Bye bye Thailand

Time to go home..... We had time for breakfast, a few minutes to soak up some sun on the beach, and pack. I left my filthy dirty shoes in Thailand because they were gonzo after all the adventures and I needed room in my suitcase for souvenirs.
So sad to leave because I had such an awesome time but ready to go home to family & friends. Thailand was AMAZING! The sights, the beaches, the people, the culture, the food, the adventures and my travel companions. I plan to come back again and suggest anyone reading this puts an adventure to Thailand on your list of things to do. I would strongly recommend going with TBF Travel, they made this experience so memorable, easy and fun. This is their 10th year leading trips to Thailand and they do an amazing job. Things were planned so well and even when the rain derailed plans, they came up with wonderful alternatives.
I'm not looking forward to the three flights and about 15 hours total on airplanes to get home but can't wait to see everyone.

Last full day

The last full day on Ko Samui was a free day with no formal planned activities so the awesome group of ladies I've been hanging out with headed out for shopping for souvenirs and gifts to bring home. We had a late breakfast to let the people that went to the full moon party sleep in. At breakfast they shared their stories and pictures from the party.
The most common form of transportation on Ko Samui is called a rod song taew which is a tiny pick up truck with two benches in the back. Because of the rain they were covered (similar to a jeep with plastic) so the air flow while riding in the back was minimal so we usually chose to ride standing at the back.
We shopped & shopped and had good luck bartering and finding deals. A few of us enjoyed the Indian dinner so much from the night before that we went back for lunch. We rushed to squeeze in one more 2 hour Thai massage before leaving Thailand. We hurried back to the hotel to meet up with the group for our final dinner together.
After dinner our guide Dan led us to the local cabaret show featuring the "lady boys" I described in an earlier post. It was an experience, strange, odd & a little funny. One of those experiences you can say you did but don't really need to do again.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Zip lining is soooooo FUN! We woke up in the morning and it wasn't raining so we were super excited and headed out for zip lining. However, as soon as we got to the base camp area it started to rain. So we hung out under a tarp and waited out the rain. We caught a break in the rain and started the hike/jungle trek to the top. We were able to complete all the lines in a light rainfall which added to the adventure for sure. The waterfalls were full & raging and a sight to see from the tree tops. Because of the rain we were filthy dirty & covered in mud. Also because of the rain, I don't have any pictures. (Check back in a few days once we get all the pictures from Rosie's waterproof camera).
We stopped for lunch at a favorite place of Bill & Eat's called MK. It's a little like fondue, you have a big pot in the center of the table and you order meat, veggies, noodles, etc to throw in the pot to make your own soup. It was a great lunch after being wet & dirty from zip lining.
We headed back to the hotel for some of the group to clean up and head to the Full Moon Party. I decided not to go for a few reasons. So after cleaning up I met the rest of our group that didn't go to the full moon party at the hotel bar on the beach for a few tropical drinks before heading to the sort of downtown area near a lake were the Loi Krathong Festival was going on. Loi Krathong is Thailand's version of Thanksgiving. On the way there we saw many families piled on their mopeds with their beautifully had made Krathongs which are flower arrangements made to float. The families light the candle in the center, make a wish for the upcoming year and set the Krathong afloat in the lake.
After exploring the Loi Krathong celebration we headed for dinner. Lya & Tye were craving Indian food (which I've never had) so we joined them for dinner. Lya & Tye were so generous to let me taste all their food and I loved it all!

