Koh Sumet

Koh Sumet is very quaint.  Very touristy as well, but during the off season it was quiet and kind of cozy.

The speedboat ride over to the island was pretty exciting in itself, and at the end of this ride we were let off, luggage and all, at the shore, but not on the shore.. :P

Apparently the rainy season in Thailand is just starting now.  We have a pretty good downpour about once every day now, and when it rains here, it REALLY rains.  It rained a good portion of the weekend unfortunately, but it was still a great time.

The beaches here are beautiful.  Such white sand, and much bigger waves than I'm used to at Lake Manitoba!  I've heard that this beach is pretty ugly compared to the beaches that I'll be seeing in the south at the end of my trip (Phuket and Phi Phi).

I've been hearing so much about Thai massages that I figured I should indulge at least once while I'm here.  As if lying on a beach in Thailand wasn't relaxing enough in itself... 

The fire dancers in Koh Sumet were amazing - such skill and coordination.  I've never seen fire dancing before.  It was quite mesmerizing to watch.

I also drank out of my first bucket this weekend (or rather shared a couple with Lori).  This in itself is a big deal because this is very much a Thailand thing.  

Every bar/club has a deal on buckets.  The most commonly purchased bucket seems to be Samsung (Thai whiskey) and Coke.  A bucket can usually be purchased for under 300 baht (under $10) and each bucket contains a full mickey of alcohol.

Nothing encourages conversation more than a bucket full of a delicious ice cold beverage of your choice and 5 straws.