Short update from Koh Samui

Hey comrades, we wanted to tell you how much we're enjoying it here on Koh Samui...It's AWESOME! Here, you have the choice whether you want it to be loud or quiet around you, if you want to be alone or surrounded by many people... that's how it should be! We found a suitable accommodation in Lamai. Lamai is the second largest tourist hotspot in Koh Samui and offers vacationers everything their hearts desire. There are bars, restaurants, and plenty of souvenir shops lined up next to each other. There is always something going on and the beach is quickly accessible from any spot in Lamai. Basically a 'place to be' :).

To stay flexible, we quickly rented a scooter again. But the path to get a scooter was long... the first scooter we received was difficult to handle and had bad brakes - exchange! The second scooter simply wouldn't start. The battery was dead. The landlord promptly took out his tools and replaced the battery in a record time of just 20 minutes. When we finally tried to take off, another failure - the 'new' battery was even more empty than the previous one - what a blunder! A bit annoyed, the landlord then gave us a brand new ride, which we gratefully accepted. As they say, all good things come in threes and we could finally take off. And all of this for an unbeatable price of just 3.30 euros per day.

The first few days we spent exploring the island, visiting markets, relaxing on the beach, and just enjoying life.

For the past 4 days, we have moved out of our 'old' accommodation and rented a small apartment with a kitchenette. There we can prepare ourselves a proper breakfast and start the day well fueled. Actually, quite a lucky find... with a spacious balcony, a clean bathroom, and a big bed, we lack nothing here. TOP! Let the journey continue.

So far, notable experiences on Koh Samui were definitely

- our first night out,

- the Thai Metro and the Thai Real (shopping markets), completely identical, just with Thai products,

- a huge wave pool in the sea.

Our night out led us first to a cocktail bar directly located in Lamai. Only 5 minutes by foot. As generous as we are, each of us had 3 cocktails for only 2 euros. Great price, we couldn't resist :).

Then we wandered on and came to a rock bar with live music. SIMPLY AWESOME!!!!! The beer was 3 times more expensive than the cocktails we had before, but this band and the atmosphere were unbeatable. After a short while, we couldn't stay seated anymore and had to dance and sing along. It was super fun!!

Well, after a while, our beer was empty and we had to get more. So, we left the bar, went to the next cocktail stand, 2 euros my friends, 2 euros :), and refilled. We enjoyed one on-site, played a round of 'Jenga', and took the second one with us on the way. We were drawn back to the rock bar.... And we were not disappointed!! WHAT A BAND!! We totally enjoyed it and had a great time there. When our beer was empty once again, we searched for the next 'hotspot', after all, we can sleep when we're old ;) With booming German hits, we were drawn to one of the countless table dance bars, right in the middle of town. Especially for Thimo, things went slightly wrong there because instead of flexible 25-year-olds dancing on the poles, it was a drunk German couple, estimated to be around 70 years old, maybe even 75. HAHAHA...everyone gets what they deserve :D. And Jessy can now say that she would have wished for it - everything is going according to plan :D! It was also super, super funny!

After having a couple of beers, we made our way home, took a quick swim in the pool, and went to bed. After all, we had to check out the next day and there were only 5 hours left. Mhhh... so we got up, of course, just in time and definitely not sober. Like struck by lightning, we gathered our things and made it to the 'check-out' just in time. Alright, let's go to the new accommodation. The landlady of the apartment was already waiting. But there was one small obstacle to overcome. The scooter key didn't fit the scooter lock???!!!??? What had happened from the day before to today with the scooter?? Thimo tinkered with a screwdriver at the lock, trying to achieve some success, which didn't happen. So, we spontaneously decided to rent another scooter, check in at the new accommodation, and then deal with the existing problem. In Thailand, almost everyone offers scooters for rent, so our accommodation had them on offer too. The landlady of the new scooter went with us to the scooter, put the key in the lock, and the scooter started. To our surprise, she went to the scooter we had been tinkering with the whole time... Strange. And then it hit us, 2 scooters, same model, similar colors... We had been trying the whole time to start a scooter that didn't even belong to us! Alcohol had done a thorough job. And this was at half past 12 in the afternoon! In our defense, at least 9 scooters were standing in the backyard :). You can imagine the laughter we had. 2 idiots in one place... In conclusion, the 'check-in' at the new accommodation went well, albeit 30 minutes late.

So now we're in our new accommodation and have the opportunity to prepare our breakfast, and if needed, dinner ourselves.

So off to the next supermarket we go. And here in Lamai, it's like paradise. There is a big 'food market', which is very similar to Metro in Mannheim. More for wholesale, it offers all sorts of goodies. But as big eaters, we can handle the wholesale portions :).

Furthermore, there is also a Tesco, which is very similar to Real-Markt. They have everything from cups, food and drinks, towels, bicycles, clothes, simply everything. We feel comfortable here. The only downside is the always super soft bread. But well, you can't have everything. However, the market offers a range of cheap dining options. Also good :) We like it here!

The last two days, we've been pretty much drowned. Literally drowned. It was raining almost non-stop. When we were on the scooter, suddenly it started pouring rain. Within a minute, we were completely soaked. But this rain was so warm, it was just fun.

The next day, the weather hadn't improved much. But we still wanted to make use of the day and went to the beach before the heavy rain. The storm was already approaching. The sea was very restless. The waves were much bigger than usual and had a lot of power. Of course, we couldn't resist having fun and diving into the waves. After a short time, Jessy had enough out there and preferred to watch the spectacle from the beach. Thimo totally enjoyed it and let himself be carried by the waves, sometimes for minutes at a time. That was also a special experience for us.

In the next few days, there are some highlights on the program. You'll read about them in the next post. We're looking forward to it and you can be excited :)

Until then, dear comrades...take care, stay safe & see you soon! Best regards