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We thought maybe we would actually sleep on the overnight bus, it was quite the opposite! We were the only 'non locals' on the bus and every time we dosed off we were awoke by the driver switching on all the lights and shouting something in whatever language it was. At 4am we arrived at yet another roadside food court in the middle of knowhere but this time the driver demanded everyones passports. We reluctantly handed them over with thoughts of him driving off or a van of rebels turning up...but to be honest we were too tired to care! We were then urged back on the bus and a second driver (not the one that took our passports) drove us 10min up the road to the Malaysian border, where luckly our passports re-appeared and we were stamped out of Malaysia. Phew! We then continued onto the Thai border, expecting a 30day visa I only recieved 15days (the changed the rules 3weeks before..apparently) and Petra was told to go and see the Chief of Police. Tired and confused as to why they would not give Petra a visa we met the Chief of Police (a typical fat communist like figure who clearly got bullied at school and was on the revenge path), he demanded documents and evidence Petra had 10,000 BAHT...cash. So from here I was left to find an ATM, our coach refused to wait and left us at the border luckily with our bags! When I attempted to argue/discuss anything with the Chief he banished me from his office shortly followed by a group of Indian backpackers who he banished because they were Indian and refused to speak or help them! He just said "No Indians in office". Anyways we eventually got the visa and hitched a ride with the local school run into the town of Hat Yai where our luck changed after meeting a Czech man called Paul who was also heading to Ko Samui to see his girlfriend and set up a hotel.
By now we had been travelling since 9pm yesterday evening and with no sleep, nearly 24hours later we arrived on Ko Samui and Paul knew the owners of a resort conviently on Lamai Beach where we were booked to stay in 2days. He showed us the way and got us a great price so we finally bedded down for the night. From here we met our neighbour a nice German lady who stays in the same resort twice a year, there is a large German community on Lamai and she introduced us into it, we got a motorbike from a German guy called Thomas for 170BAHT (3pounds) per day instead of 250 like most places charge and there was no worries if we crashed it and we could pay when we wanted!! BONUS! Paul also showed us all the best and cheapest places to eat, Thai Green curry for 1pound anyone???! 2days later we moved literally 5min up the road on Lamai Beach to the Magic Resort which would be our Christmas Bungalow!! It was pretty luxury and 2seconds from the beach and sunbeds!! You can drive around Ko Samui in about an hour by bike, so we visited the Big Buddha temple and the Immigration office to get an expensive extension on our visa. The Island is stunning and Lamai Beach seems so much nicer than the larger and most popular Chaweng Beach, there are also some beautiful waterfalls and a crocodile and snake farm which we visited. The snake and crocodile show were definate highlights, I had a Cobra wrapped around my neck whilst Petra stuck her face in front of two Cobra's and had another huge snake wrapped around her. Fortunately they didnt encourage you to get so close and personal with with crocodiles!! In the evenings the resort turned the sunbeds into relaxing tables and beds so we would lay with a beer watching the fireworks and people. Christmas quickly came and not just one but two Christmas's as in Czech they celebrate Christmas on the 24th!! With limited materials (they dont celebrate Xmas in Thailand... apart from the man-eater/girls who dress up in little santa costumes in order to catch their next caucasian senior citizen) we successfully decorated our little bungalow shortly to be out done by our German neighbours... how typical!! Christmas was amazing, it felt strange not being cold and being with your family but after a hour long Thai massage on the beach, foot scrub (Petra) and Pedicure (Petra!) and speeding around on Jetski's followed by a candlelight dinner right on the beach you feel on top of the world!!
Here is some additional information and tips:
1) Yes the Germans do still run to the beach as the sun rises each morning to put their towels on the best sunbeds first....try removing them and see what happens!
2) When at a bus station you get hassled non stop with the same question "Hey where you go?" by motorbike taxi touts, try saying India, Hong Kong (they will still try and take you on their motorbike or just leave you alone!) or if you really want to get rid of them say "I go to the toilet"!! Works evertime!!
3) Always ask the price first and then ALWAYS bargain with them, people were paying 1000BAHT for a Jetski and because we bargained (all be it over 2days!) we got it for 700BAHT each!
4) Dont rent a motorbike from the Thai's they will take you passport and then charge you for damage that you didnt do.... always look for a German or English run company... there are lots and they dont rip you off or refuse to give you your passport back, we have heard lots of stories!
Po nekonecne dluohe noci probdene v autobuse si vystupujeme na thajskych hranicich! Misto kde nase druha polovina cestovani zacina a zaroven prvni zkousky odvahy...Po cekani ve fronte, Ricki dostava razitko pouze na 15 dni a me misto razitka posilaji vyplnit formular na zadost o viza..Samozrejme osklivy tlusty komunista ktery byl hlavnim urednikem si me vychutna, nejvetsi buzerace, od penez, otisku prstu az po narceni ze na pasove fotce nejsem ja..? Kdyz uz se pomalu nervove hroutim prichazi Ricki ze autobus na nas neceka a vlastne uz i odjel..Tak tady zacina opravdove cestovani :) Nakonec jsem dostala tez 15 (misto nasich ocekavanych 30 dni a bez poplatku-s nasim nestestim se vizove podminky zmenili jen nekolik dni pred nasim prijezdem takze jsem vubec nevedeli co se deje), ale tak nic nam nezbylo, a my se jakymsi cestovnim prostredkem dostavame do mesta ze ktereho kupujeme jizdenky primo na znami ostrov Ko Samui! Tam nabirame zpet ztracene stesti a potkavame cecha Pavla!! Konecne po vic jak 3 mesici!! Pavel jede na samy ostrov jako my, tak super, po 7 hod nasedame na trajekt, a na vecer uz nas Pavel bere do hotelu! Cerpame energii a jeste teze noci se seznamujeme s Nemkou ktera ma bungalov vedle nas a uz nam dohazuje super levne pronajmuti skutru! A tak jezdime kolem ostrova, navstevujeme vodopady, hadi a krokodyli show, pote zkousime stesti na imigracnim kde dostavame prodlouzeni na pouhych 7 dni (za nehorazny poplatek.!!), uzivame si Vanoce na plazi, nevynechavame Thajskou masaz, manikuru, pedikuru, pronajem vodnich skutru, a romanticke vecere na plazi! Jedeme se podivat na Opici show, a take zacinaji pripravy na Silvestra..!!Slavime na plazi, ja u nepocitatelneho mnozstvi 'Mojita' a Ricki mixuje (taky tak potom dopada.:), o pulnoci zacina nekoncici ohnostroj podel plaze a proste super party, jeden z nezapomenutelnych Silvestru.. Posledni den jdeme na pivo s Pavlem, do slovenske hospody, kde to samozrejme nekonci u piva, a ja se pro jednou citim jako doma obklopena cechy a slovaky..! Temer po 2 a pul tydne opoustime Ko Samui, krasny ostrov a nekokenecne mnozstvi zazitku...
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