I visited a wellness center / health club on Koh Phangan called Xantiva. Apart from a large gym, there are saunas, a jacuzzi and an ice bath. I decided to be brave and take an icy plunge. I got some advice from a kindly Irishman and managed to stay submerged for a good 30 seconds. In the jacuzzi, I could have easily endured a solid 30 minutes! I alternated with a second ice bath and managed to chill for over a minute. Perhaps my mind is calmer than I thought.
It was good to see several places dedicated to health on such a party island – quite a ‘work hard play hard’ atmosphere. Other spots include the Wonderland Healing Centre, Luna Alignment Yoga, Pure Nature Yoga Therapy, The Wisdom Eye, The Boiler Room, Siam Healing Centre and Bamboo Bay Pilates & Functional Movement Studio. Learning how to move functionally could be quite an experience.
One sunny day I went to a place that sported beach volleyball. There were two sandy courts, and I thought I would watch and wait until a gap opened for an extra player and ask if I could join. Well, the Russians seem to take their volleyball very seriously! No team showed any signs of backing down. Perhaps I would have been out of my depth.
Less active humans were getting actively stoned. I eavesdropped on a couple of conversations. One was about that time trying to smuggle cocaine across the Mexican border.
Biblical rainfall definitely dampened my experience of Koh Phangan. One evening I decided to chance it and ride for 30 minutes to an OXA party. Thunder clapped shortly after I arrived. Lightening then took out a speaker! I had some brief conversations but decided to leave when the rain stopped and the hoards began to wobble towards the action. Many were completely wankered.
The rain continued for another two days straight. There was big old fat rain, sideways rain, stingin’ rain, and some rain that seemed to come up straight from below. Shoot. It even rained at night.
I’m grateful that my time and experiences are not as limited those who decided to spend their precious leave days to have a holiday on Koh Samui. You can feel the disappointment on some of those poor faces. This might sound strange, but one of my personal highlights during a 24/7 downpour, was to unpack my backpack and then carefully discard anything that added weight or took up space.
That can feel like quite an achievement for a long-term traveler.
Next: Koh Samui Nightlife & a Puddle Plunge
Previously: An Evening Naked on Zen Beach on Koh Phangan
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