The Travelling Howes: Thai Islands

Where we have been and are going on trip 1!

Catching the ferry...................... An "interesting" medical sign-please note wine glass???

So, caught the ferry a couple of days ago to Koh Samui and been generally lazing about - water blood warm and really haven't done much to write about other than lying around and swimming a lot.

The "yo

ungsters" all went off to a Black Moon Party (as opposed to the Full Moon and Half Moon parties they also hold at the appropriate times - talk about a money-spinner....) Sadly D & I had to go and sit in the Pirate Bar and drink cocktails till late into the night, (such hardship eh?) as we felt we might cramp their style somewhat if we went... bit like taking your Mum and Dad with you to a mega-party....Needless to say they came back at breakfast time and stayed asleep for most of that day - no stamina eh?

The beach where they partied...I'm told it was busier than this!!

The full moon beach Koh Samui

Had another massage, this time by a ladyboy, probably if I had known before I went in I wouldn't have - if you know what I mean. Anyway it has been a very long time since a 19 year old has asked me to take my shorts and top off!!!!! Having said that, it was excellent and I really could get used to being massaged, always leave feeling great and the skin glows.... Enough already.... Temperature is in the mid-30s most days and drops to high 20s at night, but most places have fans or air con so am surviving, it's the humidity that gets me....

Our apartment this time is again on the beach but the water is dirty so spent most of yesterday in the pool. This island is much bigger and much busier but there are not many tourists to be seen as it is low season. Ate something very dodgy yesterday evening and spent the whole night vomiting so not feeling too good when I finally surfaced this morning for the island tour....

This was pre-vomit-uuuummm-maybe that blue drink was the culprit????

So, the island tour - first up was the big Buddha, a 15m high golden object and pretty amazing, this was followed by a visit to the famous mummified monk, who apparently died whilst meditating 30 years ago and is now encased in a glass box. The worst part is that he has sunglasses on (to cover the fact that his eyes are missing....) so it all looks a bit odd and slightly Michael Jackson-ish! On a more cultural note, they export 2 million coconuts a month from this island down to Bangkok and the world, so now you know where your nuts come from I guess.

The Mummified Monk............ ........The Big Buddha............

Tomorrow we leave here for Surat Thani and another overnight train trip back to Bangkok and the first 2 weeks are almost over, gone very quickly..... But tonight there is dinner at a fisherman's village, followed by a ladyboy show & cocktail bar if we want - not sure about that one yet, see how the stomach is.............

Those beautiful lady boys....yes, really.....

So, next blog will be from Bangkok when friends Sheila and Bob join us for Part 2 - Bangkok to Hanoi. So far it has been a great trip, not as exciting as other trips in the adrenaline stakes but good none-the-less.