a week full of doing nothing just sunbathing under the Thai sun and enjoying island specialties!
A couple of times we went into town, a small village, to buy aloe vera as well as some $1 beers. Who would have thought that two people who haven't seen the sun in 9 months would burn, on the second day nonetheless!? We both did!
Talk about getting a lot for your money!
The resort offers quite a few activity packages, one of them being elephant trekking. We were absolutely thrilled to try it. Who wouldn't want to ride an elephant on an Thai island?! We were in. Since the resort tour was all booked up the front desk suggested we book through the trekking company. (For those venturing to the resort, its half the price if you book straight through the company.) An unmarked vehicle picked us up at the resort, gee it didn't feel shady at all! The Toyota pickup with a friendly Thai driver wearing slick blue Ray Bans took us on a 40 minute ride through the rugged terrain of the island. The driver manuvered past pot holes the size of boulders on tiny dirt roads. When he came up to a turn he would honk to alarm the oncoming traffic and at times even drove on the opposite side of the road to avoid holes. It was very impressive to watch but also a bit nerve-wracking.
Scooters jetted past us sometimes carrying two adults and a small child in the front basket. How did these people do it?! Steep mountains, narrow dirt roads and a hell of a bumpy ride. We read that motor bike accidents are the most common type of accident on Koh Phangan and scars from such accidents have become known as the "Thai tattoo." Glad we didn't rent a scooter! So there we were, in an unmarked vehicle on the roughest roads we have ever been on - sounds safe, real safe. All I kept imagining was a news story about two American tourists getting kidnapped in Thailand. We kid, we kid, well sort of.
Thankfully we arrived at the elephant trekking spot in one piece. The area had a few huts where (we assume) the owners lived and four elephants were chained to trees. One of the tour guides grabbed Babar, the king of the elephants, and brought him near us. Man, those are some massive animals! You don't realize it until you are standing inches away from them!
Check that off our bucket list!
- The "Wai" is a sign of greeting or mutual recognition and respect. It is made by raising both hands, palms joined, to a position lightly touching the body, somewhere between the chest and the forehead.
- Nudity should be avoided in public places and topless sunbathing offends Thai people.
- Affection between sexes should not be displayed in pubic.
- Anger will get you nowhere with the Thais. Patient dialogue and a smile to even the most frustrating problems is the best approach.
- The head is the most important part of the body and the feet are the lowest and considered unclean. Feet should be kept under control, not put on the table and certainly not pointing at anyone. Avoid touching the head or the hair of a Thai person.
- Women should avoid touching, even accidentally, a monk.
- Pointing with a finger is acceptable for objects and animals but not people.
- Please do not crook your finger, clap, snap your fingers or hiss to attract the attention of waiters or anyone you wish to talk to. Extend one arm in front of you, palm down and beckon with your fingers pointing down.
- When visiting temples, please dress respectfully. Do not wear shorts, short skirts, sleeveless tops or swimwear.
- Always remove your shoes when entering a Temple or a private home. (We also noticed that people took off their shoes when they entered convenience stores and shops.)