yesterday was brutal for all of us. well...not that it was a horrible day at all...it's more that we are *feeling* the activities of yesterday. the day started off with us jumping on a speedboat, first to pick up some other people at koh pha ngan and then off to the marine park. we were all riding at the front of the boat, with julia & i sitting on top, catching the cool breeze. little did we know how rough the trip would be---we were going against the current and hitting some major waves. anna would bounce above her seat like a foot before landing hard back down. julia & i were constantly getting splashed by water. it was crazy! anyhow, after enduring that for a bit, we finally landed at the marine park's headquarters, which was this island paradise, for lunch. ah--what an oasis this place was, especially after our long, bouncy boat ride. after eating, we jumped in some kayaks for a not-as-exciting-as-we-had-expected-it-to-be kayak trip around the park...which was really just going in a big circle around a smaller island. after getting back, we just swam and lay in the very soft, white sand. we then jumped back in the boat to head to another small island (the whole marine park is made up of 42 small islands) where we climbed up to the top for a gorgeous view of the islands, in addition to viewing the "Emerald Lake", a lake whose source of water comes from a small tunnel fed from the water. This lake was the "inspiration" for The Beach. Afterwards, we got back in the boat for a much nicer, cruising ride back to Koh Samui.



In the evening, Anna & I indulged in another massage at this place that we have now called the "Temple of Love"--really, there's just a lot of red light and red curtains. Very nice.



This morning, we all woke up completely in pain and soreness. Julia & I headed into town to rent a jeep (originally, we were going to get motorbikes...but i freaked out a bit for my own safety)---I'm the driver since a) I know how to drive, and b) I know how to drive manual. But it's so crazy! That is--everyone drives on the left side of the road here, so the whole car is flipflopped around...takes a bit getting used to. The drivers' seat is on the right side of the car, the gear shift is to my left, etc....but it's not too bad. Pretty impressed with myself. Anyhow, so we took the jeep and drove to see the "big buddha"....unfortunately, I started feeling really really faint. The heat plus my soreness plus my sunburns just made me feel awful. perhaps I was dehydrated. Well, whatever it was, we had to go back to our bungalow where I had to pass out for about 2 hours. Ugh. But it was much needed.....after waking up, Anna & I headed to the Peace Tropical Spa for....



...another massage! Ooooh, this one was fabulous. We both got an "oil massage" with some essential oils. This place was just an oasis of relaxation. It was just what we needed....Anna & I were so sore...and after the massage, we felt so much better.



We've been joking with how often we've been getting massages...ah, the luxury. I'm getting spoiled here since it's so freakin' cheap!



Anyhow, we're in Chaweng right now, waiting to get our plane tickets from Surat Thani back to Bangkok (after Anna & I drop Julia off at the Forest Monastery just north of Surat Thani)....and then get dinner and check out the nightlife here.



Whew.