What definitely couldn't be missing in Koh Samui? Of course, a fantastic day at the beach!! We spent it at the beautiful beach of Lamai, just around the corner from our accommodation. The weather did us a favor and showed itself from its best side after a long time... the thermometer showed a crispy 30 degrees - perfect! With the foresight that this could possibly be our last 'good weather day', we treated ourselves to huge bean bags right in the front row. Super comfortable! Cold drinks and plenty to watch. An absolutely successful day!
The next day, we decided to go on a scooter tour. Not somewhere, but into and through the jungle, with the destination 'Big Buddha' on the other side of the island. Let us tell you, dear friends, there was always a thrill. The roads we drove on were absolutely unsuitable for inexperienced drivers. Asphalted roads were rare and if they existed, they eventually disappeared. 90% of the time, we were driving on uneven sandy ground, uphill and downhill. If it had only been the sandy ground...?! Again and again, actually the whole time, there were incredibly large holes in the ground that could have been really dangerous. Sometimes we had to get off the scooter and push. We didn't have the best weather and it started raining from time to time. Sand + Rain = slippery mud. Usually, off-road safaris take place on these routes and we drove along with our 3,30 Euro scooter. If only the rental company had known :)
Over rocks and stones, we went back to the main road towards 'Big Buddha'. Beautiful to look at but with little flair, this oversized Buddha statue presented itself. We only stayed for a short stop and instead took care of eating. After all, priorities must be set. In the evening, only the daily shopping and the obligatory end-of-day beer were on the agenda.
For the next day, we booked a quad tour. Just the right thing for the two of us crazy people. In the morning, it was pouring rain again... we wondered if the tour would really take place? We called the organizer. They assured us that everything would proceed as planned. Punctually picked up, we picked up another couple and drove to the starting point of the tour. All participants had driven quads several times before, so after a tiny briefing, we were ready to go. From the very beginning, the tour guide set a great pace and we followed him in first and second position. The paths we drove on were covered with sand, big stones, and gravel. Of course, in the middle of the jungle and without any barriers. A proper off-road tour... exactly what we wanted! After a few meters, Jessy noticed that her quad was difficult to handle. She reduced the speed to check what could be causing it. The quad kept swerving and it took a lot of effort to drive in a straight line - if even possible. Within 30 seconds, she veered right and then directly left into a bush, barely able to control the quad and bring it back on the road. Nevertheless, Jessy thought that it might simply be due to her lack of driving skills... after all, her last tours were a while ago ?!? With a growing sense of unease, she slowed down her pace and the distance to Thimo driving in front of her increased. In the end, it didn't matter because every 2-3 minutes, the tour guide stopped to check on the rest of the group. However, it happened anyway... Jessy and her quad fell down a pretty steep hill and she injured her shin. Due to the reduced speed, the accident happened at a relatively slow pace - thank goodness!! While rushing down the hill, she managed to keep the quad stable on her left side. So it didn't have a chance to flip over. Not yet... It's difficult to say exactly what happened, but the quad probably hit a tree trunk and ended up flipping over. Unfortunately, right onto Jessy's shin. In shock and without feeling any pain, Jessy immediately stood up and wanted to push the quad back up the hill to continue driving. Between us - she would never have managed that :) . The second tour guide, who was at the end of the caravan, rushed down immediately and asked if everything was okay. After a quick affirmation, Jessy checked her body again for injuries and noticed the actually unmistakable wound. With the remark: 'Sorry, maybe we should go to the hospital after all?', the tour guide also took a closer look. After a short 'Fuck', he helped her up the hill and they drove together towards the quad base. In the first moment, Thimo couldn't make sense of why Jessy was sitting on a quad with the tour guide and making a face. After all, he hadn't seen the accident. After a short call from Jessy and the subsequent scrutinizing glance from Thimo, it was clear to him that the tour was probably over. Upon arriving at the base, we went straight to the hospital. She was immediately taken to the operating room in a wheelchair and treated right away. The flesh wound was cleaned, excess skin was removed, and it was stitched up with 7 stitches. They also briefly took care of the smaller abrasions. There were great doctors and nurses. They treated the wound with humor and extreme care. Jessy felt well taken care of there. Thimo also had an important role to play, he got to hold her hand while they administered the anesthetic. Squeeze it tight!! Because the moment when three injections in a row were injected into the open wound was the most painful and she couldn't help but let out a short scream. Everything went smoothly and after about 30 minutes, it was all done. With a bag full of medication and some prohibitions, we made our way back to the accommodation. Now it was time to recover the costs of 230 euros and contact the tour organizer for further steps. With Hanse Merkur as the insurer, we probably made a good choice. After a short and friendly phone call, we were informed about the procedure and could take care of the next point. We called the tour organizer and asked about the further procedure. They told us that only the throttle was defective and we wouldn't have to bear any costs. Genius! At least something! The whole thing seemed a bit suspicious to us because even though there was a defect, we wouldn't have to pay for it? Unusual for Thailand but better for us! And so we spent the rest of the day making phone calls, drinking cold beer, and having plenty to talk about on the balcony.
In the days before our departure, Koh Samui unfortunately did not show itself from its best side. The rain just wouldn't stop and the temperatures sometimes dropped to 24 degrees. During this time, you definitely had more luck in Germany :) As a conclusion, we can say that we liked Koh Samui the best, followed by Chiang Mai. We had a really great accommodation, were surrounded by friendly people, had great beaches, good restaurants and bars, and simply had a great time.
