Koh Samui: Secret garden! On the Mountain. Secret secret secret garden!

Our second morning on Koh Samui. As far as I know there is nothing better than an early morning breakfast by the beach. And mid-morning found Manda and I sitting in the shade, books in hand. Maybe a little booze too. No judging, we were on vacation!

Suddenly a shadow, blocking our sunlight. Monica had come. Monica, the only person I know who would not be content to lounge on the beach. No Monica insisted that we go find ourselves an adventure. "There must be more to this island than the beach!" she said. As if we needed anything more than the beach...

But Monica would not be swayed. So we put away our beach towels and books, slapped on some more sunscreen, and slipped on our hiking shoes. Turning our backs on the beach we headed inland, up the main drag of Lamai beach in search of a temple or hike.

A mile or two up the drag from our hotel we came upon a sign for Lamai beach view point. A view point? That must mean hiking! We were on that like milk in coffee or some other appropriate metaphor.

Manda on the hike up to the viewpoint

The view point was owned, or at least controlled, by a guest house. They collected an entrance fee from us; it was quite small, around 40 baht. A couple bucks American. I feel like if Monica wasn't desperate for an adventure we wouldn't have paid for a viewpoint. We'd've probably found something free. Unfortunately, she really needed to hike.

Hiking up the trail was markedly different than Khao Sok. No leeches for one. Score. The vegetation was a lot sparser. And the air was significantly drier. In fact, if you ignored the oppressive heat it could have been a hike in the States. Not enough fir trees to be Western Washington, but maybe somewhere in California.

The hike was short but brutal. Probably a mile or two, straight up. The gradient coupled with the temperature meant that we were panting after only a couple minutes. But the view was worth it. On top of a large boulder, with rough footholds cut out, we could see the entire eastern shore of the island and far out to sea.

Now you would expect, since Monica had had her "fun" sweating, we could go back to the beach to have "fun" our way. But no. No, a single hike doesn't do it for Monica. So after a brief break for lunch and a bit more reading in the shade Monica came back with a brochure for the "Secret Garden".

What the Secret Garden actually was, we weren't totally sure. The woman at the front desk told us it was a statue park, the brochure described more of a personal collection of artwork. Whatever it was it was, it was vague enough to be an adventure for Monica. So we piled into a cab and took off into the dry hills of Koh Samui. The change in terrain from the coast to the interior of the island was startling. The coast is everything you would expect from a tropical island: lush green plant life, cool breeze, gulls, etc. But the interior felt more like a desert. Everything was brown and parched. And the heat was pretty extreme.

Overall the cab ride made for a pretty uneventful start to our adventure. Although we did drive thru a durian plantation. The smell was terrible, made all the worse by the extreme dry heat.

But we made it to the Secret Garden with little drama, always nice. What the secret garden actually is, I'm still not sure. It was situated in a little ravine, cut out of rock by a mid-sized stream. There were trees and all sorts of greenery that created a very much enclosed area. It really did feel like a secret garden. Situated all around the ravine were statues. They didn't seem to be in any particular order or set up. There were statues of Buddhist idols, Thai legends, animals, famous people, and wacky modern art-esqe shapes. It was the oddest assortment of carvings I've seen.

Monica had to pose by the scary statue

Clamoring over rocks 

We clamored around the ravine checking out the statues. Posing by them. Hanging out in the shade. Dipping our feet in the stream. All in all it was an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon. And maybe a little bit more memorable than sitting on the beach drinking. But don't tell Monica I said that.

Finally, shade!

Koh Samui: Lazy sunny days.... well day

Koh Samui is a tropical paradise.

View from the bar

We arrived on the island and were greeted by white sand beaches and a balmy breeze. A short Tuk-Tuk ride from the ferry dock to Lamai beach on the west side of the island and we were in our own personal paradise. Paradise in the form of the Samui Beach Resort.

The resort was just a block or two off the main drag along Lamai beach. Comprised of an assortment of buildings, built around a garden area, complete with Buddha statues and a path to the beach. By far the best part of the resort was the ocean-view bar and restaurant. And if for some reason the ocean wasn't enough water for us or we wanted to avoid salty hair, there was also a private pool alongside the bar.

