Angthong national marine park is an archipelago of 42 islands. Only three of which are visitable by the tourist boats. On Monday we took a trip out there, we are in low season so there were only 2 boats with around 100 people - in high season there must be half a dozen boats or more. Breakfast onboard was orange jam sandwich, tea and a banana. First stop was Koh Wau Ta Lap with swimming and snorkling for those who wanted to enjoy the soft, white sand beach and a steep climb through the jungle to a viewpoint for the adventurous. We took the adventurous route. We walked 500m up to the top viewpoint but the climb was 263m high - so very steep, particularly towards the end but the views were worth it. Only 8 people from our boat made it to the top including Paul, I got as far as the sheer rock face 25 metres from the end - very disappointing! (see photo) I was cheered by the fact that one guy from Switzerland who skipped up, thought the walk was ridiculously difficult for tourists. We clambered down, often on our backsides. Drenched from head to toe, I decided to go for a swim to cool down.
After the swim and quick change it was back on board for 'yummy yummy' as the team called it. Sweet and sour veg, chicken curry with rice, salad and watermelon. I say watermelon, but the crew were giving out seconds before we were served with firsts so there was none left. My, how those Russians love watermelon! Paul was last in the queue. On the way back to his seat, one of a group of children - who had been a right pain in the arse throughout - knocked his meal out of his hands; if looks could kill! Kayaking Group one were then rounded up - that was me and we were taken ashore island number 2 (Koh Mae Koh) in a longboat for a brief lesson and to be assigned our Kayaks at a nearby beach. As I was on my own, I was luckily paired up with one of the guides. Cushy, I thought, but even a half-hearted paddle had me using muscles I didn't know I had. As I was paddling at the front, I turned round at one point to check I was doing it right and discovered that the guide was having a rest!!! Cheeky! When I stopped he soon started again. It was only a 20 minute journey to another beach but I was exhausted. The route took us through rocky karsts and under shelves where the karsts had worn away. No photos of the kayaking as Paul had opted out of it and was meanwhile climbing up to Talay Nai lagoon viewpoint on island number three. When I reached the island beach I followed him up there. The staircase was more like a ladder - jelly legs again! The day cost us 2700 Baht (£54) for the two of us, a great experience and enough photo opportunities to keep Paul busy for a long while. See the photos for the map tracking the GPS points where Paul took photos around Angthong. There is also one showing where we have been around the Koh Samui.
This week has otherwise been spent relaxing and eating. We discovered a cocktail bar on the main strip that does obscenely strong pina coladas for 50 baht (£1). On our first night there it soon became a cue for a song #..Do you like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain?..# (ignore if you were not born prior to 1980). We headed back to the hotel when the rain started and got absolutely drenched, it was the first real downpour for over a week. The 29 degree heat soon dried it off.
We have continued to frequent Harry's restaurant with our favourite Thai hostess, who calls everyone 'poppet' and uses expressions such as "I'm knackered", she also swears like a trooper when you cross her. She has told Paul to F*** off a couple of times. As we had been such loyal customers, she treated us to a free meal on our last night Thai vegetable Red curry with rice and Massaman chicken curry with rice - brilliant!
We also got to see the open air SexySex bars on the few nights that we stayed up late. Pole dancing more resembles shuffling like you're trying to keep warm at a bus stop. The poor girls were clearly not happy in their job. Haven't really seen too many stag dos; the main clientelle seem to be middle aged divorcees.
Earlier in our stay I mentioned that we perhaps should go and see some Thai boxing - for the cultural experience - but the price of £20 per ticket and the concern that I would spend the whole time looking away put us off. In Lamai, however, there is a free boxing night every Saturday. It is advertised as Lady Boxing and is a way of generating much needed revenue at the SexySex bars. There is a ring set up in the centre of the SexySex bar huts and boxing starts at 10pm. The bars hike up their prices a little - I think, and you choose your seating area matched to your chosen bar. The boxing is set to music that I would describe as Thai bagpipes or snake charming music. The fight is extremely ritualistic and the fighters are adorned with money garlands (I believe this is the sum bet upon each fighter). They come out prior to the first round and conduct ritualistic meditations at each corner of the ring. The first fight was between two men who practically danced to the music and 'charmed' each other before knocking seven kinds of crap out of each other. I was cringing and wincing quite a bit. There were several near knockouts and the fight was stopped before the end of the fourth round. The second fight was between two boys, no older than 16 - well, they may as well have been two eighteen-month old babies killing each other - it was stomach churning stuff for me! The crowd was very animated and the atmosphere tense. The break entertainment was an 'in ring' (oo-er) Ladyboy dance act. The last fight that we stayed for was the lady boxing - much more scrappy and fierce. I haven't seen a fight like this since Joanne Pimblett knocked the crap out of Johnny Shaw outside the language lab in the second year at the Holt - eek!! An adrenalin rush to end our fantastic stay in Koh Samui.
That's all for this week, we fly back to Bangkok on Sunday and then onto Cambodia and Siem Reap on Monday. Thanks for the messages, we really appreciate them!