Penang to Koh Samui

So, Penang to Koh Samui. Where shall I start? Alarm set 4.15am for a 5am collection from good old Mingood Hotel for our special, private minivan trip to Koh Samui all booked and paid for a week in advance with reassurances that this will take us directly to the island and if we ask the driver nicely even to our hotel door for a few extra baht - sweet. 5.40am still no van but hotel reception phone and are told it is on its way. 5.45am van arrives already loaded up with people and luggage. Firstly out comes all the luggage onto the road, a quick throw-on repack which includes ours and all we need to do now is squeeze ourselves into the van amongst the already sleeping, snoring backpackers. Well there is a middle, right at the back seat for Gary and a jockey seat for me next to people who are reclining to the max and squishing Gary's legs. A quick dig in the ribs awakens the very apologetic pair who agree to raise their seats so that Gary can at least prise himself into his allotted space between two young men who have their relaxed legs wide open in slumber which forces Gary to sit like the hunchback of Notre Dam between them. YEP I know what I would have done and would have quickly looked the other way!!!! Gary just tolerated the situation and then complained like hell to me at the first stop. But wait there is more........another traveller to pick up?? Well she is lucky she can speak the language and gets a front seat next to the driver - good on her. So off we go and we are now an hour late leaving. The van inside was very hot with all the bodies but my personal air conditioner was working ok so it was not too uncomfortable. The driver was crazy though, hurtling along the potholed highway which fortunately was not too busy at that hour of the morning to the border. The van had no suspensIon and we felt every pot hole. Relinquishing our passports to him on request and very reluctantly at our first and only toilet stop we got them back with neatly filled in immigration forms which just required our signature - 10 out of 10 for efficiency and credit where credit is due. Hopping in and out of the van we successfully passed over both borders and we on our way again this time with no air conditioning as the woman sIttIng beside me turned it off as she entered the van. Another few hours passed and we arrived at an office in a township - what it was called to this day we still have no idea. "Out, out everybody" yells the driver and from there a shouting match ensued whilst we watched our bags being taken out of the van and dumped on the side of the road, between the people in the office and the driver. The driver who purported to speak no English made to leave with no explanation but one of our now fully awake sleeping buddies told him not to leave until we were all certain that we were going to get to our final destinations. A long wait ensued but we finally learned that we had to wait one and a half hours, not 10 mins, for the next van to Koh Samui whilst everyone else dispersed to their own destinations in different vans. We had no Thai money and to be honest could not rely on what we had been told regarding time - 10 mins is the obligatory answer to everything - but Gary took a chance to find an ATM and got some Baht but there was nothing around for us to eat. This is where a very large bag of M&Ms came in which I had bought, being a chocolaholic, the day before. Finally our van arrived and we got a decent seat this time as there was only one person on board and off we went - for 15mins!!!!! Next stop an hours wait, wIth no explanatIon, outside a building we later learned was the hospital, waiting for two patients to be discharged so they could be taken home. This van was not a private minivan at all but the local shuttle service to Surat Thani from where we still needed to catch the ferry to Koh Samui and time was running out. Seemingly in no hurry though, the driver cruised along delivering the patients directly to their homes, one of which was miles into the countryside so we did get a scenic tour, no toilet stops or food stops until a poor girl couldn't hang on any longer and requested he stop. A little panic was beginning to set in for me because we had to get to koh samui on the day and we still had the ferry to get and the trip to the hotel as well. The lovely Thai girl reminded the driver we had to do this and how we were getting concerned and he assured her that all was in hand and that a plan was in place for us to be met and taken to the ferry at Surat Thani. Good news in some respects, at least they were on to it, bad news in others - we were not going to be taken to Koh Samui at all and definitely not to our hotel. So we arrived in Surat thani in the midst of a New Year water festival called Sang Krau and deposited, finally, at another office where a young lad told us, after the driver had fled literally, that there were no ferries running that day at all due to the festivities!!!!!! Now for me this was like a red rag to a bull. We were tired, hot, hungry and had been given the runaround all day and this was the final straw - yes I discreetly, if you can, blew my top. Next thing an older man arrives and says if we give him 80bhat for a tuktuk we can be taken to another bus station where we can catch another bus which, after one and half hours, will drop us at another ferry terminal where we can catch the last ferry to koh samui for the night at 7pm, but hurry, hurry, must be quIck as bus leavIng very soon!!!! Ok let's do this and keep our fingers crossed this is not just another hoax. At the bus terminal a very lovely lady called our Koh Samui accommodation to let them know we would be late which was a bonus and we managed to buy a sandwich there too. The tuktuk driver was happy as he had earned his daily quota in a few minutes because the bus station was just around the corner but it would be another three quarters of an hour before the bus arrived. But it worked and we met another German couple who had been given the same run around on the ferry too. A long, expensive taxi ride later and we arrived at the Q Signature hotel, our 7 night's free accommodation was to begin and we were happy happy. Even though it sounds an ordeal this is what makes travelling worthwhile and exciting. We can look back and laugh and feel that we handled the situation fine and in the end we made it - intact! As much as you all want us to take care we want you all to stay healthy and happy too and our thoughts are with those of you who are not only caught up in the flooding but also those helping those who are. Love to all C&G xxxxxxx