Brandon wants lots of alone time and starts feeling more like a stalker. Jim attempts to turn himself into a tomato. Craig tries to become a better teacher by reading a book and finds some admirers. And the girls… well… I got nothin’!
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Jim woke up at the butt crack of dawn in order to get his money’s worth out of the darn scooter! He also woke me up by getting right in my face to get me to go. Not exactly the first thing I want to see at 6:15am, thus, I refused. He somehow managed to coax Kate along on this little return adventure to the tip of the island. I thought I’d get plenty of sleep before they returned.
I need to stop getting my hopes up like that.
They returned MUCH sooner than expected because the trip didn’t take the hour they expected, but rather 20 minutes. Apparently the amateurs (aka Craig and Brandon) really affected the actual travel time on the island. Jim came back to the room and begged me come along for another quick romp from one end of the island to the other. As I was never the one to get back up on the horse after falling (remember the spill from the night before), I was quite reluctant. But there’s just something in the way Jim motivates you (read: repetitively annoys). Finally I caved and threw on my nasty, dirty, dusty clothes from yesterday.
We once again hit the “open road”. Jim said we were like a real motorcycle gang. I get the feeling he hasn’t seen “Sons of Anarchy” because that’s what was going through my head and we weren’t running guns or drugs.
Our 'motorcycle gang'
I think the shirt says enough...
We made it to the tip and back with a little extra time to zip through the main street in town for one more ride on the paved road… Bourne-style! Now, feeling more confident with my driving skills, I pulled out the camera to get some video while driving. Mom… don’t kill me!
We turned in the bikes to the rental place and after some breakfast, I returned to exploring and found a more secluded beach. It was a nice, quiet excursion… something I really needed. I found my way back to our beach and discovered a shady lounge that was perfect.
AHH... a shady place to rest!
Unfortunately, because it was part of a rental villa I was not renting, I was forcefully vacated after an hour when the real tenants showed up. At least I had gotten a little bit of nice alone time to read and listen to some music away from my enemy… the sun. People used to call me Casper in my dorm. Need some extra light? Here… I’ll take off my shirt and reflect some your way.
However, from my distant perch, I was able to snap a few shots of the rest of the group (with my super great zoom lens) doing “beach stuff” like: playing frisbee, sunning on the floating dock, and diving from the floating dock after you (Jim) wake up and realize it has become a total sausage fest on the floating dock. Now the group has stopped whispering about how creepy I am and are saying it to my face.
Frisbee Time!!!
I don't understand why Jim sets himself up for pain like this.
Jim totally oblivious to all the guys that have joined him.
After I was tired of taking all the long-distance photos of the group, I decided to join them for a late lunch. The whole time, my attention was fixed on a vacant lounge near where I’d just been kicked out of a few minutes before. The bungalow seemed empty, so I didn’t see why my sitting there would be a problem. Thankfully, I was successful this time in my pursuit of undisturbed quiet and after I’d had my fill, I returned to the room.
It was at this point I felt the day had been an utter bore. That is, until Craig showed up.
You see, he had been off doing some things when he spotted a group of guys setting up for volleyball. As an avid player of the sport, he couldn’t help but be intrigued. A young Thai man came up to him and asked, “Would you like to play with me?” Craig, having seen the proclivities of the men on our beach reiterated, “Volleyball, yes.”
He soon came to the conclusive realization that of the 18 men playing, he was one of 4 straight men. His comfort level became even more strained when the Thai man that invited him kept speaking to him in Thai. The young man finally asked Craig if he spoke Thai.
“No,” said Craig.
“Good,” replied the young Thai guy.
“What?” Craig questioned.
“I just told you were very handsome,” was the Thai fellow’s response.
Craig didn’t believe that’s all he said and awkwardness ensued. This made the third time in 4 days that Craig has been hit on by a dude!
Jim arrived at the bungalow looking like the lobster I imagined he would become having fallen asleep on the dock. Here are some pictures for your painful enjoyment:
OUCH!!!
This should be a PSA for sun-protection. It also makes me laugh.
That night, a stroll on the beach reminded me why I like the beach at night: PEACE! That is, until I made a shocking discovery. The secluded beach around the corner from us seemed so inviting and nice during the day, I could only imagine how calming it would be at night as it was the only beach without a restaurant. Tucked away, lit only by moonlight, it seemed the perfect getaway. *(Those with a weak stomach should stop reading now)* And then I got the whiff of… what seemed to be human waste! I turned on my camera’s light and found streams of brown being hosed onto the beach and running into the water. I have pictures… but I’ve made a decision not to post them here for the sake of the faint-hearted and weak-stomached.
Word of warning: When in Ko Samet, avoid Nuan Bay… especially at night.