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.

1237 steps to the top

Of course the day started with breakfast. A healthy one for the most part but we were also trying to eat to have enough fuel to climb 1237 steps. The group met on the beach at 8:30am for a short boat ride to the mainland. Next we loaded into buses and headed to Krabi. We stopped at a market similar to a swap meet and got snacks for ourselves and fruit to feed the monkeys at Tiger Cave Temple. Back on the buses to Wat Tham Sua (Tiger Cave Temple).
And then the climbing began...step by step up 1237 steps. Thanks to Stephan (my trainer) & the girls at the gym for all the times we ran the stairs. It was a super hot, humid, bright & sunny day which made the climb harder (having a cold & not being able to breathe through my nose didn't help) but I did it. Conquering something that seems beyond your reach feels really good. Once I reached the top I took a minute to be proud of myself for making it to the top and a few more minutes to take in the sights of the 360 degree view. A little time to cool down and catch my breath and then back down, because there was more to see and more adventures to be had.
We feed the monkeys the fruit we bought at the market. They are tame as in they will take the fruit right from your hand but they are aggressive because they will take the fruit from your hand whether you want them to have it or not. They were fun to watch. Some like pineapple and others don't. One threw a piece of pineapple back at the lady trying to feed it and another swooped in and snatched it up.
Next we made an offering and received a blessing from a Buddhist nun. (Read Bill's email about Tiger Cave Temple for more on the Thai culture of making offerings and "making merit"). As part of the blessing from the nun she tied a woven string bracelet on our wrist. You better believe you'll see me wearing it when I get home. Sort of a badge of honor for making it to the top.
We loaded back into the vans and went to a food court for lunch, similar to what you'd see in a mall food court at home.
Back in the vans to Ao Nang, a beach town for shopping and walking around. Sarah (one of the girls I met on the trip) and I packed all sporty clothes and we wanted something cute to wear for "Thanksgiving Dinner" so we shopped and I bought a cute skirt. When our legs were tired we headed back by catching a boat (like a water taxi) back to our hotel.
We got cleaned up for dinner and made it to the restaurant just before the torrential downpour started. We enjoyed dinner to the sights & sounds of the storm. Lightening flashing blue in the sky & lighting up the beach. Dinner included a show with classical Thai dances which was fun to watch. The food was Thai and delicious as always, so no traditional turkey dinner for us. We did go around the table and share what we are thankful for. I am thankful for my family & friends at home, the new friends that have been so welcoming to me on this trip, and the opportunity I've had to experience so many new things on this adventure.
Happy Thanksgiving and love to all!

P.S. Theresa & Jack - I tried durian today. It didn't smell as bad as I thought it would but it didn't taste good either.

Amazing day! So tired....

I'm still not feeling great but I'm toughing it out because I don't want to miss out on any of the fun. We started the day with a 7am walk to Princess Beach. It was a short walk & the sand was super soft. Some people swam but I wanted to save my energy for the other activities of the day. Most of the people on this trip are die hard fitness junkies who do marathons and triathlons so a morning swim or run on the beach is a warm up for them. Crazy people.
Next we ate breakfast and started the "low viewpoint hike" at 9am. There was a crazy downpour of rain during breakfast which was cool because we were outside on the patio. I love rain! In our book this is described as a hike/climb and a "warm up" for the rock climbing & cave abseiling later in the day. Are they kidding? Warm up? Dan described the "low viewpoint hike" as a "jungle scramble", which is exactly what it was. I don't have pictures because we weren't sure if the rain was done and I didn't want to get the camera wet. Plus you need both hands at all times to scramble through the jungle and up to the viewpoint. We climbed up, over, under, and around rocks, roots, trees, etc. This was even more exciting/dangerous/difficult, you name it, because it had just been pouring rain 15 minutes ago. At the end of the day, I decided the "jungle scramble" was my favorite activity of the day. Not sure I can describe way, it was just fun. Oh, and the view when you got to the top was pretty cool too.
Guess what....you climb up, you must climb down. So back down we went over the rocks, roots and trees. Next was lunch which I really needed because I had burned up every calorie I ate for breakfast. With no time to spare we met up at 1:00pm for rock climbing. We each got a harness & the proper shoes & took turns climbing up the rocks (anchored by guides from Hot Rock). Some of our group are very experienced rock climbers, this was my first time. It was ok but I'll be ok if I never do it again. That being said, if someone said,"hey Kelly let's go rock climbing" I'm sure I'd say yes.
Next we trekked back to Princess Beach, walked down the beach and then started climbing up. Up and up, over rocks, up ladders, through a cave (with bats) and up some more. We got to an opening and the guide hooked us up to ropes, gave us a 30 second lesson and abseiling down the side of the cliff we went. It wasn't Mount Everest and it was actually a pretty short distance once I got to the bottom & looked at it from the ground but when I stepped up to get hooked up to the rope & looked over the edge I wondered what on earth I thought I was doing. Luckily the answer turned out to be, having a blast.
More jungle trekking down the rest of the way and across the beach to our resort. Dirty, tired & sore I headed for a shower then dinner. My entire body hurts and because of the storms they rearranged tomorrow's activities. So guess what tomorrow is.... Yep, 1237 steps to the top of Tiger Cave Temple. I've been running the stairs at the gym to prepare but tomorrow is going to hurt.

