Ko Samui

We had less than 24 hours on Ko Samui, located just an hour and a half offshore in the Gulf of Thailand. It was so little time in fact that we didn't get into the water, pretty as it was.






I did however manage to stumble happily on a local market right outside the pier for the boat off to our next destination



I was on the search for a mango or something similar to eat before we jumped back onto the boat. Instead, I found a market so distinctly Thai, almost frozen in time if it weren't for the styrofoam packaging on some of the food.


It was interesting to walk around, seeing what each vendor had to offer. There was the fruit area



With loads of my new favorite, lychees



The vegetable stands



With fresh corn on the cob boiling away


The squid stand, with fresh squid caught that day


The crab lady



Spices, with at least three kinds of garlic



The various meat stands, filled with just about every part of the animal you could imagine










And the live fish vendors, with live eels...


Fish...



And frogs...



Waiting to become someone's next meal.

Naturally, there were some unknowns, especially when I reached the salted fish stand


While it looked pretty fanned out, I wouldn't consume unless someone told me more information on what the heck that could be.

After seeing that I wasn't going to be able to really fulfill my original quest, I ran across the street to a half street food half restaurant place and was greeted warmly by two ladies, showing me the menu and saying their pad thai was very good. With the one o'clock ferry looming just minutes away, I ordered half a watermelon which they quickly chopped up for me to have it to go



A perfect sweet treat for the ferry to the next island, Ko Tao!