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!