Catching up on Koh Samui

I know I'm really on vacation when blogging becomes too much work. Not only have I been taking lots and lots of photos - way more than I can possibly keep up with from an editing, organizing, and uploading standpoint - but I also am in such a state of relaxation that I find it difficult to motivate myself to actually put my experiences into words for everyone to see.

Arrival at the beautiful Samui Airport, exited right onto the runway.

I recently returned from a six day stay in Koh Samui, Thailand, one of the country's most beautiful islands. Initially, I wasn't convinced that I was really experiencing Thailand, but rather just a tourist destination. The island is breathtaking, with white sand beaches and endless panoramic views in all directions, but how can people really live there? It took me a few days to look past the numerous hotels and other tourist traps on the island and, with the help of Melissa and her dad, to experience the local people and culture.

There are less than 100,000 residents of Koh Samui, but the population almost certainly exceeds this figure at all times due to its popularity with tourists coming primarily from Australia, Europe, and the Middle East. I had far fewer encounters with Americans than I was expecting.

There's a lot to do on the island, be it enjoying the beaches, nearby national marine park, or the lively nightlife, but when I got to Melissa's house and saw the view, these things suddenly became a little bit less appealing.

I was perfectly okay with sitting back and enjoying the view for a day or two, so that's exactly what I, Melissa and her dad, and our two friends Natalie and Ann did. 

Ann, left, and Natalie, right, posing for a future Breezer's drink ad.

Further encouraging me to stay at home for a little extra R&R was the continuing annoyance of jetlag and sickness that I was suffering from. All of the traveling and sightseeing was a little bit too much for my body to handle at first I guess. Thankfully though, this wasn't without its benefits. Going to bed very early meant I woke up very, very early. Specifically, I was up around 4:30 AM on our second day in Koh Samui, and I was lucky enough to see the sunrise.

This was taken from outside of my bedroom window. Not a bad view to wake up to.

Despite how tempting it was to stay home all week long, I was happy to get out and explore the city too. Unfortunately, these photos are still in the processing stage, so I can only share some more that I took around the house for now. I am working on the photos from around Koh Samui and should be able to post more of them in the next day or two.

The poolman: This view makes it too easy to take dramatic photos.

Keeping with tradition: Here's a shot of one of the local beers, Singha. I'm collecting
pictures of different local beers from all over the world, although I can't say I know
what I could do with them anyway.

Taken on the second floor balcony, looking into the house at a mirror that reflects the view.

This gazebo, or "sala" as its called in Thailand (and elsewhere I'm sure), was one of my closest friends while in Koh Samui. Nothing quite like lounging underneath it.

I do actually have one picture taken outside the house to share now...I took this outside of a fireworks store.

This parrot stands guard to keep people from stealing fireworks...I'm sure it's a highly effective security system.

Aside from a minor catastrophe where one of the fireworks decided not to launch and instead blew up on the ground almost exactly where I took the above photo (days later and at night of course), I'd say they added a nice element of festivity to the trip.

This incident sort of defined the trip. There were a few incidents of pure ridiculousness, whether it be a boat ride that violated every safety code known to man or a Thai coyote show where men embrace their inner woman or a firework gone awry. But, no matter how crazy things seemed to get, I was always able to laugh it off and move on, which I'm thankful for. Family, please do your best to smile and laugh it off as I did, I don't mean to worry you. I assure you I'm safe and sound back in Singapore.

And if what I've said is too much, just pretend I stayed at home the whole time and relaxed. After all, it was raining and dark, and there's no need to go out at such times anyway.

Now that I'm back in Singapore and finishing up my last few days here, I'm slowly working toward a return to "reality" with my upcoming semester of school just around the corner. What an incredible summer it's been though. I've lived more this summer than ever before, and I have a lot of people to thank for the opportunities I've had. Here's to hoping that my good luck continues and as I said, stay tuned for more information on my trip to Thailand. I promise that I'll have more "cultural" experiences to share next time.