The Pirate, the Elephant, and the Cobra…Dog on it!

”The problem of leisure
What to do for pleasure
Ideal love a new purchase
A market of the senses
Dream of the perfect life
Economic circumstances
The body is good business
Sell out, maintain the interest
Remember Lot's wife
Renounce all sin and vice
Dream of the perfect life
This heaven gives me migraine
The problem of leisure
What to do for pleasure…”

Gang Of Four - “Natural's Not In It”...from the soundtrack to Sophia Coppola's film "Marie Antoinette"

Ahh...Koh Lanta...

It's my third February in a row on Koh Lanta...time sure flies when you're having fun...but it's just not the same little Andaman island I have come to love.

When I first arrived and had a look around last week, my initial inclination was to write a biting expose’ piece about all the unplanned, shoddy development popping up everywhere on Koh Lanta. It is the same old 'bs' tourism boom frenzy that occurs at just about every nice hideaway spot on the globe. Eventually everywhere that's anywhere will be ruined by the ubiquitous mantra of "if you build it they will come!"

But, but...alas...it’s way too much effort for me to think about it, let alone write about it. "It's not my job..." My job is eating Thai cuisine, taking pictures, going to the beach and leisure...yeeesss!

Besides, This Is Thailand (TIT), and just about anything goes...no planning, no sewer, no sidewalks, no stop signs, no worries...you get the picture(s)...


The Pirate & the Elephant

Today, while dusting the sand off of my flip-flops at the beach, I saw a pirate riding an elephant. As it turned out, the Elephant was snacking along the road...literally ripping down banana trees and munching the soft chewy centers. The pirate was non-plussed...a tough looking mahout if I've ever seen one.


The Cobra

A few days ago, while walking back from the beach after sunset through an large unfinished Swedish resort, we had a 1.5 meter black Cobra cross our path...it was moving fast...Duang said "chok dee!"...good luck. I said....hmmmm...there's a reason we carry those flashlights at night. I spoke with Rolf, our amiable Swiss landlord, and he said they often see the big black 3-meter (!!) guys just up the hill from our little house...my guy was just a teenager, it appears!



Island Life...

Every Sunday we go to the local outdoor market in Ban Sala Dan. Shopping there is nothing like any market I visit in the West. It's a noisy, dusty, smelly, raucous affair that embodies everything that I love about Thailand. We buy all our fresh food there each week for about 350 baht ($10). For more pictures check out this link: koh lanta market

It's just a 5-minute walk from our little house up on the hill to where Duang works at the Lanta Castaway Resort. The Castaway was just built this past summer and thus far it's proven to be quite popular with families and the beach crowd. I like watching the sunset from their little bar. See: Lanta Castaway -- for more on this great spot.

Duang's "office' is on the beach. She does Thai massage with three other women (Pen, Ba, and Way). It's fun to hang out with them and listen to Isaan music in the morning before the tourists wake up. We had a little party for Pen's birthday a few nights back at the locals' favorite restaurant, Thai Cuisine. The chef/owner, Somquan, made a special Chinese Yellow Noodle dish for us to celebrate the New Year of the Rat. Oh, the garlic...

I like to head south, down island, every so often to the little River Restaurant for a massage on the beach followed by a tasty cheap lunch (65 baht). This was one of my first discoveries three years ago and it is still my favorite spot on the island. I love their Phad Thai Pla Meuk. This year there is also a great massage therapist from the famed Wat Po massage school in Bangkok. Ahhhh...

Inevitably, a couple times a week we make the long 5 kilometer trip to Ban Sala Dan...Koh Lanta's 'big city." The local Buddhist Wat (temple) is there, as is the bank, grocery store, bookstore, etc. Lots of tourists, too!

The rest of the story...no worries it seems?

Thailand's got a new Prime Minister and government. the 2006 Coup is now a forgotten memory (for the time being). Looks like it back to SOS...same old stuff...the new PM is the old one's -- Thaksin Shinawatra -- buddy...heads may still roll...literally.

Back state side...(I watch CNN)...Winter 2008...there's lots of snow, ice, & tech start-ups in Seattle...the hapless Niners raised their ticket prices, and...oooohhh, that’s America…Barack and Hillary are duking it out for the White House…

...just as John Mellencamp sings proudly...

"...Well there's a young man in a t-shirt
Listening to a rockin' rollin' station
He's got a greasy hair, greasy smile
He says: "Lord, this must be my destination"
'Cuz they told me, when I was younger
"Boy, you're gonna be president"
But just like everyting else, those old crazy dreams
Just kinda came and went

Oh but ain't that America for you and me
Ain't that America we're someting to see baby
Ain't that America, home of the free
...little foreclosed houses for you and me!..."


OK…I digress...back to the initial question...the problem of leisure…

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