Koh Samui

Palm trees, blue seas, white sands, friendly Thais and lots of tourists. It was lovely to spend a few days on Koh Samui. It really is a beautiful place, though there were a lot of tourists where we stayed on Chaweng, the busiest (most beautiful) beach. It was particularly nice at night or especially early in the morning when there were very few people on it. Even at it's busiest there was always space though. We had a couple days lying on the beach (trying to bring out a few more freckles so they mix to pretend I'm a little bit brown). I did brave it enough to buy a bikini and actually wear it! My belly is many moons away from being freckled even and of course the brownest people on the beach decided to lie down near us that day!

I met up with Devon who I had met in Bangkok and we decided to go to the Christmas Eve beach party. We headed down about 11pm as we both were quite tired and some others were heading later but we wanted to leave earlier. So - we stayed until dawn and I got back to the room just before 7am as my auntie was waking up! Rocky beach was a beautiful place to have a party and it was all decorated with ultrviolet tubes in coloured lanterns in rows (blue, pink, yellow) and there was a tall Christmas tree made of little bags of red and green coloured water in plastic bags hanging in rows. The music got you in the belly and I had some nice chats, especially with a German girl. It was to be expected but there were rather a lot of drunk guys overusing the line "So where are you from?". It can be said in so many ways! We had a lot of fun though.

We went out in a Tri-yak one day for an hour and rowed across to a little island just off shore. Another day dad and I went out on a jetski (bike?). Our jetski broke down after 5 minutes but we got a new one and had a blast. Another day we hired a jeep and drove around the island. The best bit that day was when we went to the waterfall and swam there. A lovely cool pool and a natural power shower with little places to sit on the water smoothed rocks. Also that day we went to the Spa on Lamai beach where I got mum and dad and Priscilla's Christmas presents - a massage. Well mum and Priscilla went for facials. We then had dinner there as they do some lovely veggie food. We also did a snorkelling day trip one day and went to Koh Tao in a speed boat. The first spot was dirty and had a lot of dead coral but the second spot was lovely.Christmas day we met the Gills for breakfast (9 of us) and went to a restaurant with a fantastic view. We got back at midday and I slept all of Christmas afternoon having been up all the previous night. A little different from our usual Christmas Eve - carols in Holywood - when I'm in Belfast!

It was a restful week. NIce to have some time to just lie around and read and rest and eat and then do the same all over again. We did walk up and down the shops a little too. Fortunately I really can't fit more in my bag.


Bangkok

We got the night train to Bangkok from Surat Thani and spent the day there. I left my bag for two months in a left luggage place and a lot lighter set off for a couple Wats and Jim Thompsons House (a recommended place to visit - not a mate). We then got a night train to Chiang Mai. Having finished my book (Memoirs of a Geisha) I slept a lot more this trip.


Chiang Mai

The Juniper Tree is a lovely place to stay. Priscilla and I assumed we would be sharing a room but actually each have our own wooden room/building. They are all little individual buildings in the traditional Thai style raised up on stilts. It i slovely. I could imagine living somewhere like that for a while very easily. There is a pool too but it has been overcast and wet. Very unusual everyone is saying, but it still means I haven't actually been in the pool,

New Years Eve was great. Dad and I went and saw The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers. I really enjoyed the movie and also had the cultural experience of having to stand for a video bit about the king while they played the National Anthem (at least I presume that is what it must have been). We later wandered the night bazaar and ended up down by the river in a good position right on the bank. There were fantastic fireworks and we were not disappointed. For about the first five minutes of the new year there were about four fireworks displays going on simulataneously. It was hard to know where to look. The display where we were sitting must have gone on for at least 15 minutes. There were also large hot air ballons / paper lanterns being sent up into the night sky. Some from near us, but in the distance there were a line of about 100. They look very beautiful as they float up into the darkness. About five or ten metres into the air they seem to ignite some fireworks and leave a trail of twinkling stars behind them as they rise up. There were also candles being floated down the river. I went to see where they were putting them in and a lady gave me one to put in. I was happy as I had wanted to see where I could buy one to put in. Everyone was in good form and the atmosphere was very festive.

I leave tomorrow to go to Laos. I am looking forward to it but have to say goodbye to my parents who I won't see for probably at least two years, so that is a bit sad. Email is great though and we will still be able to all keep in touch which is great!