Ko Samui, Exotic Fruits, Baby Elephants, and Don't BUG ME!

Looks like a postcard. The water was very shallow, even at high tide.

Julie arrived on my Birthday, from Los Angeles and it just so happened that her friend's Danny & Devon were visiting Thailand with their two kids. We headed to their hotel for a spontaneous good time, complete with baby elephants, cocktail twirling bartender (Tom Cruise type) and birthday sweets on the house!

This little fellow decided it was time for a swim

Julie gets a hug. He also wrapped his trunk around her neck and planted a wet smelly kiss on her cheek.

A roll in the sand after his swim.

After playing with the elephants and feeding them bananas, we nestled in at the outside Bistro for some cocktails. The staff were "Thai Smile" and entertained us with bottle tossing, magic tricks, and  birthday cakes. What a great way to spend my Birthday.

Birthday sweets, on the house!

Devon, Danny, birthday cookie, Julie, and captain Ron.

 Ko (means island) Samui is Thailand's third largest island and one of the original islands that started the backpacker migration to Thailand. The island has matured into an all around tourist beach resort destination but you can still find some unspoiled beaches if you rent a car and explore the back roads. For all the "to-touristy" talk, Samui is unappreciated for it's size and beaches: we rented a car and traveled from the beautiful over the top Renaissance Marriott to the sleepy and rustic Lepia Lodge. 

Julie arrived just in time for my Birthday and traveled with us the next day to Ko Samui

Our Authentic Thai Bungalow. Very clean and lovely.

 The island's ring road is 100km in total. Chaweng is the hot spot and has a long, wide fabulous beach dotted with beach bars and cafe's. The Marriott was located at the end of Chaweng and their beachfront was less then desirable. We checked out and went in search of some real Thai community living where we could nosh at roadside curry shacks or grab a cup of bad coffee at the morning market with chatty vendors.

After morning market we found Nikki Beach, which was just down the sand from Lepia Lodge. The ocean was blue as the sky and the bottom all sand with no rocks. Yeah!

Pool at Lepia Lodge.

White Sand on Lamai Beach. Lepia Lodge

Beach at Lepia Lodge

Nikki Beach has brought their savoir faire to the secluded west coast and you can expect everything you would from a chic address in St Barts or St Topaz. Even though it was high season there were no jet-setters, themed beach parties or masses coming through during the week. In fact, there were very few people at all, so we had the whole place to ourselves, lounging about on the grand sofa beds, swimming in the beautiful infinity pool, and even catching a movie on the beach!

Nikki Beach sofa beds overlooking the sea. The staff is awesome; they lay out  an orange beach towel and fluff up a couple of pillows for you.

Ron opted for a Peaceful nap, while Julie and I sipped watermelon Martini's and chowed down on some overpriced appetizers.
 

We met these two lovely lady attorneys having fun at Nikki Beach. Jen (left) and Estrella (right) Jen was from Brooklyn, New York and worked in the family law firm. Jen's father and her two siblings are all attorney's! Jen's last name is Held, so the firm is; Held, Held, and Held....can please hold?  Estrella (Star) was from Miami and of Cuban heritage. Amazing women, great minds, beautiful smiles and lots of fun. Estrella is a travel writer and Jen books the itineraries.  Thanks for the company and hope your trip home was pleasant.

Movie night on the beach! My favorite Western and Popcorn!!!

Water Lilly

No kidding! This is for real!! At the south end of Lamai Beach you will find the infamous Hin-Ta and Hin-Yai stone formations providing endless giggles from tourist and locals alike. Locals refer to the rocks as Grandfather and Grandmother. Hard to imagine they were shaped into their current formation over thousands of years!

Mangosteene

Nutrition value per 100 g (Source: USDA National Nutrient data base)
Principle	Nutrient Value	Percentage of RDA
Energy	63 Kcal	3%
Carbohydrates	15.6 g	12%
Protein	0.50 g	1%
Total Fat	0.4 g	2%
Cholesterol	0 mg	0%
Dietary Fiber	5.10 g	13%
Vitamins
Folates	31 µg	8%
Niacin	0.286 mg	2%
Pantothenic acid	0.032 mg	<1%
Pyridoxine	0.041 mg	3%
Riboflavin	0.054 mg	4%
Thiamin	0.054 mg	4.5%
Vitamin A	35 IU	1%
Vitamin C	7.2 mg	12%
Electrolytes
Sodium	7 mg	0.5%
Potassium	48 mg	1%
Minerals
Calcium	5.49 mg	0.5%
Copper	0.069 mg	7%
Iron	0.17 mg	2%
Magnesium	13.9 mg	3.5%
Manganese	0.10 mg	4%
Phosphorus	9.21 mg	1%
Zinc	0.12 mg	1%
Phyto-nutrients
Carotene-α	1 µg	--
Carotene-ß	16 µg	--
Cryptoxanthin-ß	9 µg	--

Mangosteen plant is an evergreen, erect tree reaching about 20- 60 ft in height. It commonly found in tropical rainforests of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines as well as in some cultivated lands in Sri Lanka, and India, where annual precipitation and relative humidity are favorable for its growth. Fresh purple fruits are available in the markets from June until October.
Each tree bears several deep purple colored round shaped fruits, capped with light green calyx at the stem end. Fully matured fruit measures about 3-7 cm in diameter. Its outer tough rind is about 7-12 mm thick, contains bitter yellow latex that stains clothes black.
Internally; the fruit features 4 to 10 juicy, snow-white color, soft, fleshy triangular segments as in oranges. Each segment may contain 1-4 off white colored seeds. Seeds are inedible and bitter in taste. The flavor of fruit is sweet, fragrant, and delicious.

