Aftermath in Ko Samet

Because of the miracles of international travel, I probably got up this morning just as most of you were ratarsed and going to bed. Our introduction to 2009 was as crazy as you might expect, but, basically, more of the same from our previous night's "dry run". As predicted, we prepared ourselves by drinking beer in deck chairs all afternoon, followed by a nice afternoon's kip to completely sober us up before rendezvousing at a bar I'd adopted called the Sunrise Bar. Situated at the end of our little bay I and my companions, The General, Squid Lady, The Witch and, of course, The Caipirihna Queen, draped ourselves over their carpets and cushions on the beach, watching the stars come out, drinking Singha and listening to rock music on the pub speakers (I remember Pearl Jam, Cold Play, Bryan Adams, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, U2 and the like - The General bravely tried to get some Pink Floyd on, but they said that was "too old"). The beach was already packed by 7, boat loads of Thais having shipped themselves over during the day and establishing themselves in tent cities behind the beach front. Therefore, it was quite a coup when CavTours managed to organise a table at one of the best beach seafood restaurants and, amongst the Techno/Rap bass from the next door disco and the fireworks that were going off intermittently throughout the night, we managed to down a variety of prawns, squid, yellow curry, fish, and meat kebabs along with a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label and a bottle of Vodka. When we finally reached midnight the sky exploded. It seems that everyone had access to their own personal fireworks factory (this place is a pyromaniac's wet dream) and the sky around us was alive with bangs, whistles and crashes with rainbow flashes reflecting off everything. In the middle of everything, people were still launching their spirit lanterns creating a stately procession of flickering lights up into the prevailing winds like slow motion photon torpedoes in the Star Trek films (The psychotropic properties of those prawns could get to be a real problem over time!).

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Of course, it all had to end and today the beach looks a little worse for wear. Most of the carpets and cushions and signs have been piled up as if someone is going to make a bonfire out of them. I guess the Thais just decided that enough was enough and they were going to join in the fun. Tomorrow it's back to Bangkok for one night before we start our next adventure to Ko Chang, of which more anon.

PS: It's really warm over here. Just thought you'd like to know that . . .