While we understand that standing on the side of a dirty, desolate road waiting for the awkward meeting of a complete stranger to pick you up and take you to who knows where is not for everyone, it is amazing what just putting yourself out there sometimes will bring you. The start of our trip back in Thailand was one of these times. Not to mention other rides by wonderful people, the crowning jewel
of this trip was getting picked up by a smiling Thai local named Toat. At the time we were heading to a forest monastery for meditation about 100 km past where he was going- which was to Koh Chang. Koh Chang is a beautiful island we had read about and originally planned to go to, and when he said it was where he was going we decided to utilize why we keep ourselves flexible and told
him we’d love to go along with him if that would be ok. He not only said OK but included in the trip a wonderful visit at his mother’s house first where we were given heaps and heaps of delicious fresh fruit to gorge ourselves on, then keeping on going in his truck a ride across the ferry to the island and down to a secluded little tip aptly named “Dead End” where he had 2 bungalows, one of which was generously given to us for the 3 nights we stayed. It was on a quiet cove of crystal clear blue water and snorkeling right off the shore, meeting other locals, waterfall hikes, sharing delicious meals and learning to cook some of them. All of this and never even asking us for a dime, though in the end we offered a nice “donation to the cause”- I guess that cause of being hitch hiking friendly travelers that are looking for an adventure and real cultural experience.
Thanks Toat, Chang, and everyone else we met on Koh Chang, it was incredible!
While we understand that standing on the side of a dirty, desolate road waiting for the awkward meeting of a complete stranger to pick you up and take you to who knows where is not for everyone, it is amazing what just putting yourself out there sometimes will bring you. The start of our trip back in Thailand was one of these times. Not to mention other rides by wonderful people, the crowning jewel 
of this trip was getting picked up by a smiling Thai local named Toat. At the time we were heading to a forest monastery for meditation about 100 km past where he was going- which was to Koh Chang. Koh Chang is a beautiful island we had read about and originally planned to go to, and when he said it was where he was going we decided to utilize why we keep ourselves flexible and told 
him we’d love to go along with him if that would be ok. He not only said OK but included in the trip a wonderful visit at his mother’s house first where we were given heaps and heaps of delicious fresh fruit to gorge ourselves on, then keeping on going in his truck a ride across the ferry to the island and down to a secluded little tip aptly named “Dead End” where he had 2 bungalows, one of which was generously given to us for the 3 nights we stayed. It was on a quiet cove of crystal clear blue water and snorkeling right off the shore, meeting other locals, waterfall hikes, sharing delicious meals and learning to cook some of them. All of this and never even asking us for a dime, though in the end we offered a nice “donation to the cause”- I guess that cause of being hitch hiking friendly travelers that are looking for an adventure and real cultural experience. 
Thanks Toat, Chang, and everyone else we met on Koh Chang, it was incredible!
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