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Published: August 19th 2009
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August 17
The story of Koh Samed is about a prince exiled to a kingdom under the sea ruled by a love-sick female giant. A mermaid aids the prince and helps him to escape to Koh Samed by playing a magic flute. Samed is the word for the cajeput tree which is great for firewood… It is here that the early morning bus and ferry took us. We found a bungalow on the beach with buffet breakfast included (also on the beach!). With blue skies, fine, white sand, and waters that invited one to swim for miles (which mom did everyday morning and afternoon!) We strolled around the different bays/beaches and dined on the beach surf-side and watched movies in bed before venturing out to watch the fire show (guess where…on the beach!) I of course was mesmerized by their talent and became an immediate groupie. They noticed my enthusiasm and offered to teach me the tricks! Not surprisingly, it is harder than it looks. And though I got a tiny bit burned, I was eventually able to spin the fire sticks (and I have it on video to prove it).
August 18
BEACH,
BEACH, BEACH! What we’ve been looking forward to the entire trip and the grand finale (and well deserved if we do say so ourselves). We kayaked in the afternoon and discovered even more beaches around the bends. Tonight we returned for the fire show (always different) and this time I tried to swing(?) the fire balls, but ended up with charcoal legs which I sported proudly and decided not to ignite and enjoy watching my new friends do their thing. We were impressed with the laid back atmosphere of the island and the tasteful décor even though it is only 3 hours from Bangkok. I guess this is due in part to the fact that it’s a national park. There are discos on the beach and people dancing in the moonlight. You can sprawl on mats and eat by candle light on the sand. There are no real roads, in fact there is really only one main (dirt) road on the island. All the bungalows are nestled into the trees of the jungle. Women ply the beach carrying double baskets on a bamboo pole slung over their shoulder with fruit for sale. We had breakfast to Spanish love songs (???)
and the sounds of frogs ribbiting.
Highlights of the trip as a wholeut not limitted to)
* Sore thighs proved to be a lingering memory of the elephant bathing/riding for the next couple of days.
*The sensation of swaying/floating on the bamboo houseboat, the river rushing under your feet.
*Kho San road! The irresistible pull of the souvenir shops and the inevitable feel that you might be missing out on some unforgettable treasure.
*Playing cards with the shop keepers in Katmandu as the monsoon raged drinking chai tea.
*Moments of comfort and delighting in the crossing paths with strangers whose lives have intertwined with ours.
*Ghosts of travelers before us, those who have summitted Everest or the soldiers from the bridge over the River Kwai
*Thailand: the ultimate traveler’s camp, agencies are set up and work round the clock with incredible efficiency, definitely a place we’ll have to come back to (soon!)
*Muay Thai boxing, not much sumo wrestling these days, can’t wait to bring Shaun back and get him in the ring! We’ve already checked out a school near our hostel.
*Hair coming off in the muddy streets of Katmandu outside Durbar square, looking eye to eye
with an astonished pedestrian so I (mom) plopped it on my head with aplomb
*Writing this blog at midnight, inevitably when we were absolutely exhausted.
*The Golden Temple in Amristar, the Taj Majal, the Great Wall of China, Everest Base Camp, swimming with the elephants, playing with fire and playing with tigers, the cremations on the Ganges, Yoga at Rishikesh Ashram, chatting with the monks in Dharmsala, trekking in the jungle of Chaing Mai, Mom’s glasses so foggy with the 100% humidity, rain, mud, sweat, and no tears.
*Getting Lost but getting where we needed to go eventually
*Empowering myself!!! (Finding my way home by myself in Dharmsala, and just in general 😊 )
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