After four days in Ko Samet, I came back to the relatively cheaper prices at Banglamphu. I tried to book a night at the Woraburi Hotel and Resort at Sukhumvit again, but they were booked full. Instead, I checked in at the Sawasdee Khaosan Inn with air-con, tv, ensuite.
I've done some shopping at Chatachuk Weekend Market and visited Siam Center. I head back to Taiwan in a couple days!
Every night they had firedancing at Ko Samet. I wasn't able to post an example of this last spring when I was in Ko Phangan. Enjoy.
Emily saw a strange light in the sky and wondered aloud what it was. I dismissed it as an aircraft until she pointed out that it didn't have a red light. All along the beach vendors were selling candle balloons for tourist to release. I found them fascinating to watch. Eventually the candle burns itself out several hundred feet high in the sky.
I never tried this the last time I was in Thailand, although someone tried to order it a few times and got chopped up intestines instead. I'm not saying who. Anyways, I tried it this time as it did not have aforementioned intestines, nor liver. The Thais definitely change their cooking habits to suit tourists as my papaya salad didn't have fish paste either.
Anyways, larb is great. It's a mince meat salad essentially, minus the salad.
I spent everyday at Ao Tubtim, which was two beaches south of Ao Phai. It had nice shady areas and a bunch of puppies! The east coast of Ko Samet has many small coves with excellent beach sand and natural protection from big waves.
These curious puppies came over whenever I had bought food from the vendors on the beach. They can make fresh papaya salad and larb for you!
Papaya salad (with fresh prawns, not dried shrimps), chicken kebab, and prawns with garlic and pepper. Oh, and of course a banana shake!
I ate here the first night at Jep's in Ao Phai. The food in Thailand is awesome! I forgot how good it was the last time I was here, and I should have taken more photos of the meals, so this time I am correcting that mistake.
Mats and Thai cushions were set up around low candle-lit tables for beach dining all over Ko Samet. The bus and boat ride only cost 200 BHT from Sawasdee Smile Inn (it cost 250 - 300 BHT elsewhere). I was able to walk to town and to the less crowded beach of Ao Phai two kilometers from the port. A lot of the places were full, but I got bungalow with bathroom (no hot water) for 600 BHT/night -- a little expensive ($15/night). Ko Samet is not a backpacker's island, but more of a weekend resort for wealthier Thais, although there were more farangs here than I expected. The food was fantastic, though, and the beach was better than others I had seen in Thailand.
I had dinner here (Popiang restaurant) twice! Once, before going to Ko Samet and again, when I returned. You can get a red snapper for 100 BHT (about $2.50) and a plate of mussels for 50 BHT.
These quiet streets are only behind a Buddhist temple across the street from Khao San Road.
In Bangkok for day, I stayed here in Banglamphu. When I arrived at midnight, almost all the places were full! Fortunately, I was able to get a closet with a bed in it and fan and tv for a mere 300 BHT. I organized a bus and boat ride to Ko Samet, an island 30 minutes from the mainland at Ban Phe, which is about 190 km from Bangkok. Back to warm weather and shorts!
Another decompensation, this time on the flight from Taiwan to Bangkok. It was cold in Taiwan, deserving the thermal top and fleece, but by the time we descended in altitude to land, it was very warm and humid.
The bus from Kaohsiung to CKS airport was fitted with lazyboys and tvs. There were speakers on the headrest so the whole bus wasn't blaring with noise. I am told that many of the long-distance buses are like this. What a change from the other rides I've had!
This is another place that my dad used to eat at all the time when he was a lad. And he still eats there all the time when he goes back to Fengshan. You can get noodles and rice and fish stomach and pig's brain and all sorts of stuff I didn't want to try.
As one of the funeral traditions, I was not to shave until the burial, so here are the results.
On my last night in Taiwan, I went out to eat some food at the night stalls in Fengshan.
