Friday 21 October 2011

Home cooked food and waterfalls


We were due to move next Wednesday to our new beachside apartment but due to the severe weather conditions have decided to stay put were we are, some good way away from the beach (about 15 mins walk).  We were told stories from the bar owner that this time last year, the tide came in so far it nearly washed the bar and its contents into the sea and there wasn’t much differentiation between the swimming pool and the waves lapping into it from the beach.  The pool is about 10 feet from what was going to be our new front door!  We are starting to come into rainy season proper and if the last few days are anything to go by, we are in for an experience.  The thunderclaps are loud enough to wake you from a deep slumber and the after-effect of the rolls are enough to keep you awake into the wee hours.  Thunderstorms at home seem to last seconds in comparison to Thailand.  They last for hours – all night sometimes.  We awake at home to knocked-off car alarms; we wake in Thailand to the constant braying of disgruntled Oxen! 

Mind you the rain does make the plantation look a bit like Jurassic Park, all fog-covered tree tops and mist swirling around them – seeing a dinosaur peering out at you over the palms would not look out of place.  The rain does bring out beautiful huge butterflies though; the size of your hands – we almost mistook them for birds.  It also has a nasty habit of bringing out swarms of mozzies too and we have been bitten to pieces these last few nights.  How can something so small be such a sodding nuisance.  No amount of air conditioning or deet spray seems to keep them at bay at the moment and what the hell ever happened to them buzzing around your ear’oles to give you a warning of the impending bite – oh no – now they have perfected their bloody noise cloaking device they have become the silent night time assassins! We are covered in what looks like skin covered smarties, so huge is the aftermath of their nips!!!

We hope that our recent blessing and a gift of a coloured string bracelet by a Buddhist monk will keep us safe from the water and the mozzies!  Not entirely sure how our 20 Baht donation towards new loos at his local temple equates to keeping our body and soul safe and well, but there you go – when in Thailand and all that!

We have been trying not to let the weather affect us though and whilst it’s not sunbathing weather its still stiflingly (is that a word!) hot.  We have been out and about on the bike and any ray of sun keeps the tan going without us realising it.  Although we don’t wear helmets on the scooter we do take one with us when we go to Nathon as you have to ride right past the main Police station on the one-way system and there are signs everywhere saying “wear safe helmet”!  We forget the other day!  Oops!  Fortunately we got away with it and avoided a 500 Baht fine (about a tenner!).  The next time we headed out in that direction, we did remember the helmet and Dan found that he was sharing headspace with a lizard and that was an interesting moment of realisation - at about 60kph!  Needless to say, the lizard is no more! 

The law is strange here – although you are required to wear a helmet in some areas, regardless of how many are ON the scooter, only one person needs to don one!  Bizarre!!!

Dan has been keeping himself regularly employed by adopting the role of pool cleaner.  Out he is with his aqua-based hoover thingamijig happy as … well…. A pool cleaner can be!  Might get our rent reduced at least!!!! On the subject of employment – we have applied to the local elephant reserve to offer our services as volunteers in looking after them and hope that comes to something as it would be just awesome to see them in that environment other than just using them as a means of transport.  On the otherside of the employment scale, we have also applied for bar jobs in Lamai, the tourist mecca, at Bondi Aussie Bar and Grill – we’re keeping in real in downtown Samui.  Dan has even been roped into providing the music round of the local weekly quiz but I’m not sure how well received 10 questions on 80s soul and Luther Vandross will be received!!!!

We took ourselves off yesterday to view the waterfalls thinking that the recent rainfall would have contributed to their magnificence!  Niagara they ain’t but nonetheless they were fairly impressive, impressive enough to endure a 30-minute elephant ride and 20-minute jeep safari to the top of the canopy to see them and for Dan to swim in the extremely deep pool beneath the very top waterfall.  He’s getting braver by the day!!!  On the elephant trek we passed all sorts of animals; from somersaulting monkeys, to deer to geese to tigers -  it is a safari park in the main but the word safari being loosely used as the animals were caged.  They looked reasonably well cared for but still, it always leaves me saddened to see them in captivity and performing for paying tourists.  Don’t suppose we can be too self-righteous though as it was a captive elephant called Gigi that took us up through the park quite happily on her back!

We have also been cooking at home and shopped accordingly at Tescos.  The pricing structure is quite unusual there – cheese is very expensive yet you can buy a massive lump of fresh ginger for about 5p! I made our first Thai curry last night and for someone who is not keen in the kitchen I have to say, it wasn’t half bad.  We saved a bit for our landlord to try and he was most impressed and said a pat on the back was in order!!!  Dan’s turn next as he claims he is a dab-hand – let’s see what he can do with a stick of lemongrass, two Thai tangerines and some beef fillet oh and the one remaining grain of curry paste!!!

Take care M&D x


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