Our Bucket List ~ Asia Here we Come! : Arrived on Koh Samui Island on the Gulf of Thailand ~ Tropical...yes!

Yesterday was a full day! We woke up extra early 5:50 am so we could get packed, have breakfast, check out of Fave Hotel and call for a taxi all by 7:30 am...and yes we got that done...off we were back to Kuah to the Ferry boat..and on to Thailand.

If you look at the map below...it is of southern Thailand...we took the ferry boat from Langkawi north to Satun. Way at the bottom of the map.

We departed out of Langkawi - going through Malaysian customs. The ferry boat would depart at 9 am but we didn't actually leave until 9:30 am...and the last two passengers aboard came to sit with us. Two ladies - both German...retired nurses...Elsa-Marie and Regina who now lived in Langkawi already these past 6 yrs!

As we got to talking - we find out that the older lady was born in Indonesia and spoke fluent Dutch! Yes she too had lived there with her parents - growing up during the war and was 11 when she lived Indonesia in 1947 - Elsa-Marie - she had known many Dutch people in those years and I was so surprised how well she still spoke the language after all these years! I spoke a little German with Regina and it is always fun to brush up a little ...Regina & I were the same age!

We have arrived...a very friendly attendant!

Our ferry ride was most pleasant and s m o o t h...yeah! No plastic bags this time...yeah!

We went through Thai customs and we were given a visa for 15 days. As we came through customs there was this man...that approached us...he was from the travel desk..and was offering us a bus or taxi...he was persistent and followed us as we went through the gates signing at customs - we knew we had to get from Sutan (Indian Ocean) to the train station in Hat Yai on the east side of Thailand (see map)...he said that taking a city bus would take a long time 4-5 hours and that they made many stops along the way. We knew it was about 100 km to get there. Nick asked about the taxi he offered and it was about 1300 Baht divide by 30 =($40,-) not bad for a 2 hr drive! Well we decided to do it..yes "the man" said the train leaves for Hat Yai at 1:30 pm...and he said...change your clock back an hour for Thailand is back an hour! ( so dear family and friends - we are now 14 ahead with the CA and 5 hrs ahead with Holland) OK gotta finish the story - so "the man" and Nick agree on price and off we go to his taxi...another lady steps into the front seat with him...hmmm...we thought "what is that all about?" Anyway not a whole lot of English is spoken so off we go leaving town...on the small highway towards Hat Yai. About 20 min into this drive...he pulls over..steps out of the car and goes out as if to look for another car behind us...we are wondering "what is happening...I try to say something to the lady up front...and she is also looking over her shoulder..but just a nod is all she said. "The man" had flagged down someone and this black Nissan drives up behind us...and the man gets back into the car and starts to drive again. The man says - "I two offices" we are thinking he is trying to tell us something right? Well we drive about 10 minutes again and the black car is still following us. Then the man stops again...opens the trunk of the car and starts to pull out our suitcases...and Nick asks...and he waves and says something about getting into this other car...possibly also a taxi car? Yes it was of course..the new taxi driver helped us into his car....could hardly speak a word of English...and we figured it out....the lady also needed a ride..."the man" had stopped another taxi driver because he had made his sale with us and negotiated with another taxi driver

to take us to Hat Yai - the 2 hour drive! My goodness - can you even imagine this? Crazy huh!!!!! Well Nick was pretty calm through this..and had already figured out what was happening. When we had driven a few miles the new taxi driver asked "how much?" pay? Nick said 1300 Baht..."too much" he said...and we figured! The rest of the journey went well...

Do you see what I saw passing by in that pick-up truck? Better double click on this picture..you won't believe your eyes!!!

Yep...and real live cow...in the pick up truck! Oh my goodness gracious! For Real!

We arrived into the town of Hat Yai..around 12:30 and thought - hey good timing right? When we got to the train station it had been raining really hard...quite a dump out there...glad to step out under cover at the terminal. It was such an old terminal...sometimes you wonder..are we really here and do people really use this old train station still? We went to the ticket booth and Lo and Behold...now train at 1:30 pm...no not till 2:45 and that train was delayed - we were told...a car was stuck on the tracks some miles back and so the train had a 2 hrs delay. We were told there was a 16:23pm (4:30pm) train - coming through to Bangkok we could take. Well we decided that was the way to go...a few hours wait. The train too was delayed and finally came at 6:30 pm instead. We had been at the train station 6 hrs!