Sick day

Woke up with a head cold, no fun. Luckily today was a pretty mellow day and I didn't miss much. The morning time was free so I slept in and rested. We had to be in the lobby at noon for check-out and transfer to the airport. I ate the jack fruit I bought yesterday on the bus to the airport and wished i had bought more, delicious. Tye gave me a rose apple which was also good. The fresh fruit here is wonderful. There was fresh passionfruit jam on the breakfast buffet that was amazing. I'd bring a jar of that home if I could find it.
We left Bangkok for Krabi. From the airport We took a bus then a boat to our hotel for the next 5 nights. The hotel is not on an island but is on a peninsula and there is not a road. The boat ride was pretty and the sun was starting to set. By the time we got to the hotel and checked in there was a pretty sunset to admire.
I rushed to drop off some laundry before the group welcome dinner. It is so hot & humid and we have so many activities that I wore 4 different outfits yesterday. The welcome dinner was family style Thai food, spicy and delicious.
After dinner we walked less than 50 yards to the beach where we wrote a wish on a big paper lantern. Then you light a special part on fire and it floats up into the sky. The moon was bright and there was a lightening storm in the distance so we'd see a flash now & then.
Tomorrow is a very busy day and I'm not feeling great so I'm off to bed.
Hope I feel better tomorrow because the day is jam packed and I don't want to miss rock climbing.

Loooooong day!

Dan warned us at dinner last night that today would be the longest day. Boy was he right. He also jinxed us by saying that we would all wake up at 2 or 3 am and be wide awake. Unfortunately he was right about that too. So I had no problem meeting in the lobby at 5 am for the morning workout at Lumpini Park. Lumpini Park in Bangkok is like Central Park in New York.
I did a 1.5 mile jog around the park and used the rest of the time to wander through the park exploring and sight seeing. Many locals gather for aerobics, tai chi, or to walk or run.

Once back at the hotel we cleaned up, got breakfast (I had dragon fruit for the first time, Yum!) and met in the lobby at 9am to start our tour guided by a local named Kay. We rode the Skytrain to the Chao Phraya River (River of the King) and took a boat tour along the river. Kay told us all kinds of interesting facts and stories (too much to type out). We stopped at Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) and explored the temple. It is crazy high and you can climb the steps but they are super tall and very steep.
After our hike up the steps we got coconut water straight from the coconut. The guy selling it had a machete like knife and he chopped the top off and gave you a straw. The girls decided to dress in traditional Thai costumes with headpieces and the cool, long finger things. The colors & fabrics were so pretty. We had a blast dressing up and putting on an impromptu fashion show. Lots of laughs! Thanks to Lya & Tye for being the photographers.
Next we headed to the Royal Grand Palace. On the way we walked through a market and got fresh squeezed pomegranate juice which was very refreshing. It is so hot & humid that you take the chance to drink and cool off whenever possible. I bought some jackfruit to try but didn't get a chance to eat it so I'll try it tomorrow.
At the palace women must wear long skirts or pants the the ankle and your shoulders must be covered. The palace is amazing with many ornate & gorgeous buildings and statues. There is also a jade Buddha. Having Kay guide our tour and explain things was awesome! We learned so much more than if we had just wandered around.
The tour was long and we were hot, tired and hungry so we stopped for lunch. We had Thai food family style, all delicious. The whole group got to have sticky rice with coconut sauce & mango. Amazingly delicious and one of the things I was really looking forward to. After lunch we went for an hour Thai massage which felt awesome and was much needed after the morning jog, climbing stairs, and walking all over the grounds of the palace.
We all took showers and a quick nap before the evening outing for dinner & shopping at Asiatique The Riverfront. The drink I ordered with dinner was served in what looked like a fishbowl (tasted wonderful). It was sort of a mellow night after our crazy busy day. We got back to the hotel at about 11pm so I'm fighting off sleep to finish this post.
I'm having an amazing time! The group is awesome! Everyone is relaxed, easy going and fun loving. We've been laughing all day. The food is awesome! The things we've seen, experienced, and learned are incredible and we're only at the end of day two.
Tomorrow morning is free time and then we check out and head to Railay Bay.
More to come......