Koh Samui and Koh Phangan

Through my friend Leelu, I got in touch with some people from London/Ibiza that are currently managing a "wonderful to be" hotel in Koh Samui! Not knowing in which island to go, I decided to opt for it, at least there where some people to meet over there and Christmas was approaching...
And these guys were also organising a boat and a beach private party from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan for the New Years Eve! It seemed perfect really!

So, I went there...service from the airport included! Steven came and picked me up and took me to the hotel! well...a few interesting things: reception not existent, no kitchen functioning, 40 minutes walking from to the beach, but nice swimming pool, nice guys to hang out with, rooms all personalised with (fake) art paintings and really expensive rates to justifying it all!
So, as long as I really enjoyed the 2 days there, it was too expensive for what it had to offer!

First night I met the other guests of the hotel: Jo and Sheniz, two sisters from London...really good fun and nice girls...I'm kind of still hanging around with them as I write! Then I met Steven, Joe and JJ all part of the Ibiza team and Steven, a really nice guy from Manchester, I think!
We all went out for dinner, then we ended up watching "the cable guy" on a super screen with the projector, facing the swimming pool! Not bad!

The day after we went to the Salina beach and staid there all day, talking, swimming, drinking, making new friends and burning the Bon Fire as a good luck wish!

Next to us there was a restaurant with fresh fish laying on ice in a little boat...just calling to be eaten! So, I did! Had 3 big shrimps just barbecued...it was just excellent!

While the mohitos were making their course through the system, a little amazing girl came to us to sell the orchid necklace...you'll see from the pictures, she was so beautiful and so outgoing...she couldn't stay still! A guy said that the parents use to give them the Red Bull (which here is stronger and more concentrated than the one we have in the West) to keep them awake and excited and go around and sell necklaces!
I have to say, it was impossible not to give her money, and absolutely believable what's behind her (almost sensual) movements! :( ...she's 6 years old!

After two days, for Christmas eve we went to the famous Haad Rin beach in Koh Phangan for the Xmas dinner and a kind of trial of the place that the guys were going to party for NYE!

But the Xmas night is worth it another story...so much fun!



The night of Xmas we slept in a random house and we were all carrying the big ruck sacks as we were planning on moving (and stying ) in Koh Phangan for a few days...
I had booked a place in Koh Phangan through the lady from Chang Mai, so Jo, Sheniz, JJ and I moved there as soon as we collected belongings and people :)
We arrived at this resort, out of no where...of course the site showed an amazing place, but it was the worst I've seen since I had been in Thailand...it seemed it was going to fall part anytime...Sheniz made a hole in the wall just holding herself to put her shoe on...cold shower; compulsory Xmas dinner with no drinks included; mosquito nets with holes that fell from the roof after a few minutes in the room; holes in the pavement..or sort of!

We all went for a drink at the bar in the resort...it seemed interesting place at the first sight, then I noticed that there were only men...and many Thai (porn) girls with a few lady-boys! Yes, the phenomenon of lady-boys here is pretty interesting, to say the least! We met a few people from England over there, Barry and company....and I tried to get some learnings out of this phenomenon...I wanted to understand what a straight man finds interesting in a lady-boy, alias a man that looks like a woman but has a penis! Oh men!!!

It was pretty fun...and there was really too much going on..so I went to sleep! I guess a proper trip to Thailand also involves discovering this part of the culture as well as the other! :)

We all moved the day after to Koh Tao, even if I had paid 5 nights there! Not a very clever move :)