We both had decided not to do the 8 hr bus drive from this town...and still were thankful not to have done that. But all in all - it was a long day to say the least!

The express train was old but comfortable.

Love to watch the activity at the station...ladies selling chicken..kind of looked like paprika chicken...red looking. As trains pulled up..the ladies even went into the trains to sell their goods...they brought a cart lugging it over the tracks and up again so that is the trains pulled into the station people hanging out of the window's could purchase goods from the ladies selling them. So much activity - and all working hard to make a living! I said to Nick..we are spending an afternoon on at this station..can you imagine they are here everyday doing this! Gosh!

Off we went on our way at 6:30 and we would have a 4 hour ride north to Surmat Thani..yes that was our destination to get to that island Ko Sumai!

The attendant on the train gave us all a dinner (2nd class) we had booked 1st class - just a few Baht more...

Dinner was...

and a blanket...

and we were glad to be on our way. A whole lot of sitting today! We tried to take some cat naps and at 10:30 pm were told another 13 minutes (25) and then we arrived at Surmat Thani at 11:15 pm! We thought oh my goodness it will be dark and so quiet in this train station...where will we find a hotel so late? But it was busy at the station..people everywhere...still eating out at the eateries..at the station and outside on the curbs...a whole lot of hustle and bustle still! Nick said let me go take a walk around and see what we can find - you stay here with the suitcases & back-packs...OK! He went off...and came back about 15 later. Yes around the corner was the hotel recommended in the Lonely Planet guide book...Queen Hotel.

It was as was described...old but clean...yes old alright...very very old...it was time for the mummy sleeping sheet again! ha~

We crashed...and went straight to sleep...tomorrow another day...to the island!

July 9th

Sermat Thani to Koh Smaui

http://www.kohsamui.com/

Nick woke up at 5:30 - early bird...but we had our rest and now wanted to get going. We finished our cute baby bananas (you should try these in the store..taste really sweet!)

We also ate our lichee fruit..and oh my as weird as they look -

kind of "hairy" it was delicious (leftovers from our train dinner!)

We walked out of the hotel and heard the bus station was around the corner, so we found the station and saw many touring

buses parked there and lots of people already gathering...were they all going where we were going?

Many brochures are written by the Thai people translated as they hear it...look carefully.. cute!

A travel guide walked to us...450 Baht to Koh Samui...he said...450 each ($13,-) not bad...a one hour bus ride and then a one hour ferry ride to the island...can't beat that!

So we paid them and waited just 15 minutes and we were off...gosh great timing! We had Germans, Dutch, Russians, French, Malaysian so' many languages we heard! Everyone in a good mood...all enjoying their summer vacation...and as they say here....holiday!

The ferry boat was nice https://www.lomprayah.com - two buses unloaded into it! We went on our way...to the island(s) we had heard so much about them

from so many travelers!

We saw many smaller islands. The weather was warming up and the Sun was beginning to come through...it felt about 90 out there! When we arrived Nick & I gladly walked off the long pier..with our suitcases and back packs...we were so stiff from all that sitting! We saw a cute little restaurant as soon as we got off the pier and yes..they had WiFi too...and an American breakfast...it was 11:30 - and we were hungry!

Cappuccino coffee, toast, egg and a little cheese with ham! So' good..and a platter of fruit too! After our brunch Nick opened his suitcase, lugged out his laptop and went agoda.com for a room...we had kind of picked out an area that was away from the crowds - and yes! Nick found a little bungalow close to the beach (no not on the beach Polly - hope to do that in Indonesia!) but still - on the beach side...our hotel also rented out bungalow's in a little section of their property...perfect...1100 Baht $34,- a day! We decided to go ahead and book for 5 days...9th thru 14th...nice!

So here we are our first night on the island! Had a evening stroll on the beach...a cute cove..with a nice stretch of beach to walk. People kayaking, swimming, getting a massage, a lovely place to hang out and rest! We had our first official Thai dinner -

Yum! Dinner for two for 420 Baht ($14,-) gosh...these prices are amazing!

I feel spoiled! I am grateful we are here safe & sound...enjoying this adventure - meeting lots of really kind gentle people...yes the Thai people are very gracious and so willing to serve and Kog fang Ka is thank you to a lady and Kog fang Kup is saying thank you to a man. When they have served you they bow down with a prayer shaped hands and nod! Very sweet and so willing to serve!