Ko Samui, Thailand

In the morning i took the 11am Lomprayha Fast Boat from Ko Pha Ngan to Ko Samui.    I have to say i was really impressed with their streamline efficiency in organizing everyone and getting the luggage and people on the right buses to their final destination.   A lot of these tour/transportation organizations are putting 'stickers' on you with your destination.   i LOVE it!     I'm always afraid i'll get on the wrong boat/bus; i wear my sticker proudly !   It was a wonderful experience !

Arrived at Moonhut Bungalows before 1pm and let the "Dawson Clan" from Kalamazoo know that i had arrived.    They said, 'we’re at the pool, come on over'.

I had tried to book a place near where they were staying and it worked out well.    I was just a 10min walk down the beach to their resort.   My Bungalow was similar to the other bungalows i’ve had.    Small and efficient; no A/C this time but a fierce powerful fan; which was needed ... it is really 'heating up' here in the tropics !

I spent the next several days ‘living the life’.    The Dawson’s adopted me into their ‘Clan’ and it was wonderful visiting with Americans, especially FRIENDS, half way around the world!       I enjoyed some 'resort living'; and joining them for dinners/tours/trips/pool/gym.     Most of those things i don’t get to do being a single traveler.


When we arrived, the seas were really quite rough.   I wasn’t sure if that was normal, or if a storm was coming in .   Unfortunately, it was a storm coming in.   After our first sunny Pool Day, the weather turned nasty.    We had an entire day of pouring down rain and cool weather.     I was ‘home’ working on a blog, sitting in the restaurant area with my sweatshirt and socks on !

The weather forecast showed ThunderStorms each day for the next 2 weeks.   Thankfully it was wrong.   The next day the weather cleared a bit and we went to a huge ‘mall-market’ that was within walking distance of Chaweng Beach.   We walked the mall for awhile then headed for the beach.   This beach is more open and the waves were coming in strong enough for people to be ‘surfing’.

As we started walking the beach, Terri noticed all these ‘round blue things’ on the shore.

They were everywhere, and thousands of them.

I assumed they were some type of JellyFish, and later confirmed they are in the Rhizostomea family of JellyFish, which do not sting.   But i’ve not been able to find out much else other than they can get as big as a soccer ball and frequently wash up on shore.    The only name i could find for them is  "Blue Button Jelly Fish",  i like it   :(

We had a few drinks sitting in the sand at one of the many beach bars.    We managed to find a quiet one that didn’t have boom boom boom base music blaring   :)

We did a Snorkel Tour over to the neighboring island of Ko Tao.      It was with a ‘Dive Boat’ and we went to 2 sites that were said to be the best around Ko Tao.    I’m a little bit 'spoil-t’.    After 3 months of traveling the ‘best’ snorkel spots in 3 countries, my ‘bar’ is set a little bit ‘high’.    So, i was not as impressed as the rest of the group, but as i always say, ,,,,,  ‘a day in the water is better than any day out of the water’.    So i was happy.

And i even met my goal of meeting some new fishes, so it was a successful snorkel.

This is a new fish, a Trevally…. usually found in deeper waters.   He was just cruising by.   Deep water fishes typically are not very colorful.

I have posted several photos of the Male Sling Jaw Wrasse, but never one with this beautiful coloring and markings … stunning !      In this photo, you can really see how the jaw can separate.  I also saw the Yellow Female ‘sling’ her jaw out for the first time  :)

I’ve seen these Parrot Fish before, but never in such vibrant colors, a Blue Barred ParrotFish

and check out those teeth ... no wonder it's called a 'Parrot' Fish !

There were more Christmas Tree Worms on the coral than i’ve ever seen anywhere!

I’ve seen this Red Breasted Wrasse many many times, but he is a quick one, and i don’t think i’ve ever posted a photo

Lots of pretty Clams here too ..

There was one area with a lot of Anemone’s …. along with their Nemos

Frequently you also see these Juvenile Three Spot Dascyllus..    They are never IN the Anemone, but hanging around on the outskirts

And my other new fish is this Blue Spotted Trout

This is a Coral RabbitFish .... she has real pretty subtle markings

There were a lot of Mushroom Corals.    Those little white things sticking up are their 'tongues' ready to collect any food that passes by

It was a pretty sunny day and the water was nice and clear …

So sunny and clear in fact, that several people got sunburned, despite lots of sunscreen   :(
Lots of fishes hanging out with us that day.   These are ScissorTail DamselFish 

We made a couple trips to Fisherman’s Village for dinner and the Night Market.     We had a drink at this beach bar that had ‘trampolines’ that you sat on over the sand.  

