Satun surprises

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Driving through Bangkok to the south terminal on a tuk tuk, and then out to Satun on the bus, I could really appreciate the concreting over of the many waterways. Left and right, Bangkok's water alleyways were obscured by grey and driven over. That's to start on a greyer note, the time ahead in Satun had many highs, surprises and tales. On my coach ride down we stopped off and ate communally around tables with lazy Susans, it was really nice, whilst thai soap operas played on big screens outside as more and more coaches arrived for the night pit stop. I had to make a sleepy note of my bus registration with the identical hoardes coming in. Luckily, Satun was the last stop of the ride, so there was no chance of me missing that, zzz..

So, Satun. This spot had not come to my attention yet, especially ignored by me as it's in the south, which was beyond my brain capacity of rough travel ideas before coming out. It's a small town in the deep south, absent from most travellers' routes but the nearest point to the Malaysian island of Langkawi over to the west. It didn't have a paragraph or index reference in my rough guides book - merely a mention that you can use it as a crossing, with a single guesthouse referral 'if you need to stay!' I'd been informed by Sam that Satun is famous for its tea.. that'd keep us rolling. As it was there was much in Satun to make us smile and laugh and appreciate.

After arriving here from my night bus and having to suss out a wifi friendly phone with friendly local person attached, I found and met Sam at his hostel. And off to breakfast we went, of course. There seems no better way to start the day here than a good helping of roti canai (curry roti) - where the process and noise of the roti flats making is all part of the meal, and it ended here with a kitchen rhythm and table tapping hand in perfect unison - and hot local tea, poured into delicate little ceramics.
Satun had a different feel to other parts of Thailand so far. It is a Muslim dominated area, with various ferry and overland passings into Malaysia, and it's beautiful gold tipped mosque can be seen (and heard) from about the town. I felt a slightly different culture here, which I cannot quite put into words. It's a communal place, and it seems to just go about it's business in a nice settled motion, without so catering to tourism I guess.

Our first port of call was the immigration office. We arrived at the signposted office, brand new white walls and outside steps swirling up, we walked up tentatively. Inside, chairs in plastic wrap arounds and unplugged screens lined up catching the rays. Well, um. This made us laugh, like a toy story scene where if we turned around the office would spring into life. We walked about and saw a mixed-sex construction team (a common sight through Thailand) on the other side and they directed us to the current office - still rather new itself and adorned with a brilliant character covered sign: 'Welcome to Asian' it said. We quickly got our re-entry visas.

We stopped off at a herb shop where Sam wanted to try to source a bag of thai tea. I waited outside and had the perfect view of the scene inside - huge jars upon the shelves running floor to ceiling, the owner emerging from the back in a gas mask, talking away with Sam through the mask.. I was surprised at how long this conversation seemed to go on for successfully. But instructions had been passed, and indeed the next morning Sam would return to the guesthouse with bags of authentic tea to take with us to Langkawi 😊

Now, there was no way we wasn't going to go see 'Monkey mountain' here, and our walk and stops over the rest of the day did not disappoint! It was brilliant..
There was a quaint walkway around the river to the mountain - yellow pirate ship lampposts and concrete huts to sit in that reminded me of the Victorian period sit-ins along the south English Coast.
In the murky river shadowed by bushy edges and palm trees, we saw various objects - discarded odd shoes, sunken wooden boats, a doll's discarded left arm. It didn't seem messy though, maybe that was the sunshine and lush green around, but somehow mysterious and like points on a tale-beaten, passed down map.

We met and walked about the jagged rock mountain, where trees emerged through all levels of the rock to leave roots dangling to the ground and top branches trying to catch the ever higher trees above. And yes we saw the monkeys, swinging along vines and rambling up the bushy karsts above. A local would inform us that no humans go (or can get up) there, so it really is the domain of the macaque monkeys.

Around the mountain we came to caved pathways in. With mutual egging on and a torch, we slowly walked in. The rock glittered under the light; up we saw tree bottoms, about us dusty crockery and carved in rock seats telling of nights shared here. It was cool, musty and a bit creepy, rock arches feeling unstable. But we went in a little.
Just outside of here was a Buddha statue on a platform of green growth. It was a shabbily beautiful area.

