Thialand: Koh Lanta

After we left Koh Phi Phi, we went to Koh Lanta, which was recommended to us as a quieter, less touristy place. The roads were very quiet so we rented a scooter and booted around for a few days. We drove all along the coast and saw the main beaches, which were beautiful.

Our BnB was a lovely little guesthouse right on the ocean. It was built on stilts and when we went to bed we could hear the tide moving beneath us. It was beautiful. There was even sea life! One night I heard Steve shriek like a girl. He pointed: "Tarantula!" I was afraid until It started running away. Diagonally. It was actually a big, fat crab! I'm glad it wasn't a spider!

Some of our favorite things to do in Koh Lanta was run along the water. There was a nice paved road that ran along the beach and the water went right up to the sea wall when the tide was in. With the sun setting and wind blowing it was a peaceful time to listen to music and to think. The best part was reaching the end of the road which led down to a small beach enclosed by trees, stripping off our sweaty clothes and swimming in our skivvies. I would be a much more dedicated runner at home if every run ended like that!

Nightlife on the island was pretty quiet, so one night we scooted to a Thai bar to hear some music. We ended up playing (I wrote a separate post about that). Locals here really value music, and we felt really blessed to have them take such an interest in us. The whole place had a really cool vibe. One of the things we found really strange about the bar was that everyone brought their own bottle of alcohol. They just ordered a bucket of ice and some mix from the restaurant. It was such a cool, collective feeling because of that-- people we just there to socialize. The bar was packed and everyone was smiling and having fun.

Beer here is very cheap, less than a dollar, and they have 3 local brews: Chang, Leo, and Singha. Steve decided that night he wanted to try one of each, but they kept bringing him a large bottle instead of the regular small ones. Being the Dutchman that he is, he couldn't let any go to waste. I ended up driving us home because our Canadian conscience kicked In. It seemed like a great idea until we were on the bike. "Ugh, where's the throttle?" I asked, to which Steve pointed. I hit the button and the horn honked. "Seriously," I say, "Where is the throttle?" He points again and the blinkers turn on. At this point he is laughing his head off at me and I am angry. We were in the middle of a foreign town and me, who has never driven a bike before had to get us home in the dark, and there's my husband laughing so hard that I can't tell if he is giggling or speaking in some acquired Thai. All the locals were standing around watching, probably making fun of me. Finally after I got off and threaten to push it home, he showed me the twist throttle, built into the handle bar. I was expecting a thumb throttle like the one on quads. It was a quiet ride back.

We did manage to get home in one piece, although there were some sketchy moments. I am definitely glad that the scooter driving is not up to me...we would not be in one piece if it were.

After our night of adventure we bought a watermelon from a stand and hit the sea's again for AoNang.

Captions:
1. Professional scooterers
2. Professional
3. Fashion statement
4. Beached tree.