Serenity Now…. SERENITY NOW!!!

Sunday, August 5, 2007
Ko Samui, Thailand

Well, let me tell you the boys from the 810, or the 734 or the 313 are now living large!  We’ve moved on from traveling on our feet to traveling on our stomach!!  Khun William and Khun Gino have arrived in paradise.

Serenity is the name of the game here.  It starts with a dip in our private plunge pool.. yes you heard that right.  We have our OWN POOL just outside our bathroom double doors.  Add to that the family room, the patio, the queen sized four poster bed with mosquito netting.. this place is about as nice as I’ve ever stayed in.  When looking at the resort map, it turns out being platinum has its advantages as they upgraded me to the second nicest beachside bungalow, behind the “admirals” bungalow, on the resort.  I guess all those nights away from home are paying off.

We were quite ready for this level of pampering if I do say so.  The trip from Ko Phi Phi was quite an excursion.  First the cattle car ferry ride from the island to the mainland.  Not more than 1 square meter of deck space was available for anythying.  Then the transfer from the docs to the “VIP A/C tour coach” which turns out to be about 85 degrees warm and the AC was somebody at the front of the bus blowing across an ice cube hoping to cool the bus off!  Not to mention the bus was designed for people 5’6″ tall and under.  Again, my knees around my ears!  Damnit I’ve hit my head more times in the past week than in the past year!

Then we move from the bus to ANOTHER ferry, this one was MUCH more comfortable but it still took forever to go a very short distance.  We get off and NOBODY knows where our ultra modern and 5 star resort is.  We find out that its because we are on the wrong side of the island and nobody expcects anyone staying at that resort to arrive by ferry carring thier life on thier backs.  Yes.. Gino and are are the picture of what is NOT expected at the Renaissance!

Finally we check in and the begining of serenity is underway.  The dinners at the Renaissance were OUTSTANDING!!!! That is an understatement to say the least.  The first night we opted for traditional Thai.. I went with the duck curry and Gino had a beef fried rice dish.  It was hands down the best meal we’d had in weeks!  Of course, don’t forget the spring rolls.. it wouldn’t be dinner with spring rolls.. or of course Singha Beer 🙂

The first full day we did NOTHING!  Zero! Nada!  OK.. we took a 3 hour walk on the beach and had a great lunch.  We returned to the hotel.. took a plunge in our private pool.. showered and went to dinner at the “western” resturant in the hotel.  Here Gino had lamb chop and I had the chicken breast with aparagus risoto .. but we’re throwing a curveball at you.. we switched it up to a bottle of wine at dinner. …………….. OK.. we had our beer before dinner with our complimentary cocktail nuts, but damnit we haven’t only had beer.

OK.. so maybe we have.. as a matter of fact I have one in my hands right now as I write this.

Today, I went for my final dives.  Two dives off of Ko Tao.  The ride was mostrously rough and long but no seasickness from anyone which boded well for the dive.  The first dive was adequate.  The second dive was good.  On par with the best dive I did in Australia.  Gino sat on his ass again today as the weather was pissy and threatening to rain.  I think after he was done reading the back of the shampoo bottle he was about ready to go bat shit!

Tonight, we went into Lamai beach and had a better than average dinner with .. yes another bottle of wine.  The houskeeping folks forgot to restock our mini bar with Singha so we missed our pre dinner beer.  However as soon as were done with this we’re going to find a few more and proceed to imbibe as ususal.

Tomorrow, well, as they say, its another day.  Who knows what it will bring.  Tune back into the same bat channel and find out what the guresome twosome have in store for you then.

 Bill & Gino