A Bike, a Bingle and a 180B

This weeks excitement seems to stem from a complete disregard for a number of key maternalistic and social conditioning messages.  
 
Message number 1 -  Don't ride a motorbike without a helmet.
 
Sound advice.  But in Thailand, also easily ignored.   But what about knee pads?  Thursday was Julie's first time on a motorbike, and, coincidentally, also Julies first time OFF a motorbike.  Not to worry.  The bike survived to tell the tale and Julie has managed to keep elastoplast profits at an all time high.  You can explore the entire island on scooters which we hired for around $10 a day.  A much easier way to get around than using a Datsun 180B.
 
Message number 2 - Don't accept lifts with strangers. 
 
All considered another sound piece of advice unless you are stranded in the middle of nowhere because some idiot didn't give exact specifications to the taxi driver.  Sure - where we got dropped off is close to the village we wanted to go to, but then on a global scale Melbourne is close to Sydney.    After wandering hopefully for about 1km along a dirt road, one of the locals (many of whom had been pointing, laughing, and asking us where we were going) stopped us and asked if we wanted a taxi.  Sounded like a good idea.  So he bundled us both into the back of his Datsun 180B, put his learner-driver brother behind the wheel, and sent us on our way.   But yes, we got there in the end.
 
Koh Samui is a nice enough place if you can fight your way through the pale English tourists complaining about the heat and the shape of the chips.  Then there are the dour looking Germans.  Try not to mention the war.   All in all this is mostly still a party town.  Taxis with loud speakers blaring out the abilities of the local ('resident') English DJ's and people with cockeny accents trying to sell you time share (Only if you are over 35, Married and away from home for less than six weeks).  All in all an interesting enough place with more than enough personality.  Managed to add to the tattoo collection whilst I was here. 
 
The business class flight from Sydney to Bangkok was just fantastic - we had the new Qantas sleeper seats.  Would have been nice to have been ablt to explore Bangkok for a day or two but our schedule didn't allow time.   We leave Koh Samui tomorrow for Hong Kong for 2 nights before our next adventure in Victoria Falls.
 
More soon. 
 
Ric.