Samui Sightseeing

For the two weeks we were in Samui, we could barely pull ourselves away from our beach villa, and we certainly never left our lovely Bang Po Beach. But on the last day, we had no choice, and we had basically all day before our flight out, so we hired a driver and decided to circumnavigate the island and see some of the sights. What we saw ranged from the gorgeous to the bizarre to the slightly inappropriate. We had a great day and felt it was just the right amount of sightseeing.

The Elephant Gate

We happened upon this cute little chocolate shop,
where a Ukrainian couple makes a variety of Thai chocolates. 

Na Muang Falls

~The Mummified Monk~
Apparently, this monk died while meditating, after predicting the very day of his death.
 The local Buddhist community concluded that that was the ultimate in faithfulness
and decided to preserve and enshrine his body, which is now on display for all to see.

~Guan Yu~
Chinese general turned deity

~Hinta Hinyai~
Translated "Grandpa, Grandma" and so named because of the similarity
in appearance to the male and female genitalia. Our boys didn't really get "hinyai,"
but they had no trouble identifying "hinta" and, of course, thought it was hilarious.
(Didn't I warn you that some of the sights were inappropriate?!)

We had a to take a little break from our sightseeing to enjoy
homemade coconut ice cream served in real coconut bowls.

A stop simply called "The Viewpoint,"
with breathtaking views of the Gulf of Thailand

Koh Samui's Big Buddha and several of his interesting statuary friends

Last Day in Koh Samui

Sadly, our time in Koh Samui has come to an end. Our time here has been sweet beyond words and will always be fondly remembered, and, hopefully, we will be able to return someday. In these past two weeks, the sun, surf, and serenity of our surroundings have facilitated a refreshing of our souls, beyond what we even knew we needed. With this renewal of spirit has come a renewal of mind, and both Jeff and I have been able to explore the depths of projects that we are very much excited about working on, as well as have meaningful conversations about the future, which now seems less daunting and more approachable than it did before. So, even though I'm sad to leave Koh Samui, I feel being here has given me the benefit of having new eyes, and I'm so grateful for this time. Now, on to Malaysia!

Island Life

I haven't written lately, because, honestly, there hasn't been much particularly newsworthy going on. The island life is pretty low-key and very relaxed (though not entirely idle, as you will see). I've been told by some concerned readers that they become anxious about our safety and well-being if I don't check in from time to time, so here I am, with a peek at what island life looks like for us.

• On weekdays, the older two kids and the grown-ups hop up around 6:00 am (at the kids' request) to workout. We alternate between strength training on the porch and walking/running on the beach. I am ridiculously sore, but I'm so happy that we are being intentional about implementing some of our family's health and fitness goals.
• Breakfast is eaten on the porch, overlooking the beach, and usually involves some sort of delicious fresh fruit. The younger boys love to walk down to the fruit stand and pick out a wide variety of fruits they know and love, as well as a few new-to-us fruits to try. They are also dying to pick the pineapple growing along the path to the pool (though, of course, I won't let them), and I believe Max is secretly scheming to climb a coconut tree to pluck one of the tasty green coconuts. This morning Clay made breakfast for everyone by himself (slices of bread on plates, with "toppings"--butter and jelly-- at the ready) and was so proud to present his "buffet" to us when came into the kitchen.
• Jeff has been working on a new business idea and has been making excellent progress.
• I have been putting together some ideas for a writing project, which I'm really excited about. I have also been watching my journal sales soar this month, which has been loads of fun. (If you happen to have been one of the purchasers of the journal, thank you. I would appreciate it so much if you could leave me a review on Amazon.)
• There are usually a couple of trips to the pool everyday, and Clay is really getting the hang of swimming on his own. He also begs for Jeff to do "throw-ups" with him (throwing him into the air, letting him splash under the water, and then scooping him up as he swims to the surface). "Dad, can we do two more swims and then two more throw-ups before we go?!"
• We have met an older Thai man, who might truly be the most interesting man in the world, if half of what he says is true. We have visited with him a couple of times and have been somewhat amazed by his stories, which do not seem entirely believable or unbelievable. He is a sweet, lonely man and very generous, and, even if his stories turned out not to be true, we would be glad to say we met him.
• In the evenings, we usually walk along the beach, as a breathtaking sunset takes over the sky, and pick a new restaurant to try or revisit one we have already enjoyed. We sip fruity little drinks, eat a variety of delicious so-spicy and not-so-spicy Thai foods, and enjoy the company of our favorite people and the hospitality of the lovely Thai people. 
• There are all sorts of interesting creatures around, and lessons in natural science abound. We have many small geckos around, inside and outside the house, that scurry along the walls snacking on insects and calling to one another with loud croaks that make me think of dinosaurs for some reason. And last night, a very large tokay gecko paid us a visit, and we were simultaneously fascinated and terrified, watching him working his powerful jaws, as he tried to snatch enormous flying beetles out of the air. I also found an unnecessarily and inappropriately large spider in the bathroom. Somewhere in my reasonably intelligent brain, I knew he was there to keep the bug population from taking over, but as I tried to exit the bathroom with him on the door, I felt as if he presented a mortal danger to me instead. I did not mean to squeal, but I could not help it, and since, at that moment, I felt like it was either him or me, I got my brave hubby to come take care of the situation. The spider's body ended up in the trashcan beside the sink, and within an hour, an army of abnormally large ants had moved in and started dismantling the body, which they dutifully carried off piece by piece. It was disturbingly mesmerizing to watch. Afraid the entire house would be overrun by the ants and that they might be looking for more flesh to munch, we moved the whole can outside, and when we got up this morning, there was nothing left of the spider and no ant was in sight. It was a spectacular display of nature at work!
• Additionally, we have been reading lots of books, playing a few games, watching some movies, sneaking in the occasional nap, and soaking up our beautiful life in this beautiful place. 

