Weekend in Koh Samui

I spent this last Thursday through Sunday in Koh Samui, Thailand which is probably one of the most awesome places I've ever been to. The weather is perfect (warm but not humid), the people are way friendlier than people in HK, everything is cheap as hell, and the island itself is just beautiful with all the beaches and jungle scenery.

We got there on Thursday and checked into our hotel. Unfortunately I didn't realize I left my debit card in an ATM at the airport but luckily I pulled out enough money to tide me over at least for a little bit. Anyways, we made it the hotel where we met Mhee; bellboy, room service attendee, and our all-around go to guy. We ordered some drinks to our room and got ready to go out for the night. The hotel got us some cabs and this is where things got interesting cause a lot of people in Thailand use personal cars as cabs. That being said one of the cars was a basic Toyota while the other was a Lancer with an underglo kit and rims. Likely one of the most badass taxis I've ever seen. Using our street race convoy we got to Chaweng Beach which is the big party/shopping area of the island. We hit a couple bars before getting to The Green Mango Club which is the most popular club on the island. Andres was in Heaven as they had a dance floor dedicated solely to house music. I was in Heaven cause beers were only 100 baht (roughly $3), I did end up feeling the back end of such a bargain later that night though...we'll leave it at that.

Friday we hung out at the beach at Chaweng again where I got to lay out, swim, and snorkel. The water itself was the perfect temperature and there were so many hot women there. Yes, I'll admit that sounds juvenile but unless you've been to Chaweng in the summer your opinion does not count in this matter. Anyways, after grabbing a bite to eat at a beachside restaurant we made it back to the hotel where we relaxed a little bit before heading to the Muay Thai fights. Note, these fights are advertised EVERYWHERE from flyers and posters to a truck that drives around blaring a recorded message about the fight. The fights themselves were awesome. It's been a longtime dream of mine to watch a live Muay Thai fight in Thailand so I understandably had a great time. Out of 7 fights there were like 3 or 4 knockouts so needless to say there was a good amount of action. After the fights we walked around the bar area outside which, incidentally, also happened to be like ho-central. Being that I looked like a local I didn't get hassled much but Rob and Andres got basically assaulted. I'm not getting into specific maneuvers but I will say that Thai hos are not shy at all when it comes to their hustle. We ended up back in Green Mango again that night and eventually called it a night relatively early since we had a tour scheduled the next day. Highlights of the night: Andres yelling at Thai cashier for screaming at him to shut up and Rob throwing his trash on the Buddha offering table...fucking Gwai Lo.

Saturday was our last full day there. We booked a "7 in 1 Tour" for ourselves that consisted of: an elephant show, a monkey show, a Thai boxing exhibition (which was lame considering we went to actual fights the night before), elephant trekking, a "Jeep Safari" (which actually only meant we drove in a jeep), a waterfall trip which was pretty fun, and a short kayaking trip. Afterward we had them drop us at (take a guess) Chaweng cause there was supposed to be a big beach party going down. We got a bite to eat first and unfortunately it started raining right after that so the beach party was a dud. We did some shopping around, practicing our haggling skills the whole time, and got a nice dinner at a restaurant. We hit up this beach bar later that night but the shitty thing was that no one was serving alcohol because of some elections the next day. How drinking and elections are mutually exclusive is beyond me and everyone else I have asked about it. We did manage to get some mixed drinks going from the bartender, however, and ended the night with some hookah and beachside drinking. Andres almost got himself a less-than-attractive local girlfriend who was not averse to expressing her interest in the little Latino stud.

The flight on Sunday was a rough one to wake up for but luckily we made it the airport with time to spare. Nothing really eventful to note on that day.

I know I've said this a lot but Thailand really did impress me. Not only for its scenery but also for the people there. Most of the houses we saw were run down sheds that most people would never imagine living in and the locals got around mostly on cheaply made mopeds. Despite all that they were some of the most upbeat, polite, and happy people I've met in my life. Call it homo but the trip really gave me an appreciation for the fact that the simple things in life are really what counts. This is not to say that I have given up on my life goal of being driven around in a Rolls Royce Phantom to my private Boeing. I just mean that once in awhile, if not as much as possible, one should slow down, breathe, and take in life. I for one was a broke-ass college student without a debit card but I think I could honestly say I would have had as much fun there if I was Bill Gates or Warren Buffett. All I needed was a beach, a beer, and good company and I was absolutely loving life. Of course a little Bob Marley couldn't hurt either but as I am iPod-less for the time being I would just have to settle for that.

If you have not ever made it to Thailand (and specifically Koh Samui) or do not plan on ever going there I highly recommend you put it on your to do list. And if you do ever make it there ask for Mhee.