After the excitement of mechanized transport in Bangkok it was with some trepidation that we joined the carnival on wheels. I am happy to report we are yet to have had an accident and will be hiring another scooter now we are on Koh Phanang.

Koh Phanang is a lot less busy than Koh Samui which suits us. We are staying in a spot which is very close to the Psy Jungle Half Moon party, which we will be attending tomorrow night. Back to scooters though.

Scooters here are wild beasts. They are all at least 125cc models that is 2.5 times more powerful than the ones at home. They come in all shapes and sizes and we have seen some classic modifications which are truly inspired.

Fitting another person on a scooter is very easy. I have seen up to four boys riding one with ease. This morning we saw one with a whole car stereo configured in the front carry basket.

Weather looking a bit iffy? Take an umbrella or two. Need to take a kitchen sink? You can put one in the side trolley attachment. Most scooter drivers drive at a sedate 40-50 kms an hour. There are a few white knuckle types that push them at least 100kms an hour. This funnily enough is the leading cause of death for farengs(foriengers)

Road etiquette is maintained by liberal but gentle use of horn toot tones. If you are passing someone a gentle toot is administered to say hello, If someone needs to get out of the way several small tones are used. It is very rare that a long loud toot would be used. There is something to be learned there, rest of the world. We are yet to see an accident for all of this and yet to see a traffic enforcement. There may be another lesson in there.

The free internet dream is over. So is a power point for that matter. Still can not complain.

One more thing to add. If you ever need shoes with great stopping power. Asics Gel Kayano 14 will stop a runaway scooter in its tracks.