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Published: March 8th 2007
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The Beach
Over 9 months cycling from the UK and I end up alone on the beach with my own thoughts. The other 5 guys have gone now... ding their own things. I think we have all wanted this break from eachother. Ko Lanta
Woke up with an hangover at first light, 80 empty Chang botlles around the tent, and I counted 710 Baht strewn across the tent floor and in my panniers from my little business venture last night - hmmm, maybe I’ll stay for another night here on the beach?
I watched the sun rise over the hills behind my tent, it was a magical sight. I spent the rest of the day lazing round, filling in the ‘white-bits’ where the sun don’t reach. You get a lot of white bits cycling. I looked for a secluded cove that got cut off at high-tide, I found one, stripped off, and exposed my white buttocks to the sun. I remember hearing about the ‘Albedo Effect’ in geography lectures, where the ice-caps reflect the suns rays back into space or something, and wondered whether my white ass was having the same effect? Maybe you could see my bleached arse from space too?
Just lying around and letting the sun bake your brain, talking rubbish, drinking copious amounts of beer - this is the life! This life reminds me of my time in the Fiji Islands in a way when I
Ko Lanta Interior
Although touristy in places, I found most of Ko Lanta like this - very rural and beautiful. escaped the winter of New Zealand once for a couple of months, when I was working there. Blue sea, white sand (the stuff gets everywhere), and tropical fish in the shallows. I like dangling me dogs in the water (feet) and letting the small fish nibble at my skin. I reckon they eat the dead flaky stuff, perhaps it’s healthy cos they look in good shape, maybe when I start peeling I could add some to my rice meals for a protein fix? Erm, I’m a veggie, and erm, that’s a kinda introverted-cannibalism in a way, isn’t it? See, my brain is getting too baked now…
I toasted myself all day till my butt looked like two massive ripe tomatoes. The thought occurred that I had to cycle on this arse and that it may be painful. I continued to dangle me dogs in the warm water, actually hot at the edge by the sand, till the tide ebbed and I was able to walk along the beach back to my tent.
I watched the sun set over the ocean from my tent, then it was time to do my beer runs into the village for cheap Changs.
Thai Stamps
Souvenier stamps in my journal franked at Ko Lanta post office. “ANDY’S BAR” was now open for the evening. I didn’t see Stephane all day and evening, don’t know where he got to? I played beach volleyball with some German and Danish guys on the beach, then when fairly pissed, went for a midnight skinny-dip with loads of folks at midnight to watch the glowing phosphorescent algae in the sea. Times like this should be shared with someone special…
Day 280, 7th March
Around Ko Lanta Island
I was up at first light again and in the water, I love this place. It really feels like a holiday now instead of the expedition we’ve been doing the last 9 months - it’s vacation time! Stephane and I packed up early and there was sand everywhere, in the tent, sleeping bag, panniers, in the rice, the muesli - everywhere! I’m sure I’ll be taking some home…
After packing, we set off down the dirt road to Touristville on the east side of the island, and as a result we were in the tourist-trap area. I watched a young guy with a machete he’d bought from somewhere, trying to chop up a pineapple. The trickes of blood down
Confused!
It looks great but, what's an American eagle doing holding a British flag - re-colonisation? Maybe we can rename Los Angeles as Elizabethton-by-the-Sea. one arm and a bandaged finger suggested that he was new to this game. Nevertheless, he looked cool - and that’s all that matters here!
We pissed-off south into the real-Thailand once again - dirt roads, smiling locals, cheap food, beer, water…etc… Our destination was Ko Lanta Town where we could catch the ferry to the mainland. It was a run-down little town and it transpired that the ferry to the mainland had finished running a few years ago and that the only alternative was to hire a boat for 600 Baht per person plus bikes. That would be all my beer profits gone in one fell swoop. Thanks Lonely Planet for the year-old edition that I believed in up till now.
After getting some postage stamps stuck in my journal, and dumping some excess baggage in the bin (LP Guide), we set off back north along the western side of the island, we’d done a 20 mile round trip for nothing, wait a min, not for nothing, I’d seen some great scenery on the way. But Stephane had had enough of the ‘crappy place’ as he called it. What should we do now?.....
As I looked
Ko Lanta Coast
South of the tourist areas. This pic was taken by Stephane, just before we parted ways. at the sea and the endless empty beach, the urge to camp another night became irresistible to me. I said to Stephane, “I’m gonna camp here, do you want to join me”? “I can’t” he said. “My Thai entry stamp is only valid for 2 more days”! I remembered Ranong and the Burmese visa-run, and was so glad I did it. Stephane had said he had enough time in Ranong. Hmmm…Another urge to say “I told you that you should have gone to Burma” was suppressed. The only thing to do was to split up…
……I was alone!
In a way it was sad to see Stephane leave. Despite his peculiarities, we all have them I know, he’s a nice guy. Honest, decent, strong-willed… I watched him cycle off until he disappeared into the distance, and I felt a loss, of being alone for the first time in ages. We had some funny times together. I thought of a situation last week when I was cycling in from and a dog started chasing me, Stephane was several yards behind. I thought it would be a good idea to pepper-spray the dog - it was, but the spray got
Ko Lanta sunset.
South of the tourist areas. I spent my last night on the island camping alone on a remote beach - this was the view from my tent as I drank a cold beer. I'm afraid of getting back home ! Stephane too! It was a strange scene - a blinded and angry dog running in circles growling ferociously close to a blinded and angry Stephane. He gained his sight before the dog and we cycled to safety. There have been other funny moments too…. Will we meet again? I’m not sure.
I found a perfect place to camp, a local showed me to a long beach which he told me that the locals call ‘Long Beach’ - very imaginative. For miles and miles nobody could be seen, the lone jogger now and then, that’s all. I sunbathed and finished off my book, “Fatherland”, highly recommended. Just after sunset I cooked noodles on my Trangia and felt glad to be alone. As I lay down in the dusk light a pack of dogs came along the beach, they were stray, vicious-looking, and spotted me. There was a kind of Alpha-male that came within 10 yards of my open tent, it snarled, foaming a little at the corners of the mouth. I’d had rabies jabs 10 months ago, but would I still be immune if the mutt decided to take a munch on me? This was the first time I used my Black-Widow catapult in defence that I’d carried all the way from England. I loaded a nice round steel ball-bearing, pull back the elastic, took aid, and fired! All those times practicing paid off and I hit the hound straight in its ugly face! It fell down, whined, the others ran off, minute later the once proud beast literally ran off with its tail between its legs - and probably a tooth or two missing! A strong wind came up the beach, a cooling wind. The dogs never returned and I slept well…
Total Miles: 12721.8 Todays Miles: 25.85 Average speed: 9.0 Time on bike: 2:51
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Jackie
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Dogs foaming
Ok then I am warming to Stephane a bit now that he has gone. Can't get my head round anyone who does not like Lanta is he frightened of enjoying something. just think if you had persevered you could have been well established now selling your chang on the beach....oh what a dream job.