The bar was our first destination after jumping out of our travel clothes and into our bathing suits. The manager/bartender was a German expat who spoke excellent English. Which was great because after that long day of travel, I just wanted a kamikaze.

The rest of that first evening and next day are mostly a blur of sun, ocean, books, and booze on the beach.

Manda and I "exploring"

Mostly I remember the ocean breeze from my shady seat under a beach umbrella.

There was definitely some sun burning of my poor pale Seattle-ite body (even though I applied sun block, I'm not used to the intense Thai sun). Manda tanned like a goddess (typical). Freckles covered Monica, a nod to her Irish heritage.


There was some exploration of some famous landmarks, Hin Ta and Hin Yai, also known as Grandpa and Grandma rocks. So called because they look like genitalia. There were a lot of giggling tourists about on the rocks above the water. Instead of approaching from land like mortals, we took a scenic sea route. I.e. we swam up to the base of the rocks and then scrambled up them in our swimsuits. It's much more fun that way!

Monica, "sea kayaking is relaxing!"

There was even sea kayaking. At least a little. Manda and I gave that up pretty fast; preferring the shade near the bar. But Monica kept at it until she had a blister. Crazy girl, this was supposed to be relaxing!

But there was a lot of relaxation.

All in all, Lamai beach is the perfect beach to just sit with a good book and relax. Beautiful sunrises, clear blue water, nice breeze, alcohol within a couple meters.

....Not that we got to enjoy any of those things for more than 24 hours. No.

No, by 10am the second day we were up in the dry hills in the middle of the island (where there is no breeze), surrounded by smelly Durian fruits and other sweaty tourists. All because Monica cannot be bothered to sit on the beach and relax for more than a day.

But such an epic story deserves its own post.

Travel day: From Monsoon to Tropical Paradise

Poor Manda needs head rubs

It turns out drinking too much Thailand river water will make you sick. Really, drinking any kind of water in Thailand, that isn't bottled, will make you sick. That's what Manda found out the hard way. Monica and I were woken to the sounds of Manda making friends with our toilet either very late at night or very early in the morning. She attributed her ills to the massive amounts of nasty, brown river water she swallowed yesterday when tubing. (She's much too experienced a traveler to drink Thai water out of the tap)

So our second full day in Khao Sok didn't start out all that great. On top of Manda's tummy problems the heavens decided to open up. And a couple of hours after being woken up by Manda we were woken by the sound of heavy rain. Really heavy rain.

There is probably something that should be understood about Manda, Monica and I. We are from Seattle. Which is known throughout the States (maybe throughout the world) as a rain-soaked city. But what people don't understand sometimes is that Seattle rain isn't like other rain. Seattle rain is often a mist that seems to fall slowly from the sky. Sometimes it seems to be a never ending drizzle. Seattle rain starts in October and ends in May. It makes everything damp, but it doesn't often pour and it very rarely floods.

Rain! So much rain!

This Thai rain was not like rain I'd ever experience. This rain poured. It came down so heavily that just the short walk from our hut to the main lounge soaked me to the bone. And I was wearing a "waterproof" jacket. Waterproof for Seattle maybe. Thanks a lot REI.

The combination of the rain and Manda in the fetal position led Monica and I to decide against further hiking. It seemed unfair to just leave Manda in the hut while we went out and battled nature without her. Also flash flooding is a big problem this time of year and the tons of water falling from the sky made me think that maybe there was a reason for the warnings.

So instead I had a quick chat with Spider Woman about transport to Koh Samui, our next destination. Monica settled our bill. And we packed all our stuff up once again for a painfully long travel day.

Koh Samui is an island off the east coast of Thailand. It has everything you would think of when imagining a Thai beach: white sands, aqua blue surf, mind blowing sunrises. Otherwise known as tropical paradise, especially to three backpackers who have spend the last few days in a rain soaked jungle battling leeches.