Around the corner we came to a fishing village, and we found people and houses who fid not try and carve away the nature but instead lived with and around it. The paths wound around the huge rocks, extended ropes let monkeys travel overhead and trees became clothes lines and house supports. The village was really friendly, parents watched fondly as kids rushed over to try out their English, and Sam became a climbing frame for one particularly confident and charming toddler. We chatted here a bit and then found the river swirl around again, through mangroves, and a place to eat just over a bridge. Here we ordered a mixed noodle soup that was really nice, and it was the perfect place to watch local fishermen start their trips, with their football-kitted children, around the mountain's moat. It was also a chance for me to practice some thai lingo too, I kept it repeating in my mind as I went to ask if there was a toilet I could use and if we could get the bill (this part was much easier!).
It seemed a happy, colourful place to live. Such a lovely vibe, a little paradise shared with just a small community; and yet it was so close to the more built up and busy Satun main. Effortlessly beautiful.

The day was a belter, sun shining and a little breeze, so we happily kept walking.
Past rubber tree plantations that give the area much of it's income.
And past school kids playing the game of football tennis with a bamboo ball, asking us to join. My cut leg and the fence between us and the school field meant we declined but I was urging to give it a go! We spoke with other kids around the corner before stopping for the Thai dessert of 'sweet sweet, cold cold' where the repetition clue is spot on - a delicious mixture of colourful jellies, sweets and nuts, in crushed ice and coconut milk, with a touch of brain freeze! The dessert stall was by the family's home and we saw very young daughters walk about with ingredients and big knives, then set down at chosen spots and expertly chop up and help prepare, brilliant.

As the sky started to darken, a storm maybe, we chose to continue on a loop and, hopefully, picking up a thai tea on the way, we would end back in town. That was the plan anyway!
Instead, we soon found ourselves called over by a group of guys sitting by the road, a table crowded with bowls and glasses. We looked at eachother, and the spirit of the day took us over. Hello, here, have some rice whiskey, take a seat. So it began!..

It seemed to be a pop-up pub of regulars, and we'd joined the few drinks in, welcome bunch sprawled outside. At times the proprietor didn't look best pleased, other times she smiled and shook her head at their requests for more shots. We were given tries of the dishes; spicy meat, water bull soup, fish chutney (particularly yummy) and a bitter leaf (I really didn't like this one) to have before a shot. It was fun and they were really friendly and giving, we chatted and worked with language difficulties - sometimes unsuccessfully, other times we got there and all laughed at how that was so difficult.

And trading happened. Stories, pictures, thai talent show clips, party tricks. One guy with an impressive grey beard became very attached to my electric cigarette that I gave him to try - a smart game later on of pass it around and try to blow a bigger cloud then the last person helped me get it back. Whilst another revealed himself as a cop after one keen shot round! Out came his impressive bank of id cards, his 'interesting' phone gallery (Sam's raised eyebrow dance out the corner of my eye was telling enough) and also his gun for a show and tell (hide the shock), with an offer for a shooting range venture (ah, not today thanks!). Phewf, 6pm and the whiskey was really hitting in! Plus the energy drink chasers that were insisted upon. We managed to get a taxi ride back into town, a Facebook friend request and a round of hearty goodbyes from the gang. Good, unexpected fun.

We had been taken to a recommended steak place, which was sweet of them to think of our western tastes, but we feigned going in and then walked off to a bustling Thai-Malay outdoor restaurant spotted earlier. We finished our day with a delicious large order of whole grilled chilli sea bass, roti, spicy cashew chicken and rice. Plus some nice fruit juices to finally compliment the whiskey.

A great day, in much more than just a border through town. We also had a lovely place to stay at Ons, the sort where you could pop downstairs and end up sitting for an hour with the staff sharing their mango dipped in chilli sauce, or be invited down to the morning market with them. It had been a surprising and refreshing town to stay.

Tomorrow we'd be heading into Malaysia..

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Photos

A little walk away
Satun fishing village