After departing Bangkok by overnight train we were finally on our last leg of the trip to Ko Samui, or so we thought. Once we awoke the next morning fresh from finally sleeping we were told that in the middle of the night the train engine had caught fire and we had suffered a 5 hour delay. So once we did finally get to Surat we caught our connecting bus/ferry to Ko Samui. On arrival a day early for our luxury jungle bungalow we took the cheap option in Chewang centre, a lively tourist spot packed full with shops, suits and bars. After such a long journey with little but no food we spent the night stuffing out in a fish restaurant treating ourselves to another red snapper, after all it was nearly Christmas.

The next morning we called the jungle club to come pick us up as the only vehicles that could reach the place were 4 x 4's and mopeds... After a seriously steep climb we eventually arrived and were greeted by a panoramic view over one side of Samui overlooking Chewang, the Big Buddha and Bo Phut, it was quite breath taking. As we waited for the room we got chatting to a German couple who were on holiday for Christmas in Thailand. After sharing in a few beers and jokes with the owners who were less than amused with my light hearted humor, all be it they were French, enough said I think, we chilled around the pool and in the Hammock outside our hut. Come evening we had been invited to join the Felix and his other half for a night out in Chewang. Sparing the detail which is normally a good approach when I'm out drinking, around five buckets later, a lady boy capouray, two double cheese burgers and a whole lot of dancing we awoke the next day feeling, well ill.

After hearing rumors that the weather was meant to become slightly unsettled we made the most of the 23rd on the beach just at the bottom of the hill called Chewang Noi. The sun was beaming down and we felt that our Christmas get away had begun. After pretty much cramming in the sun we decided to try and walk back up to the club to catch the free shuttle back down at six, proberly not the best move we made, memories flooded back from railay where we had attempted a similar climb although this had a slightly longer feel to it. As we neared the top almost crawling at this point one of the locals living near the jungle club came to our salvation as we jumped in to the back of his pick up and he took us the rest of the way, weary we made it our for a quiet and cheap night in Chewang.

As we awoke on Christmas eve the weather felt slightly more overcast although still with a bit of sun we decided to take a great leap of faith in each other and hire out a moped for the day. On our way down we met an Australian couple, Leon and Lisa who had only arrived in the Jungle club the day before and were also taking a trip to the bike store. After being sown the ropes from Leon a pro biker compared to my standard we set off girls on back and burned it up the northern roads of Ko Samui. As we cruised around we found more secluded beaches to swim and our selves on, while chewing on Thailand best asset, 'Corn on the cob, barbequed in salt' A serious must once back home forget butter! As the day went on we both had heard of the free BBQ in chewang at Ark bar, so we soon zoomed back to make sure we took a share of some free food. Once we arrived back we parked up the bikes and soon joined a western party on the beach, beer flowed conversation's echoed around and the food was stored like hamsters on heat. Once the freebies had gone we moved to the next bar for their free BBQ.. only joking we went in and sat with an infamous ordainment that still sits in my room to this day, 'a she sha' the memories flooded back from Egypt where I think Rachel and me smoked till we dropped. Unfortuanly I decided that it would be a good idea to talk a 3 year old on at connect 4 for 50 baht. In the bag I thought, it took 60 seconds, and she had robbed me of 50 baht. One would have though I may have learnt my lesson from challenging Thai girls young or old to games! Long in to the evening we both sent our Christmas messages up in a make shift lantern on the sea front and retired for the night, although not before getting the bikes up the mountain we had decided to stay on and that was some what of a laugh after only learning how to use the dam thing only hours before. We did however make it up in one piece, just.

Come Christmas morning the weather was as expected for the British very wet... although not too cold. Feeling slightly disappointed we kept the bikes out and set off for the southern end of the island as the beach seemed a bit of a write off. We drove up in to the hills and checked out some of Samui's water falls although that was cut quite short with monsoon rains driving in. Wet but safe we came back down and went on a drive to just check out the sights of Lamai, Ban kao and Taling Ngam. Rachel took to the driver's seat and headed down the highway like a Greaser from 1970, her road skills were impressive considering the rain hammering her from all directions. However when the rain became too intense we pulled over and for shelter although looking at Rachel she defiantly needed it, wind swept would have been an understatement. Later on in the day we bumped in to Beau and Lachie an Aussy pair we had met in Ko Phi Phi and orangised a meet for later in Chewang with Leon and Lisa. After drying up we set off to celebrate Christmas, the way we had panned for the evening although the day's plans had been floored, we dined with the biggest red snapper imaginable with bottles of Chang and garlic on tap. The night went on with more of the same after hooking up with the others, we ventured to the Christmas special at Christies, (lady boy Cabaret) and spent eh night on the beach with 7 Eleven bottles of beer, cheap and cheerful.

The next few days have very much been spent with many restrictions, the weather has been pretty bad which has very much hampered any plans. We were going to head to Ko Tao for a couple of days but considering the cost of the boat across and that we would only get one full day there we decided that due to the weather we would sack it off and cheap it in Samui. Having left the Jungle club in the worst rain yet we headed to the northern tip of Samui called Bo Phut and have took shelter here, awaiting our ferry to ko Phangan for the New years eve full moon party, an unforgettable night I would imagine.