But in order to get there we had to (metaphorically) run the gantlet of Thai transportation. We booked a "travel package" through our friend Spider Women. The package included transport from Khao Sok to Surat Thani, where we caught a ferry (also paid for) to Koh Samui. I felt like we may have been slightly ripped off. I'm pretty sure they jacked up the price at least 300 baht (~$9) per person from what we would have paid if we traveled on our own and booked everything independently. Under different circumstances we would have passed on a package deal. But with a sick Manda we didn't want to try to figure it out ourselves, and take the chance of messing up terribly and ending up stuck somewhere less than comfortable.

The travel was relatively drama free, aside from taking about 10 hours. From our Jungle Huts we were packed into a "Mini Bus", which is a sort of cross between a taxi and a bus. It has about 12 seats with proper belts and leg room, but they managed to squeeze a fair 18 people in. Monica, Manda and I were lucky enough to get first, so we all got proper seat belts and room for our knees. Can't say the same for the German tourists that got in at the next guest house over. They sat on little, really little, fold out seats that wouldn't have fit half my butt. The Mini Bus ride took us to a stop over location with over priced food. I have no idea where the stop over location was. Some very small, rural town. From there we waited about an hour to board a larger Gray Hound-esq bus which took us to the ferry.    

First look at Koh Samui

The travel between Khao Sok and the ferry is a bit blurry now. I spend I good deal of time rubbing Manda's head while she drooled on my shirt. And some time napping (probably drooling on Monica or the German dude). And worrying that I left my passport in our Jungle Hut (turns out it was in my bag). And dreaming about the drinks I'd order while sitting on the beach.

By the time we got to the ferry our spirits were looking up. The sun was out and we could see the islands of Koh Samui and Koh Tao in the distance. And all that separated us from the island paradise was one ferry ride.

Khao Sok: Brown-water tubing

Excellent views all around

You know what is an excellent cure for post-hike and leech-battle sweaty-ness?

Floating down a river for a couple miles in a giant inner-tube, for less than $5 American. Everyone can get behind that!

Monica relaxing for once

After our leech filled hike in Khao Sok we traded our sweaty hiking gear for swim suits and jumped into the Phum Duang river that passed by our guest house. The tubing was scheduled thru our hosts at the Jungle Huts (I assume they get a cut of the price we pay). We met our guide at a little hut filled to the brim with giant black and blue tubes, covered in white writing. And then it was just a matter of slipping down the river bank and jumping in.

Starting out the river was quite shallow. I could wade out to the center and my shoulders were still above water. But the water was almost completely opaque so it was hard to gauge depth once we were sitting in our tubes.

That river was unlike any I've seen in Washington. Those rivers run almost directly from the Cascade Mountains into the Sound; they are cold and clear and not something to tube on. This river was slow moving, warm, and full of suspended sediment.

Our stack of tubes

I imagine there is quite a lot of life living in water as well. I tried not to think about it, as we floated down. If nothing bit me I'd walk away happy.

Turns out I didn't need to worry. We didn't see any creatures. Just a lot of limestone cliffs, lush jungle, and low hanging branches.The views were breathtaking.

Monica, my savoir!

Our appreciation of the views was only punctuated by our guide trying to tip us out of our tubes. He'd float behind us, slip off his tube, swim underneath ours, and push us, face first, into the river. In thoery that would have been fine. I can swim, the water wasn't cold, but I wasn't about to start drinking it and being tossed face first, with no warning, tends to cause some unexpected inhalation. I managed to avoid being dunked, but Manda and Monica weren't so lucky.

We floated for a fair few miles. The river was relatively calm, punctuated by short stretches of "rapids". Rapids, consisting of turns where the water was slightly choppier than smooth. There wasn't any white water.

When we reached the end of the tubing adventure, we waiting for a truck to pick us up for the ride back to the Jungle Huts. We swam about in the river by the bank. The current in that location was quite strong, maybe it always was. There were a fair few splash fights and piggy back rides and probably quite of bit of water swallowed.

