Koh Phangan has been nicknamed “Sticky Island” for good reason. Once the island attaches itself to you, there is no letting go. Some visitors here on holiday have found it impossible to leave this island paradise, and, indeed, have stayed to make Koh Phangan home. People become stuck to the island, and the island becomes stuck to them. It all comes down to falling in love with a place and its culture that makes it hard to leave.
Well, there are numerous reasons to be reluctant to leave Koh Phangan. For a good part of the year, the weather makes the island a beach-goer’s dream come true. The intense, sunny and dry weather sometimes yields to rain, and sometimes the sun is unbearably cruel. These hot, humid conditions makes for a lush jungle setting of coconut trees covering the island. The thick, green jungle spreads over the mountainous areas of the island and extends down to the beaches. Koh Phangan is tropical and exotic and in some places untamed.
The same warm temperatures make it possible for beautiful flowers to have seemingly endless lives full of color and vibrancy. The entire landscape feels remote, unusual and far from the maddening crowd. On Koh Phangan, Nature is the curator, and there is a new exhibit around every bend.
Falling in love with everyday experiences like the monthly art market
or “Temple Days” brings Phangan culture closer. Temple Days is an event that lasts for a while. It is similar to an enormous, colorful church fair……
Since a number of temples exist on the island, each temple takes a turn hosting the event where a good time is had by all by eating, playing games, being entertained with musical bands and purchasing just about anything, including mattresses.
Because Thailand and its islands are so remote, people who visit here tend to stay for longer periods of time. It is not uncommon to discover that someone has been on Koh Phangan for three or more months. Extended visits not only offer the opportunity to discover the subtle aspects of a people’s culture, but to also forge personal relationships with others on the island. With time, new friendships no longer qualifying as new, become comfortable and trusted friendships….
lives begin to settle in ……and before long, investments in relationships
and work and life begin to feel more permanent…when these things happen, “Sticky Island” has taken hold.
When things grow sticky, the little restaurant on the road where the dishes don’t match becomes your favorite place to eat because the food at this wonderfully special place adds to the love of the island. My favorite is the Gummy Bear Cafe.
At the Gummy Bear , the food flavors are complex and exotic…and the heat in the spice always matches the sincere hospitality of the owners.
Of course, the draw of nature cannot be overlooked….
Sand
Surf
Sea Life
Sunsets
All of these are sticky!!
You may be wondering if this Unseasoned Traveler is feeling sticky, and what would that mean????? Indeed, my dear friend Cookie Levine asked me if I was planning to return from this junket. I have learned so much from this experience…not the least of which is that survival is possible without a pedicure or manicure or haircut!!!! Sometimes a cool scarf and wonderful sunglasses make everything just fine.
But to answer your question….Yes, Cook….I’ll be home soon!
Love, The Unseasoned Traveler
Jackie's Junkets 
oh Jackie….I love this exploration and sharing of a place I didn’t know existed! Thank you🤗 Leanne Cook
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Greetings, my Friend….how are you? I am delighted that you enjoyed my blog…have you seen it before? This is an amazing part of the world, and I am so blessed to have a chance to spend so much time here…..it is not the conventional travel experience for sure….how is your daughter? And are you still living in Colorado? Tell me everything!!!!j.
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Good afternoon from Colorado! I am sitting in my house office trying to get organized. Much has happened since we moved back in 2013. Mariah graduated from Chadron State College (NW Nebraska….close to grandmother) with a major in education and technology and got a 7th grade social studies position at Thunder Ridge Middle School. TRMS runs between 1200 – 2000 students, so it’s a big building. I taught there from 1993-1999. She is completing her 10th year there. Along the way she got a 2nd Masters in Gifted Education from the U. of Northern Colorado. She also got married and now has 2 girls–Hana (4 years) and Ella (2 1/2). They have a house about 20 minutes north of us.
The first school year after we moved back I stayed home as Allen had open heart surgery in October. You know men….they don’t always stay out of trouble when recuperating ):
The next year I took a one-year position as a Gifted Resource teacher for the Jefferson County School District which covers most of the west part of Denver. I left at 5 AM and got home around 7 PM. Jeffco has 120 schools. The 11 schools I was assigned necessitated driving 44 miles from south to my office at an elementary school. I declined to sign another one-year contract.
