Candice and I declared Beach Day on Ko Samui.  This was the second port in a three-in-a-row port days so we decided we'd hang out at the beach and take it easy.

Story from Candice: Beach day had been decided. We're up early, in line for our tender ticket. Got to get off the ship bright and early. Mission completed: tender ticket one. Once on the dock, we are off in a sequestered area, roped off from all the taxi drivers. I tell mom to get an idea of what a taxi ride is going to cost, so we walk up to the rope. Taxi driver one flips his sheet over, one way to Chaweng $35 US, round trip $70 US. We look at each other with the expression of he is crazy. So we step back under the tent, away from the rope. Sandy and I discuss prices a little and get a game plan down while still in our "safe zone." The last thing I say to her before we exit is "I don't care what price they give us, just a straight trip to the beach. No tour. I don't want to get snookered into a tour." Waited for her confirmation, she agreed because we had had this conversation while on the ship too. But I said it one more time, "No tours! Just get me to the beach."

So we walk out and approach a guy, Sandy is haggling about prices. All the while, I'm looking around for someone to split the cost with us. I keep approaching people, asking what are you guys trying to do today? I think they thought I was a taxi/tour guide myself. I mean, I didn't look like anyone else getting off of the ship. They didn't really answer me, but then we found a German couple. He told Sandy this taxi/covered seats on the back of a truck will take us around the island for $10 a piece. "But I just want to go to the beach." Sandy asks driver, "Can you drop us off at the beach after a half-island tour?" I look at her, wondering if she was paying attention to our conversation we just had. The Germans and the driver tell us we have to wait for a bus load of people to leave though. 

I pulled Sandy aside, "What did we just talk about not five minutes ago? No tours. I refuse to get snookered into a tour. Plus we would still have to wait, and or pay for a taxi back from the beach once we were let off this tour." Logic won out so we continued to look, bumping into another set of Germans. A minibus taxi to Chaweng for $80 round trip. Sold! The first set of Germans actually joined us, coming to 9 Germans and us for $100 return trip. After haggling $10 a piece sounded pretty dang good.

Back to your regularly scheduled program:

So, after getting the 9 Germans and the two of us loaded up in the mini van we headed over to the north side of the island to Chaweng Beach.  I asked the driver if there was a hotel were we could rent their lounge chairs and use their pool.  He said he'd take us to a good one.  I was hoping it wasn't another Fiji deja' vu.  There for a while we were driving past 'Beer Town' and 2Much4U clubs on the back alleys of this small beach town with no beach in sight but much to my surprise we popped back up on a paved road and drove up a nice hilly drive to this 5-Star Resort called Centara.  This place was exuding swank and at first I didn't think they'd let us walk through their lobby and down to the beach but we did.  Our driver pointed and said the beach is 'that way.'  

We got out, walked across the lobby and check in desks, snapped a few pictures  and walked down some marble stairs and out to the terrace with the natural rock pool with a bar in the middle just beyond the eating area.  There were nice gardens and walkways out to the beach and everyone had yellow towels on the lounge chairs.  No way would our blue Cunard towels would pass mustard so once we walked out on the beach Candice and I continued walking down shopping for chair rentals.  

We ran across a shaded Thai massage place along the way and told them we'd be back.  We walked a little further and found two chairs and an umbrella for 100 Baht - SOLD!  After getting set up I grabbed 250 Baht and headed back to the massage tent for a Thai massage before I got all sandy and sweaty.  One hour of pure massage delight with a breeze blowing was well worth 200 Baht plus a tip.  They had four beds a breast and the bed next to mine was some old guy from Belgium who must have weighed 275 pounds.  It was funny to see a guy this size getting a massage but I guess he was there for some heavenly delight too.   As the girl got done with him I heard her tell him she would see him next year.  He must come to Ko Samui every year.   A Thai massage involves a lot of compression and contortions, not really muscle manipulation but it all felt good to me!  

By the time I got back to base camp Candice was ready to jump in the water.  Once out of the water we purchased a Coke for 30 Baht and pulled a bag of peanuts out  of our bags.  Fresh out of Pringles!   We spent the day hunkered down at our lounge chairs with frequent visits to the water and more Coke purchases.

Towards the end of the day we packed up shop and Candice got a foot massage while I waited.  She was laying down getting her foot massage and I took a couple of pictures of her and this young guy laying next to her getting a manicure and pedicure.  It was quite humorous!  These two girls were working feverishly on him and the nail fragments were flying right and left.  His hands and feet must have been a mess but he sure did look like he was enjoying the pampering!  So funny I had to sneak the camera out for funny photo.  

While I was waiting a man after my own heart came along with a bag full of aluminum.  He sat down under the shade tree and I noticed he didn't have any hands.  They were cut off at the wrist.  A guy from down the way came up to him and gave him some money which he took between his wrist.  He carefully opened up his pants with his wrist and somehow secured the money within his baggy pants.  I watched him press on the bag of garbage in front of him listening for the familiar rattle of aluminum but there were none in the bag.  I got my last 100 Baht out of my bag and walked over to him to give it to him.  He stretched out his wrists and even though I knew he didn't have hands I half expected to see a hand come out to take the money.  Then it dawned on me that I would have to place it between his wrist for him.  Once again he opened up his pants and secured the money within.  He was an old man and I would have loved to have chatted it up with him but I don't think he spoke any English.  It was a very memorial moment and it will stay with me for the rest of my life.  I really liked this guy's work ethic and survivor skills.  He was doing what he could to make money; very industrial and very humble.

We had to meet our Germans back at the resort at 3:15 p.m. for the drive back to the pier for the last tender at 4 p.m.  The area on the other side of the beach was what I would like to call 'early primitive party spots.'  it was rustic but apparently it held all the paraphernalia for a good nightlife time with some shopping mixed in.  We all pitched $10 in a piece for the $100 cab fare and a $10 tip for the driver.  One older German guy spearheaded the job of collecting the money and after everyone paying in he was short $10.  After quite a bit of German words were spoken another guy figured out he didn't pay for his wife the Germans all rolled with laughter.  They were really funny and they certainly spoke more English than we spoke German.  Germans are really fun people.  Put me in a 15 passenger van with them any day of the week and I'll be just fine even if I can't understand them.  

Later as we sailed out of Ko Samui the sun was setting and it was just gorgeous as we passed smaller islands for about an hour or so. The fishing boats were out and  in the dusk of the evening you could see the smaller ports in the distance lit up with a few of the surrounding city lights.  What a perfect ending for the perfect day!   Ko Samui would be an ideal place to vacation to get away from it all and possibly try out the 2Much4U place since you I don't think you could get enough of Ko Samui but I'd like to try!   

Sandy and Candice