Koh Samui - Wash out!

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It's been a very busy time in Koh Samui so I thought I'd better update everyone before we move onto our next place! Despite the rain in Koh Phangan the crossing was really smooth to Koh Samui. It seemed like a like a lot of backpackers had the same idea as us as the boat was packed.
We didn't have anywhere to stay in Samui so we headed to the popular area of Chaweng to find somewhere for a few nights. Andy left me in an ice cream parlour (yay!) with the bags while he went to find us somewhere to stay. The place we did have in mind was full - this is something that keeps happening to us. Andy came back with a room sorted at Best Beach Bungalows. They weren't really bungalows just rooms but we didn't mind - we were only 50 steps to the beach! We quickly discovered what a touristy place Chaweng is, probably because the beach is really really nice. The sand was the softest we've felt and the water really warm.
Having a wander around we decided that we wanted to see some of this island - it's quite a big one compared to the last two - about 100km road all the way around. Samui has lots of touristy attractions so we booked ourselves on a jungle safari the next day and a trip to Ang Thong Marine Park the day after.
We were picked up the next morning in a big 4x4 jeep, there were two other couples already in the back and they were really friendly. Throughout the day we visited lots of different places on the island.
First - We were taken to an elephant show in the middle of the island where they had two elephants doing tricks, playing basketball, dancing and playing the harmonica. It was very strange, we don't really like these shows but the elephants looked ok, not mistreated. They also took us to a monkey show, there are no pictures of this because it was awful. They had two baboons on leads and they yanked them this way and that. I just sat stony faced on the front row and looking behind me I wasn't the only one. It was something we wished we hadn't seen.
Next they took us to see the Grandmother and Grandfather rock - I thought the elephants dancing was crazy, nothing compared to this. The rocks are of a man's private are and a woman's private area - ahem! The story is that there was a couple from the mainland who had a son and they wanted him to marry a girl on the Samui island, so they took their boat across the sea to find her. Then there was a massive storm and they ended up dying on the rocks. Then sunddenly these genital rocks appeared. Very strange but the Thais really believe in this story.
After the rocks they took us to a waterfall where they said we could swim. It was so touristy there, we imagined we'd turn up and be the only ones there but there were about 20 other jeeps all doing the same thing. The waterfall was nice and Andy had a proper swim in it. I just dangled my toes.
The next sight was the Mummified Monk! He was in a temple encased in a see through box for everyone to see. According to the story he became a monk when he was 50 years old - he was a quite a respected monk, he even predicted his own death. He went on to request that should his body not decompose, he would like to stay at the temple and be placed in an upright coffin on display as a symbol to inspire future generations to follow Buddhist teachings and be saved from suffering. In his final seven days of mortal life, he no longer spoke to anyone or ate or drank anything, concentrating solely on his mediation and the path to enlightenment. He died a week later in the same position that we can see him sitting in nowadays. He's in impeccable condition considering he died 30 years ago and on his head one can still see some hairs. When his eyes fell into his head, the monks at the temple fitted him with some sunglasses - which we thought looked a bit strange. I suggested to Andy it should have been a cloth fitted around his face or something.
After the monk we went to have our photo taken with a tiger - Andy didn't want too so I just had mine done. It was a bit weird, I was in and out in a second but the picture looks good.
We then ascended up a massive mountain - 300m above sea level to have lunch. On the way up we stopped at a magical garden. We don't know much about this place, it was by a river and there were just lots of statues around. Think the Thais think it brings them good luck to go there.
As we were eating lunch the heavens opened! It poured and poured! As we were leaving the Thai house they gave us bing bags to wear - we looked silly but oh well. Even our driver put one on his head so his dreadlocks didn't get wet. Andy and I asked that on the way down the mountain could we sit on top of the jeep! There quite flex about health and safety here so of course we were allowed and it was BRILLIANT!! Highlight of the day!! Because of the rain it had turned the roads into mud slides so we just slid down the mountain! Our driver was brilliant and kept in control the whole time! It was quite dangerous (sorry Mum!) but it had to be done!
