Day 43 - Sunday, March 27 - Ko Lanta

Could it be that it was time for another lazy day in Lanta? Being that I made a decision to leave tomorrow, and there are no more trips to Sala Dan for me, I think it was the case.

That thought lasted a very short time as I ran into Katie and Dave and they asked me to join them on a ride to Sala Dan to the weekend market. How could I turn down another Thai weekend market. After all, it meant a ride on the gross Lanta roads, a market that would have all the same crap as all the others and a bunch of food stalls that would have rotting meat with flies all over it and an occassional fruit stand that would be selling loads of DORIAN.

Don't know what DORIAN is?

Durian, Durio zibethinus Murr., is one of the best known fruits in tropical Asia. Its natural distribution is peninsular Malaysia, southern Thailand, Indonesia and Borneo. The fruit is stalked, pendulous, and round to oblong with large thorns on the skin. The fruit is a capsule that is split into 3 to 5 segments. Each segment contains l to 5 seeds, each of which is embedded in a sweet, aromatic and rich creamy pulp (aril) with a creamy yellow to golden yellow color. It is also known for its strong and pungent odour, which can be offensive and nauseating to some people.

I haven't been able to get past the smell of it yet but before I leave Thailand I'll try it.

Soooooo, off to Saladan I went on the dirty dusty disgusting roads with trucks and cars kicking crap up in our faces and covering our clothes and entire bodies with centimeters thick of dirt and grime. Got to the market and it was exactly what I had expected. We ate some chicken skewers and some pastry type of snack and bought nothing as usual. We went into the heart of Sala Dan, had lunch at Bi Fern (chicken and vegetables in a "sweeten sour" sauce), and I bought a mask and snorkel and a pair of sandals. Now that my pack has so much room, I didn't hesitate to buy some stuff to fill it right back up with. Yes, Marc, you are a moron!

A few hours later, we did the drive all over again (all 23km) and were back at Miami. I showered, washed my clothes, and went into our little town to get a haircut and some film for the big boat ride to Krabi tomorrow. Dave and Katie are trying to talk me out of leaving but sometimes you have to say goodbye to the people you meet and try other spots. It really is a toss up but if I don't motivate and make the move, I wont see everything I want to.

Back at Miami, I returned my motorbike so I didn't get charged an extra day to keep it overnight, I joined the porch for a few gin and tonics and chatted away. Somehow, they got me drunk enough to realize there was no way I was leaving at 7AM to get on a boat to Krabi. So, I guess it's one more day in the sun on Lanta before going to Krabi on Tuesday morning. I will be that boat, I promise! At 9:45, we finally motivated to OTTO's for dinner. I hadn't been before as they discovered it while I was on Lipe. I had an OTTO BURGER. My real first foray with a Thai "HAM BURGER". My otto burger was a patty about 2 inches in diameter, an inch thick, on a bun with a fried egg, cheese, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and lettuce and with a little imagination, I could have sworn I was sitting at JG Mellon's enjoying the burger of my life. After dinner, we made our way back to Miami. It was bed time for me after a little walk on the beach.