Thai Boxing

Last night there were a series of boxing matches in the local ring here on Lamai Beach. Crowds came out for the fun - and we sat on plastic chairs that were divided into areas governed by different bars. I watched a few different matches - the first with men, the second with women fighting. There was a lot of preparation before the matches began - with each fighter saying prayers and performing pre-match rituals, including wearing lucky garlands of flowers and money around their necks.



Check the video:

Tasty grub

Last night I found the most amazing tasty market here on Koh Samui. Freshly cooked meats and yummy vegetables and tasty smoothies all barbequed right here on the street. I had a huge plate of food and some water and a juice - and it came to about 100 Baht - ludicrously cheap. Can't believe I only just found it! Going to eat here all the time now. :)

Yey!

Look at the amazing graphics on these drinks. Thailand is too cool.

Big Buddha video

Check out the video from my trip today to see the Big Buddha on Koh Samui...

Mopeds in thailand..

Everyone here rides mopeds - locals and tourists - and its apparently one of the cheapest ways to get around (hiring one for the duration of your stay). However - I would not advise it. I have heard some terrible stories about accidents involving tourists out here - whether due to drunken driving, bad conditions or carelessness. I have managed to go a week avoiding them... however, today I was at a supermarket and couldn't find a taxi home. I was then offered a 'taxi' ride on a moped back to the hotel.. and I didn't really have any other option. Yes it was cheap, and yes it was quite fun and yes I am back in one piece... but I still think it's a bit silly. Hypocritical Katie. Won't be doing that again.

Teach yourself Thai - part six

Local market

This afternoon I accidentally stumbled into a local market - getting quite a few confused stares in the process. The market sold everything from slabs of meat, to wriggling fish, frogs, vegetables and hardware. The smell was pretty intense I can tell you..

Big Buddha temple

On the North-eastery tip of Koh Samui (visible as you fly in) is the Big Buddha statue. I tried to visit it the other day, but the rain defeated me. Determined to not waste my day here in Thailand - I decided to once more brave the water and head up the island in a taxi-van to see this statue. I met some nice people along the way (a Belgian couple and a Slovenian family), who then gave me an idea for what to do in the afternoon.. Check the pics:

Rainy season

Things had been going so well! I saw about an hour of sunshine this morning on the beach (8am) before this view popped up on the horizon. The rain rolls in in a big dark cloud - but at least you have time to spot it and pick up your belongings and run inside. Eek!

My new pet

Each morning when I go down to the sea for a swim, this stray dog comes and visits me. He may well be the reason I am covered in bites to be fair - but I stop him from licking me and he keeps guard of my belongings. Today he even growled at some tourists passing near by me. What a gent.

Breakfast

All this travelling could make me pretty run down - so I (rather boringly) try and stay healthy by not drinking too much, getting sleep and eating lots of yummy food. Here is this morning's breakfast. Tasty!

Oh and...

Here is what my (stubby short bitten) nails look like now. Perhaps this will encourage me to stop biting!

Lamai street market

At night, "Walking Street" in Lamai fills with stalls and tourists visiting local cheap (and tasty) restaurants. After eating last night (a delicious green chicken curry with rice, fresh tropical fruit juice and water) I found this lovely lady called Lak.
Lak lives on Koh Samui with her two brothers and two sisters and her mother. The children in Thailand financially support their parents as there is no such thing as a government pension or welfare for elderly people.
Lak trained in Bali as a spa therapist, but in this low tourist season she makes extra money painting acrylic nails and nail designs in Lamai and Cheweng.
I went and sat with her and she painted my nails and told me all about her life. She is the same age as me and her boyfriend in Norwegian. They met on the mainland 3 years ago when they were next-door neighbours. Now he comes out to see her every other month and they are engaged. She says she'd love to go to Norway and visit him there, but that it would be very difficult to find work and too hard to learn Norwegian. They speak in English to each other and are very happy together. She was extremely nice and friendly and told me all about Koh Samui and how safe it is for tourists (compared to other areas of Thailand). I think we are going to meet up again next week :)

When in Rome...

When sat on the beach here on Koh Samui - you get approached by ladies/gents selling clothes, jewellery, offering massages and manicures.. and also doing henna tattoos. For about £2 they will paint something on you.. so today I decided to join the troupe of (cliched?) travellers across Thailand and get one done on my foot (only lasts a few weeks). The bracelet shown was given to me by week 24 winners Kelly and Miz and I intend to keep it on for the rest of the trip! Ps - I am pretty sure that it is dirt/sand and not a tan in this photo..

Souvenir anyone?

Plenty of (hundreds) of weird and wonderful tourist gifts on offer here... take your pick..

Teach yourself Thai - part five

Need I translate this one?

Thai colours and fabric

I love to collect different bits of fabric on my Trident travels and the different colours and patterns of Malawi, Mexico, Spain and Turkey have already inspired me. Thailand is now also on the list, and I went to local market and got some scraps to take home (and turn into something or other..). What lovely prints!

Final night in Thailand

Last night was Tom and Robyn's final night in Thailand as part of Week 25 of the Trident Perpetual Festival. We decided to go and visit the best bits of Koh Samui, heading off to a highly-recommended restaurant called Sabeinglae. The eatery sits right on a deserted beach (aside from the crabs scuttling about on the moon-lit sand) and features a huge menu of local and traditional Thai yumminess. Here is a snap of Tom and Robyn on their way into their meal...



Tom has crab, Robyn (veggie) has a curry and I went for my fave Pad Thai with chicken. YUM YUM YUM. Afterwards we took a little cab/van back to Lamai Beach and went to Cooper's Rock Bar to see the local covers band. It was another punter's birthday - and the bar owners had hired a (rather odd looking) clown...



He made Robyn and Tom some strange balloon creatures/shapes.. which was a nice souvenir of the evening.. till I accidentally popped the blue dog's leg off. Haha. Sorry Tom! x

Waterfall Number Two.. Video!

Here is a video from our trip today to Waterfall Number Two..

Waterfall Number Two..

Today we went and visited the BEST waterfall on Koh Samui - Waterfall Two. We went for a hike up the waterfall - through five different levels of pools. It was totally stunning and very hot and lovely. Check out some snaps from the journey.

Coffee break

Today we stopped for a coffee in the middle of our jungle trek - and this was our view. Can you think of anywhere more incredible to sip some brew? Wow.

Ice Ice Baby

It's really really hot here... I am not sure I have made that clear. It is therefore essential to keep hydrated.. along with the help of HUGE ice buckets on the side of the road, and for just a few pence you can fill up a plastic bag and drive off!

Elephant riding on Koh Samui

Today myself and Robyn and Tom went and rode elephants into the Koh Samui jungle. We were then treated to an elephant 'show' - and although I have been assured by a local guide that the elephants don't mind doing the tricks involved, it still felt a bit odd watching it all. I videoed it all so that you can judge for yourselves. They are certainly very cute when they grab bananas from your hands! Check the video and the pics: