Ko Samui May 10 - 16

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Hi All,

When it comes to blogging, much like law school, I've fallen behind after the first week. So instead of futilely trying to catch up, I'll try to put up picture intensive, less wordy entries more frequently. I think it would be more enjoyable.

Last off I left you at Bangkok. I flew to Ko Samui on the 10th and stayed there until May 15 when I went over to Krabi to catch a cheaper flight to S'pore.

Ko Samui is a sleepy island in the Gulf of Thailand. It is the most developed of all islands in that region. Even then, once you get past Chaweng beach (which is the most develeoped), you don't really see any high rises or resorts. It much more peaceful and less crowded than any of the other beaches I have been to (Virgina, Goldcoast, Varedero, LA, etc. ) Mind you that I went there during the low season which might have something to do with it the lack of crowds. I know it is not really off the beaten track, and most of the activities are touristy, nevertheless, I had a great time there. Enjoy the pictures.

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Photos

Our Bungalow
Right on the beach with an powerful A/C for the hot and humid nights. But its best feature is the large windows overlooking the beach which ensures that you don't get up on the wrong side of the bed each day.

Our Bungalow 2
This is shot while I was actually swimming in the water. Ours is second one on the left.

Our Bungalow 3
Shot of the full moon at dusk from the varenda before we head off to Koh Pangan for the party. (May 13th)

Lamai Beach
This is shot facing north while in the water. It seems to go on for about 2km that way and another 1km to the south. Notice the lack of developement; no tall buildings, resorts, etc. A fancy restaurant\hotel is one that is 2 stories tall. Most type of accomodation available are bungalows or just huts.

Lamai Beach 2
Another shot of it. It is less cloudy this time. I try to dip in the water at least once a day at dusk.

"Swimming"
ah an afternoon swim. Note the mini afro resulting from a combination of i)lack of self grooming from lazing around, ii) the humidity and iii) the picture being taken before I actually dipped my head in the water. (Picture was taken by a fellow Canuck who just played ice hockey at a mall in K.L.)

Perfect Spot
Spent about 4 hours sipping drinks, reading, and just enjoying the moment here on the last day in Ko Samui. Thats before dipping into the water in the rain later. Will probably go down as one of the days I remember best in my life.

ATV'ing
These are surprisingly fun. I was a little apprehensive at first from lack of any safty measures, i.e. no roll over bar or cage. If you flip 'er, your spine and neck will break the fall of the ATV since your head is mercifully protected by the helmet so you can live on as a paraplegic. But once you get used to the balance, it is very very fun. I was doing jumps into the muddy waters after about 5min on it.

Elephant "Trek"
This is shot from the back of the elephant (I've named it Dumbo just because). Dumbo asking for bananas which he richly deserves after carrying my 180lb (acutally proably closer to 175 thanks to gastric illness.) The "trek" is in quotations because it was more of a ride in the zoo rather than a trek in the jungle.

Waterfall!
Swimming at the waterfalls. Very refreshing after the muddy and hot ATV ride. Felt like I was in a shampoo commercial frolicking around at the base of the waterfall!

Waterfall 2
Climb back up after the swim. It is quite treacherous as not only there are sharp rocks, there are also some broken glass from beer bottles.

After dinner drink
Restaurants on the island are awesome. Didn't have any bad food during all our stay there. Even the dimsum at 7/11 is great! BTW the evenings usually entail the hardest decisions I have to make for the day: red snapper or white snapper, and what brand of scotch whiskey to go with it. Usually its a win-win situation :)

Ang Thong Marine National Park
Ang Thong Marine National Park consists of 42 islands. The sand is really fine and the water is crystal clear. Unfortuantely the pictures are few because I forgot to charge the battery the night before. Went snokelling around one of the islands as well. I was really hoping to put the waterproof camera to good use.

Ang Thong Marine National Park 2
Kayaking around the islands is hugely overrated. It is bloody tiring under the blazing tropical sun. Here I'm taking refuge in one of many coves around the island.

Ang Thong Marine National Park 3
View from the vintage point. It is about a 20 min strentous climb. Combined affect of a hangover, kayaking in the hot sun and a queasy stomach and breathlessness prevented me from making to the higher one. It made me realize how vulnerable my health is and that I'll probably won't be able to climb Kinabaru or dive (due to asthma). I later on cancelled the trip to Borneo and diving cert on Ko Tao on this account =(

Lanterns @ Full Moon
Releasing hot air lanterns into the sea during full moon night. May 13

Lanterns @ Full Moon
Shot of the full moon from the beach. You can spot the lanterns over the horizon if you look carefully.

Big Buddah Temple
Me in my $2.50 "Polo" shirt on top of Big Buddah temple that Ko Samui is known for.