Koh Tarutao National Marine Park

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We are now staying in the National Park bungalows on Ao Molae on the island of Koh Tarutao, after spending the past few nights camped on the beach at Ao Pante Molaca. It is very nice having our own bungalow to relax in, and there has been a pleasant breeze since we arrived yesterday.

The day before we left Ao Pante Molaca, the beach next to the main pier on the island, we rented a double kayak and paddled up the mangrove lined delta that snakes inland from the sea to the crocodile cave, where there used to be ferocious saltwater crocodiles before they sadly "mysteriously disappeared".

It took us around 45 minutes of leisurly paddling to get there. The entire trip out to the cave we saw no other people. It was very beautiful and peaceful. The only sounds came from our paddles swishing through the blue-green water and birds singing and unseen creatures scurrying through the undergrowth and mangroves on the banks of the delta.

As we got deeper and deeper into the inland jungle, the whole trip took on a much spookier feeling. The water became more brown and murky, and the banks closed in on us from both sides. It became easier and easier to imagine giant saltwater crocs lurking just below the stagnant surface. One of my greatest fears is murky waters hiding unknown inhabitants. Another of my greatest fears, AND interests, is crocodiles. Even though i "knew" that there were no longer crocodiles in these waters, i found myself drawing my legs in closer to the center of the kayak, and dipping my hands in the water to cool myself less and less.

We finally arrived at the old cement pier in the middle of the jungle, and tethered our kayak to the rope that was strung from a rock to the bottom step of the stairs leading up to the platform of the pier. We saw schools of fish, some of which resembled small trout, mozying lazily near the surface of the swampy waters. A short walk over a stone path led us to the mouth of the cave, where there was a wooden dock built out over the mud and water with stairs leading down to the kayaks designated for cave exploration. Unfortunately, we had no light source with us and could therefore not venture any further. There were some spectacular stalagtite and stalagmite formations we could make out before the cave walls were over-run by total darkness.

The thought of getting into a kayak and paddling into the black belly of the cave, allowing it to swallow me whole, gave me chills, but was at the same time calling out to me, taunting me o explore further. Jessika on the other hand, would not have gone any further had we been in possession of a full-blown spotlight and safety flares. Her fear of enclosed spaces, mixed with the darkness and murky, stagnant waters was too much for her to consider going further. And going alone certainly would have gone against every natural impulse for self-preservation in my whole being.

So that was our turn around point. We retreated to our kayak, which was thankfully still tethered securely to the line, and began the trip back out toward the Andaman sea. On the return trip we saw quite a few fish jumping near the banks. We passed a group of 4 on a small out-board motored zodiac, as well as a duo on a kayak headed for the cave.

As we reached the halfway point of the return I began to paddle a bit harder to try to lessen the cost of our hourly kayak rental, and my paddle snapped in two. We had given a deposit of 500 baht and Jessika and I discussed wether they would try to charge us for the paddle. We both decided that since it was clearly a weak, faulty paddle, and we hadn't done anything to break it, they would probably understand and not try to charge us. Especially with it being a government run rental, and not the typical private enterprise out to take you for as much as they can.

Of course we were wrong. When we arrived back at the main pier and I explained exactly what had happened, the man in charge of rentals told me it would be 250 baht for the 2 1/2 hour rental, and conveniently, it would be 250 baht for the broken paddle (the other half of our deposit). After a bit more explaining, and a bit of arguing he asked, "okay, okay, how much you pay?" I told him he could charge us an even 300 for 3 hours instead of 2 1/2, and nothing more. That I wanted 200 baht back. I told him repeatedly that I was not lying to him, and had I done something to actually damage the paddle then i would certainly pay for it. However, I had been paddling normally, in deep water, and the paddle was faulty and waiting to break. At that point he told me repeatedly in a some what threatening manner, "If you lie, very bad things happen to you!" I told him that I believed in karma too, and that I absolutely was NOT lying. In the end we got our 200 baht back, he got his extra 50 baht, and we went our seperate ways.

Another sad example of the greed that tourism has brought to so much of the world. And so many tourists are so easily flustered and intimidated that they will just hand over whatever is demanded of them. Well, not me! If i feel their demands are truly warranted, or refusing would put me in harm's way, then I will by all means comply. But most of the time they are just trying to take advantage of a situation, and being firm is the only way to stop from being ripped off.

The following day we went to inquire about boat prices to Koh Adang, and were dealing with the same man. He was entirely pleasant and nice to us, and seemed not to harbor any resentment over the broken paddle. This just told me that he didn't REALLY care that much about the paddle, and just saw an easy opportunity to make a little extra money. And I don't blame him. His country is over-run with iggnorant tourists with WAY too much money, and everybody wants a piece. I would too.

What is really sad to me is when this desire to grab a piece of the tourism action blinds the local people to the damage being done to oceans and jungles, to the animals, and to the beautiful culture of the local people, which is disappearing faster and faster with each passing year, all in the name of the oh-so cherished and sought after almighty dollar. Hip Hooray for capitalism! Everyone should have an equal opportunity to become greedy, corrupted, and enslaved by this obsession with more, more, more. more money, more things, more "progress". More is NOT always better.

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