The rain didn't go away

If you come to Thailand (which I strongly recommend you do) expect that you will be wet (from heat, sweat, & humidity or rain) at least 90% of the time. When you come to Thailand, plan to change clothes 3-4 times per day and bring a waterproof camera. Due to the weight restrictions on luggage (50 lbs for international flights but only 45 lbs for domestic flights within Thailand) you'll need to do laundry. On Ko Samui Bill recommends Do-Do laundry. So of course we've all had fun with the name of the laundry service. One of the funny group theme conversations and catch phrases centers around endurance athletes (specifically triathletes) who have to pee or poop in their pants because you don't stop during a race to go to the bathroom. So if you're a triathlete or an honorary triathlete (as I've been named after all the crazy adventures & activities I've completed) and you do-do your pants, go to Do-Do Laundry.
Do not come to Thailand without a waterproof camera! Luckily Rosie has one and she has been named the designated photographer for all our adventures in Ko Samui because it has been raining the entire time we've been here. So I don't have pictures to upload of elephant trekking or zip lining. Check back after I get home, Rosie has promised to burn us each a CD with all the pictures.
If you are following my adventure online, do not refer back to the itinerary, everything is out of order due to the rain. So today is Tuesday. We started the day with a quick visit to Wat Kunaram (Buddhist temple) with the mummified remains of monk Phra Khru Samathakittikhun. There is an activity where you shake a cup with numbered sticks until one falls out. The number of your stick tells your fortune.
Next we headed for the main activity of the day, elephant trekking. So AWESOME! We started riding two people per elephant on a bench attached to the elephant's back and the guide riding on its neck, just behind its head & ears. Our guide had our elephant suck up water in its trunk and spray it on the people in front of us. Hilarious from where I was sitting. Not so funny if you are the one that got spit on by the elephant. Part way through the guide got down and let each of us have a turn sitting on the elephant's neck. Very fun, but you have nothing to hold onto so good balance is key.
Next there was a short hike up to a waterfall where they normally jump from rocks into a swimming hole. Due to all the rain, there was too much water and it was rushing fast so we admired Mother Nature and took some pictures (on Rosie's camera).
Our next stop was lunch at a tiny patio restaurant that had an amazing lookout over the beach. You could see Grandfather Rock from there but it was still too rainy, wet & slippery to go exploring. We enjoyed another wonderful Thai lunch family style chosen by Eat. We had a little time for some shopping on the street and then we loaded up to head back to the hotel.
We cleaned up and headed out for dinner and shopping. The group of ladies I've been hanging out with when we break from the larger group decided we wanted something other than Thai for dinner so we shopped & walked until we found a little Italian place. We ordered a few pizzas to share and had a nice dinner. Next we walked the main street of Ko Samui called Chaweng. We shopped for hours. Everyone wanted souvenirs from the trip and gifts to take home. It was a late night so I fell into bed the second we got back (sorry this post is almost a day late).

Rain rain go away

Cuz we want to play! That's our slogan for the day. We had to postpone and change plans due to the crazy storm hitting Ko Samui today. Instead of starting at 9am we delayed until 11am. Most of the group had already gathered at 9am so instead of going our separate ways for 2 hours we decided to head to the big open air lobby to play cards & games and enjoy the storm.
Everyone gathered at 11am and we headed out. We made a quick stop to buy rain ponchos for everyone and then went to Big Buddha Temple. We climbed the steps to the top (not too many) to see the huge gold big Buddha statue. For good luck and good fortune you can pick up a wooden club and walk around the perimeter hitting each bell. We went back down and received a blessing from the monk and he put woven string bracelets on each of us. It was raining so we didn't do a lot of extra exploring.
We loaded up and headed to Bill & Eat's favorite restaurant for Thai lunch family style. Eat orders all the food when we eat family style and she always picks amazing dishes. One of our group's favorites is morning glory. You eat the stalk & leaves, not the flower. We have a few vegetarians which I've nicknamed as a group "The Veggies" so we always make them sit together.
Since the other activities of the day were rained out, Bill & Eat scheduled 2 hour Thai massages for everyone. AMAZING! Best Thai massage we've had so far. We are hoping to go back again before we have to leave. All Thai people have a formal given first name and then a nickname. You may have noticed in Bill's emails he refers to his wife as Warowan or Eat, her nickname. The "lady" doing my massage was Nanny. I'll be sure to ask for her if we go back. Natalie's favorite massage lady at Railay Bay was Bomb.
Did you notice the quotes around "massage lady" in the last paragraph? Thai culture is very open to transgender or transsexual people and is the gender reassignment capital of the world (according to Bill). So you may see a beautiful woman who then talks to you and your head snaps while you do a double take. I had heard Nanny talk to one of the other people and heard her voice and knew she is what they call a "lady boy". This is a common term and not derogatory. When we were done I told Lori the person that did my massage was Nanny. She laughed and said "Nanny was a Manny". So there's your Thai cultural lesson for the day.
We missed seeing Grandmother & Grandfather rocks due to the rain and we missed playing at Choeng Mon beach. We were supposed to snorkel tomorrow but with the storm the visibility will be poor so Bill is rearranging the schedule. We think zip lining is tomorrow which is one of the things I am really looking forward to. I'm late to meet the group for dinner so I have to dash. We're staying in to eat at the hotel and play games until the storm passes.
Love to all from Thailand!

P.S. Dad, one of the pictures below is what Bill calls a "Thai gas station"

Diet Coke

So you all know, I love Diet Coke. Many of you share my love of Diet Coke so I've taken pictures of cans in different languages when I find them. I have one in Chinese from the airplane, we flew China Airlines. I've also got one in Thai. But, monkeys like Coke not Diet Coke.

