Hello Paradise and Sticker Shock

We arrived in Thailand a few days ago and are really living it up at the Marriott Renaissance on the island of Ko Samui. I don't think either one of us imagined how nice it would be and it has really been a treat. Our room is amazing, a third floor corner room with a balcony, outdoor tub, and huge room with a couch and a desk. The room is full of dark wood furniture with bright cushions, so beautiful. We can see a sliver of ocean through the palm trees on the balcony and there are two nice chairs that we can sit on to escape the heat. The pool is gorgeous and right next to the sand, with dark blue tile, some fountains, a large tree in a planter in the middle and plenty of lounge chairs and umbrellas. The hotel seems to be pretty empty, except for a few families and couples, so it has been pretty quiet.

The first night we arrived we went down to the tapas bar for a light dinner and were completely floored by the prices. I guess if you are used to eating for $2 most things will be expensive. We thought, hey let's not worry about it, we've been very thrifty for most of the trip and can treat ourselves tonight and tomorrow we'll figure out where we can eat cheaper. So we ordered a platter of appetizers to share and had a drink. Our bill came out to $75 and we were still starving! Needless to say the next day we found a mini mart and filled our room with cup of noodles, nuts, crackers, drinking water, yogurt, etc. We're determined not to let them get one more cent from us. I think they may be a little frustrated, because every time they see us they try to offer us a handful of tour brochures. I don't think they are used to having backpackers as guests. We're just getting into practice for our budget in Michigan.

So every morning we have been waking up, heading to the pool, then wandering down the beach to a great restaurant we have discovered called the Spa. Food is about $3-4 and fresh and tasty. Then we head back and wait out the heat of the afternoon, use the gym, then head back to the Spa for dinner. Its been very relaxing and we are very much enjoying ourselves.