Christmas On the Island of Koh Tao
Mark's sister, Stephanie, came to Bangkok, to join our family trip to the island of Koh Tao for Christmas. Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan are where Mark wants his ashes spred when he dies and we wanted to bring him here at least one more time alive and hopefully many more times if he can hold this cancer in check. Koh Tao means turtle island as it is shaped like a turtle.

On Dec. 21st We flew to Koh Samui on Bangkok Airlines. This airline gives you free food and drink in the airport lounge and free internet, not for VIPs only but for all passengers. When we arrived in Koh Samui, we bought tickets to go on the High Speed boat to Koh Tao and were taken by van to the waiting area near the boat dock, where we sat in the sand in plastic chairs under a canopy in the rain with an international group of people waiting to go scuba diving or just vacationing on Kah Tao. I spent 30 minutes talking in Spanish to a woman from France and we exchanged e-mail addresses. For an extra dollar or so we rode in the VIP lounge on the high speed boat to Koh Tao. Almost everyone barfed except Mark and me, and I was very close to barfing most of the trip. It was the roughest crossing I have ever made. It has rained so much and the seas are so rough that some days the boats have been unable to ferry people from Koh Samui and at one point the Navy took some people off Koh Tao so they could fly back home as they had been stranded. The weather has cleared up today and there is promise of great weather for the rest of our trip.

When we arrived in Koh Tao, Mark was energized and laughing and talking and excited. Instead of needing a wheelchair like he usually does in airports, he outpaced the rest of us and arranged a truck to take us to our bungalos on the beach. We all jumped in the bed of the truck with the luggage.

This is a low budget trip to places Mark stayed when he was here before. Stephanie and I are in a bungalo without hot water but we have TV and airconditioning for about 35 dollars a night. Mark was in one of these until he got extremely cold and we moved him to a nicer room with heat and hot water as well as air conditioning. He lets us come down for daily showers so Steph and I are back to hot showers.

There are many wonderful places to eat here and food is extremely cheap, though Mark has been on a pizza kick, so we've eaten twice already at "Gringos", perhaps the best pizza in Thailand. The beach is beautiful and each morning Steph and I get up early and eat our soup-breakfast at a hut-style restaurant on the water; we take our reading materials and just relax leisurely.

Christmas eve dinner was on the beach. Mark had been sick all day but recovered by evening. We went to the place where all the young divers were gathering to celebrate. We had a buffet with lots of different foods including turkey and gravy (Mark loved it) at Ban's Dive Restarant. Our table was on the beach and we saw fireworks as we ate.

It will be a different Christmas but experiencing Mark laughing and smiling makes it a very good one for Stephanie and me. This is like "Make a Wish" time. Stephanie and I are fullfilling Mark's wish before he dies, instead of a foundation fullfilling it. We are the make a wish team in Thailand although it is actually less expensive being here than being in Bangkok, but don't tell anyone because the more Americans and Europeans that come here, the higher the real estate and tourist prices will soar.

We will be thinking of you where ever you are and wishing you a very Merry Christmas.