Ridin' and Relaxin' on Ko Lanta

---

I actually arrived in Ko Lanta town still determined to go to Bamboo Bay. Somewhat aware that I was going against a Brodie set traveling rule, that is, don't try to push too hard against the flow, I continued to try and call the resort. As time went on, I started to realize that not only might I not stay at Bamboo Bay, but if I didn't change my game plan soon, I mighty not have anywhere to stay. I had recalled one group of guys who got off the same bus as me in Krabi saying they were headed to a place called the New Coconut. They said it was cheap, and it looked nice in the brochure. It took a good amount of hunting around before I was finally able to contact the resort, but everything looked like it would work out, as they still had affordable rooms available. Things looked even better when they offered to sent someone to pick me up. About 15 minutes later a Thai guy with long dreadlocks pulled up in a truck and gave me a lift back to the resort. We had a good chat in the cab, and at this point I started to get a really good feeling about what New Coconut was all about. When we arrived it was dark, and I was exhausted from the day of traveling, but I still managed to have a meal from the restaurant (Matsaman curry and a set of spring rolls) before heading off to bed for the night.

When I awoke the next morning, I was able to really take in where I was. The New Coconut was one of the last resorts on fairly long Khong Klong Beach (sp?). Just as the resort touched the beach sands, open thatched roof eating areas were laid out, where one could lounge and eat one of many fine food options from the restaurant. The resort also sported an ultra-casual bar, Fin Stones, where most of the staff hung out when not accommodating guests, which was fitted with a pool table and a lounging area, and an excellent ambiance due to some superb music choices. The night before when I had arrived, the tide had been quite low, exposing a good deal of rocks on the beach, but now the tide was almost at its highest and having an mid day swim was far too appealing to pass up. The water was warm and free of sea lice, and I spent some time swimming and soaking up sun, before making my way back to the resort for lunch.

After lunch I decided it was about time to equip myself with a fine ride. The guesthouse had told me the night before that they rented out mopeds, but unfortunately all but a few very sad looking machines had been rented out. In true good natured fashion, however, they brought me to a nearby restaurant that rented bikes, and I got sorted out with a nice Honda Click. I must admit, I was little leery, as they required me to hand over my passport to rent the bike, but after some reassuring I was instilled with confidence that they would treat my identity with care and I went for a test run on my new bike.

Truth be told, for me there's something nostalgic about riding scooter on Ko Lanta. Here was the place where I first ever learned to ride a scooter, and it had been such an exhilarating experience. As well, I remembered this island for its easy traffic, long straight stretches, but still having some areas for some casual off road challenges. Memory served me correct, and riding on the island was as easy and enjoyable as ever. My plan for the afternoon was to make my way to Bamboo bay to hopefully visit with some of the old staff. I had heard that both War and Cho were working at the bar again, and it would be neat to catch up one what they had been up to over the past few years.

While Bamboo Bay is the last resort, it still should have only taken about 30 minutes to get to, that is, if I hadn't gotten lost. I mean, you can only get so lost on the limited amount of roads on the island, and I found myself actually riding down the eastern side of the island to an area i had never been before. At this point I was getting quite hungry, and when I saw an eatery overlooking a stunning view of the straight I knew I had to stop. It turned out to be another great choice, as I met up with an older couple from Canada who had just come from visiting their sun in Taiwan. It was really nice to fellow countrymen, and both were excellent conversationalists and made for very good company during lunch. We parted ways, as it was getting late, and I didn't want to be pressed for time getting to Bamboo Bay.

Well, getting to Bamboo Bay took a lot longer than I thought it would. As well, I had forgotten how bad the road got just before the resort. Did I say how bad? I meant how awesomely fun! Dirt as light as snow covered one hill and I fishtailed and dusted my entire lower legs before getting to the top. As I crested the hill I saw the sign for the resort, and made my way down to the restaurant. I forgot to mention, but I had eventually gotten a hold of Bamboo Bay the prior night. However, they told me they wanted almost three times what I had paid before. They lady wouldn't even believe that I had paid that price. She actually claimed she had never given out a room at that rate since she worked there. It was then, really, that I knew things had changed, but it wasn't until I actually walked into the ol' Don't Worry Be Happy Bar that I realized how much. The pics should show part of the story, but I can say that at the least decor had changed. As well, the bar had moved, classy artwork hung on the walls, burgundy was the colour of choice, the the bamboo wall in the corner was replaced by some drab wall/decor. I wasn't exactly impressed or shocked. I know things change, and it didn't take me long to get over it, and besides, who is that person sleeping on the couch right where I left him? Its War! I go and lean over him "Pee Waaaarrrrrr".

War woke up looking confused and groggy. He tried to explain to me that he was feeling sick earlier and had to take some medicine, but I think he was just tired. I'll be honest, that was about the extent of our conversation. He got called off to help someone a few minutes later, and while I waited for about 15 minutes, he never did return. He had changed too. He had cut off his dreadlocks, and gray hair now heavily flekced his beard. Hey, we all change, but in honesty I would have liked to have spent more time catching up with an old friend. Before leaving I asked some staff if Cho was around. She wasn't, but it sounded like she may have come down briefly, only to make her way back to Bangkok. My plan was to eat dinner there, but the restaurant was closed until after 6, and by then the sun would have set, making my journey back difficult. So, I decided to leave it as that. I hoped back on my bike, took one last look at my home away from home, and made my way back up the island.