The food at the Night Market put the Taste of Kalamazoo to shame.   It was massive; but mostly we were ‘afraid' to eat any of the food; and instead opted for a nice restaurant with tables on the beach.

Dawson’s left on 1 April, and was alone again.    I considered taking the ferry over to Ko Tao and spending a few days there trying to find some snorkeling.     But after experiencing the snorkeling on our ‘tour’; and reading more, i nixed the idea.    It would have been another quick 2 day trip, (moving luggage here there and back again); and i was tired of moving.   With the cost of the ferry and a new place to stay that would have been more expensive and not on the beach, plus the doubtfulness of great snorkeling, it just made no sense.

I opted to stay at my Bungalow on the beach and try to get my white legs tanned  :)
I did, however, hate the thought of NOT spending my final days snorkeling  :(


I walked down the beach late one afternoon and tried to find some markets that were open, but not much luck.    I did find one market that had Mangosteen fruit.   Terri and i both wondered what it was, but never had an opportunity to try it.    A nice older woman who spoke good English gave me one and showed me how to eat it.    The white sections were soft and REALLY REALLY sweet ... i like sweet, but one was enough.   

Then i returned to Gaon Korean Restaurant where we all went the first night.    The food was so good and i wanted to try something different.    The dinner was fantastic.       I had an early dinner and was home before dark so i didn’t have to walk the beach alone   :)

Speaking of food, i have a new healthy favorite, Green Papaya Salad.   I am going to attempt to make it when i get home.

We had been having thunderstorms on and off, and it rained my last night and the morning i left ... good timing

I flew from the Ko Samui Airport and had time in between showers to check out their beautiful gardens.      This is called a Cannonball Tree because of the ‘fruit’

 It has large incredibly beautiful flowers

The surroundings gardens were beautiful... the Thai's do love their Lotus Flowers

It took me 38 hours to get home:   Ko Samui into Bangkok at 4pm, left 6am the next morning, into HongKong, Chicago, and Kzoo.    It took me 40 hours to get to the Philippines, so i guess that's about normal.   It was great to be back in the good ole US of A,  ....and seeing all the ‘white’ people, all speaking ‘American’  :)       It is tiring to concentrate to decipher different accents while speaking.

I left for this journey with very little planning.    I booked my flight into the Philippines and out of Thailand.   And i knew i would be staying with Kevin and Family upon arrival, (that was a huge benefit).     Other than that, i didn't know what, when, how, or where i would be in between. 

How many islands?  
9 in the Philippines:  Bohol, Panglao, Balicasag, Siquijor, Apo, Negros, Pamalican, Cebu, and Olanga
3 in Indonesia:   Bali, Gili Air, and Nusa Penida
1 in Malaysia:  A very short stay on Langkawi
5 in Thailand:  Ko Lipe, Ko Kradan, Ko Phangan, Ko Samui, and Ko Tao

18 islands.   Moving like that took a lot of online-time, researching and deciding which island i wanted to go to, which part of the island, which place to stay, and last but not least.... How do i get there ?????

What did i learn ?    
-Moving from place to place every 2-5 days is much more difficult and exhausting, than staying in one place for a month or two as i've been accustomed to.   As the trip progressed, i started spending more time in each location.
-I am a pretty light packer, but i can do much better.   I've already made lists.   The more you have to move with you, the harder it is; and the less likely you are to move.
Both of these are obvious, but ....  sometimes you have to experience it before you truly believe it  :)

Last but not least:  I’ve not done this before, but i kept track of my time in the water.    I was in the water 52 days and logged in 93 hours and 50 minutes underwater !

The purpose of this trip was to 'Find Nemo' and to 'meet new fishes'.     I found him and many of his cousins.   I counted 152 new fishes that i could identify; many other small ones that i could not.     I would have to say:  "mission accomplished"

I enjoyed this part of the world and would like to return.    There are many more islands to explore and fishes to meet.

Thank you all for your support, thoughts, emails, and prayers during my journey  !

Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand

So where am i going now ?
I am leaving from Ko Kradan which is not on this map, but lies just below Ko Lanta which is on the left in the middle.

My next goal is to reach Ko Pha Ngan, which is an island at the top on the right, in the Gulf of Thailand.   It is going to involve boats, buses, transfers, more buses, more transfers and another boat.    Here i go again on the part of this ‘adventure' that i do not enjoy … the traveling/moving part.    I spent many hours on line again to try to understand how i was going to get to Ko PhaNgan; so i did not get bombarded each step of the way by people trying to take advantage of the ‘tourist’.

I purchased my boat ticket AND a bus transfer from the port to the bus terminal from the lady at Paradise Lost.    That was at least one transfer i didn’t have to think about.

I started at 8:30 with a LongTail Boat.   The weather was perfect, seas were calm.     It was beautiful

Going across all that water and all those huge boulder-cliff islands that just sprouted up out of the water.    And i starting thinking about the people who live here, have lived here forever, and this is what they see every-single-day of their lives.    And, i thought about how critical i’ve been about most of the ‘island people’ who don’t seem to plan or care about ‘tomorrow’, nor take care of what they have.   But i looked around me and tried to put myself in their shoes.   All this water, all these islands, … i can see where they might think, ‘what could possibly go wrong, this will be here forever, just like it is’.    i am sure it’s looked the same since the day they were born.   Very few of them ever get under the surface of the water, so they have no idea of the deterioration that is going on right under their noses, so why would they change anything.     It certainly gave me something to think about the rest of the trip

After an hour boat ride, we slowed and pulled into what i thought was a ‘fishing village’ …

wrong .. it was the ‘port’ ….. we were there already and getting out and getting into our MiniVan.    They say the boat tokes you to Trang, (about in the middle of the map) but it really takes you to the 'port'.     Then you get in the MiniVan and travel to the town of Trang, another 1.5 hours.    The MiniVan was packed, but it did have A/C.    It was a nice drive through the country-side.    I noticed a lot of trees had been planted in straight rows all along the roads.   It was obvious they were ‘farming’ them, but what were they.   One of the men on the MiniVan explained to me that they were Rubber Trees … WoW    … how many things in this world that i just don’t think about …… like where does rubber come from ?    Rubber Trees.    So i had to learn more

A milky latex is extracted from the Rubber Tree and is the primary source of natural rubber.    The latex occurs in the bark, and spirals up the tree at a 30 degree angle.  Harvesters make incisions across the latex vessels, and the latex is collected in small buckets. This process is known as rubber tapping.    It sounds like our Maple Sugar trees.    Tapping is normally is done at night, when cooler temperatures are optimal.   They are tapped about once every two days, each time yielding about 50g of latex.   I found this photo on line.

Since 2011, prices for natural rubber have been falling, and the government was supposed to help subsidize the farmers, but that has not been enough.   Farmers complain that they do not have enough money, so they have been cutting down their trees and selling them.    They are now being encouraged to chop down 350,000 rubber trees a year; and use the land to produce Palm Oil instead.    I saw a LOT of newly planted Palms along the way.  The man in the MiniVan reminded me about the RainForests that are being destroyed in order to produce Palm Oil  … for US   :(

That’s your lesson for the day.   Back to my saga


Once in the town of Trang, we had to transfer to the bus terminal to continue to Surat Thani, on the map at the top right on the mainland.    They took us to the town and dropped us off at a ‘tourist office’.   A very nice pleasant woman helped me sort out how i was going to complete this journey.     I had some options.   i could
-A- spend a lot of money and hire a taxi to deliver me like a ‘queen’.  
-B- buy a ‘package’ and have her agency ‘deliver me each step of the way’
-C- go it alone, and figure out which bus to take to the City, which of the 3 bus terminals to go to, and how to get a bus or taxi to the right port (there are more than one) to hopefully make the last Ferry.

With my research, I did not think that i could reach the port before the last ‘normal’ ferry left for Ko Pha Nang.   So, i planned on taking an 11pm OverNight Very Slow Ferry, sleeping on mats on the floor and arriving at 6am.   After much research, some people said it would be ok for a single woman, some discourage it.   I was undecided.