Travel day

We transferred today from Railay Bay to Ko Samui (only an hour flight). We had time to eat breakfast and pack before meeting up to head to Ko Samui. At high tide the water comes all they way up to the walkway at the back of the hotel (east bay). At low tide, you get on a trailer pulled by a tractor to get you and your luggage to the boat. Remember there isn't a road to Railay Bay because its far down a peninsula.
The day was uneventful, an hour plane ride to Ko Samui, a van ride to the hotel, enough time to unpack and shower before we met up for a welcome dinner with the group. We ate Thai food family style at the hotel restaurant on the beach just at sunset. I haven't found a dish yet that I didn't enjoy yet but the food is spicy! It's helping with my cold, I know I'll have a clear nose after dinner.
The hotel is beautiful and we are in the new building so the rooms are great but the wifi doesn't reach the rooms. The lobby is up a huge hill and my achilles is bugging me a little (walking or running uphill hurts more) so I wandered over to the restaurant where we had dinner. It is only 9:30pm but the restaurant is closed & they are cleaning up so they sent me over to a tiny bar right on the beach. I'm the only one here, there is a good strong breeze so the mosquitos aren't attacking me and the waves are strong and sound beautiful hitting the shore. There are sea shell wind chimes hung around the bar softly clinking in the wind. What a perfectly peaceful night!

Here fishy fishy

Started the day with an early breakfast then boarded the longtail boats that would host our adventure for the day. We toured through the small islands and beaches of Railay Bay before stopping at a set of three islands for snorkeling. We got off the boats on the beach, got our snorkeling gear on and then walked right into the water with the fish at our feet.
The fish were beautiful and easy to spot with their bright colors. Yellow striped ones, long skinny needle fish, bright ones that looked like they were colored with highlighters and tiny bright blue ones.
We loaded back into the boats and moved onto a different island were we jumped into the deep water from the boats. There was a cave to explore and a channel between two big rocks to swim through. Not as many fish there so we moved on. Our guide asked the boat driver to buzz the shore of one particular island and rev the motor. When he did, hundreds of huge red bats came flying out of the trees. They are the largest bats called flying fox. Interesting but a little yucky!
Next we found a beach to have lunch. They packed Thai boxed lunches with fried chicken and fried rice or noodles. The chicken was so good, I ate two pieces (skin and all which is a big deal because if you know me, you know I don't eat chicken skin). We played in the water after lunch and explored the island.
Next we went back to the first three islands which are connected by a sandbar which you can only see at low tide. They call it disappearing beach. We walked the sandbar, explored the tide pools and picked up shells & interesting rocks. One of the pictures below is a sea cucumber that I found in a tide pool.
We loaded up for the trip back to our resort and hit a little rain storm. Bill pointed out a few rainstorms all around us as we headed back. I showered quickly and went for another Thai massage because my calves are still really sore from the 1237 steps to Tiger Cave Temple.
After my massage I cleaned up and met the gang for dinner at one of the nearby resorts. The goal of the evening was to make it to "Last Bar" which is the last bar of many on the strip of shops, restaurants, & hotels on east bay. The hotels are bordered on the front and back by east bay and west bay.
We made it to last bar, had a few drinks and watched the "fire show" which was 5 guys who twirl, swing, throw and dance with various things on fire. Very fun and entertaining. At the end of the show we headed back to the hotel to pack and get ready to leave because tomorrow we fly to Ko Samui.

Lazy day

The last two days have been very full of physical activity and taxing on the body so today was to rest and recover. I went to bed early the night before so I didn't really sleep in but I took my time with everything I did. Got up, went to breakfast, had a Thai massage, had a roti (a Thai pancake like a crepe filled with banana and topped with chocolate sauce.). I was heading back to my room, contemplating my next leisure activity and ran into Hana so we decided to walk over to Princess beach.
Hana and I have decided that Princess beach is the best beach we've ever been to. The sand is super soft and fine so it doesn't hurt your feet. There are no rocks anywhere. Not along the shoreline or in the water. The water is perfectly warm and refreshing.
I laid on the beach, napped, read my book and just relaxed. There is a shrine at the beach so Hana, Amber and I discussed what a shrine built in our honor would look like. Just a fun, light hearted vacation conversation. There is a fancy hotel with a bar on the beach so we walked over and got a tropical drink. We swam some more and then headed back right as it started to rain.
I got cleaned up and met up with the group for a walk to Diamond Cave, a huge cave you can walk through and see amazing rock formations cut by the water. There are also bats that live in the cave & lots of stinky bat poop. On the walk back I got some sweet rice with mango (my favorite Thai dessert) and joined Sarah & Lori on the lounge chairs by the pool. There was a wedding reception going on so we watched the fire dancer perform and relaxed by the water.
Just a mellow, relaxing vacation day.