On the way back, only about 4pm, hunger was overtaking me. I stopped and had some chicken at a roadside stall, only to leave and forget my helmet. Still hungry, I actually stopped at the next stall along the rode. It was a nifty place run by a group of Muslim ladies, and I wasn't even asked what to have, just given a yellow curry over glass noodles (pretty sure it was the only option). They had an impressive little assortment of veggies that could be added however, and one of the ladies came over and put a few pineapples and cucumber slices on my plate for me. The restaurant was actually parked in front of a gigantic roadside sign depicting the King doing all sorts of hospitable things for his people. It was a cool place to eat dinner. Afterward I rode down the island towards my resort, stopping at a few beaches to take some pictures and videos. When I finally got to the resort, I found myself a bit unsure of what to do, I actually still felt like doing some riding. So, despite it being dark, I decided to go for a ride into town. This turned out to be a fantastic choice, as I ended up doing a little strolling in town, before finding a roadside carnival.

The carnival was really neat. They had all sorts of foods to snack on, merchandise to buy, and they even had some live entertainment. There was a game like bingo being place, and some classic carnival games like throwing darts at balloons for prizes. The most interesting part for me was the makeshift gambling games. There was one where the man would put seashells under a cup, and the better would have to put his cash down on 1, 2, 3 depending on how many shells he thought there were. There was another game where the man would flip a coin and people would essentially guess heads or tails. What I couldn't understand however, was why/how people were betting 500/1000 baht bills on each bet. Madness. People were betting my daily budget on one guess. Even then, people in Thailand aren't all poor, but I know for sure that 1000 baht isn't meaningless to people here. Eventually after talking to one of the locals, I was clued in. Notice how they same people have been playing for a while? Yeah, I actually did notice that one lady..... Well, thats because its fixed. She's working with the man running the game, and its looks like shes winning, and that's when the locals join in and get suckered out of their money. Actually, the local lady was saying that someone actually gets behind the crowd and sort of pushes people towards the betting table.

That night back at the resort I spent the evening at Flinstonz. I met a couple who had been staying at New Coconut for almost 10 weeks, a guy from the UK and a girl from Croatia. They were both really interesting, especially the girl, as she had so much to say and so much passion and life and history of Croatia. We spent the first half of the night hanging out with the rest of the staff, and later in the night, after the staff went to a party on a nearby beach, we spent the rest of the evening watching the National Geographic channel on the satellite TV in the bar.

The next morning I spent using wifi, and early afternoon was spent swimming. I took another scooter ride on the island for the rest of the afternoon, really exploring as many nooks and crannies as I could. I stopped at another roadside stall restaurant for lunch, and just before heading back to the resort, I found myself on what felt like one of the highest points on the island. There was a road that lead up to this peak, but there was really not much up there. As I rode back into town I saw a lot of signs promoting property and houses for sale. I think a lot of the roads I was riding was just infrastructure to support these upcoming sales.

That evening I ordered a light dinner at the restaurant and enjoyed it as I watched the sun go down from my thatched-covered eating area. After diner a local hawker stopped by and I bought a nifty leather bracelet after some effective bargaining. Later that night I once again went into town, this time meeting a couple of guys from Austrailia/America and we went for a bit of a feast at a local BBQ diner. I had the white snapper, which was done to perfection. That night I booked my bus ticket off the island for the next day, straight to Krabi Airport. Oh that's right, I forgot to mention. When I got off the bus coming from Ko Phangnan, I had to wait about an hour before transferring to the mini-van coming to Ko Lanta. At this transfer point, they had free wifi. While there, I decided to check out some flight prices, and I stumbled across a seat sale from Krabi to Singapore, at only 60 Canadian dollars (75 by the time my baggage was included). It was shocked, and considered I only had a week left on my passport, and wanting to avoid the turbulent Thai/Malaysian border, I booked it on the spot. Impulsive, yes. A bad decision, in hindsight, no.

So, the next morning on Ko Lanta, I returned my scooter and they returned my passport. I ended up talking to one of the workers who rented me my scooter, and he was from Singapore. He gave me some insight into some things to see and do and some places to stay, and with his recommendations in hand, I caught the mini-bus some 20 minutes later and made my way to the Krabi Airport.

The Krabi airport was quite nice, if not a little small for an international airport. I had lunch there before boarding the plane. The plane was basic, but it was relatively empty which made it easy to stretch out and enjoy the ride. I took in the landscape while listening to my MP3 player and had a Coke Light to sip on. The ride took less than an hour and a half, and before I knew it, we were descending into the country of Singapore.

We passed down through the clouds, and Singapore was revealed before my eyes. Astounding. What a massive beautiful city. Set on the ocean, with skyscrapers abound, I was filled with a sense of reverence mixed with a giddy boy'ish glee. I had no guidebook for Singapore, no idea at all what to expect, all I knew was that I was headed to Little India to try and find some cheap accommodation and I surely hoped that no one had snuck any drugs into my bag, as the Arrival Card clearly worded in red "trafficking is punishable by death".

As the plane touched town, and all the customs rigmarole was dealt with, I found myself excited if not a little overwhelmed. I just had this gut feeling that Singapore wasn't going to be like anywhere else I had ever been. I wouldn't be proved wrong.

---