Weston had a difficult time figuring out the crab cracker,
but our waitress (who may have also been the owner of the restaurant)
came over and took over the job for him, which he thought was great.
The following night, we saw a man out in the water catching crabs
just like these. That's about as fresh as seafood can get!

The little pineapple that greets us on our way to the pool

Fried rice in a pineapple boat

Jeff and Weston found this fun place at the end of the beach.
Most of the tables were inside little cabanas, but we chose the one sitting over the water.
There were hammocks and humongous swings interspersed with the tables,
and the owner was very proud that he could offer us paper umbrellas on our drinks.

Amazing Koh Samui Sunsets

The fascinating and slightly terrifying tokay gecko

Mr. Big, making breakfast

I could get used to this

After our Trans-Mongolian train trip, I made a post in which I mentioned that our travel lifestyle is a far cry from being all glitz and glamor, and that is absolutely true. But here on Koh Samui, in our large beach house, I must admit, life feels pretty glamorous. The American dollar goes pretty far here, so we've been able to indulge in a bit more luxury than we are used to. First of all, we have been working our way through the beach restaurants, eating the most amazing Thai food, for almost nothing. Tonight, we decided mix things up a bit by having a Thai cook come to our home and prepare a fantastic meal for us here, for about $50 USD, which included the price of the groceries, the preparation of two appetizers and four main dishes (of which we had leftovers), and, most amazing of all, a thorough cleaning of the kitchen and washing of the dishes afterwards. Earlier in the day, a housekeeper came to the house, whose twice weekly services are included in the price of our house. And, we received our laundry back from the laundry facility down the road, all washed, dryed and folded for about $1/kg. All this in addition to living ten steps from a gorgeous, quiet beach in what can only be called "Paradise." It's definitely not my usual lifestyle, but I don't think it would take me long to get used to it! 

Many of the beach restaurants have bean bag chairs scattered around,
which the boys absolutely love hanging out in!

Pool Time
(Our house is in the background--20 steps to the pool and 10 steps to the beach,
according to Weston's undoubtedly accurate calculations.)

Sunset in Paradise

Chicken Satay and Tempura Vegetables, with dipping sauces

A fantastic meal, prepared in our home, and not by our hands
(From the back: Sweet and Sour pork, Massaman curry,
Shrimp Pad Thai, and Pineapple Fried Rice)

The Visuals

Here are the pictures that go with yesterday's post:

Dim Sum in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Light Show

The Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery

Funarium Fun

Train Travel

Our first day on Koh Samui

If you need me in the next couple of weeks, I'll be here.

Whirlwind Travel Days

When I looked at the date of my last post, I couldn't believe it was only three days ago. So much has happened since then. And, a whole lot of ground has been covered. Literally. On Sunday, we flew from Xi'an to Hong Kong, where we made every effort to maximize our short overnight visit. We had our first experience with dim sum, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Afterwards, we took in the famous Hong Kong light show down at the harbor. The following day, after a quick breakfast at a chain-y coffee shop (because the kids rejected a local place after reading "Pig Blood Curd" on the menu), and after stashing our bags at the designated area in the airport, we made the long bus ride out to see the Big Buddha (Tian Tan Buddha), which sits on the property of the Po Lin Monastery. At 112 ft. tall, we felt he was appropriately named. Clay was absolutely thrilled to see such a large statue up close, and we all enjoyed the experience of being at the lovely monastery, up in the mountains. After climbing up the 268 steps to the base of the statue and giving it a good looking over, we headed back down for a vegetarian meal at the monastery. For most of our group, it was the first opportunity to try tofu, which was met with mixed reviews. Overall, the meal, which was served family-style, was good, and we all found things we enjoyed.

