I awoke to a well timed alarm and finished packing right as our Air BnB host arrived to check us out. Locals from the motorbike shop also pulled up, returning our passports (held for deposit/collateral) and collecting our rental bikes. Morgan, Joseph, and I hopped in a TukTuk and were bound for Haad Rin pier to catch our ferry back to Koh Samui.
At the pier, we got our tickets and then went to a nearby cafe to grab caffeinated beverages, a bite, and work a little while waiting for our ferry. In this coffee shop, they had a bluetooth speaker on the counter that was powered on but not playing any music…. After placing my order, I connected my phone and started playing my Mellow Morning playlist. By time I returned to pick up my prepared iced matcha tea latte, someone had turned the volume all of the way down. Either I had the volume a little too loud for a cafe (it really wasn’t loud…) or I guess not all people appreciate my music tastes. Either way, I think music enhances almost any experience so I kept the tunes rolling in my AirPods.
Our ferry arrived, and we slowly funneled our way through the large crowd of people towards the boarding dock. Unfortunately, the boat reached capacity before we were able to board, so we had to wait for the next ferry. Eventually, we arrived back on Koh Samui, and grabbed a cab back to Lotus Hotel, where we had stayed during our prior visit to Samui. Once again, we were treated by the warm and friendly manager Kun behind the front desk, who helped us check in and book a boat tour for the next day to Angthong National Park.
We dropped off our bags at the room and went to Moonrise Beach Bar. Joseph, Morgan, and I, had dinner with our Russian friend Kris who we had met on Koh Phangan, who also arrived to Koh Samui earlier today before she heads home to St. Petersburg the next day. Moonrise Beach Bar was a bit on the pricier side, but their selection of fresh seafood was stupendous. We collectively shared an appetizer of massive raw oysters and a seafood “bucket” that had crab legs, lobster tail, and prawns. For my course, I got tom yum soup with seafood and noodles and it was the best tom yum dish I have ever had. For fresh seafood at an upscale place right on the beach, Moonrise certainly nails it.
Following dinner, we all walked the beach back towards north Chaweng Beach and returned back to Your Place bar. Here, we saw another entertaining fire show while taking a shot of vodka the “Russian way,” as taught to us by Kris. Curious to learn this Russian method for taking shots? Next time we do a shot together, ask and I will share! We gazed upon the mesmerizing spinning flames and reminisced about our times traveling and adventures together on Koh Phangan.