Paradise 2: Rung Arun resort Koh Phangan (in case anyone is doing an internet search)

Follow me up this well formed track!

One lazy day and one active day! We finished off our first lazy day by going back for dinner to where we had lunch where every dish was 50baht, but very tasty, good portions, one lady and her son (10?) to fetch and carry! 

Decided to hire a moped the next day, (for the huge amount of 200baht) well aware it was going to be different from the last time – there are hills here! So off to a waterfall and viewpoint, it was an interesting path to the top, with us obviously wearing ‘sensible’ shoes, not! Good view though, however the waterfall didn’t have much water, so not all it was cracked up to be. 

On the viewpoint

View from the top. The lower slopes are given over to coconut trees

Nellie gets a banana

Came back down to find ‘Nellie’ still patiently waiting – we’d refused the offer of elephant trekking (done it before, and now not sure I really approve of the training methods!) Feed? 50baht? OK £1 to feed Nellie 8 or so little bananas, bargain.

The second viewpoint

The Chinese Temple

On up the road, passed more ‘Nellies and the impressive Chinese Temple, to another view point overlooking the coast, it was again a good view, though we nearly missed it as we couldn’t really believe it was through the abandoned building site! Lunch stop then quick diversion up to another waterfall, even more of a let down, and a very scary track – I walked down most of it! The final stop at the homemade ice-cream place was well worth the trip though. Full day’s use of the moped? No but good day out? Yes. 

The pomegranate quietly growing on its tree...

Back in time to take advantage of the pool in the afternoon, and sample fresh pomegranate from the tree, one minute B is taking a photo of a pomegranate ‘growing’ the next the gardener machetes it off. Good as gold though they shared it with us

Next minute it's an afternoon snack!

Full Moon Party cat showing off her collar

And enjoying a bit of fuss

Came indoors to use the PC accompanied by ‘Full Moon Party’ kitten, who had had enough of the sun, chewing the corner of my book, me, my bikini straps….. One minute she’s asleep, next she’s mewing loudly, it’s something we’ve noticed a lot about Thai cats, they are all very talkative, next she’s ‘pounced’ something and deposits the tiniest gecko on the bed (we’d seen mummy pet gecko when I disturbed her behind the curtains, and daddy lives in the A/C unit and makes a very loud noise out of it at odd times). It did its thing and separated from its tail which carried on wiggling while I whisked the gecko away!

Went to dinner, and discretion overtook us – we stayed here as the big black clouds and the very strong wind suggested we would get drowned if we went out (it had poured down about 15 seconds after we got in the house the previous night). We watched the rain over the sea and the rain over Koh Samui, taking bets with the waiter when it was going to hit, actually I was right and it never really did, though the wind was huge, so rather than lose all the garlic from the dinner we went indoors and ate with a couple, and their 1 ½ (?) yr old daughter originally from NZ, now living in Oz, done lots of travelling, climb, ski, dive mountaineer…. All very interesting!

What we’ve noticed about Thai children is you wave at a toddler, and it may not understand, but when encouraged, they all put their hands together, bow and say ‘Sawadee Ka’ ‘Hello’, they all do this almost before they can stand, it’s lovely.

Breakfast viewpoint. The island to the left is Koh Samui. Our resort is somewhere off to the right before that bit that bulges out with the small island

Afternoon tea and cake!

So another chilling day, after dashing off on the moped to a temple and viewpoint before breakfast, 24 hour hire, so thought we’d make the most of it. Started off in the shade on the beach in a gale protected by 'big' and 'aloof' dogs, it was only when it stopped blowing I realised I could feel my skin tingling, but it was a lovely temperature, popped out for lunch, back to the pool, out for tea and cake! Back to the room accompanied by ‘Stripe Nose’ Only to hear ‘FMP’ mewing outside, she was ‘in’ first so let her in too, they got on ok for a bit, but then had a bit of a scrap, so one had to go! Sorry ‘Stripe Nose’ 

Stripe nose demands a bit of attention

But FMP waits patiently

I’m a bit worried she may now be locked out of her house as we’ve been out to dinner (despite the drizzle today, we borrowed a brolly and braved it) and she’s reappeared, and the cat houses are shut, though I don’t know whether she lives in the houses or in the main building. B says she can’t stay the night, as when she is asleep she is sound asleep, but then she wakes up full of bounce and noise!

But then gives up and goes to sleep