It was an excellent end to a outdoor adventure day. On the docket for tomorrow is more hiking. Yay leeches!

Khao Sok: Monkeys, Lizards, and Leeches...Oh My!!!

I am beginning to see a trend in this trip: any aliment (from jet lag to slight food poisoning) can be cured with enough sleep. Monica and I got over the last bit of our disagreement with Fon-Fon food with 12 hours of sleep. And we woke bright and early for our first Khao Sok adventure.

But before we could run off to do some trekking in the jungle we had to fuel up. We dropped by the main lounge area for some breakfast. One thing I have learned about Thailand is that their idea of coffee does not match up with my idea of coffee. Admittedly they probably could not have found someone with a higher bar. "Coffee" here is generally Nescafe with a powdered creamer. Not exactly your Holler Mountain blend from the neighborhood Irwin's. But early morning caffeine is caffeine and to keep up with Monica I was going to need to drink up.

Manda and I on the road to the park

Our hostess, "spider-woman" caught up with us before we left for the hike. She had some valuable vocational advice, involving leeches. Of which there are many. She suggested we wear shorts, so we can catch the buggers before they get onto our bare legs. She told us that leeches like to climb up the inside of pants and bite people high up on the thigh. Yuck! We took her excellent advice and put on shorts (not to mention is was going to be hot and very humid, pants would have led to death). I also took the liberty of wearing a pair of Jon's hiking socks, hiked all the way up. Which made me look ridiculous, but I hoped would protect my bare legs from the leeches.

The park was a leisurely 20 minute walk from the Jungle Huts. It was early enough that the mountains still had fog around their peaks. It gave the whole area a misty, mysterious feel as we meandered towards our goal. Not to mention we weren't boiling. Which was nice.

Once we arrived at the park entrance and paid the entrance fee, 200 baht (which translates to less than $7). There were several trail heads to choose from. Unfortunately, due to the season, only some of the trails were open. In the rainy season there is a high chance of flash flooding on certain routes. None of the open trails were all that long, 6k at the most.

Spider-woman had suggested a set of trails leading to a waterfall. She told us that the waterfall trail was much wider and drier than the others, so we'd be less likely to get leeched.

Mandatory leech check

But being the Washingtonian's that we are, we didn't listen to her advice. We thought, "Nah, we got this. We hike all the time." And we took a trail headed to a lookout point instead. I believe the reasoning was that we could check out her trail suggestion once we finished the lookout path. The trail was wet and overgrown and full of vegetation. The plants seemed to create a tunnel to walk thru. The air was heavy and damp. And everywhere was the sound of dripping water and buzzing of insects. It was very unlike any place I'd ever hiked before. Washington has pretty dense flora but this place was lush to the extreme.

About 2 minutes in the fun really started. I can't remember who looked down first, but soon the air was full of the sounds of girly screams. Well maybe not screams, but but definitely some choice words I won't be repeating here. There were leeches. And they were everywhere. The nasty little buggers could feel the vibrations of us walking. They would rear up and latch on to our shoes. And then climb up onto our legs with surprising speed. I was immediately glad I was wearing the stupid looking socks. At least until I realized they could bite right thru the fabric.

From then on the hike to the view point became less of a hike and more of a battle. Every 100 yards (maybe less), we would stop to knock all the leeches off our shoes and socks. I caught one on the back of Manda's bare calf, knocking it off before it actually bit her. I lost count after something like 30 leeches knocked off me. I admit, I spent more time watching the ground for leeches and less looking at the surroundings. All I recall from that hike was a mad dash to the next patch of clear ground. It was fun, in a sort of sad way. We didn't really get to enjoy any of the normal hiking delights, but we did do battle with nature, in a way.

Our dashing came to an end with a washed out bridge a couple miles in. We were forced to go back the way we came, dodging leeches all the way. Once we were back at the trail head we ripped off our shoes and socks in an attempt to make sure we were leech free. I caught one crawling along the hair line on the back of Monica's neck. That induced some panic. Apparently they drop out of trees, according to Manda (she failed to share that earlier, probably for the greater good).

