Today was beach day, yippee! And at a civilized hour too! We were at anchor, and instead of using the boat’s tenders, the port had a larger ship for transporting us to shore. We were then transferred to minivans with decor suitable for rock stars. They were comfortable.
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| Ferry |
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| Inside roof of minivan |
It wasn’t until we were in the minivan that we found out the time to the beach was going to be about 45 minutes. I wish they would’ve told us that before we booked the tour because by the time we were transported by tender and then minivan, we used over an hour and a half time of our allotted time of five hours.
Koh Samui is the second largest island in Thailand with the largest being Phuket. This is a beautiful island that is famous for its stunning palm edged sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. There were a lot of small towns that we passed through. The gas stations were right on the curb. There were dozens of massage places all along the route. The island’s name derives from the Malay word for “safe haven.“ Until the early 1970s, this self sufficient community had no roadways; crossing the island required a full day trek across 9 miles of mountainous jungle. Today Koh Samui retains the slower pace of simpler times.
The drop off point was at a McDonald’s! So we walked through an arcade, crossed a commercial street, walked a cobblestone path to the beach. Finally, the beach. It was a nice sandy beach, and there was no quicksand. There was a gentle breeze in the air, and there was no horrible humidity. The water temperature was absolutely perfect but the water was a little bit rough, and there was quite an undertow. I may have to rethink doing the beach excursions because once again, I made a rough exit. My legs just won’t work right. And of course I got the cursed sand down my bathing suit. I didn’t get beat up quite as bad as last time but I did go underwater and my hat was soaking wet.
What are you suppose we had for lunch? Since we were on our own and there was no included lunch on this tour… And McDonald’s was right there… we had just been talking about having some food from home and there it was. Interesting, you order a full combo meal it only comes in one size — large, very large. Neither one of us could finish the fries or the drink. The hamburgers were much better than at home as it tasted like someone actually seasoned them. All in all it was a pleasant day.
We did the return trip. When we got on the ship, we decided to go in the main pool and that lasted about five minutes as it was not refreshing. The pool water water was just like a bathtub. So it was time for showers.
This evening there was a barbecue on the pool deck, and tables and chairs were spread out where chaise lounges normally are. There was a breeze and the air temperature was pleasant.