My TravelAgent Lady said i could make the last Ferry if i chose ‘A' or ‘B' … but if i chose C it was unlikely i would be able to make it.            I would waste too much time trying to decide how and where  And i agreed.   However, i had not planned on arriving today, so i did not have a place to stay.   She offered to call my hotel and ask if i could arrive tonight; they said ok.    The decision was made.    I put my fate in her hands and off i went in another packed MiniVan to the bus terminal, where after an hour, was loaded into another packed MiniVan for 3 hours.    Then another MiniVan for 1 more hour to the port.

When i arrived i realized i had a ticket on the Ferry company with the worst ‘reviews’ of all the Ferrys that i had researched.   How did that happen?      Certainly not the most glamorous of transports

But it floated, and i met a woman, yoga/snorkeler, and i enjoyed the trip visiting with her and watching the sunset on another long day.  We agreed to try to get together on the island.

Upon arrival at Ko Pha Ngan, i got a ‘taxi’ from the port to my hotel, Haad Tian Beach Resort.    A taxi here is a truck, with a covered bed with bench seats.    They load as many people as they can and take off.    It was dark, so i could see nothing, but i could tell this was a very hilly island.   And as we turned off the main road, and started twisting and turning down a rutted dirt road, that had been washed out by the rains, i was happy i wasn’t the only one in the back of the truck, or i would have thought they were going to dump me somewhere  :) 

They stopped, i saw the sign, and got out.    It was now after 9pm, because the Ferry was late getting in.   But a guy was waiting up for me.  He was very pleasant, got me a bottle of water, and showed me to my bungalow …. an Air Conditioned bungalow !

In the morning i awoke to my beautiful resort, and this really was like a ‘resort'  !

Right on the water, and i could see where i was going to start my snorkeling .... from those rocks over there.

My bungalow

and the view

This is not known as a ‘snorkeling island’; it’s not even on my "snorkel source’s list".   But at some point during this journey i found out that Justine, from France, who i met 5 years ago on Roatan was living here.     (and that is another crazy story… she actually lived in Kzoo for awhile teaching French at WMU).  I wanted to be on Ko Samui in a couple of days to met my dear friends, the Dawson’s, who were going to be vacationing there.   I needed to go somewhere and decided this would be perfect.    Do a little snorkeling, see Justine, then go to Ko Samui.

When researching where i was going to stay, i saw a Marine Park at the North end of the island.   But it looked so secluded up there.    i had just spent 5 days on a secluded island with no stores/shops/people, so i was ready for a little more ‘activity’.   So i chose Haad Tian.   Haad means ‘beach’, and Haad Tian was listed as a good place to snorkel also.   It was down the west coast a bit, but still close enough where i thought i could go to the Marine Park and spend the day snorkeling.    

So you can imagine how i felt last night when i realized i was WaY out in the ‘boonies’ and i obviously was not going to be walking to the store or finding any ’activities’ here.    And it was going to be a long taxi ride anywhere.     In the morning, Dang confirmed that it would be a 20 min walk on that rutted dirt road up to the main road….. in 98F humidity.   I knew that wasn’t going to happen.    Note to self:    when researching places to stay, get on Google Satellite maps and see where you are really going to be !

My physical location could not have been worse; but the resort was really nice and so were the family that ran it.   Let's make the best of it.

Around noon i got in the water, the tide was going out, so it was shallow snorkeling for awhile.     I saw a patch of anemones and paused to see if any Nemos were living there.    No Nemos … but what is THAT?           SO tiny, about 1/2” long … a lobster?   … a shrimp?

The surge was pushing me back and forth and my eyes aren't that good and i had a hard time keeping steady enough to even focus on it, trying to figure out what it was.       I looked it up and as far as i can determine.   It is a Peacock Tail Anemone Shrimp

It was so tiny and it's little 'partner' was even harder to see, almost transparent.

As i went out further, there was more coral, but it just got deeper and deeper, no good for me.    So i headed south.    It was good snorkeling with some larger corals rising to the surface in places.   I came across these NEW ButterFly Fishes… a pair of course.    They are called Weilbel's ButterFly Fish   :(

I've also seen it called a Black Capped ButterFly Fish ... this 'name thing'  .... is a scam  :)

Always always ...  lots of Clams ... this one very ornate and detailed

and this one a beautiful turquoise

and this one, in muted tones

Here is a photo of that Black Tip Grouper, with the black tips showing.

i've shown photos of this Indian Cushion Sea Star before, explaining that it starts off it's life looking like a regular Sea Star ... it's evident in this photo  !    COOL !