Lizard, spotted just off the trail

Turns out Spider-woman was right. The trail she suggested was at least twice as wide as our original choice. There was less vegetation overhang and more breaks in the dense trees, with view out to the mountains that surrounded the park.

We hadn't even gone a miles before we encountered a giant lizard crossing the path. It was at least a meter long, it's tail making up at least half of it's length. It didn't take any notice of us, just continued on it's way.

We continued on, taking much fewer leech check breaks. The drier ground seemed to nearly leech free. For the most part the trail led deeper into the jungle. There wasn't a strong incline and no switchbacks to speak of, which was a change from hiking in Washington. As we walked I kept thinking, "This area seems so flat, where is the waterfall going to come in?"

Turns out "waterfall" is a relative term. After hiking in the Cascades I feel waterfalls have been ruined for me. When we got to the waterfall it was more of a "water-step". The river was probably 7 meters across, but the drop was maybe a meter at most. It was still beautiful, surrounded by all the jungle and hanging vines. Just not awe inspiring.

Manda poses by the "waterfall"

 Monica and I by the "waterfall"

Once we had soaked in enough of the waterfall we headed back down the trail. We passed a couple with a guide heading up the trail. They were stopped in the middle of the trail staring out into what appeared to be an empty group of trees. When we took a closer look there were a group of monkeys hanging out in the upper branches.

View of the limestone cliffs

We may have flipped out a bit, we hadn't seen any monkeys yet. And monkeys are pretty cute. But before we really got a chance to take any excellent pictures the guide from the other hiking group threw a rock at the tree to scare them off. When we made sad noises he just shrugged and said, "No monkey. Monkey bite." So our first encounter with monkeys passed with photographic evidence.

Our hiking adventure started with mist and leeches, and ended with monkeys and fantastic views of the surrounding cliff. By the time we had made our way back down to the trail head the oppressive sun had melted away all the mist. The cliffs surrounding the entrance to the park were completely visible. And while they were beautiful, I think I'd take Washington hiking over Thailand hiking any day. No leeches in Washington.

For another account of our leech adventure check out Monica's blog: The Blue Horse

Travel day: Fon-Fon isn't good people

This Monday was not kind to anyone. The lovely restaurant Sue and Jon took us to last night (Fon-Fon) did not agree with our weak american stomachs. Both Monica and I were awoken in the night by gastric distress. Consequently we spent the whole morning either laying in the fetal position on the bed or hunched over the toilet (lovely I know). And poor Manda had to deal with us. By us I mean me, because Monica is way tougher than I am when it comes to illness. Regardless, Manda was very kind. Running out to the store, before her morning coffee, to buy us ginger ale and crackers. Helping pack the rest of our things. Providing water and back rubs. Etc.

I can't decide whether or not the stomach issues were a curse or blessing. On one hand, we were bound to get sick at some point early in the trip. You don't eat that much MSG and spicy seasonings without feeling a little ill. And we won't be wasting a day that could otherwise be spent adventuring, since we are traveling today. On the other hand, feeling ill and traveling around rural Thailand on a bus for the first time is enough to make me slightly less than happy without adding sickness on top of that. 

So for better or worse we packed our things, said goodbye to Sue and Jon, and jumped on a bus headed for Khao Sok National park. 

Our travel itinerary for the day involved cab to bus station, bus ride to the entrance to Khao Sok, and a ride in the back of a truck to our guest house. The bus was one of those tall buses that tourists ride around on in the states. It also reminded me of the buses Monica and I spent a lot of time on in Ireland. Two seats on either side of the aisle, aircon that either didn't work or made you feel like you were sitting in your own personal Antarctica, baggage stored underneath the passenger area, and the ugliest damn upholstery I've ever seen. I wonder how they pick out the upholstery and for what purpose? To hide the grime of the hordes of travelers sitting on them I guess.

