 VISIT
WITH NORM AND MARIANNE
February 2
We were very excited about meeting
Norm and Marianne in Koh Samui, a popular tourist island is on
the eastern side of Thailand. They were spending a month at the
tropical paradise and we joined them for 10 days.
Our journey by mini bus, regular
bus, ferry, then taxi, proved to be an adventure and long,
the trip took over 12 hours in total!
We had arranged the trip through a
tour operator near Yacht Haven and he drove us to the highway at
8 am. Perched on the back of his truck on the side of the
highway we waited for the mini bus to pick us up. Our Thai
driver was fun and informative o visit with in the hour we
waited in the hot sun before it was ascertained that the bus was
late. Eventually it arrived but when it pulled over and
the driver opened the doors, a dozen squished people stared
blankly at us from a bus that held 10!
So we waited for the next bus, for
another hour.
Mini Bus
Finally we were loaded into a
minibus, destination Suratthini, where we would transfer
onto a regular bus for the final journey to the ferry dock. We
made several stops along the way but finally we were dropped off
at a house that also served as a restaurant, although it took
much persuasion to get served. We were immediately escorted to a
desk and told that we would be arriving in Koh Samui at a
private ferry dock with no means of transport to our hotel so we
would have to prepay for a shuttle service. The price seemed
very steep but we paid because we didn't want to be stranded in
Koh Samui.
Local Bus
After another hour's wait, our "big"
bus arrived. But it was full, so sped off without us. So we
waited another hour. Another bus, which was really just a
regular local bus, pulled up and our luggage was loaded in the
large compartment under the bus.
The bus rambled down the highway but
was travelling so slow that we thought there must be a
mechanical problem. We had gotten used to traveling at break
neck speed which is the norm for driving in Thailand. What was
supposed to be an hour's journey to the ferry dock took almost 2
1/2 hours!
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Walking the Plank
We eventually arrived at a
dilapidated terminal and were summoned to climb aboard the
passenger ferry from the beach via a very rickety, very rusty
walkway that swayed and pitched from side to side in the
tremendous surge. |
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Once aboard, we questioned the
seaworthiness of the ferry. A rusted out bucket of bolts with
plastic chairs bolted to an uneven floor so poxed with rust
bubbles that you could hardly walk on it.
Once underway, the ferry shook so
bad that the glass shelving in the counter holding the snacks
rattled off and crashed to smithereens. |
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The sea was amazingly rough for our
crossing and we could see several people becoming a little green
with the ride. It was an adventure to be sure and once we
arrived safely, one to laugh about.
No Show Shuttle
We arrived at the terminal in Kos
Samui and immediately sent in search of our shuttle that we had
prearranged. There were plenty of taxis, minibuses, etc. but no
one knew anything about the driver we were seeking. As the
passengers thinned out and we were left with only a handful of
other tourists, we realized that there was NO transport for us.
I had my receipt in hand, but it had no phone number or contact,
or even the name of a company written on it!
We continued to wait with our
luggage in tow, in the rain! With all the taxis now gone we
looked for an alternate mode of transport and ended up hooking
up with a German fellow that had arranged pick up from his
hotel. He kindly agreed to share costs with us to our hotel in
Chewang. |
The driver had a difficult time finding
Palm Island Resort, despite numerous phone calls and directions. After
taking the scenic route down and around the city center streets, it was very
dark, way past suppertime, by the time we pulled into the parking lot at the
Hotel. We were immediately greeting by Norm and Marianne who had patiently
been waiting our arrival for hours! |
Our room and had the most
incredible welcoming! Marianne had laid out flowers in the shape of a heart
decorating the bed and a big sign welcomed us. It was a very moving gesture
and one I will always remember! |
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Our rooms were a real treat. The air
conditioning was an indulgence we had not been experiencing and that, in
addition to unlimited shower water, made the units a real bargain at 1100
baht ($37). The rooms were clean and with the resorts amenities of a pool
and restaurant, we could have just stayed there forever. |
Heaven!
The days that followed were sheer heaven, spent
with a wonderful brother and sister in law, in a beautiful relaxed setting.
