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| Setting off...little did she know!!!
Catherine's expectations and what she got would be VERY different!... |
The intrepid travellers waiting
to board the Pelangi!! It won't take long to wipe off those smiles...ha
ha.... |
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| The Big Buddha - Koh Samui |
A typical sunset in Thailand. |
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| Relaxing on the first
night.
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| The boat trip to Koh
Pha Ngan - little did we know how much better it would be than our
return trip!
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| A few scenes at Thongsala
the main town.
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| The "delicious"
Durian....maybe a little use of sarcasm...It stinks and not many
Westerners |
like it except 3 of
the people we are with...but Catherine is with me..YUCK! EJ will
tell you a different story. You can visit Nirav's Durian Website
here. It is allegedly the worlds most Delicious fruit. Durian
Palace. |
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| A hesitant tasting.
Although this trip was to be the catalyst for EJ(Vibodha) LOVING
Durian...since then he has been secretly eating smelly durians on
our balcony in KL!!
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| This is where we ate
breakfast on the beach just steps from the ocean. |
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| Our beach bungalow
- a front unit so right on the beach overlooking the ocean. Idyllic. |
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| On looking left... |
On looking right... |
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Oh must I relax as much as this???
Our wonderful Thai masseur.
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| Happy Birthday Nirav...only
you could have a durian cake!!!
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| Day and night - total
relaxation and swimming in the sea when the tropical rains came
was amazing. The water was so warm it was like taking a bath. |
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| At the left side of the beach there are
3 beautiful beaches and great snorkeling. EJ and I head over to check
it out to see if we can entice Catherine later!! Will she..won't she?? |
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| A marked improvement don't you think?? |
I asked EJ to marry me again on the beach and gave him
another Wedding ring...he lost it on this very Island and got it back
here too. Thanks Dad for getting this done. |
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| In the evening and
meal times you relaxed in the cabana. There were cushion seats laid
all around and you just found a space with tables and plonked down.
You could sit there or hours eating delicious freshly cooked food
and sipping fruit shakes.
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And Catherine comes snorkeling...and loves it!
We see the most amazing fish. For anyone who has not yet experienced
seeing the world underneath the sea you MUST...it is just so beautiful
and the colours of the fish are unbelievable.
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| Catherine relaxing on the hammock. |
The start of Full Moon Party Night... |
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We go up to the restaurant with the view to have our meal BEFORE
we head to Haad Rin for the Full Moon Party. Just as soon as Nirav
has ferried all of us up there one by one the torrential rains
come on. We have to move the tables into the middle of the restaurant
to stop us and the other 4 guests from getting soaked and out
come the macs!!
EJ doesn't look very happy does he?
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We decide to chill a little and make our way back down the hill.
Nothing is going to get me on the back of that motorbike on
those wet roads but the other 2 girls are much braver. EJ is left
walking with me. Vistara swops shoes with me and I am armed with
flip flops and mac and we start walking back down to our beach...still
debating the party...will the rain stop?
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| Catherine gets on board
the bike in the downpour...
by the way it never stops ALL NIGHT.
We DON'T go the party and I am desperate to find
out the next day how it went...I hear "great but really a wash
out" with only half the usual crowd...looks like we weren't
the only ones to abondon the idea! Some brave people headed over
there and wished they hadn't and others were glad they did. Ah well
next time Catherine? |
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Just when we thought things could get no worse...6am happily
sleeping. I get up to get something from the spare bed and just
as I sit back down again the ROOF FALLS IN!!!
YES THE WHOLE CEILING OF OUR BUNGALOW COLLAPSES ON OUR HEADS!!!
By this time we just can't believe our luck and are a little
thankful it's our last day...but worse was yet to come...
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| We say goodbye to the staff and then get on the
little taxi IN THE RAIN with the 16 other people including 2 babies
under 1. Catherine and I are in the front passenger seat squashed
together and there are 4 adults and 2 children in the seat behind
us and the other 11 people are squashed in the back together with
the bags, no covers and the rain!
It seems everyone wants to leave "paradise". |
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The road to Haad Rin to catch the boat is treacherous. You see
people on the left picture having to get out of the truck in order
for it to make it up the hill. On the right you see the remnants
of crashed off the road trucks that have either been stopped by...the
teacherous hills - the downpours - the rockslides - or the thunder
and lightening storms..not too much to choose from.
By this time Caterine is a nervous wreck and Dad told her to
"Go away and RELAX!!" She'll need a week in Gransha!!
(local joke only). But still there is more to come...
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We have the boat trip from Hell. EJ and I had to go out on the
deck to stop ourselves from being sick. We were relieved at that
one being over. The ups and downs of the water swell and waves
were awful. One girl behind us was a bag of nerves and crying.
Very reassuring!
This is us glad to be on dry land...but there was to be more...
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| We have a leisurely drink
at the restaurant as EJ takes a half and hour trip to the bank and
comes back with luxury transportation.
He realises what we have already been through and
makes life SO MUCH BETTER for us by getting us this salubrious vehicle
below... |
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| ...there really was
no need to go to all that trouble EJ - really a regular taxi would
have done!! By this time HYSTERICS are now setting in and we can't
stop laughing! |
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Anyway...the rest of the trip is not photographed but the Pelangi
was caught in a thunder and lightening storm and from out of our
windows, when there wasn't so much turbulence that you could actually
see straight, you could watch the lightening strike all around
you....deep joy!!
Catherine for some reason doesn't want to come on holiday with
us again...can't think why??
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