A Rambling Writer Rerun: Thailand, part 9: Around Koh Samui
Join Thor and me as we continue our quest Seeking Clarity in tropic realms with great snorkeling. Koh Samui didn’t fit the bill, but was a fascinating destination.
NOTE: Due to health issues, Thor and I haven’t been able to do much travel the past few years, so here’s our Thailand trip from 2020. We were lucky to squeak through the pandemic flight closures that February of 2020 as we returned from our three-week trip. Now crazy times just keep getting crazier. So escape for a few minutes from our new American dystopia to a country as beautiful and colorful as a dream! I’ll interrupt the reruns with occasional book reviews or Geezer Adventures…. (This blog series began 3/15/2025.)
The island of Koh Samui had been recommended as a tropic paradise — and fifty years ago, it was apparently just that for hippie travelers seeking beautiful beaches and thrifty accommodations. Thor and I have been exploring winter destinations where we could spend time warming our arthritic bones, snorkeling, and tickling our travel urges. Thailand is indeed breathtakingly beautiful, with gorgeous temples and incredibly sweet people, but most of the islands have just been loved to death with rampant over-development of tourism. Way too many people for us! But we enjoyed checking out the attractions, and did score a terrific condo rental for a very reasonable price. View from our private deck; on the distant far right is Wat Plai Laem, a temple complex we will visit in next week’s blog post.
As I discussed earlier, the Thais are devout Buddhists, their religion incorporating elements of Hinduism and Chinese art/beliefs. Everywhere are shrines where people “make merit” by leaving offerings. This rather elaborate shrine graced the entrance to our condo.
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You will find The Rambling Writer’s blog posts here every Saturday. Sara’s latest novel from Book View Café is Pause, a First Place winner of the Chanticleer Somerset Award and an International Pulpwood Queens Book Club selection. “A must-read novel about friendship, love, and killer hot flashes.” (Mindy Klasky). It’s also a love letter to the breathtaking wilderness of Sara’s native Pacific Northwest. Sign up for her quarterly email newsletter at www.sarastamey.com
