Thailand, Ko Samui, January 2005

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Travelling in Thailand is so easy, even if you are underage and drunk - loads of teenage tourists just pay, get sticker for themselves and their luggage in colour corresponding to their destination and get shovelled from one vehicle to another (being it train, boat, bus or tuc-tuc). That is how we ended up in legendary Ko Samui Island, on Lamai Beach.

Despite recent tsunami, finding lodging was an adventure. Finally we settled in a windowless room on the beach, but with a garden full of butterflies. And finally, I could swim. It was white sand and some waves so water was murky (no snorkelling) but perfect anyway. We lay lazy in worm shallows hugging floating coconuts.

We rented a bike again and explored island up and down - waterfalls, butterfly garden, temples, Muslim village. Hat Chaweng has great seafood restaurants on the beach where you could recline on pillows with prismatic headrest and eat with candle lights and hum of waves. For New Years Eve we went swimming with fireworks and lighted paper balloons rising to the sky.

New Year’s Day we went to Ang Thong National Marine Park. The waves were so high that we were soaked wet and frozen (with no other boats on sight). The park was impressive - a lake within an island where “The Beach” was made. On the way back they gave us sleeping pills, only Joca and driver (hopefully) were awake. It was scarier then tsunami…

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Photos

Exotic fruits
We still liked mango the best

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New Years Eve on the beach