At the end of the day we went to Big Buddha Beach where there is a Big Big Big Buddha that you could climb up to see. It was nice but we were soaked from the rain and just wanted to get back and have a shower!
The next day we were up for our 7:30am pick up to the pier to go across to Ang Thong Marine Park. The park itself is made up of about 42 small islands - it was beautiful! We met an English couple on holiday called Holly and Henry and we had a great laugh with them.
We walked up some really steep steps to a view point. Andy kept making comments about the tread of the steps not being thick enough and the rises not being right but I was too hot and just wanted to get to the top. It was about 150m high. The view was great and the photos doesn't do it justice. The rest of the day was spent on the boat going to different parts - kayaking and swimming. We had to get a longtail boat to the jetty from our boat to the beach. One beach we all got out of the boat and began walking down the long jetty and then everyone in front suddenly stopped and we realised that the jetty just stopped - it didn't actually reach the beach! Everyone seemed to be panicking about their bags getting wet but the four of us just jumped off the side of the pier and we watched everyone else just stand there for ages until they realised they had to just get in the water! We tried to do some snorkelling but there wasn't any fish. And surprise surprise the heavens opened again!
The journey back was quite rough and we had to make our way inside as a real storm started.
The next day we moved from Chaweng to Lamai Beach where we found the cutest bungalow all made of wood in a kind of jungle setting. It was about 10 steps to the sea but unfortunately we didn't really get to enjoy that luxury as the weather was so bad! We've spent the last couple of days in a bar, sorting out our Khao Sok National Park tour and trying to buy boat tickets to Surat Thani.
Last night we went to the International Body Painting Competition that was being held in a really posh plaza. They had everything set up outside when we arrived but because of the rain they had to cram everyone into the foyer of a hotel! It was a brilliant night, really pleased we went. There were about 20 models that had been painted from head to toe in an artists impression of preserving nature and the sea. They all looked fantastic and I have brilliant photos because somehow we managed to end up in the press area of the catwalk show so I just stood there snapping away like them! Then we even had our photos taken with a few! It was great to see a winner in the end as the competition runs today as well but unfortunately we couldn't make it.
We woke up this morning after being told that there were no small boats going to the mainland and we just had to make our way to the car ferry port. Our bungalow owner told us that the road was blocked off so we'd have to walk a bit to get a taxi. We didn't really know what she meant until we saw it with our own eyes! We were on one side of a massive lake that had appeared overnight covering the road and the pavement for about a 100m and the only way to get a taxi was to wade through the lake! I wasn't too keen as I stood on the edge of the pavement but these two Thai women came to walk with us. They told us to go into the middle of the road to keep away from the electric cables (crikey!) and so slowly with our heavy rucksacks on our backs we made away across. The water got to up to our thighs! It was really scary but I stayed really calm and just walked through.
We found a taxi eventually, all the roads were flooded though not as bad as that. We paid extortinate price for the taxi but we didn't really care as we just wanted to get to the pier and out the rain. Surprisingly, we saw Holly and Henry waiting at the dock too and we quickly got tickets to the ferry. They have their flight home tonight so they were anxious for the ferry to go after their initial ferry crossing had been cancelled at 8 this morning. The crossing was fine and then we had to find a taxi here in Surat Thani to take us to our hotel. The roads here are flooded too, see the pics, so the 2 hour journey to the hotel was scary but we dug out the camera to take a few snaps. When water started coming in the taxi we got a bit worried!
Staying overnight here until we meet our guide to take to us to Khao Sok tomorrow.
Hope you are all well and enjoyed reading the blog!
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Comments

[Richard Coleman]

jealous!
it looks like you're having a great time, you've got some really good pics. A lot of the places you've stayed look very familiar!!! You'll love khoa sok national park, make sure you do an elephant trek there and go on the rubber dingy rapids down the river, you'll love it!! Keep on living the dream!