Unique for its appearance and flavor, mangosteen is often revered as queen of the tropical fruits, especially in the oriental regions. This exotic, purple color tropical-fruit is quite popular for its snow-white, juicy, delicious arils all over the Asian countries and in recent years grabbing the attention of European and American fruit lovers as well!
Botanically the fruit belongs to the family of Clusiaceae, of the genus: Garcinia. Scientific name: Garcinia mangostana.
There is a legend about Queen Victoria offering a reward of 100 pounds sterling to anyone who could deliver to her the fresh fruit. Although this legend can be traced to a 1930 publication by the fruit explorer, David Fairchild, it is not substantiated by any known historical document, yet is probably responsible for the uncommon designation of mangosteen as the "Queen of Fruit".

It is necessary to eat the Mangosteen grown within three or four degrees of latitude of the equator to realize at all the attractive and curious properties of this fruit.
 "No other fruit, for me, is so thrillingly, intoxicatingly luscious...I'd rather eat one than a hot fudge sundae^. Since 2006, private small volume orders for fruits grown in Purto Rico were sold to American gourmet restaurants who serve the aril pieces as a delicacy dessert.

After a few days work at the boat we decided we needed a night out in Patong. We mingled amongst the jugglers and the clowns,  the ping pong girls, snake charmers, and red light haunts; dancing to a live band that actually played excellent music.

Julie and Vanessa

Ron was our designated driver

Revving up for a night out in Patong

 Two years ago, Slow Dance docked for several weeks in Roratonga, Cook Islands. It was here that we met Brad and became fast friends with the crazy Aussie. Brad was in Bangkok on business and afterward, flew down to Phuket to spend a week with us. It was great to see him again  after a few years (who would have thought) and although it rained most of the week we had a great time. We discovered some new beaches and took Brad to Rawai, where you pick your own seafood and then the restaurant cooks it up for you in various different ways; your choice.

At our favorite restaurant and Bar, Panwa Bay. Brad sitting on Ron's lap.

Bay near our Condo

BIG Shrimp Tempura.....Yummy!

Pick your Fish. We had the red snapper and large shrimp prepared two different ways.

Large Colorful Lobster

 There is a large market in the heart of Phuket where we go to buy fruits and vegetables, for a third of the cost in the big Supermarkets, and much fresher, like, right from the farm. Also available are fresh noodles for my Pad Thai (which has been perfected), spices, flowers, fresh grated coconut, and a wide variety of the weird to the bizarre! There were things I just wouldn't eat. (Pictures, not for the squeamish.)

Fresh Flowers

Pig Heads. UGH!!!

Skinned Birds? Defiantly looks birdlike.

Bull Frogs. Wonder if they eat the whole frog or just the legs. Who started eating frogs anyway? Is that why French people are called froggie?

I think it's EEL? I hope not Unagi.

Who would eat a poor little Turtle?

Every Saturday and Sunday there is a Huge Market in Phuket and we went to have a look.

The Tasty BUG BAR. Roasted exactly to your liking. 

Grasshoppers

Yes,Roasted Cockroaches and they had HUGE ones as well. UGH and double UGH!

The rainy season comes and goes, and we have had three days now of consecutive sunshine. No rain is predicted until Thursday. The reprieve has allowed the painters to finish painting Slow Dance super structure and she looks magnificent; all shiny and gleaming! The welding of the keel continues and the guys are awesome! Ron say's no other shipyard would do what he is having done here. If the work had it been done anywhere else, a Hazard Unit would have been required! The Black Water tank and Grey Water Tank were pitted and corroded. All new steel has been welded on after repairs. Big Job, but much needed to keep Slow Dance from sinking. We made it just in time for this much needed refit.

V & V in the rain. It's actually really warm outside with 80% Humidity.

 Vanessa flew out this morning to Vientiane Cambodia to obtain a 90 day double entry Visa for Thailand. She

At lunch with Vanessa

The shipyard. That's little Slow Dance covered in white tarp, in-between those HUGE Fishing boats.

Good Bye and Good Night for now.....more to come.

Pad Thai with Chicken. Fresh Salad with Thai dressing

Green Mango Salad with fresh toasted coconut, peanuts, shredded green mango, sprouts, cilantro, fresh lime and dressing from Tamarind. Yummy!