Thailand: Surat Thani & Koh Samui

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So.... getting into Thailand!

The passport officer was sooooooo serious - I felt guilty just standing in the queue! He certainly took his duties very seriously - for each person he spent a good 5 mins checking and re-checking the information. looking at the photo.. then us... then the photo... then us - its a weird feeling trying to look as much like yourself as you can!

Eventually we all made it through and then it was just a few more hours on the bus to Surat Thani. We stayed there for 1 night before heading to Koh Samui in the morning. It was a small place with not a lot to see or do - we had dinner in the hotel restaurant and all headed to bed early.

We were all looking forward to the beach and were up early to get the minibus to the pier to get the ferry. By lunchtime we had arrived on Koh Samui and were heading to our hotel.

We arrived at a lovely hotel on Chaweng beach in the middle of a sudden rainstorm of huge proportions - it sure knows how to rain here! We were escorted under golf umbrellas to our little chalets... yup, chalets! Wow - my bed was four poster and huge! The minibar was fully stocked and its all very clean... I'm in heaven!

I couldn't wait for the rain to stop before I started to explore so I headed to the beach - it was a 1 minute walk. The beach looked amazing even in a storm. I've really missed not being near the sea.

The rain stopped as abrumptly as it started and as we have a free afternoon I headed out to find some lunch and explore the area. There were loads of shops and restaurants - this area has got a small seaside town feel about it and I like it.

For dinner we got a songthaew into the main part of town where there are more shops and bigger restaurants and bars. Wasa took us to a lovely seafood restaurant - I really fancied mussels but sadly they'd run out so I settled for prawns instead - they were ok but nothing special.

It was St Patrick's Day and although some of the group had peaked early and were passed out before we'd even left for dinner... the rest of us headed for an Irish pub and celegrated with live music and many many drinks. I was on bottles of Magnum which was nice but I drank myself sober and was so full after a few hours I had to stop. The band was really good - they did loads of rock covers (and some Irish tunes thrown in too of course!) - the guitarist was a Thai version of Slash... his huge hair matched his huge talent! Their set was alternated by the Thai Pussycat Dolls - equally rockin' but with less clothes on. I left at 1.30am and despite efforts to get me on the back of a motorcycle tax, I wasn't having any of it and we got a songthaew instead.

We had a full day trip booked today which started early - 7.30am. I didn't get up in time for breakfast, but at least I got up! We were a couple short... 2 didn't make it at all and it was touch and go if 3 others would turn back, short of getting on the speedboa (they chose to stick it out). In fairness, it was bucketing down with rain so hard that the streets were flooded knee-deep within 10 mins of the downpour. Our 4WD jeep got us to the pier quite easily - driving through huge pools and across very muddy roads. The motorcyclists also on the road didn't fair so well - one guy was literally driving with water up to his knees yet holding an umbrella... impressive while on a bike! Not sure he was trying to keep his head dry or just trying to see - either way it was quite a sight!

We all sat at the front of the speedboat on the open deck. As we sped along we passed in and out of storm clouds the whole way to the first stop and it was so choppy we were bounced around like bingo balls! We laughed so hard I suspect it just encouraged the captain to keep driving into the waves. We were all soaked despite wearing our ponchos and looking ridiculous. I was really glad I had at least some protection - the rain hit so hard it stung like hailstones on your skin. Looking back on it now - at no time did we consider moving inside out of the rain... that would have been just too sensible... and not half as much fun.

We stopped near a cove and some went snorkelling - I, of course stayed on the boat '- there was no way my first venture snorkelling was going to be anything but from a beach... and certainly not being dropped in the middle of the ocean. As it turned out, the visibility was poor so I didnt miss anything!

We had some more showers and suchine on the was to our next top. This was a stunning island where we went sea kayaking. I shared a kayak with Catherine and we had a great time paddling along the cliff edge and into caves - it was great but quite tiring. We didn't do too well with the streering and meandered all the way - which by my calculations mens we did twice the distance of the others who were going in a straight line! No wonder we were tired!

After kayaking we relaxed on the beach and went swimming in the gorgeous clear water. I managed to avoid either seeing or being nipped by whatever beasties were bothering some of the others - phew!

After drying off we had some lunch. It was really good - chicken curry, rice, noodles, fried chicken and salad. The curry was really good and I asked Wasa what it was called - its Massuman... I'm gonna have that again!

We had another quick dip after lunch and then hopped back on the boat for our next stop. It was about 20mins away and was a beach with a steep walkway up the cliffside. This was the main attraction and promised amazing views from the top. Despite being very hot, I surprised myself and decided to climb the almost vertical ladder like steps to see whatever was up there. After the steep ascent the wooden walkway was replaced by nothing more than a well trodden pathway through the rocks. It really was off the scale of places I just wouldn't go... yet there I was! I pressed on and after squeezing through a gap in the rocks - any breath I had left was taken away by the stunning sight of a green lagoon! It really was picture postcard perfect and although you could walk down to the water's edge I chose to conserve what little energy I had left for the descent and just enjoying it from above.

The sun shon all the way back to Koh Samui and from there we boarded songthaews to take us to our final activity on the trip... elephant trekking! It was a small place with just a few elephants and a couple of monkeys. Most of us felt a little uncomfortable as there was little to suggest that the animals were particularly well cared for - but there was nothing to suggest they weren't cared for either, so despite our inital reservations - we decided to go for it. As the odd one out I had an elephant to myself. There was a 'driver' who sat being the elephant's ears - it was his responsibility to look after the elephant... I tried to find out more about my transport but he didn't speak any english.

I was sat on a chair strapped to the elephant's back but I felt quite secure and began to relax when I realized that Mrs Jumbo was so big and strong that she wouldn't even notice there was any extra weight on her. I knew it was a girl... no tusks! I enjoyed the novelty of a new experience but would have enjoyed it more if I had seen some evidence of tlc for the animals.

After the trek we headed back to the hotel and rested until it was time for dinner. We were keen to head back into the main part of town again and got a sonthaew. After some group debate we ended up in an Italian restaurant - it was nice to have some pasta as I eat it all the time at home, but I was so full after just a little bit I gave most of it away. We went for a walk and I bought myself some fake Tiffany jewellery -I haven't worn the necklace yet (saving it for home) but the bracelet is really good and so far hasn't turned anything green!

After shopping we ended up in a rather seedy bar with scantily clad girls draped over all the single male farang (tourists) selling shots and other toxic combinations. I wasn't really in the mood for a night at the circus so I sloped off early and was back at the hotel by 11.30pm.

After a long sleep - i didnt wake up until 9.30! I felt fantastic. I had a long leisurely breakfast and spent the rest of the day on the beach. I swam and sunbathed until about 5pm - a perfect relaxing day.'We had dinner in a restaurant opposite the hotel and they had Massuman curry on the menu - wow it was sooooooo good! I was made with beef this time and was one of the best meals I've had so far.

I slept well and we left at 8.30am on a minibus back to the pier to get the ferry to the mainland. We travelled all day and finally arrived at the train station at 5.30pm where we were to board our overnight train to Bangkok.

To be continued.....

M x

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