The boat from Ko Pha Ngan to Ko Samui was only an hour, but it was a painful hour. All the travellers were pushed onto the bottom deck of the boat, where the windows were closed and the air conditioning was non-existent. We anxiously got off the boat at Ko Samui and decided to head to the beach of Chaweng, which is the most popular beach on the island. Ko Samui is the largest southern island of Thailand and one of the biggest islands in the country. Unlike Ko Pha Ngan, Ko Samui is highly developed, with Starbucks, McDonalds and Pizza Hut, just to name a few of the well known chains. We found a resort (yes, this time it was a REAL resort) and tried to find a room that was within our budget. After some negotiations, we managed to find a place for 900 Baht, including breakfast (about $35), which is pretty expensive for backpackers..

Once we settle in, we went for a walk down the main steet on the island and grabbed a bite to eat. It started to rain, so we decided to head back to the room and relax. Afterwards we went for our first massage in Thailand. Jen got a body massage and Dan got a Thai massage (each cost $8 for one hour). The massage is not like what you get at home. These tiny women pull your arms and legs to the point where you think they might snap. It is painful while they are doing it, but afterwards you feel great. After a simple Thai dinner, we walked along the beach. It was then that we understood why so many people came to this beach. The beach was a few km long and had fine sand. Also they had built a barrier 200 feet out in the ocean, which prevented the big waves and big fish from coming in.

The next day we had breakfast and decided to sit on the beach. This turned out to be a very annoying experience. Every 5 seconds someone would come up to you and try to sell you something (ice cream, clothes, beer, etc). At first we would look up from our book and politely tell them no. After a while, we just ignored them. Apparently, once you make eye contact, they hound you like a dog so it is best to keep your head down and pretend you do not hear. That night we went to an amazing Thai restaurant that had a free show of classic Thai dancing. The food was excellent and the show was entertaining. The dancing is done by women in elaborate costumes. The movements are coordinated, but the action is very slow and slightly boring. The most interesting part was the instruments used by the musicians since they were different than what we are used to.

The next day, Dan wasn't feeling great, so he decided to sleep in while Jen went to the pool and then for her second massage of the trip. This one was done at the resort, with a view of the water. That night we took it easy- eat some Italian food and went to bed. The next day Dan was feeling much better and we decided to rent a motorbike. They rent these bikes all over the island and you can see almost as many tourists on these things as locals. For the price of $6, we got a bike for 24 hours (starting at lunch). When the rental lady asked Dan if he could ride, he tried to give a front that he knew what he was doing, but after 2 seconds on the bike, it was clear that Dan didn't have a clue. This did not bother the lady one bit. She gave a couple of pointers, and off we went. We drove to see the big Buddha on the hill, which also gave us a great view of the island.

Afterwards, we drove for an hour south to a waterfall. Here we went for a hike and a difficult climb to the waterfall, but it was loads of fun. By the time we left, it was getting dark, so we drove back to our beach. That night was went for a drink on the beach. Each night, our resort puts out mats and plays soft music on the beack. We sat back with a few beers and watched the tide come in. What a great way to end the day.

The next day we took the motorbike and went out to see a mummified munk. Actually it turned out that this monk was not mummified at all. He had died 30 years ago, and for some unkown reason the body had not really decomposed. He sat erect in a glass case with nothing to preserve him. Afterwards we went to visit Lamai beach, the second most popular beach on the island. The beach was nice, but not as nice as Chawang. Afterwards we returned to our place, dropped off the bike and walked around again. Later Jen got her 3rd massage of the trip, while Dan did internet. We ended the night going to a drag queen show. Apparently they are very popular on the island and the place was packed with tourists. The show was acutally pretty good- the costumes were elaborate and the dancing was well correorgraphed. Luckily the friendly "women" were only interested in money and they went away happily after we bought a few drinks. The next day we left for Bangkok. We had enjoyed Ko Samui, but we were ready t oget on with the travelling. We were anxious to head up to Chiang Mai, which was our next destination.