Koh samui

After a confusing and frustrating technical clich, the blog dashboard has now magically appeared once again after a week of vacancy. We returned via the fast catamaran ferry to koh samui, the largest of the three islands here on the east coast of Thailand from Koh Phangon, where we spent the last week in style. We arrived yesterday and checked into our old bungalow resort on maenam beach, a white 4 mile cresant of sand, palm tree lined and the sea changing from pale green to deep blue depending on the clouds and sun. More activity now, more of everything. Kind of makes me shudder, watching the charming little independently owned resorts disappear and the new ugly ones take their place. Ours is hanging in there, abit worn and well used. But, we enjoy ocean front with a nice size deck and shade from the palms which is critical in the heat of the day. Some familiar faces, the people who return year after year. The sellers who walking the beach with their goods have the hardest jobs. Carrying baskets hanging from each end of a bamboo pole weighted down with fruits, coconuts, little burners that they can cook you some skewers of sate along with sticky rice and our favorite, som tom,which is green papaya salad. I tried to lift one of those poles and couldn't get it up off the ground much less walk the beach all day in the soft sand. Last nite we met up with Jim Aplington for a final nite of fun and food before he left this morning to return to BKK to met up with his girlfriend flying in and then going to Nepal. We met in the small town of Boput which has become the new young hip place to stay. The Friday nite market and music scene was starting and it just got better and better as the night went on. We started with a drink on the beach at the reggae bar, then walked along eating, first skewers of very tasty chicken sate and peanut sauce served with cut up cucumber with a lite sweet vinaigrette sauce. Cost less than $2. Next we tasted veggie samosas with wonderfully spicy green sauce. Walking along we made it to a bar with a great offering of crushed lime, mint and vodka and soda on ice. Very refreshing. Later we ate some fried shrimp, a banana crepe with chocolate sauce and a cold water. Wonderful. We settled back on the beach, away from the crowds that had gathered and found a wooden platform with cushions where we sat undisturbed watching the fireworks and the lights along the waters edge. Beautiful. Now on my front deck, two massage people on the sand with their platforms ready to give you an hour Thai massage for cheap, and the breeze strong and cooling, Ronnie bringing a little treat to eat from one of the venders. Time flies. It takes some effort to get comfortable with the slow pace. We are working at it.