Day 19: Kol Lanta, Pretty Hot, 34°🥵😎

One Could Get Use To This Life, Right?

Another day in what seems to be a little paradise. It is lovely here, and if one wasn’t particularly careful it would be very easy to slip into an expat void. Looking around here, there are some who have already or would like to find that certain place. It’s very tempting, but I’m one of those people who likes to actively explore, so this particular expat life style would be difficult for me. I’m not saying I couldn’t do it, only that I like to see what’s on the other side of the hill. Perhaps there’s a happy medium? I’ll have to give that some thought, eventually.😉

After a lazy day doing pretty much what ever struck our fancy, we wandered down along the beach and watching the sunset as we walked. It was definitely different as there was some low heavy cloud on the western horizon which acted to distort the sun as it settled into the Indian Ocean.

We found a beach front ‘bar/restaurant’ and ordered drinks while we continued to watch the sun perform its simple, but always special disappearing trick.

And then the sunset was all too quickly over.

AM was hungry do we placed our food order. While it was being prepared in the simplest of kitchens, the light again began to change. And then the most amazing colours lit up the western sky.

Magic!

We settled into our simple restaurant.

Of course I was so distracted by the delayed colour burst that I totally missed taking any photos of the food.😑 I had a sweet and sour seafood dish that turned into sweet and sour chicken somewhere between our table and the kitchen.😋 They offered to replace it, but I’m not that fussy. I also ordered a very good rice dish and shared it with AM. She ‘shared’ her stir fried cashew chicken with me which was much too spicy for her taste buds. In return I ‘shared’ my yummy sweet and sour un-seafood with her. I’ll try to do better tonight photos wise.

We walked up to the 7-Eleven afterwards to pick up some yogurt for this morning to eat before our early morning walks. Then sitting outside on our veranda we just enjoyed the slightly cooler breeze that blows offshore after it gets dark. Very pleasant.

This morning we set off early again for our individual walks. We walk at different paces so in order for both of us to get some meaningful exercise we walk alone. I know, not very romantic, but I’m sort of trying to maintain some level of fitness for a possible solo distance walk in late May, just over three months from now. I also need some exercise while here to permit me to enjoy a couple of beers today!

I put my ear buds in for some nice tunes and walked about 9.5 kms of sand. It was lovely, and we agreed afterwards that 9.5 kms of sand walking has to be worth more fitness points than road or trail walking. Yup, when walking obsessed these conversations actually can and will happen from time to time.🤣 I’m finding that some of the old heavy calluses on the bottoms of my feet are reducing by the many kilometres of sand walking. There’s a fine line here, and I’m monitoring the situation closely. Not!

AM was waiting at the restaurant when I finished showering and laundering my walking gear just after 10:00. Breakfast was another yummy omelette, some delicious sweet tomatoes, a glass of pineapple juice and a pot of tea. I carried the banana away to eat later as a possible lunch or snack for tomorrow.

At some point around 13:00 we came up with the not too brilliant idea to go for a walk to see what was in the other direction along the main road. In the heat of the day. It was actually AM’s idea, the woman recently voted least suited to the heat.😇

We did find the mosque that we hear through the day with its scheduled call to prayers. It was very brightly painted!

Both of us beginning to melt, we retreated to our shady veranda for a fitting lunch on such a hot day. Such a wonderful existence!

I guess this is a good place to write about the results of our beer tasting tests. We think that so far Chang beer is the best Thai beer. There is one other we haven’t tried yet and we will leave final assessments until then.

A Sort Of Spontaneous Thai Massage!😏

I’ve been thinking about ‘enjoying’ one of these since I arrived, but I wasn’t sure. I’ve had a few injuries over the years and I’m a bit particular concerning who I let work on my aging body. However, today after our nourishing lunch I said to AM that I was going to have a massage. I asked her if she would like one as well? Her answer was affirmative, and while she changed, I walked over to where the masseuses operate, ummm rather massage.

A lovely smiling Thai woman greeted me in typical Thai fashion, but spoke no English. We had to improvise. She had a list of their various types of massages with prices, and I indicated that I would like a massage that includes legs. She smiled and said “Thai massage”. I said ok, and assumed the position on my tummy.

She started with my shoulders and back with deep pressure. Of course she had very strong hands. Very. She then worked down into my gluts and started on my left leg. I had occasionally been watching the ladies work over the past few days and I often saw them working with their eyes closed. I believe my masseuse was doing the same thing because several times during the hour she found places I knew were damaged before my lower back injury was surgically repaired and she had a way of focussing in on those spots and then addressing them from several different directions. Quite interesting and intuitive.

She moved on to my legs and sheesh did she work each of them over! We both laughed when my left lower thigh reacted to a pressure point! She employed pressure massage and stretching using her hands, elbows and even her feet.

Just when I figured things must be coming to a conclusion, she moved on to my feet, my hands and then my neck and even my head! A complete body experience all for about CDN $12!! Who needs medical benefits here?

AM arrived at one point and another woman went to work on her shoulders and neck as had been agreed. AM said her entire body was also massaged, with the focus on her upper body. Cost, CDN $26.

The two women were chatting and chuckling with each other throughout, and afterwards AM and I shared that we both wondered what they were chatting about. That’s just human nature and our own insecurities. They were probably laughing about the Super Bowl results and how the Eagles had achieved revenge over the Chiefs after last years game went the other way.

Afterwards we went for a cold shower at the pool to recover then flaked out on a couple of lounges. My view from the lounge;

AM is getting me a mojito as I write this to help with my recovery. It’s also getting close to happy hour!😊

This has been a lovely interlude during our travel. However, all good things sometimes end, often leading to other good things. Through the place we are staying we have hired a driver to take us back to Phuket airport for a late day flight north tomorrow. It was getting a bit complicated and dicey timing wise to catch ferries and taxis and return the way we came over. It only cost a bit more to do the transfer this way. This will give us the opportunity to see a bit more of this Thailand area and should get us to the airport in good time for our flight.

We will first enjoy our morning stuff here then we get picked up at 10:15 for a ferry – land route that will take about 6 hours.

That’s about it for today. I’ll do my best to post something tomorrow. I have a good data plan!

Cheers!🍹🌞🌴

Geoff