Day 21- Tropical Paradise

---

Friday we were collected from te beautiful guest house where we had stayed and taken to the bus station read for our trip to Ko Samui. While we were waiting , Rosemary and I set out in search of a perfect photo without the intrusion of electric wires. (These you have to see to believe , both to believe that tere is an effective power supply and that many have not been killed! Some hang right down low over the footpath. Everywhere! ) We followed various lanes to the edge of town, cursing the intense heat at 9am. We lined up our shots and were admiring the view of various shapes of limestone mountaian beyond the river when without warning we were saturated by a torrential downpour. Luckily there was a small shop not far down the street where we were able to buy plastic ponchos for 50cents.

On the bus we met three Dutch women teachers. Two of them are spending their summer vacation teaching in an orphanage near Phang Nga. They were off for the weekend to another island near here for the legendary full moon party which is taking place tonight. These parties consist of dancing, drinking amazing drinks and all manner of other youthful revellry. The Dutch girls were intrigued to learn that not only were we aalso teachers but that we each have three children and thirty years later are revelling in having the freedom to travel again.

We really had no idea how long it would take us to get here- in the end it was 3 hours by bus then another hour on a different bus to the ferry and two hours on the ferry. We were approached by a kind of freelance tout with illustrated folder of various accommodation options and we chose one that seemed to meet our requirements(quiet, on the beach, cheap). Thus we were able to get a taxi about 15 kilometers around to the other side of the island quite easily. It is often difficult to know what to do when you are accosted by many different people all offereing different services. There were only two very basic huts available last night. But today we have been upgraded to a front row bigger and much better one for three people at the same price. So we'll probably stay tomorrow night too.

After a couple of swims Connie and Rosemary set off on the local bus to tour the island. But I preferred to be lazy and stay back and read. In the end I succumbed to the lure of a beachside massage in a thatch-roofed gazebo. Midway through I was frightened from my reverie by cries of help (in Dutch, actually, but it's pretty much the same) . A man was submereged up to his neck on the rocky point calling to his children to get their mother. A Slavic couple from the nearest hut alaso heard and the man raced out over the rocks in his swimsuit. Meanwhile a trio of German students (who presumably cannot swiwm as they were playing in the sea with an inflatable plastic lilo and ring) sent the one on the lilo paddling out to the rescue.

Concluding that not only was I probably the only person on the beach who could swim but have also been a surf lifesaver I realised that I might have to get up off the massage mat and do something. Luckily , however, along the beach were some jet skis so one came over to help. Meanwhile the helpful young man on the trusty lilo had reached the drowning man and they were both attempting to paddle back side by side on the lilo.

It is hard to imagine that people would come so far to an island for a beachside holiday without having a few preparatory swimming lessons. Australia does a few things right, at least. Swimming lessons for all kids every year until they can do it.

Another thing we are ahead on is anti -smoking. It is amazing how many Europeans smoke non stop in resataurants before , during and after meals , including breakfast. I think all the other people at our guesst house are European and all of them smoke. The proprietor of this internet shop also smokes in the airconditioned shop. So if you ever wonder why I don't linger over editing these blogs it is because I am so often under seige from mosquitoes mostly, or people shouting. I'd like them to be better but I usually can't get away fast enough.

---

Photos

Limestone outcrop
One of many off the coast of southern Thailand,near Phang Nga.