Go Go Samui

This is ridiculous. It has been two months now since my trip to Asia and I haven't finished writing about it (saying that I barely started writing about it would be more accurate). Before I came here, I read blogs of people who had gone before me and their first handful of entries were detailed and consistent. And then they weren't. They just stopped. Details of life here after the initial glitter wore off was what I wanted to know most of all and they weren't recording it. Now I have become those people. Please allow me to remedy this. 

May I invite you back to Asia?

 
December 17 was our first full day on the beautiful island of Ko Samui. After our looooong day of travel the day before, Haneefa and I woke late. I remember wondering where I was when I opened my eyes to dark wooden bed posts raising to the ceiling and a white canopy covering that dropped down to the hardwood floors. I turned my head to the right and saw a balcony that overlooked a pool with floral trees bordering the French doors. I smiled. 'Oh yeah. I'm on vacation."

We dressed for the beach and leisurely made our way down the wide spiral staircase to breakfast. The weather was a little cloudy, but we were determined to get in a good day at the beach across the street from Buddy. Crossing the street, we walked past the hotel's beach side pool, their massage beds and a restaurant called Chom Lay where we would later have lunch. Spending a few hours here, we read, took pictures (These pictures are courtesy of Miss. Haneefa), played Christmas music and laughed. 

It started spitting rain, and we took refuge in Chom Lay and after, Coffee World, to plan our next leg of the trip: Chiang Mai. 

As can be traditional when vacationing in Asia, we booked travel from city to city, country to country, hotels and adventures as we traveled; often just a few days before and sometimes the day before. This manner of traveling was new to me, but I fell in love with the spontaneous aspect of coming and going as you please.

After we secured a flight to Chiang Mai and a hostel, we went back to Buddy and took a nap before the Full Moon Party that evening. 

Fast forward to the next day. I felt like I was an extra in the movie, "The Hangover." I didn't get out of bed until the sun went down. I was phone-less, my body ached like I participated in a triathlon and I had neon paint encrusted in my hair and on the remnants of a tribal design covering my thigh. 

Back to the night before. The Full Moon Party was epic. I don't use that word a lot, but I believe it's appropriate here. We took a speed boat to the neighboring island of Ko Phangan and arrived to a place that I can only describe as a wonderland of sorts. After living in a Muslim country for a few months, something in me snapped and broke free. We met our friend from NY at his hotel and the three of us explored every inch of the beach party; streets lined with vendors selling sand buckets of liquor concoctions, black light body painting stalls, blasting music and writhing bodies filling the beach, fire dancers - I had the time of my life. I paid for it the next morning, starting with an extra choppy and chilly speedboat ride back to Samui at 7 in the morning, but I had a night I wouldn't soon forget. 

December 18, as I mentioned previously, was a complete wash. I was initially devastated about my now-lost I-phone. "But what will I do?" I asked Haneefa from my pathetic fetal position in bed. "You will get a new one when we get home." Haneefa is very practical. "Hmmmph," was the only reply I could manage, as I knew she was right and although I was frustrated, there was nothing that could be done. 

I had the phone in my shorts pocket and didn't recall if it had fallen out or if someone in the crowds slipped it out for me. I remember that day feeling like I had lost a finger. I had been taking photos with my phone, using it to communicate with family and friends in the UAE and USA. But, as the day turned into afternoon, Haneefa and I trekked back to our beach for a bit until the rain came, had dinner at a local street restaurant called Balance and I made peace with my loss. It WAS just a phone after all. A thing that could be replaced as Haneefa initially remarked. She was such a good sharer with hers for the remainder of our trip (more than two weeks!). 

We woke early on December 19, had breakfast and climbed into a van that would take us to Ko Samui airport (an outdoor layout and the most beautiful and serene airport I have ever seen), where we boarded a flight to Chiang Mai and I waved a final goodbye from the plane window to my phone that I was sure was now buried under sand and surf somewhere on Ko Phangan or in a local's pocket. C'est le Vie.