From there, we headed back to the airport to catch our flight to Bangkok. It was our first time flying Sri Lankan Air, but we are all hoping it won't be our last. It was so nice and had so many amenities, a couple of the kids thought we had mistakenly entered the first class compartment, rather than coach. We all had our own screens, each equipped with a wide variety of movies and games, so the flight passed quickly. (By the way, I chose to watch Bridge of Spies, with Tom Hanks, and I just want say that if you haven't seen it, you absolutely must. Admittedly, I don't watch a lot of movies, but I'm a sucker for movies inspired by true events. It is the best movie I have seen in some time, and it has left me with a great many things to think deeper on.) By the time we made it to our apartment, it was late, and we were all ready to call it a day. Unfortunately, around 11:30 pm, the landlord contacted us to let us know that we would have to vacate before 8:00 in the morning, because she had an exterminator coming, and she couldn't reschedule. She apologized profusely for the inconvenience and even refunded the money we paid for the night, so it wasn't all bad.

So, bright and early, we strapped on our packs and headed out to explore Bangkok's breakfast offerings. We found a hotel not terribly far away offering a buffet breakfast that seemed perfect for our hungry group. Our train wasn't scheduled to leave the city until 7:30 pm, so our goal after breakfast was to find a way to keep the kids entertained without spending the day lugging our packs around in the heat and humidity, which, though very welcome to us after months and months of coldness, was not ideal for tramping around with heavy packs on our backs. We took a cab over to the Funarium, which was the best decision we could have made. Inside the large air conditioned building, we found a huge jungle gym, a bike track, a trampoline, a climbing wall, a ball pit, a sport court, a cafe, clean (and fully equipped) restrooms, and a couple of masseuses. Everyone was perfectly happy, and we had a wonderful day.

Eventually, we headed to the train station. So we could catch an overnight train, so we could catch a bus, so we could catch a ferry, so we could catch a taxi. So we could get to my happy place on Koh Samui. I have already declared my intentions to stay here indefinitely. If it weren't for the fact that there is still much of the world to be seen, I probably would, too! This place is amazing! Our house sits right on the beach and is huge and gorgeous. The sea breeze blows through our windows, and fragrant, beautiful flowers bloom all around. I can feel almost tangible changes in my body and my attitude (not that either was noticeably ill before). We walked down the beach and had a delicious lunch at a place with a sand floor and no walls. The younger boys played on the beach and in the water, and they found a coconut, which they worked on cracking. Eventually, Ruth helped them get into it, and they were all disappointed and disgusted to find it rotten, stinky, and full of worms. We found another fun beach restaurant to eat at for dinner, and were treated to a small fireworks show as we made our way back to our house. So far, everything about Koh Samui is absolute perfection. I am looking forward to spending the next couple of weeks here.

*I'll try to add pictures tomorrow.

Where in the World Are The Watts: Part 3

My sister has put our travel itinerary in her calendar, so that she can easily see where we are at any given time. She told me the other day that she was entering in some appointment or event in December and realized she didn't have any notes about our whereabouts at that time, and she admonished me to send her an update. I thought some of the rest of you might be interested in an update, as well, so I'm sharing it here. If you want a recap of the first part of our journey, check out the first two parts of "Where in the World Are The Watts:" Part 1 and Part 2. Those two posts will show you where we've been since May and where we'll be through November. The chart that follows will tell you where we will be between the end of November and March, if you're interested.

When	Where
November 29-30	Tours, France
November 30-December 7	Bordeaux, France
December 7-12	Canillo, Andorra
December 12-26	Barcelona, Spain
December 26-January 2	Valencia, Spain
January 2-3	Consuegra, Spain
January 3-10	Benalmadena, Spain
January 10-12	Seville, Spain
January 12-13	Alcanena, Portugal
January 13-20	Porto, Portugal
January 20-21	Santander, Spain
January 21-22	Ferryboat from Spain to UK
January 22-25	London, England
January 25-February 4	Brighton, England
February 4-11	Paris, France
February 11-20	Orieces, France
February 20-23	Moscow, Russia
February 23-29	Trans Mongolian Train
February 29-March 6	Beijing, China
March 6-13	Xi'an, China
March 13-14	Hong Kong
March 14-15	Bangkok, Thailand
March 15-16	Train from Bangkok to Koh Samui
March 16-31	Koh Samui, Thailand