Go Thailand: Day 7 – Motorcycle Diaries

Koh Samed is a very small island, for the most part untouched. In a few years, I’m quite certain that will all change. Phuket was once like that; but now is a bustling island resort for the past few years. Koh Samui with their Full Moon Parties are now a haven for tourists.

Derek, Nick and I rented motorbikes for all of yesterday. We rode the entire length of the island and back for the entire day. Nick had done the same ride the day before, so was able to navigate us to specific spots along the way to stop.

I had never driven a motorbike before. Once I relaxed, it didn’t take me long to find my balance and my bearings. I was fortunate there was really only one road for the most part, and everything else just turned off of it. In no time, I was going 40 kph then 60+; there’s nothing like the feeling of driving through the open air. The closest I ever got to this feeling beforehand was over ten years ago driving my Jeep Wrangler with my dog and with the top down. This was infinitely better (though something about having a dog feeling the wind along with you even a motorcycle cannot beat).

We ended up on Sangthian Beach for a wonderful lunch.

I was tired and woke up late the next morning. You can do that on island time without the slightest remorse. Soon after, I was off again on my bike, heading north through town to the very end, stopping as often as I could to take pictures.

The one-street town is really cute, with all sorts of shops, massage parlors, a couple bars, a few restaurants, two 7-11’s across the street from each other, the police station, and a bank.

Past the town, you’ll find the port of entry into Koh Samed (which we avoided since we took a high-speed boat directly to the beach behind the hotel we were staying) and then the beaches where many of the locals would go, quite a bit different than the ones where the tourists frequent. While still beautiful, it’s decidedly dirtier. Past those are still more beautiful resorts, quieter than the ones where we were living.

I could live here.

Before returning the bike later in the morning, I went for two massages in a row.

That’s a great way to end a biking adventure.