Koh Lanta

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Goodbye Phi Phi, hello Lanta!

After a bumpy ride in one of the taxi vans that crams in tourists to the vaious destinations from the ferries, I arrive at Sanctuary No1. A quick enquiry and tail end of low season means they have a bungalow with a sea view just for me for 500 Baht (roughly 10 quid). I later discover I can get a room for 200/300 but I'm glad I treated myself to this as it really was lovely to lie in my hammock watching the waves breaking gently on the rocks and falling asleep to the sounds of the waves. Sometimes I felt as if I was on a boat, the waves were so loud! So. up the sandy path to my quiet idyll, 10 second hop, skip and a jump and i'm swimming in the sea. Bliss. I have an outside bathroom and I'm getting used to sitting on the loo in light rain, I am hating the mosqitoes who apparently love me but if that's my only gripe I'm doing pretty well. I meet Eddy and Nen, two Thai guys working there, we share a few beers for a couple of nights whilst watching the sun sets on our slice of beach. But the first night's sunset was all mine and boy was it stiking. Brilliant pinks with an enormous variety of cloud formations funnelling each hue of pink in blasts of rays. Radiating the sky endlessly in a way that can only be describe as majestic. I sat by myself on the end of the decking and shed a tear at it's wild beauty and the realisation that I was doing it...I was here in Thailand, making my way around and had found my first mind blowing sunset....may sound cheesy but it made me feel alive. I wish I could say I had a snap of it but the truth is I didn't want to leave it for a second so instead its emblazened in my memory for me to look at any time I want.

ENOUGH rambling about the sunset...!!!

Happy pigeon english exchanges frequently made with Eddy and Nen, chilling on the beach or in my bungalow I start to explore my surroundings. Where previously my life had flashed before my eyes at the thought of getting on a scooter, today I was tired of watching....with resolve and determination I set off in search of my own wheels. After a quick lesson from the patient lady and a near ditch epic fail, I wave goodbye and take off amidst uneasy smiles on both sides. (they were probably thinking why did we give her our best scooter? I was thinking Holy shit I'm going to die!!) With the words "slowly, slowly" in my head and firmly sticking to the left again I'm almost in the ditch, I start to relax and enjoy the ride, weeeeeee!!! Exhilirated by my new found freedom to roam the island, I pass ramshackled housing on stilts, lush vegetation and bright flowers, stop for fuel, grab a bite to eat and zoom up to 'viewpoint'. I see tiny islets that blur far off into the distance and then my eyes hit one golden sandy spot and lock onto it....another mini paradise. Maybe I did miss a trick not going on the snorkelling trip around Maya Bay before leaving Phi Phi OR maybe I had a lucky escape from the touristy hoardes in a less than authentic remake of a clip from 'The Beach'. Either way I didn't care. That day the fun continued with my first Thai massage from another beautiful smiley lady. Think half naked, elbows, crunching, pummelling, good pain, all over, body release mmmmm. I felt as if a lifetime of knots had been expelled from my body. When you get this good a massage you should always give a tip people. Especially when you know the lady giving it to you is genuinely lovely, away from her own home and sending money back to her mother who is looking after her 12 year old daughter. We drink hot sweet tea together afterwards and I listen to her tell me about her daughter and how she is going to be staying for the high season in Koh Lanta. I can definitely think of worse places to work in Thailand but it reminds me that I have my part to play in these exchanges and whilst the literal value of money exchange is obviously the main importance for earning, the exchange between individuals has an important value too. As I work my way around, taking in all these new people and sights I know that we live differently and here on Koh Lanta there is an attractive simplicity to their self sufficent way of life. Maybe that is why there is such a happy friendly vibe here - nothings too big, too competitive, too impersonal....it's relatively unspoilt and therefore belongs to the locals; you fit in with them here not the other way round: 'mai pen rai, mai pen rai' as Eddy keeps telling me; take it easy, easy, no problems. So I do. I take it easy and enjoy Koh Lanta for it's simple, beautiful ways.

And then I meet the girls and my scooting around takes on a whole new lease of life...

Theresa from Germany and Linn from Sweden. We meet on a beach after all parking our scooters and having a beach break. We get chatting and I find out they were both travelling by themselves and had met up and were now scooting around together. I won't go on too much about them except to say I am so so glad to have met two strong, intelligent, courageous and beautiful girls to go exploring with. When I was missing my own little trio of girls back home, I was sent another trio of good energy and openess which enhanced my adventures further. I don't think I had laughed or felt so happy for a while and it was because of that special bond that only girls together can have. We quickly named ourselves 'Charlie's Angels' and off we went, parking our scooters up and down every iteresting, steep, dangerous dirt track we could find in search of waterfalls, trekking, beaches, mango sticky rice!!, fuel, more food, sunsets and generally good times. Thanks girls. And apart from a bloody massive lizard and a black cat trying to kill me whilst crossing the road, I loved scooting and never came a cropper.

After Sanctuary No1 I moved to Bee Bee Bungalows, apparently in time for full moon celebrations. So after a long sweaty day on the bikes I freshened myself up (as much as one can in a dark bamboo hut with half roof/half sky as your blanket for the night) and went to join the fun. After spontaneously crashing a french families celebrations, playing pool with a ladyboy, chatting and dancing for hours to random revellers I add another slogan to my list " same same but different" errr I think you mean similar? Same same but different actually makes a lot of sense in Thailand and is far more fun than saying similar anyway!! For the next few days I hang out in hammocks with Linn, scoot around some more and then we are reunited with Theresa for a night before we all head our separate ways. Theresa heads for further small Thai islands, Linn to Bangkok and I to Koh Phangnan. Farewell Lanta, its been amazing.

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