View of Khao Sok from the bus

The bus ride was mostly uneventful. I honestly don't think I was conscious for most of the ride. But in between awkward bouts of naps and games of scrabble on Manda's kindle I noticed we drove past a lot of beautiful scenery. Once we got off Phuket island we drove through mostly rural Thai countryside. Occasionally stopping to pick up a person on the side of the rode. How the driver knew to pick them up, I'm not sure. There certainly weren't marked bus stops.

As we got closer to Khao Sok the emptier the countryside seemed to become, the steeper the roads, and the crazier the bus driving became. We whipped around corners of cliff roads at speeds I wouldn't have dared in a car. I first I thought that my sickness induced haze was coloring my judgment but Manda was clutching the side of her seat with white knuckles, so I don't think I was too off base.

We arrived in Khao Sok after 6 hours of travel. The main road, a snake-like two-lane road was intersected by a single lane paved road. There was a small sign declaring the entrance to the National Park to be several kilometers down road. The bus stopped, dropped us and our baggage, and sped away. Waiting at the beginning of this road were a congregation of guest house owners with pictures of their digs. As soon as we stepped off the bus they were in our faces. "You have place to stay?" "My place is best!" "Air-conditioning!!!"  Being sick and hazy, I sort of just stared into the distance. Monica glared at anyone who got too close. Manda ignored all but the guy in the pink hat holding the sign for the "Jungle Huts". Apparently she had called earlier in the day and was told to look for him. Clever girl.

The Jungle Huts, view from out hut

We jumped into the back of a pickup truck, whose bed had padded benches in the back, for a ride down the road to our first guest house. The road approaching the Khao Sok entrance was full of guest houses (all had a jungle theme of some sort), tour companies (all seemed to offer similar tour packages), restaurants and mini marts. It should have felt touristy, but it had a sort of sleepy, rural ambiance. Or maybe I was still out of it.

The Jungle Huts was a compound off the main road a few hundred yards down a dirt road. They were centered around a raised main lounge area, which held the restaurant. From the main lounge a walkway lead to a series of hexagonal huts, which were raised off the ground on a series of wooden poles. A variety of local plants grew up along the walkway. The whole compound was surrounded by trees and beyond the limestone cliffs Khao Sok seem to stretch on in every direction. It gave the whole place a really wonderfully secluded feel.

Monica is checking out the digs

The huts were very simple, a single room with attached bathroom. Ours had a single and double bed right in the middle of the room. Mosquito nets hung above, tied off for the day. The bathroom was odd, the shower was a spray nozzle, that could be detached from the wall and held. There was no separate shower stall, the floor was slightly tilted towards a drain. So when you showered you had to be careful not to spray the whole bathroom and get the toilet paper wet. A lesson I learned the hard way. 

Once we were somewhat settled and showered we trouped over to the restaurant. We were greeted by our host, a very nice woman who told us to called her "Spider Lady". Since Monica and I were still feeling somewhat under the weather (although much better than we did in the morning) we decided not to hike right away. The guest house offered a selection of tour and hiking packages. We decided to try our hand at hiking without a guide but we did book a river tubing adventure for the next afternoon.

Phuket: Sunday, Funday

What’s the best way to start a Sunday? Sleeping for 14 hours. Turns out it is also an excellent remedy for jetlag. Which is a good thing because out schedule was very full.

First on our docket was Sunday brunch with the Hackings. Manda explained the usual Hacking schedule involves working on Ocelot six days a week; Sunday is their boat-free day. But on Sundays they have brunch and end up talking about the boat anyways. Since Monica and I are de facto members of the Hacking clan now, we joined in the brunch.

The brunch place was a ten minute walk from Manda’s apartment. We got to stroll down what I assume is Chalong’s main drag. It was early enough that the sun and humidity weren't so oppressive that Monica and I were running for aircon. So we got an opportunity to check out life in Chalong.  Even at 9 am on a Sunday is was full of little cars, trucks full of smelly fruits and chickens, not to mention scooters. Scooters everywhere! Shops are already open. To my surprise they aren't tourist related at all. Before coming here I imagined all of Phuket Island to be like the postcards: sun, sand, booze and a lot of tourists. It is one of the best known tourist destinations in Thailand! Turns out most of the "touristy" life is in Phuket town, not Chalong, and it's also the off season.

