Day 52 - Koh Samui still

We've been here on the island of Koh Samui for 7 days now, and also in the same place, Shady Resort on Mae Nam beach. This has been the most relaxing part of the journey so far. Our days are spent waking up, reading or an early morning jump into the sea, followed by a cheap breakfast to more reading and blogging to lunch to more swimming in the sea to tea time and usually in bed at about 8:30pm when the sun has gone down. It should be boring but its everything we need to recharge the batteries.

Gemma and Alistair from Manchester

A couple of days ago, our friends from the north, Gemma and Alistair came round to Shady Resort and joined us for a few non-alcoholic drinks. Gemma is pregnant so we were never going to have a blast of a night out. Seeing them again was really good and hearing some things from back home. Although as I've only been gone for less than 2 months I'm not expecting much to have changed, and not much had. Then again that feels strange as whenever I'd go on holiday for a week from work it seemed when I returned someone had left, got a new partner, split up, got promoted. Anyway seeing someone from the old life is pretty great.

Also I've met a couple of dogs here at the resort and one looks like the dog I want (english sheepdog /labradoodle type thing) when I get to the states, whom I will call Shindig. This one plays with me and yesterday I walked up to the shops and the ATM and he followed me there and back. Then came back to the bungalow with me. I had no food, but offered him some water but he turned that down and buggered off. I thought he was dissappointed in me, until later in the evening the weather was mild and I had a great moment where I was sat on the beach and reading while the gentle waves just turned over. Then Shindig comes a-running over splashing sand on me, and bringing his mate also. Shindig and his mate seemed to be owned by the resort we are staying and they seem best buddies. The other one has a tight sandy coat and seems to be the fighter amongst the pair of them. A couple of days ago they were playing on the beach with a smaller dog and just like kids the playing got out of hand. I think the fighter wounded the small dog who was yelping frantically. Fighter just walked away, but Shindig hung around to see if the small dog was ok, and waited until someone came to look at him. The small dog was ok. All this is making me very broody for dogs, and my life will be complete when I have my own Shindig with his messy hair smelling of sweat. Annoying Sarah who will be chasing him out the house with a gun.

Fighter and Shindig

Incidentally my reading material just now is Memoirs of a Geisha, which I cannot believe I haven't read before. I love the story and the descriptive nature of Japanese wording. Even though the author is from Chattanooga, TN. Never does our young heroine describe pain or joy without the use of fish, the sea or wind. Very engaging and paints the characters as if you know exactly what late 19th century Japan was like.

We did some brief calculations and Europe was wildly over budget and we probably have another 5 or 6 months travel in us or we will be using reserves. We had a conversation in the sea yesterday to list the things we absolutely cannot go home without seeing and India was firmly on the agenda. Also we have been looking online at a website called Help X and there are volunteer opportunities in Nepal which look amazing. Work in conservation, orphanages, teaching English. As well as an amazing opportunity it would give us free accommodation and the food would be about $5 a day, so we could really stretch this travel out if we did that. Also while I'm totally enjoying this island, the feeling on return that I did something worthwhile and not just take advantage of sunshine and cheap beer and food would give me a sense of accomplishment.

Today is the 25th May, and in three days we are leaving for another island. At 6:30am we are off to Koh Phi Phi on the western coast of Thailand. Famous for nearby Koh Phi Phi Leh where they filmed The Beach. It was also badly effected by the 2004 Tsunami, which I'm sure it has recovered from. I wonder how different it looks from my last visit in 2002. I seem to remember the beaches not being as great there and it mostly being about harbours and rocky sand so I guess the beach here could be the last for a while. This is certainly the nicest beach I've enjoyed. After Koh Phi Phi we have to make our way back to Bangkok for 6th or 7th as we have an early flight to  catch to Hong Kong. Before that we badly need to get a China guidebook as we are going to be hopeless there. I think when we enter China, this is when it really starts and the countries start going up a notch in the exotic scale.

How am I feeling? Very relaxed. The moment I think "am I bored?" I think to myself, when I am working away in an office (now thats boring) either here or the states and I think back to this moment, I will want to know why I didn't squeeze every juice of relaxation from this orange. Therefore, the twinge of guilt that seems to come from westerners when they do nothing, is ignored and repressed for the useless emotion it is. Right now its 8:43am according to my watch. I'm typing this on the porch of our bungalow. I see a blue sea right in front of me and palm trees swaying in a gentle and welcome breeze to my left. My only consideration is whether to have a swim before breakfast or not. And life shouldnt be about bigger decisions than that.