Does It Get Any Better?

We're now into Day 5 on Lamai Beach in Koh Samui. We've settled into a nice little routine that starts with a good sweaty workout at a non-air conditioned gym across from our hotel. It's kinda like running on a treadmill in a sauna. Unfortunately, there's no safe place to run outside, but with no aircon this gym gives you pretty much the same experience. On the plus side, there's usually only me and Brenda and a British couple using the facilities so we have full access to all the equipment.

Our hotel has been quite a treat. The air conditioner in our first room didn't work very well and the front desk very kindly moved us into the room next door which had an air conditioner with only two settings: Off and Antarctica. But with the heat and humidity outside, we were quite happy to walk into a frigid room and snuggle up under the covers at night.

When Brenda booked this hotel she asked me if I wanted to spend an extra $10.00 a night and get the upgraded room with the balcony and sitting area. I figured we'll only spend a small amount of time in the room, so we should go with the cheaper room. As it turned out, two days ago we were told we were being upgraded to the superior room because some plumbing repairs had to be performed to the room we were occupying. Score! The new room is much nicer, larger an has a big balcony complete with a patio set and rocking chairs. Next time we'll pay the $10.00 extra.

The weather has been quite unpredictable. The only constant is the temperature which is always anywhere from 28°-36°C and the high humidity. But the winds can pick up quite quickly and blow in big black rain clouds in a matter of minutes.

To avoid getting sunburned, along with SPF 40 sunscreen, we've been staying away from the beach until 3:00 PM, when the sun begins to lose a little of its strength. Sadly, the last two days have seen very cloudy afternoons with sporadic rain, which has kept us off the sand. Today we decided to get out early and were laid out in the bright sunshine by 10:00AM. And it's a good thing we did because by 11;30 the wind picked up and blew in a storm from sea. We just had time to pack our things and barely make it back to the hotel before the skies opened.

We've been gorging ourselves on some very delicious fruit including luscious mangoes, juicy lychees, bright red watermelon (complete with seeds) and Brenda's favorite, jackfruit. We've also had three or four different varieties of bananas, one small but perfect papaya and one decent durian. The best price we've seen for durian is 130฿/kg ($236/lb) so even a smallish one cost us about $13.60. We've decided that the pleasure bang for your baht is much higher with mangoes, so we're going to wait until we get to Rayong to buy any more of the king of fruit.

We've dined at three really good vegan restaurants in walking distance to our hotel. The best by far is Vegetarian Time, which is run by a little old Buddhist Thai lady. When we first went there she was seated at a table and explained she had been away for a while and had only returned to Koh Samui that day. There was no menu and she proposed a few dishes before she declared, "I order for you!". OK then. Well, we weren't disappointed. A huge plate of corn fritters was placed in front of us, followed by a mound of rice for each of us, a gigantic serving of stir fried morning glory and another of mixed stir fried vegetables. The entire time we were eating, the owner, Tim, chatted away to us and kept us thoroughly entertained. There was so much food we literally could not finish it all. I only thought to take a photo of all the dishes just as we were finishing up, thus the empty plates in the picture. The whole feast, including two bottles of water cost us 200฿ ($8.00CDN). We returned yesterday and had an equally good veg stir fry and rice for the same price. I suspect that no matter what or how much you eat, Tim will charge you 200฿. During her discussion with us yesterday she offered to drive us out to see the Big Buddha on the next sunny day. It looks like we won't be able to take her up on her offer today, but maybe we'll be luckier tomorrow.

We've also been frequenting our favorite massage parlor, which is just around the corner from our hotel. While we were there yesterday the owner invited us to attend her birthday party tonight. She also owns a restaurant and has invited thirty or forty friends to celebrate there with her.

Koh Samui is much quieter at this time of the year than it is during the winter months. The beach is uncrowded and there's always room in restaurants, bars and massage shops. Despite the less than perfect weather, it's actually much more pleasant under these circumstances.

Wonderful food, fabulous fruit and delightful people. And, oh yeah, really cheap beer. What more could you ask for?Read more