Around the Island of Koh Samui

Day 15 – June 28, 2016

Tuesday

Cho picked us up around 8am for a full day trip around the island of Koh Samui. Our first stop was at Na Muang waterfalls where we jumped and splashed and played in the pools below the waterfalls for a few hours. Nothing makes my kids happier than water. It makes the longest hikes enjoyable and takes all of the fighting away instantly. That’s why I love the beach, rivers, streams, waterfalls and swimming pools! It’s practically a cure-all. ;)

Next stop was Chaweng Beach where we found a little Aquapark out in the water. It was 300 baht per person (around $10) and it ended up being a ton of fun. Isaac sat on the water pillow below the 18 foot drop while Calvin jumped off and launched him nearly 20 feet in the air. It was crazy! Everyone on the beach was talking about it. It was the highest anyone had gone by far the whole time we were there.

All in all Koh Samui is no Hawaii but it is a beautiful island. There are a few frustrating things. Like all of the garbage. It’s sad to see such natural beauty and so much garbage strewn around. I think if you stay in the “resorts” it’s the sanitized version of Koh Samui, where you stay 1^st world and are surrounded by 1^st world and pampered like 1^st world and just visit 3^rd world here and there for the day. But we don’t stay in resorts. It’s just too expensive. So we stay 2^nd world and visit 3^rd world. Or we stay 2^nd world and are surrounded by 3^rd world. And I don’t mind that most of the time. It feels a little more authentic. Still not living like a local, but a little more immersed. It’s kind of crazy because I see so many people working so hard, like the villagers in the Hill tribes out in the blazing hot sun working all day long in the rice fields. And beautiful temples that must require talent and craftsmanship and hard work to build. Little home businesses and restaurants everywhere with people working all hours of the day and night. Home gardens and chickens and a lot of self-sufficiency with people living off the land. But then there is trash tossed everywhere, dilapidated buildings and run-down everything, you can’t drink the water and there is never soap anywhere. I don’t want to sound harsh because there are so many things I take for granted at home, like a government that does provide a lot of basic necessities that make my life clean and hygienic and safe. Things that I don’t even have to think about and that take none of my time each day. I can throw my clothes into a washing machine and dryer and they magically come out clean. No hand washing or line drying. I can drink clean water straight from my tap, I only need to buy bottled water for convenience, not necessity. And I have a garbage service that comes to my house and takes all of my garbage to a dump that is far away from where I live and I never see. We produce way more garbage than the average Thai person, I’m sure, but we just put it somewhere that we can’t see it. We have strict building codes and safety and emissions checks and food-handlers permits. All of those annoying “taxes” that we pay do actually provide a comfortable way of life that I often take for granted. And I’m sure Thai people pay a lot in taxes too and earn a much lower wage and it’s difficult to find high paying work, or even work in general. It just makes me grateful for our country and want to take better care of my own stuff/house/business/area and make it beautiful and it also makes me yearn to help others in more effective ways rather than just bringing my tourist money. I hope I don’t sound harsh by saying these things. Just trying to be honest.

Jeff is still not feeling well. Poor guy!

We love elephants!

This little baby elephant was so adorable!

Our off road ride up to the waterfall trail.

These two followed me up to the top waterfall and then climbed half way up to get their picture. 

Just ignoring the caution signs altogether.

This homemade coconut ice cream was amazing. The coconuts on Koh Samui are famous for being so sweet. They don't even add sugar to make the ice cream! Just coconut, ice and cream.

Wifi on the deck. The perfect spot to catch up at the end of the day.