Koh Samui Part 3

Much of the scenery around Ang Thong Marine Park looks like this: aqua waters, palm trees and white sands against a backdrop of steep rocky cliffs covered in dense foliage.


I remain unsure about what you're supposed to do with these, though I'm pretty sure that your six pack goes in the big blue esky. Cleaning is a nightmare, particularly after a lunch of Tom Yum Goong. Fortunately, the nearby ocean came to my rescue, though Ang Thong isn't quite as "pristine" as it was before this English teacher went on holiday.


Another typical Ang Thong scene. Later in the day we went in search of the setting of Alex Garland's novel (and subsequent film) "The Beach." The premise is that a community of young western backpackers renege their obligations toward their fellow man and seek out earth's last unspoilt location in order to fill it with their pollution, politics and whining to the soundtrack of utterly forgettable late 90s chill out music. The current location is full of tourists jostling for space on the beach, couples pretending to be in love, and French men shouting at their wives as the aforementioned wives laugh at their stupid frog-like faces.


West and I waited for a sad couple pretending to be in love behind us to move on to someone else's backdrop for a good 5 minutes before taking this photo. It is on the "Beach" beach. I wanted a backdrop unspoilt by lies and/or deceit but still cannot rid myself of the image of that poor besotted young man's face. As the camera clicked, I said "love you long time" which in Thailand means until the next morning. A short time, by contrast, is an altercation on the stairs costing 100 baht.


No words in this entry, just pictures of me! In this one I am sitting at the lookout over the Emerald Lake at Ang Thong. A veritable shitload of tourists visit this during good weather but our man on the ground, Dave, timed his run perfectly and we had it all to ourselves.


Colourful, innit? Koh Samui is dotted with all of these Buddhist shrines around the island. Drivers honk their horns on the way past and the people give gifts of incense, coconuts and Fanta.


The road home. Ciao Samui.