The Other Side

The morning after all the excitement of a Tsunami evacuation, we set out for Ko Samui on the other side of Thailand. A minivan picked us up from Pearl Beach Resort, clearly on "Thai time," and we set out for the Gulf of Thailand. The journey was easy enough, aside from a driver that rubbed both Sara and myself the wrong way. We arrived in Donsak to catch the ferry to Samui, only to miss it by a few minutes due to our drivers need to stop at 7-11. We know better then to sweat the small stuff so in an hour we made our way to Koh Samui. Our reservation had already been made (thanks to the excellent planning skills of Sara) but the owner's jeep was still in the shop which meant no ride from the pier. We are a bit stubborn when it comes to getting ripped off and denied offers from aggressive drivers upon arrival. This backfired as no one was around otherwise, and we just ended up walking a kilometer or two up to the main road. A few people stopped to offer us a ride, for 500 Baht, which we obviously declined. Eventually we made our way to a resort and took a cab for 200 Baht each.
Once we found our bungalow it was clear we weren't going to accomplish much on this island. It's privately owned, just next door to the landlord who rents it out to visitors. It had one main room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. For once the place actually looked just like it did in the photos, and we were set. That night we ventured out to the cheapest place in the area recommended by our host. The next few days consisted of lay on the beach, read, nap, eat, repeat. The one morning we ventured out the heat got the best of us and the rest of the day was spent rehydrating.
Three days later we ventured off to Ko Tao. A ferry from Samui, to Ko Phangan which we later would return to, and on to Koh Tao took about 2 1/2 hours. Upon arrival we decided not to be stubborn and walk around with our heavy bags, and just paid the 100 baht each to get to our resort. Out of the entire trip we were mindful of the prices and most places we have stayed were on the cheaper side. Every girl loves a splurge though, and this was it. Imagine private bungalows descending the hillside, with the most amazing grounds full of flora and fauna, spectacular views, and an infinity pool. We were surrounded by nature which proved to be a little more nature than we bargained for, but I will get to that. That evening we relaxed and had an early dinner on the grounds. Followed by a trek into town for reinforcements aka snacks from 7-11.
We spent the bulk of our time enjoying the amenities of the resort along with venturing out on our last day. We rented a motorbike from a local shop nearby. The woman proved to be not very Thai in her demeanor, and was wearing only a towel, but that happens. We borrowed snorkel gear and tried our luck in Shark Bay. After swimming around for a while and seeing only the same (beautiful) fish we decided to head to Freedom Beach which happens to be right next door. We snorkeled there for a bit, laid out in the sun for a short time before deciding food was a great idea. This proved to be wise as my Norwegian roots don't allow for a very high sun tolerance (and yes Mom and Dad, I wore sunscreen). We headed back to the resort and eventually ventured out back into town for dinner (after a sunset photo shoot), then returned the bike to our oh- so- friendly lady who we rented from. I made it a point to give her an extra cheerful Kap Kun Ka (thank you) as we left.
Upon arrival back at the resort Sara went to use the internet and I made my way back to the room. As I was getting ready for bed a spider crawled from my clothes into my backpack. Earlier in the day the biggest spider in the wild I have ever seen had been in our room and despite no fear of them freaked me the hell out. As I was mulling over the idea of I shake the bag, Sara catches it for release, my back decided to spasm. The resort being on the side of the mountain meant lots of stair and hill climbing. I am in fact an old man, and when over excerpted my back goes out. So here I am unable to move waiting for Sara to get back. When she arrived I let her know what was happening only to crack up laughing as she shook my bag, jumping back each time, as my clothes were strewn about the room. Eventually we were fairly certain the spider had fled out on the balcony and a restless night of scary spider dreams ensued.
The next morning we made our way down to the Pier, luckily this time with a ride from the resort. The ferry to Ko Phangan was nice and only took an hour and a half. We had arranged pick up at the pier but with no confirmation from the resort. Although uncertain we hung around when they were not there, not in the mood to negotiate a ride. Luckily they showed and we arrived at our final resort of the trip a short while later. A walk into town, some Mexican food, and a lot of Law and Order sums up the rest of the day. It's located near town and right next to the beach with two pools, so I am certain that is pretty much all we will do for the final days of this trip. It has been amazing and even after almost two weeks I still can't believe the color of this water, and the beauty of these islands.