Beaches All Around
Koh Phangan and Koh Samui
Greatest Moment: There comes a time when two people can sit across from one another, over a beer and coffee, and talk about the great question of universal power, of our potential, and how the many years of our life to come can be in pursuit of our dreams. We had that incredible day at Koh Phangan. Our motorbike was our tool of discovery, and the newly paved roads lead to Jamie screaming excitedly as we zoomed through the island. We stopped at the Than Padet waterfall, where we swam at its base and sketched and read. We then made our way to one of the clearest, most beautiful beaches we have seen yet. Here we swam and found a beautiful pool to crash nearby. There we ordered beer and coffee and conversed freely of our passions and our thoughts. It was wonderful!
Worst Moment: Koh Samui is, we are sure, a beautiful island. However, it was very busy and touristy in comparison to Koh Phangan, and driving around in a motorbike was not recommended. So we sat on a beach that was not so friendly and the waves not so soothing, missing Koh Phangan very much.
And the obvious 'worst' things that one can do in Asia happens pretty frequently for us: the misuse of a squatter toilet, leading to us having to wash our feet and sandals thoroughly afterwards. You get the picture.
Lesson Learned: When traveling, find out exactly what type of vacation you want. Following the popular spots and the popular islands is not always what is going to educate and thrill you about the country you are in. We are inclined to stay more farther from the party areas, however we do not want to be too far from the fun restaurants and beaches.
Cultural Insight: LADY BOYS!!! We went to a show in Koh Samui, and it proved to be very different from the transvestite drag shows that we have seen in America. 'Lady Boys' or Kathoeys, are a common and very accepted in all of Thailand, as Thai Buddhism has no prohibitions regarding sexuality. Acceptance and tolerance, what a beautiful world this place is. Kathoeys can be transgender, a flamboyant man, and/or male homosexuals. They go about their jobs and normal lifestyle never taking off their identity of a woman, and many do not partake in drag performances. Even if they have not gone through a transgender process, they are known to be very, very beautiful women, and some you cannot even tell were born with male genitalia. Bangkok has become a 'global epicenter' for someone who is or wants to become transgender, making Thai Kathoeys considered the most beautiful in the world. This is without a doubt true, as they are everywhere and many have helped us with our bookings a tours. Even during the cabaret of lady boys that we saw, they were so beautiful in their art, life, love, and personality.
THE FABULOUS LADY BOYS OF SAMUI
