Koh Samui, Thailand and the peculiar rock (part five)

The rain stayed in the clouds as we continued our journey. The feeling of "wet" was everywhere, but the fresh air was amazing. We continued to have trouble with our truck as it tried to make hill climb after hill climb. It was easy to laugh it off at this point. I was surprised at how many small "towns" there were on this island. So many hotel signs everywhere, and many of them boasted rates at "$10 per night". They actually didn't look half bad as we drove past them. It's funny that hotels on the same beach can range from $10 per night to hundreds of dollars per night.

Koh Samui, Thailand local

I spied on a few more locals with my camera as we zipped down the street. Seeing their faces on occasion made it obvious that we stuck out like a sore thumb as the non-locals who were crammed into the back of a pickup truck.

Koh Samui, Thailand local at the fruit stand

Our next turnoff lead us down a small, cramped lane. It seemed that only one car could slide by at a time, unless you were will to scrape the side of your vehicle. Well, it seems that people were plenty happy with scrapping their vehicle, so off we went. After cringing at the sound of metal hitting metal, we pulled to the side of the lane and watched as a local parking attendant managed to tell our driver that the lot was full. Our Canadian guide in the front seat, jumped out and informed us that we would have to go at it on our own, while our driver would leave for an hour or so. Everyone seemed trusting to do this, so out we jumped and watched as our ride backed out of the small passage way.

Koh Samui,Thailand narrow road

Crowds of people were swarming everywhere, as this was apparently a popular place. There were shops lining the tiny lane and you could tell that the ocean was just a few minutes walk down the path. I wasn't sure exactly what we were supposed to see here, but I followed as we headed towards the water. It didn't take long to get to our destination and see what the big deal was.

Grandfather and Grandmother rock on Koh Samui, Thailand

I bet about now, you're wondering if you have a dirty mind or not. Well, you're seeing exactly what it is that you're meant to see. This unique rock formation is called "Grandfather and Grandmother Rock". Here we are in the middle of a spectacular view of water, rocks and ocean and yet...this isn't awkward at all. Everyone was smiling and laughing at the oddity (including myself). Clearly this was a proud site for the locals.

Grandfather and Grandmother rock on Koh Samui, Thailand

What's even stranger was when I was wondering why all these guys kept laying down on one of the smooth rock surfaces and then their wives would take pictures of them while laughing. I decided to walk over to the Canadian man who was lying there while his wife was giggling away at each snap shot. Okay, so once you're there in the right visual perspective...then it all makes sense. Remember all those "Leaning Tower of Piza" photos where people look like they're holding it up? Use your imagination for the rest. You can't expect me to photograph this thing and then not talk about it.

Grandfather and Grandmother rock area on Koh Samui, Thailand

I watched people climb around the rocks and enjoying the ocean breeze. I rested on one of the main boulders and took a few more snapshots here and there.

Tourist enjoying the ocean on Koh Samui, Thailand

As usual, the shop owners were so sweet. This lady and her children were fun to talk to, and each owner always had a warm smile. Two of my favorite things was buying the honeyed peanuts and the coconut taffy.

Local shop owner with one of her children making purses

Luckly, after enjoying this beautiful site for an hour, our driver showed back up and took us off to our next adventure.

Tourists enjoying the sites on Koh Samui, Thailand


As always, there are lots more pictures of Koh Samui, Thailand in my Flickr album which can be accessed by clicking HERE.