Over Budget and Under Dressed
Koh Samui, 27th March 2002
Today was a relaxing day. I was naughty and went over budget, but
these things happen when you go shopping!
 I
decided to visit the most popular beach on Ko Samui, Chaweng Beach.
After a long Sawngthaew ride and a short walk I found myself at one
end of Chaweng village. It's quite different to sleepy old Manaem!
Because Chaweng is such a popular destination, many businesses have
taken advantage of it and there are plenty of shops strewn along
it's main street. Examples include McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza
Hut, Starbucks plus plenty of clothes shops, gift shops, expensive
hotels and expensive health spas.
You may remember that the 4 of us bought lots of CDs in Bali where
there's a big market in cheap, copied CDs. Well the same is true
here, except the copies are much better quality, especially the
cases & inserts. When I listened to a few of them, they sounded
great too, so I treated myself to a few CDs. I also did a bit of
clothes shopping. To western folk, it makes sense to wear shorts in
hot countries like Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. However, in many
towns and villages in these countries, the locals prefer to modestly
cover up by wearing long trousers and shirts, even on sweltering hot
days. If you don't want to offend anyone or stick out like a sore
thumb, it's best to follow suit and cover up as well. As I've only
got one pair of trousers, I hunted down another pair. Now I've got 2
pairs of trousers, 2 pairs of shorts and 4 T-shirts! What a massive
wardrobe (not!).
 Of
course, as I was in Chaweng, I had to check out the beach, and WOW!
It's easy to see why this is the most popular beach on Ko Samui.
Sure, it's the most crowded, but it's easy to see why! The perfect
golden beach, the perfect shimmering waves and the stunning backdrop
make this an amazing beach resort. Unfortunately, because I'd got a
bit sunburnt over the past couple of days, I'd resolutely not
brought my swimming stuff with me. I wasn't going to allow myself a
day in the sun until I'd had a couple of days for my skin to
recuperate. I was very upset I couldn't use this amazing beach in
this sweltering weather, but not bringing my swimming stuff had done
what it was supposed to!
I soon headed back to Maenam and the rest of the day passed
uneventfully. I spent a quiet evening handing in a hammock strung
between two palm trees, reading a book and looking out over the
quiet, golden beach while the sun set behind the still, blue sea.
Quite an idyllic setting! - Oh! It’s a hard life?
Tomorrow will be interesting and a bit more lively, I've booked onto
'Mr Ung's Jungle Safari'! Should be fun!
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