The next few days were fairly calm and unremarkable. Joe went off to successfully collect his phone, we were all going to go but the ferry was full so he went alone. Ellie and Tom went off on various little jaunts, we all spent time in the sea, by the pool and in various beachside restaurants and I looked after Rob and leant an ever sympathetic ear to his continuous lamentations.
On Wednesday we heard that a storm was on its way, we only had a few days left so, determined to try and fit all of the things we wanted to do in before the storm hit, we went down to try to book a boat trip for Thursday to Angthong Marine Reserve. Our plans were immediately thwarted when we heard that the islands were closed for at least three days as the storm was building. It was now predicted that it would hit us Thursday afternoon so on Thursday morning we left fairly early to visit Na Mueang waterfall. This was the one we were supposed to visit New Years Eve before Rob sustained his injuries and spoiled our plans.😩
Rob and I drove in the car while the others came on their mopeds. Joe started off by following us but soon got bored of our pace so overtook, he then missed the turning resulting in the rest of us waiting until he realised he had gone too far and turned back.
Our first impressions were unfavourable as it was much more commercialised than the previous waterfall we had visited. There were many stalls selling clothing and souvenirs and numerous attractions such as elephant treks, monkey, tiger and cobra shows, and ATV trips. Elephants are definitely one of my favourite animals along with pigs and dolphins as they all look like they’re perpetually smiling. These elephants were definitely not smiling, their front legs were chained together so they could only take small steps, they had carriers for people strapped to their backs and had tiny enclosures where they waited for their next fare. After seeing so many elephants in the wild in Africa, how happy they looked and how far they would travel throughout their day, to see their Asian cousins in this setting was extremely upsetting. Until the demand for elephant rides stops then these beautiful creatures will probably continue to be kept in these unnatural conditions. We didn’t go near the monkey or cobra shows but can only imagine that in terms of welfare and contentment they fared no better. I really can’t believe so many tourists continue to support this situation.
Back to the waterfall, Na Mueang 1 was a short walk from where we had parked, it was lovely but there were lots of people and it wasn’t as picturesque as we’d hoped. After driving slightly further up the road to visit Na Mueang 2 we were again faced with further commercialism and animal welfare concerns. Ignoring this we started up the steep climb to the waterfall. There were truck rides up but we all decided after a few inactive days we needed the exercise.
After about five minutes of steep inclines I did look longingly at the passing trucks, my calf muscles were starting to feel the burn but I trudged on to keep up with the others. After about ten minutes we reached where the trucks stopped. This was again a lovely part of the waterfall but was also very busy so seeing the path continuing we decided to follow it………The path went onwards and upwards, the good news was there were no crowds or commercialism here. The bad news was that it was reminiscent of all of our hardest walks so far rolled into one. 
It was steep, slippy, there were tree roots and loose rocks and in places it was fairly unclear which way the path went. It also went on and on and on……
Every time we reached another little plateau with various levels of waterfalls we thought it was the top. We would stop have a swim
(or not in Rob’s case)
before finding another barely discernible path and continuing onwards and upwards.
Eventually, after so many false alarms, only meeting one crazy man in flip flops for about the last thirty minutes of the climb and after any signs of commercialism being very distant memories, we reached the top. It was everything we hoped for, stunning scenery, nobody else there and a beautiful place to swim, so we did.😊
It is so difficult to swim against the current of a waterfall and after doing so for a couple of attempts I was exhausted.
Joe obviously still had energy to find the biggest rock to jump off
and on the way down find the most crazy place to perform a handstand
but he’s barely my responsibility anymore and I hardly ever worry about him so it was fine.🤔
The way down, as usual, was just as tricky as the way up but in a different way. Although I no longer had to stop to catch my breath or grab a drink I did have to pause to assess the route and judge my best methods of descent given my dodgy knees and advancing age.
I was so glad to reach the concrete path which, although extremely steep, did not require the same level of intense concentration that the root ridden, slippery, rocky, previous path had. Unfortunately, as is my way, just as I’d relaxed my guard and thought the worst was over I stood on a loose pebble, lost my footing and slid gracefully (in my own mind) to the gravelly ground beneath.
Obviously I got lots of sympathy! Rob wanted to know why I bled so quickly, he’d taken ages to bleed, Tom looked a little concerned but said little, once Ellie had checked on the seriousness of the situation she could no longer contain her mirth which Joe was quick to point out and Joe blamed my weakness, apparently if I had stronger leg muscles I’d have managed to avoid the fall. He also (not for the first time) wished Paris was there as he was sure she would have used the expression, ‘You ate s**t!’ This made us all laugh and as I am fairly used to my family’s unique brand of support we continued happily to lunch.
On her moped travels the previous day Ellie, ever on the lookout for cute places with twinkly lights, had spotted a place nearby called Vitamin Sea so we headed there.
It was right on the beach 
and we were able to watch the waves building and the wind increasing as we chatted to the French proprietor and his Thai wife who both had very good English and produced excellent food. The main was lovely but the highlight was a chocolate mousse, the last one available, which I had to have. Equally as good, better the others said, was a Granny Smith sorbet which Ellie chose. The balance of sweet and tangy was definitely a treat for the taste buds but I’d still choose anything chocolate anytime. Tom decided this was his favourite meal so far and I would definitely recommend it if your on the south coast of Koh Samui.
Rob and I set off to get enough food to last us through the storm whilst the others went, in trepidation, to return their mopeds. The reason for their, actually just Joe’s, concern was the marks on the moped sustained in its two crashes, I’m not allowed to mention the first one but in Rob’s one he wasn’t the only casualty. The moped had also sustained serious injuries and unfortunately they were not as cheaply repaired as Rob’s. Apparently the motorbike man started by asking for 6000 baht (£150) for the damage but, pleading poverty and a total lack of knowledge of how the damage had happened, Joe with Tom, whose passport was being held to ransom, managed to agree half that initial sum. Rob, once told, agreed to pay it all finding this much less painful than his weeping wounds and injured pride.
We spent the rest of the evening in snacking, watching tv and being overly competitive at cards. Pretty much like a Christmas evening at home really.😊
Rob & Emma's Trip 