Oh what a life...

Despite it raining on and off the past 3 days, I have never felt more relaxed. Coming off the plane into Bangkok was like a breath of fresh air. You could feel the excitement in the atmosphere of the travelers heading to their holiday destinations. It was strange seeing so many foreigners and Europeans, people speaking a million different languages dressed in everything from sundresses to parkas. After being in China for 4 months, it was strange seeing so many other foreigners all in one place. It was my first time seeing more then a handful at a time, like I usually do in China.

Arriving in Koh Samui was so easy. Everyone here speaks English and getting what you need is not a problem. Experiencing Thailand is completely different then experiencing China. This is a vacation spot that people come to from all over the world. There are so many western restaurants, bars and people. Whereas in China, you often don't see many familiar faces and it is hard because very few people speak English. I guess what I'm trying to say is that life is easy here in Thailand, as it should be - it's a world famous vacation spot! Being so far removed from this type of lifestyle for 4 months, it has been a little strange the first couple of days adjusting back to a relaxing atmosphere where anything you want is only a request away. Not to mention followed by a bow and 'thank you'.

Yesterday was amazing. I layed out in the sun all day and read a book and listened to my ipod. When it started to rain, we went to a bar and had a few beers. Then on the way back to the hotel we got massages. The massage parlor was on the beach on the second floor of an open building. I layed on a mattress and looked out to the ocean as I had my first ever Thai massage. It was heaven! I had heard Thai massages could be painful but mine felt delightful, getting out all the kinks.

On another note, I saw my first Muay Thai boxing match on Christmas Day! There were 6 different fights, the first being a 70 lb weight class! When the fighters first came out I thought it was a joke, they were little kids dressed in gloves and robes and couldn't have been more then 8 years old! They started the match and the kids fought doing kicks, punches, side sweeping, etc - it was truly a sight to see. The matches continued with more kids probably around 12 years of age, then to another fight where they were around 16 and finally to the 'real' fights where they were probably from 18-25. I didn't think I would like it that much because I have never been a fan of boxing but I actually really enjoyed it. Muay Thai has an art to it and consists of kicking, punching and different holds. We saw one guy get knocked out and most of the fights went 5 rounds each with 3 minutes. I got some video and will post it when I get back. Tonight is the lady boxing match so I definitely plan to go watch that and see how the girls kick ass here in Thailand! (I plan on taking a few notes to go along with my Taekwondo!)