One chapter ends...

Yesterday, Laura left to fly to Bangkok and then back to the States. I am back on Koh Samui after two days on Koh Tao and one on Kofi Anan (Koh Phangan), and headed to Bangkok with Denise and Amelia later this afternoon. Tomorrow morning, I fly to Beijing to meet up with Nisha and start my last three weeks of this trip, all of them in China. It's weird how quickly this has all gone by, and that I have what feels like an entirely new trip starting tomorrow.

Koh Phanagn: hilarious. We're on an island that is paradise for ravers once a month, and the rest of the month it appears to be in some sort of bewildered recovery. Many of the tourists there are young hipster types, wandering around as if they're still hungover or stoned three days after the party ended. We saw a guy wearing a homemade brace from some kind of injury. We watched as a series of messed-up looking 20 somethings tried to jump a rope that had been lit on fire and was being offered as entertainment in a bar. Many of them got hit, which explained why we saw so many people earlier in the week with random burns on them. It was a very memorable 4th of July-- with the flaming jump rope standing in for the usual fireworks show, and Singha and hookahs on the beach replacing my usual family barbecue. We did not partake of the buckets of liquor with mixers available for sale at the many stands on the beach. I was told by yet another European tourist that I look like Angelina Jolie.

It's nice to be back in big touristy Koh Samui, which has the nicest beach we've seen and some fantastic food. I am going to get my third Thai massage in five days after I post this. Thai massage is the greatest thing on the planet. I've never been a big massage person, but this is the form that was made for me. Not too much pressure, but also not just an hour of sustained oily rubbing. And for about half the time, they stretch you out which is amazing and is helping the fact that I have not done pilates in almost a month.

OK. Time to make the most of my last three hours here. The next time I post, I will likely be in Beijing. Goodbye, Thailand!