Just like in the US the day after Thanksgiving all the Christmas stuff is put out and you start to hear Christmas music in the stores and bars. 

We took an elephant ride up a very steep trail in order to view a waterfall. It's not easy staying onboard at such an angle. 

This monkey has a thing for cameras. He climbed right up on me and went for the camera i my shirt pocket. We had a tug of war for the camera and luckily I won. 

This monkey is trained to retrieve coconuts from the palm trees on the island (in fact before the tourists arrived this island was known primarily for its coconuts). 

Buildings were built right up to the water line. 

The seas were rough while we were there. So swimming wasn't advised. 

On Ko Samui

The airport at Ko Samui. That's Terminal 1 straight ahead. 

Beem likes the whole fish for breakfast. 

Breakfast

Everyone once in a while I like to get breakfast western style and this is what it looks like here. 

You poor water in the outer ring and that's used to boil the vegetables and shrimp. The center is reserved for the meat. 

It turns out that we got enough food for four during out first trip through the buffer line. next time I'll estimate better.

What looks like a pot and a strange lid in the center of the table is is really a metal ring and the cooking surface. Below the cooking surface is a bucket of glowing coals that's brought to your table when you start to cook. 

Beem is starting to collect the veggies 

You choose from a huge selection of vegetables, meats and seafood. It's all labelled in Thai only so this is not a tourist oriented place. 

Bar B Q

We ate at this Bar B Que buffet place a bit off the beaten path. The cost was $2.50 per person for all you can eat. 

we sat at the beach for hours watching everyone come down to release the krathongs, set off fireworks, and firecrackers.

wherever you sit there' s someone around who is willing to sell you food or drink and the Thai's like to eat a lot during the day and night. 

Also this evening people shoot off firecracker and other fireworks and the do so whereever they feel like it. Someone set off a very large firework from the beach near us. It sounded like a mortor going off.

Another popular activity is show here. They light a fuse inside a fireproof lightweight bag and let it rise like a hot air balloon. They were all over the sky. When the fuse burns out the bag returns to earth. So it was raining bag (and some still lit fuses that fell out of the bags all over the city last night). 

wading out into the water to release the krathong 

Everyone gets dressed up for the Loy Krathong ceremony which involves floating the boat out to sea to get good luck. 

All Krathongs have banana leaves at the bottom and a candle an incense sticks... after that it's up to the designer 

the all important test to see if it floats 

Loy Krathong

On the day of Loy Krathong ladies go out and get supplies and make Krathongs which are little boats made out of banana leaves and flowers 

you could even get a massage in the middle of the street 

Loy Krathong eve

Every night this road in town is closed to vehicles and becomes "walking street". Due to the upcoming Loy Krathong holiday they not only closed the street but they added street vendors to the center of it.

Loy Krathong is one of the biggest holidays of the year and comes at the end of the rainy season (the other big holiday Songkran is at the start of the rainy season). 

This is Beem who I met briefly last visit and kept in contact with the last few months. I'm sweltering in the heat and she's wearing two layers of clothing as well as long pants and is completely comfortable. 

We had dinner right along the beach at the hotel next Jack's condo. It's too dark to see the water unfortunately.