Christmas in Thailand!

For our Christmas break, me and Si went to an island in Thailand called Samui. After spending a week there, I have to say it is my favorite place I have ever travelled, which is saying a lot! It was absolutely gorgeous and different than anywhere i've ever been.

We arrived on the island pretty late on Christmas Eve and didn't have a place to stay, but luckily the airport had a help desk that found us a room. The first place we stayed was only 5 days old, and they were still working on building more bungalos. It was so nice, but not right on the beach. The first night there, there was a full moon party on a near by island. We had read a lot about these full moon parties and they are supposed to be huge so we were excited to go. We took a speed boat taxi to the island, and the party consisted of about 15,000 people on the beach having a great time. There were fire dancers, glow in the dark body paint and so many more crazy things! It was definitely an experience I won't forget.

The next day we planned to rent a motor bike and explore Samui. Motor bikes are the cheapest way to get around, and the preferred method of travel on the island. Me and Si shared a motor bike and rode around for about 30 minutes before the inevitable happened...we crashed! We had to turn around in mud and rocks, and our bike just kind of took a spill. Si had to get 7 stitches in his knee at a local hospital, but luckily I got away with a sore hip, and a few bruises and scrapes. Unfortunately for Si, stitches meant no swimming for him, which was horrible because it was our first real day on the island and we had a week of beach time ahead of us! We made the most of our situation and did a lot of site seeing. The lady that owned our bungalow was super nice. She felt bad about the accident and drove us around to show us some well known spots on the island, one of which was Big Buddha. It was a huge, well known statue of Buddha overlooking the beach, and was amazing to see. We also ate at a restaurant right on the beach, and it was our first real taste of Thai food. So good!

It was so wierd being away from family and friends for Christmas, and being in a tropical location in 95 degree weather made it hard to believe it was Christmas. Despite the great time we were having, I missed being home for the holidays and hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

The next day we decided to switch hotels, and found another bungalow right on the beach, and in an area with so much more to do. It wasn't quite as nice as our first place, but was what we expected when we heard about bungalows and places to stay on the island. The bungalows were immersed in tropical gardens and it was a beautiful view! Our third day in Samui was the only day it rained while we were there, so we decided to do a huge tour since we couldn't hang out on the beach. The tour included just about everything we wanted to do. We were picked up from our hotel in a van, and taken to a marine and wildlife park. We saw a crocodile show and an elephant show, then got to ride an elephant on a trek through the park. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and so much fun! Unfortunately it was pouring down rain so we didn't get to take many photos, but it is forever imrinted in our heads! After the elephant trek, we went on a hike up a mountain to a huge waterfall, another beautiful site! Some people in our group went swimming at the base of the waterfall, but me and Si just waded in the water. Next on the tour we went to a rubber plantation with trees that produce a substance that is made into rubber. They showed us the entire process and it was pretty interesting. Next we went to the Magic Gardens, where there were statues and more uniqe plants and carvings. The day finished with a traditional Thai meal at a restaurant overlooking the water. You could also see three or four smaller islands, and mountains in the distance. Despite the rain, it was an amazing day!

The next few days we spent on the beach and shopping. It was so hot, I spent most of my time in the water, and it was so sad that Si couldn't get in! The water was crystal clear and you could go in up to your waist and still see your feet at the bottom. Truly felt like paradise! Thailand has some of the cheapest shopping in Asia and is known for selling knock of items, like clothes, purses, shoes and bags. They are also known for silk, and I had to take advantage of that and get a silk duvet cover for my bed. I did all my Christmas shopping while I was there, and if you know me, you know I was in Heaven! The beach and bargain shopping, can't get much better than that!

Si had to go to the hospital every day to get his knee cleaned and re-bandaged, but we still had time to relax on the beach, get massages and see things around the island. The most unique things we saw were rock formations called "Grandmother and Grandfather Rock." They were naturally formed and are right next to each other. They almost exactly resemble female and male genetalia...and interesting site to see! There's a myth about these rocks, and that they formed because two lovers died together on this area of the beach.

Every night we went out on the beach. A lot of the hotels and bungalows had bars with tables and seats right on the beach. It was so nice to sit out on the beach and watch fire dancers and meet new people. There is an intersting tradition on the island where you light a huge lantern and let it go up into the air for good luck. There were tons of Thai people selling these lanters, and on our last night there, me and Si let one go up into the air. It was so pretty! While you lay on the beach, there are always people walking around selling things, from jewelry to frisbees and clothes. It was fun to see at first, but got a little annoying to have someone come up to you every 5 minutes tryin to sell things.

We had a layover in Bangkok that was supposed to be 15 hours, but luckily found another flight and were able to change our tickets, with only a one hour layover. There are other islands in Thailand that are supposed to be just as beautiful as Samui and I can't wait to go back! Overall, the trip was amazing and a wonderful experience!