Norm and Marianne started each morning with a vigorous run down the beach. I
tried to accompany them the first day but my enthusiasm soon waned but I
remain totally impressed at their consistent dedication to exercising. |
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Our fav. breakfast hangout was a short distance down the beach. Every morning we
had a huge buffet breakfast, Western and Thai style food, all you could eat, for
1500 baht ($5). Great value and great food! |
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Then we would spend the day totally
relaxing, reading, sleeping, sun tanning, swimming and of course catching up on
all our news! It was a great holiday for us just to be off the boat for a while
and on terra firma! |
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| Chewang is a popular beach in Kos Samui and is
close to a major shopping area. We enjoyed taking time to bargain for some good
deals in clothing. We talked Norm into getting in vogue with new Billabong board
shorts! |
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Happy Hour was always a highlight of
the day. All along the shoreline there were a variety of restaurants and bars to
choose from. And always a delicious Thai style meal. |
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Once in a while we expanded our horizons and traveled to another venue for Happy
Hour and Dinner. Here we are at a charming restaurant on the northern part of
the island. |
Touring the Island
February 5 We rented motor scooters
and circumnavigated Koh Samui. Driving around the island was not quite as
life threatening as in Phuket but following Norm was always a challenge as
he would take interesting shortcuts, dashing the wrong way down one
way streets or overshooting his turn. We stopped at several lovely
viewpoint to admire the scenery. |
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BIKING IN
THAILAND
In Thailand there
are 2 modes of transportation, public (in many forms) and
motorcycles. The average bike probably has 2 riders on board but
it is not uncommon to see families of 4 riding a single
two-wheeler.
Traffic.... Chaotic?
Perplexing? Organized? Being a foreigner the organization wasn't
readily apparent! The motorcycle drivers don't follow traffic
signs, stop signs, and traffic lights are only a suggestion.
They have complete right of way and are exempt from fault in any
accident, no matter what the situation! They commonly enter
major roadways from side streets, driveways, etc. without
stopping to look!!! On divided highways, Thais like to use the
shoulder area to drive in the opposite direction.
In any event our
experience driving in Thailand was always challenging and hair
raising!
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We spent time at a beach peppered
with colorful sails where Windsurfers were enjoying ideal conditions. |
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At the Wildlife Park many
animals were on display, including sea lions, local birds, monkeys, lions and
most impressive, tigers. |
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We took a lunch stop at a restaurant right on the beach renown in Koh Samui for
its uniqueness with an elephant theme. The place was decorated with dozens of
elephants and carvings. |
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We ventured into the interior of the island but
the roads quickly deteriorated to the point that Marianne and I preferred to
walk up the dusty steep inclines. Eventually our sense of adventure waned and we
turned the bikes around and headed back to the sealed road. |
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I couldn't resist taking a picture of this sign, a familiar common everyday
paradigm of Thai spelling. (But the view WAS very nice!) |
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Fill er Up!
Getting gas is always an adventure in Thailand
where you simply pull up to a roadside stand and buy gas by the bottle! |
KOH PHANGAN
For a change of scenery we packed our bags and
took a ferry to Koh Phangan, the smaller neighboring island about an
hour away. The island was charming and much quieter than Kos Samui. We
immediately rented bikes and drove around sightseeing and also looking for a
place to stay. The roads were more pothole than pavement in places and we
encountered some fairly steep inclines where, once again, Marianne and I had
to lighten the load and walk. |
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We investigated several potential places to stay before settling on some cute
bungalows overlooking the ocean. Rustic only in appearance, they were clean,
comfortable and cheap. And the amenities included a pool and restaurant! |
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We took advantage of the resort next door and
used their sandy spot with gazebo next to the beach for happy hour.
Norm and Gord went to a Raggae party on the
beach one night and had such a marvelous time they didn't get back til 5 am! |
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February 12
We kept postponing our trip back to
Phuket because we were enjoying Kos Samui and the good company
so much. We extended our stay to help celebrate the huge 10th
Anniversary of The Reggae Bar which was near Chewang. It
turned out to be a party of the century with love bands,
fireworks, food, and best of all....FREE booze! Jammed packed
with a younger set than us, everyone was dancing and the most
fun was watching the locals!
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Rub ber Dub Dub!
Finally it was time to depart and
our ferry/bus trip home was easy and uneventful. Riding only the
big bus this trip we were able to doze a little as the mundane
scene of row upon row of rubber trees passes by.
Huge rubber plantations border the
roads all over Thailand planted in neat rows and recognized by
their deciduous nature of being the only trees around that
seasonally shed their leaves. |
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Spindly and unobtrusive these trees
usual sport a small black cup at the base of their trunk from
which the latex flows. Seven years after planting they start
producing latex which flows for another 25 years or so before
gradually drying up. Tapping is carried out before dawn as the
latex stops flowing once the heat of the day sets in.
In our travels we had a close up
look at the latex being collected. It looked like an extremely
slow and labor intensive process.
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When the bus to Phuket stopped again
at a restaurant for a break we saw a rubber producing shop right
next door. It was interesting to see what happens to the buckets of
latex once they are collected and transferred to the factory. The
liquid is filtered, mixed with formic acid and poured into sheets,
these being left to set overnight. The final stages involve hanging
the mats for over a week to dry. It was
interesting to see and feel the final product, ready for
export.
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| We arrived back at Yacht Haven,
where the boat had been moored safe and sound. While we were gone, a
young Thai boy had been busy polishing the hull for 800 baht a day.
We now had to get serious about arranging for quotes and contractors
to get all the work done on the boat that was necessary. |
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