However…the end of that summer …..I realized I wasn’t quite ready to call it as far as my career in education. I applied and was hired at Elizabeth High School which is located about 14 minutes SE of our home….no stop lights and only one STOP sign. I taught 9th grade LIt& Comp for underperforming students as well as working with the GT kiddos. Great principal and parents. At the end of 3 years the principal asked if I’d go .5 in the classroom and work with the counseling department on postsecondary options. I really liked that! The next year I did that fulltime and also helped several big grants to provide my salary and to start an internship program. COVID hit….so that was difficult, as no one really wanted to talk with me. However, we were able to place a few students in what I considered to be “thinking big/out-of-the-box” sites. One of these was a pre-vet student at Harmony Sport Horses located a few miles south of Kiowa. Harmony is owned by John and Leslie Malone. Leslie grew up in the Kiowa area and somewhere along the line met John. They now raise horses for the race circuit in Florida, Maine, France and the British Isles. Oh, and they also own CNN. Hard to believe. The other really cool placement was with the Office of the Constituency for the Governor at the State Capitol. I did that for another 2 years and then retired.
Since then Allen and I have been traveling: 2019 to France and with his brother and partner (who live in Portugal); 2022 back to Belgium and northern France; 2023 to Portugal and 5 weeks in Italy and 2 weeks ago we returned from Portugal and the middle area of Spain.
I’m attaching a picture of Ella and Hana as well as a picture of the students from Elizabeth HIgh School I took on a 3-day trip in 2017 to NW Nebraska. We left on a Saturday morning and got to Scottsbluff Natl. Monument (Oregon Trail) and Ft. Robinson State Park at Crawford (a calvary fort used through WW2 and where Crazy Horse was killed); Hudson Meng Bison Kill Archeological Site and Toadstool Ntl. Geologic Site. On Monday Morning we drove south to Gering High School and watched the Solar Eclipse with 2000 other high school students. Very cool. I did lots of trips all over.
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You have been busy!!!! It has been so long since we’ve seen one another…sounds like Mariah is doing just fine…..I think about her and you every now and again….I did not get the photos….can you resend at jackie_henry@verizon.net….I want to see the two little ones….sounds like you husband got over the heart experience since you have been traveling yourself….perhaps in June or July we can do a video chat….sounds good to me…..fondly, j
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such a wonderful trip! Remember Jackie, it’s almost time to return to our little island! Enjoy!!!!
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Hi, Cathy….you are so correct….our island awaits….I already have had my share of the sun for this season….the sun here is so intense…..but I am looking forward to getting to Fenwick….j……
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To my coolest cousin Jackie,
WOWWW on your trip to “Sticky Island”! What an invigorating, inspiring, cool, classy, & down-to-Mother Earth awesome-looking place! Did I sum it all up? 🥰
Glad you had fantastic memories and safe travels❤️!
Cousin Laura😎
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Laura….yes…you summed it up perfectly….my time here is coming to a close…I have had adventures and misadventures…..all exciting….love that you follow the blog….you following means so much ….
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Ellen
We have nature here too. You missed the cherry blossoms. I have pictures but I don’t know how to attach them. Oh well, Ellen
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Hi,Ellen….I am sorry that I missed the blossoms….It was my intent to go to Japan from Koh Phangna to see the blossoms there, but I have run into a travel snag as of this morning….I bet the blossoms in DC were fabulous…j
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Here are the pictures of the cherry blossoms in Kenwood, MD, last weekend. Ellen
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Thanks, Ellen…..sorry,but I could not open could not open the photos….going to get some help…perhaps I am doing it wrong….j
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What a lovely spot to pick! Thank you for sharing it with us. It is always a joy to join you on a trip.
Donna and Bruce
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Donna…how are you? I left Koh Phangan for Bangkok….tonight off to Japan…say hi to Bruce for me
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I am right there with you…luv sharing in your wonderful experiences.
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Hi, Becky….thanks for leaving me a message….I am in Bangkok right now
…goi g to Japan next…thanks, Becky
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