Shop, pamper, eat, repeat

Back in Chiang Mai (after the hellacious Thom Lod ordeal) we spent an evening at a popular Thai hangout where karaoke singers belted hits by artists such as R Kelley and the Spice Girls. This was also the first time we were served food at the Thai level of spicyness (rather than the toned down western variation) and though we felt hardcore at the time, the intense heartburn that followed was a reminder that we are "farang" (foreigners) after all.

(In the back of a "red car." Kind of a taxi, kind of a camper.)

We spent a full day shopping in boutiques, malls and markets, where we took turns bartering and learned that most things here are one size fits all, and that size is XS. The grueling heat required that we take an intermission for a "deluxe" mani-pedi that set us each back a mere $10. Steal! All that shopping really takes it out of you, so we hit up a spa the next morning before heading to the airport. Lucky for us, the massage ended with a bonus treatment: prom-worthy up-dos!

 

Two flights (and two mysterious in-flight meals) later, we arrived on the island of Koh Samui just in time for the daily downpour. We ate by candlelight (electricity is about as regular as BMs in Thailand) and practiced our newfound bartering skills at a night market. Sunday morning we ferried to the tiny island of Koh Tao, again, just in time for a torrential downpour, and we'll be drying out on the beach for the next 4 days. Rough life.