Brunch was surprisingly american. The restaurant served combos named after different countries. I imagine they just picked well known countries because the food didn't feature any specific regional dishes. For example, I had the Swiss combo. It was hash-browns with ham and bacon, which I'm pretty sure isn't a Swiss specialty. They did get the american combo right though. It was the biggest, offering twice as much food as any of the other options. The food was excellent, but the coffee didn't come in a big enough size. It was like drinking out of a thimble. 

The view over the bay and Chalong

Once we stuffed ourselves we piled into the rental car and headed for the Phuket Island aquarium.  We passed some excellent views on the way. The best was the view over the bay, which the Big Buddha barely visible on the far hill. Now the aquarium, all I have to say about it is, if you want to see a real aquarium go to the Seattle aquarium. The only exhibit that I thought was interesting was the one with sea turtles because I've never actually seen a sea turtle before. Then I realized they were swimming in a tiny glass cube, which is the zoo equivalent of a bare concrete exhibit. Back to being disillusioned. 

Manda and I on the bow of the R/V Chakratong Tongyai

But it wasn't a total bust! Because the aquarium has a research vessel. The R/V Chakratong Tongyai. Manda and I, being Oceanography majors, went a little batty when we learned that we could get on for free and check it out. The ship was fair sized, at least 30 meters long. There was a very clean chemistry lab, which hadn't been used in a while. No sign of any type of geological equipment, but they most likely packed that away when they're not out. Overall I was pretty impressed with the ship and her layout. It wasn't what I would have expected for a third world research vessel. I've heard some pretty interesting stories about research equipment from Africa.

Probably wasn't actually allowed up there...

There was no one about when we got out on the main deck. So I took a climb up the mast for fun. Manda did not approve, she's such a stickler for rules. But Sue was all for it, she even took some very nice pictures of me. Once I climbed above the main body of the ship it got very windy, very fast. The wind felt lovely because by this point is was getting pretty hot out. At least the sea breeze kept the humidity at bay.
             
Manda and I were eventually forced to leave the ship.

Taking our Sunday in a completely different direction, Sue and Jon decided to use the rental car for a much needed grocery trip. Apparently they were running very low on chips ("our daily sodium intake" says Jon) and soda pop ("for the workers" Sue says). But since Monica and I were with them, they decided to give us a little culture shock. Instead of going to the local Tesla Lotus grocery store for these items we went to SUPER CHEAP, the local mega-mart type place. And it ended up being an adventure.

Manda, in the middle of SUPER CHEAP

SUPER CHEAP is indeed a grocery store. And a hardware store. And a clothing store. Electronics store. Toy store. Pet store. Really an everything you could possibly think of store. It reminded me of a cross between a Costco and Uwajimaya, except with more chaos. The store is actually a giant warehouse and definitely not air conditioned. As far as I can tell they sell anything you could think of; groceries, animal food, plastic containers, electronics, clothing, designer knockoffs, toys. But this place wasn't like your average Costco warehouse. The aisles crossed and intersected each other randomly. There was no order or numbering. I imagine the birds eye view looked like one of those mazes you find in a newspaper. The products weren't stocked with any order either. On our quest to find chips we passed a cookie aisle, followed by a lot of plastic containers, followed by dog toys and then we ran right into chips. Maybe it's an alphabetical system, but since it's in Thai I can't follow it.

Once we found the chips Sue took us to the produce section. It was full of fruits and vegetables I've never seen before. The smell was terrible. Apparently it comes a very specific fruit called the durian, a spiky brown fruit. It smelled like cat pee but somehow stronger. It was really terrible. She, of course, found our reactions hilarious. That's why she brought us to produce in the first place. 

Once the Hackings had procured their chips and soda pop we headed back to the apartment to pack up our stuff. Tomorrow we get on a bus and head for Khao Sok National Park for some hiking adventures of the outdoorsy sort.