Life is moving at a wonderfully slow pace on Koh Samui but each day is still filled with marvels. We gathered coconuts fresh from the palms on the beach and learnt, from our Thai landlady, Yar, how to husk them. The coconuts we see at home at the fairground bear almost no resemblance to the nut it is original state. They are the size of melons and bright green and grow in absolute abundance all over the island. We brought home two from the beach with absolutely no idea how to get into them, in fact we were unsure they were actually coconuts at all!!! There is a knack …. Step 1) Big knife! Step 2) Nimble fingers!! Step 3) No fear of blood or severed digits!!! Basically we have learnt the skill of hacking… hacking to death for the first 10 minutes to get rid of all the thick green peel. What you are left with is a white version of what we know as coconuts. If you want the milk from the inside you make a big crack in the top and hack out a hole, if you don’t, then deftly apply a hatchet equally around the middle of the nut to break it open – and therein lies the fruit! I have never before tasted such amazing coconut. It was moist and delicious – by the time we get coconuts at home, in comparison its really dry. Another skill to add to our growing repetoire!
We have been learning Thai! If you heard us speak, you’d be amazed…. : Wan jan wan ang-kaan, sawadee kah, wan pe rue hat, wan aa-tit, kar poon ca!” Monday, Tuesday, hello, Thursday, Sunday and thaaaaaaaaaaang yooooooo!!!! We are almost fluent as you can see!!! Fortunately beer is beer and wine is wine so we won’t expire just yet!!!
In all our ventures to do everything Thai we did succumb today to a roast dinner! Yes even here, that English tradition lives on! The meal was delish and other than a monkey beside us babysitting a 4-week old kitten it was rather like being at home in any old restaurant!!! Kids screaming and way too many Brits!!!! Might give that a miss for the next wee while until the urge for a Sunday Roast gets too much again!!!
Riding a scooter, as we’ve mentioned before, is no mean feat on the roads here. At first it was hairy now its just plain ludicrous, we have perfected the art of me riding the scooter, with Dan on the back, holding an 8-week old puppy, rucksack, fishing rod and cool-bag complete with Singha (bottles of the local brew!) – Methinks that is called progress!!!!! Still, I do think that Dan prefers to be in the driving seat with me holding the baggage!!!
We are most definitely settling into life here including not being so paranoid about all the dogs. Dan has a close following of several beach pooches, he looks like the Pied Piper as he wanders up and down the beach with his wee harem of canines following loyalty in his wake! One even tries to get in the canoe with him when he goes out on his fishing quests – Sasha! She is a wee pet and very protective of the two of us to the point that every time I go in the sea, she comes with me and just sits by my side watching out for danger! That came in the form of a huge black, bearheaded, wolfhound beast yesterday…. Needless to say, she buggered off and left me at the mercy of a very big set of jaws!!! Thankful the hateful creature didn’t really like the sea where I took refuge and sodded off eventually! Not a pleasant experience.
The little local bar that we frequent now refer to us as the new locals, so much to the point that we do serve ourselves and anyone else that’s waiting, behind the bar, shortly to be renamed Maria and Dan’s, yes that is right, MARIA and Dan’s and just leave what we owe in the till! They are so trusting and friendly its almost hard to believe in this day and age.
We are four weeks in almost and while it feels like we’ve been here for ever, it will never seem long enough.
Take care M&D xxxx
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