ko Samui but is less commercialized. So I made plane flight arrangements and tentative hotel plans. I proceeded to Wat Po a Buddhist shrine which hosts the Reclining Buddha which is 150 long and 45 ft high and it really is the Buddha reclining. Quite a different religious connotation from someone hanging on a cross. I took lots of pictures but the art work and buildings are amazing. I decided to get a picture of myself here and recalling my picture taking in Newfoundland where I had come across an iceberg without a camera and got a couple to take my picture after I took theirs and then asked them if they would take a picture of me and send it to me. Which they did. So I ask this couple if they would take my picture and they did and then I offered to take theirs. I detected a German accent and mentioned my name is Schumacher and I am of German descent. I do this with the many Germans I have met in Philippines, China, and now Thailand. He responded with my name is Schumacher too! He proceeds to take out his id to prove it. We have a good laugh and we take some more pictures of us shaking hands. Him and his girlfriend Ulma had a good sense of humour and so we went off to dinner and drank beer like good Germans or something like that.
The next day I flew to Ko Samui and then took a boat to Ko Phangan which is a smaller less commercial island. Everyone rides mopeds and many people are into diving or snorkelling which I do. I went out on a combined snorkelling and diving boat trip and the first place was not a good site. Poor visibilibity and not much coral or fish to see. The second site was great and I spent 1.5 hours snorkelling around. Schools of fish, a wide variety of fish, a beautiful coral. I had a little adventure when I noticed a fish caught in an old abandoned fish net. I tried to free with another snorkeler by tugging on the net. I saw its snout stuck and so as tried to push it out I poked my finger into a spine sticking out and cut my finger plus it stung like a bee sting. The fish was freed and I forgot about the hurt. It was an intereting day. I met people from Switzerland, Belgium, England, Greece, and of course lots of Germans. I got to know Joseph then a bit and more later because he is in the room next to me. He is a Swiss baker who moved to New Zealand 26 years ago and recently sold the bakery he and his wife ran for 26 years. He has an extra house he rents to tourists throughout the year. So now I have a place to go if I go to New Zealand which I have heard many great things about.
Yesterday I hiked up to the highest point on the island and went to a huge beach party here. Today it rained most of the day so here I am on the blog. I was waiting for a day like this.