Saturday, January 14, 2012

First Night in Ko Samet

Tim: Finally got to go Samet around 5:30 PM last night. It was dusk. Our bungalow left A LOT to desired :( . We committed to two nights after the lady boy room booking agent conned us in staying at what will likely be the dirtiest bungalow for 600 baht ($18.50 US) on the island. Amber will share more. That aside, the beaches are beautiful  and there is no heckling from the locals to buy tuk tuk rides or bracelets or useless tourist crap. After we checked into our bungalow (150 yards from the beach), we went for a dip in the ocean It was 6:15 and mostly dark, but is was very warm out and the water was warm too. After a nice dip in the ocean, we grabbed dinner at a beach side restaurant. We were seated only 50 feet from breaking waves on the beach.
Amber:   In contrast to the quaint little room that we had in Bangkok, we now have an adorable little Private bungalow.  Thinking we had scored when we were shown the room, we plopped down our baggage and were eagar to put on our swim suits last evening when we arrived.  It was at this point that poor Tim had to endure the girl factor of having me as his travel companion.  After anouncing my disapproval of the ant coleny in the bathroom, the enormous spider webs on the celing and wall, I shreaked when a gecko scurried out of the blind as I let it down.  Next scream came when I went into the restroom to have the local yellow tree frog bounce out at me from under the sink while I perched on the loo, trying to avoid getting bit by an ant.  We were not certain if the bed sheets or pillow cases had been changed since the last residence, but there was still enough sand caked on the floor and bench that it is doubtful.  Determined to make the most of our budget experience, we donned our suits and went in search for a streatch of sandy beach and calm ocean to soak in before dinner. 
The sand here is amazing!  It is so fine, it feels unreal.  It was great to take off our sandles and walk barefoot.  The salt water is highly salene and warm, so I float like a cork.  Tim almost floats, which is a big deal for him!  After splashing around for a bit, counting our good fortune to be out of Bangkok's hustle and bustle, we found a beautiful beach front resturant and had diner and a few Chang, a local brew that can best be compaired to a stronger version of Milwakees Best.  When it's 80' on a beach, and the Chang is chilled, its pretty darn good.  The local beach vendors sell traditonal chinese lanterns, so while we enjoyed dinner we got to watch lanterns light up and float off into the night sky.  Beautiful!
After spending the night trying to not roll off of our silk, bug resistant bed sheet, bought all the way over in Anchorage's REI for such occasions, we woke up at sunlight and went for a 35 minute jog.  It felt amazing to actually get some excersise after the excess of consuming we had during our brief stay in Kao San.  After sweating and huffing and puffing along Ko Samets windy, pot hole ridden dirt road we found our little beach again and dove in.  Great way to start the day!  We are now sitting at a  beach front resturant, the base of our table is litterally getting hit by the surf if the swell is big enough, our toes in the sand.  Our goal today is to rent a scooter and tour the island.  Perhaps a kayak is in our future, or a scuba tour of some of the local islands.  Life is good, even with a budget bungalow!




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