A Fine Tuned and Well Oiled Machine pt.2 - Koh Lanta, Thailand

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Jumping out of the taxi at Long Beach I walked 200m or so and found a sweet little bungalow right off of the beach. Cost - $500b ($16.66USD) negotiated down from $600b. This is where traveling alone is becoming a disadvantage. The accommodation costs are rising for me. If I had someone to split the cost with a price of $8.33US per night is much more palatable. But who am I to complain when dinner with a beer costs $4USD. And man the food here in Thailand is among the best of my trip to date.

The sea here is so tranquil and unbelievably calm. With its shimmering turquoise gleam it is nearly impossible for me to imagine the carnage, destruction, and loss of life suffered here back in 2004 from the Boxing Day Tsunami. This is something that is not lost on me as I travel here. A different year and it could have easily been me washed up among the debris. Now the area has rebounded quite well and the amount of tourists here is astonishing. I feel that half of Europe and most of Russia must be in Thailand.

My routine remains much the same. Sleep in, eat some lunch, wait out the heat of the day, then hang out at the beach for a while and watch the sunset. I did however see a flyer for a championship match at the local Muay Thai Kickboxing Arena in town. Of course I went. The bill had six bouts which was a bonus because I was only expecting the one big match. The crowd was pumped and gambling was rife in the stands. The first match was set to begin and I was quite surprised to see the two competitors all of 8 years old. Child labor at its finest I guess.

After watching 5 different bouts of little kids beating up on each other and not knowing whether to feel shocked or entertained the final match was set. Real fighters, maybe 25 years old or so. A Frenchman versus the local Thai champion. Sitting next to a Frenchie I of course took action on the Thai. Two rounds in I lost my $100b when the French fighter threw a left hook and demolished the Thai fighter. Stupid frogs.

So that's it. I have that feeling again and it is time for me to leave and move on. Tomorrow I head to Koh Phi Phi - home to "The Beach" made famous by Leonardo DeCaprio and his commune living cohorts. The island hopping and beach life continue.

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