Beeline - Koh Samui, Thailand

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After my calamitous couple of days in Railay the time had come for me to yet move on again. My plan was to head north to the Gulf of Thailand, kick it for a bit in the islands, and then head for Bangkok. My first stop would be Koh Samui. Traveling there would entail the following; a taxi boat - minibus 1 - minibus 2 - standard bus - ferry - foot. Twelve hours later and $450b lighter I had arrived onto the island and made my way down the street where I would find a simple guesthouse that had a television with English channels including the BBC. Here I was on a tropical island in the Gulf of Thailand and I was excited to have a TV. I have not sat and watched TV in months. It's the little things that count.

My time on Koh Samui was very brief. I spent the whole of one day and two nights. I stayed in Chaweng Beach which is the main tourist resort area on the island. Their are some smaller more quiet spots but as I had no plan and little time I went to the biggest spot. When I arrived I questioned my decision. The main street is lined with night clubs all playing the same top 20 songs and all catering to the package tourist industry. Not really my scene. If I was on holiday for two weeks with a group of friends this place would be awesome, but in my situation not the best. My one day on the beach a Cambodian guy came and sat next to me and offered me a beer which I gladly accepted. He spoke no English and the only thing he could say was "thank you". I tried to teach him a few words and I could tell he enjoyed the practice. Shortly after this photo was taken we went for a swim. He was not the strongest of swimmer and got caught in a mean rip tide. He almost drown. I had to pull him out of the sea and swim him back to shore where a crowd had gathered and he heaved up buckets of saltwater. I'm convinced I saved his life. It was and still is a very strange feeling I have inside me. I was more frightened than he was. I was frightened of what would have happened had I failed. I stood there shaking and in a state of shock as the color returned to the face of the Cambodian guy. I never even got his name. I then just walked off from the chaos and went back to my room. It was so surreal.

After all of the drama on the beach and the boom of the clubs at night I left the next morning for Koh Pha Ngan about an hour north via ferry boat. Had I spent more time on Koh Samui I know I would have found a great little beach to hang out at for a few days. It just didn't happen for me this time around, but it's tough to complain about a day at any beach on any island.

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Photos

Samui
Street Scene