And my PRIZE of the Day .... a Nudibranch ... a Polka Dot Nudibranch.     "Nudibranch, pronounced [Nudee-Brank] but often shortened to 'nudi', comes from the Latin words nudus and branchia which mean naked gill."

So excited to have seen this ... and ... there were actually 2 of them, within 4 feet of each other.   These Dorid Nudibranchs breathe with the branchial plume, which projects from around their anus

i think this one looks like the Easter Bunny

I made a video.   You can see it here, and also on YouTube:   https://youtu.be/J5WAZ2aPXww

This was a Nudibranch Day ...... i saw another Polka Dot Nudibranch ... and then this black one with purple bumps, and that is a technical term.

and, then a half hour later ... this one.    This is another common type of nudibranch, aeolids, has a series of soft spikes known as cerata along their backs.  The cerata are not gills exactly, but as the aeolids absorb oxygen through their skin, the cerata increase the surface area of the nudi, helping them absorb more oxygen.

It's ok not to understand all of the above... i don't understand it .... but i love finding and seeing them   :)


i went back in front of Haad Tian before i went in and saw a fleeting glimpse of a Six Banded AngelFish …. way too fast for any photos.   i waited around for awhile, but it never reappeared  :(      I think that still counts as seeing a new fish though.


That evening i asked to be taken to Srithanu, a village south of me.   I needed to go to the 7-11, ... yes, you read that right.   There are a LOT of 7-11 stores here.    I had to get a reload on my phone and i was hoping to meet up with Justine, but we missed our signals.

The next morning i asked the resort to take me up to Mae Ha ... the Marine Park, to do some snorkeling.   It is an rocky uninhabited island that is partially connected to the mainland at low tide by a sand shoal.

 

The Snorkel Tours come out here ... i was not impressed.    I did see this nice healthy 'green' coral of some type

and this Scorpion Fish that had attached himself to the side of the rock wall

look closely ... you can see his eyes in the middle of the photo and ... .especially his chin with those ornate spires protruding from it.

I decided to swim around the entire island.   It was larger than i realized.    3/4 of it was being crushed by waves from the open sea.   It was a lot of work, with little reward .... actually ... NO reward   :(

Thankfully, as i was heading into shore in the shallows, i spotted these Freckled GoatFish or BarTailed GoatFish.   Goatfish work together to catch their dinner and when an individual chases its prey around a coral formation, others gather around to block escape routes.  Notice on the fish on the bottom, you can his 'beard' which is why they are called 'goat' fish.    They were quite pretty and saved me from being 'skunked' for the day !   

My last day i went up to the northern tip of the island to a village called Chaloklum, to snorkel with Lezlie that i met on the Ferry from Surat Thani.    There aren't any real designated snorkel areas here, but we decided to explore.    Due to our poor timing of low tide, we had to do a lot of walking and snorkeling in knee-deep water.  The sea can be fairly choppy in high winds as the weather comes across the Gulf of Siam and breaks over the surrounding mountains; so we got a good workout.   Most of the coral reef in the main part of the bay is now dead due to the extensive fishing that has gone on in the area; but we enjoyed ourselves.

I was even able to see 2 new fishes.    This one is a Sub Adult of the Many Spotted SweetLips fish that i just saw in Ko Kraden, with the Juvenile frilly one from Pamalican.   He was fast as lightening and not interested in hanging out, so this is the best i got.

If you compare, you can see it is definitely between that frilly Juvenile and the Adult.    I've seen photos and they are the most attractive at this stage of life.

The other new fish is this Black Blotched Porcupine Fish.   Obviously a cousin of the Porcupine Fish that i am accustomed to seeing; but much more interesting.

It was a great afternoon and i appreciated the invitation from Lezlie.
After begging for a taxi to get back home, i got cleaned up and met Justine at a nice French restaurant, l’Alcove.  We sat on the beach, watched the sunset, and i met several of her friends who joined us.    It was a great evening and super to catch up with her again

Haad Tian Resort is a great place to stay, but it is very secluded.    The family that runs it is close knit and very nice.   They have a tree here with this pretty blossom

and this fruit, which i was told they do not eat, nor use for anything ...  shame, it's so interesting

Tomorrow off to another island ... Ko Samui