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Hi All,
We have just spent 10 days on an Island called Koh Ra where there was only one bungalo operation on the whole island called Eco Lodge which is aptly named as there is only power at night from 6:30 - 10:30pm. No phones, no internet.
Our bungalo was home to a very, very large spider about 6 inches in diameter. There were these huge bumble bees bigger than a humming bird that lived in the Sala where we ate. The cicatas loved to dive bomb us when we ate dinner - I wasn't a fan of that.
The biggest challenge our family faced was - no toilet paper. You should have heard Gavin the first time - it was hillarious. I'm sure he'll give you a good version of it if you ask. . . just don't ask if your eating.
We went with a guide into the jungle where we walked into a village of sea gypsies called the Moken Villagers. They have there own language so even the Thais have a hard time communicating with them. The really live very basically with no, absolutely no modern amenities. They collect this kind of oil that waterproofs their fishing boats from these huge jungle trees. We watched the process and basically they cut out a hole into the tree about 6 -8 inches square and then light a fire in the hole. The tree tries to heal itself by producing this clear oil and then the Mokens drain it and sell it at the market on the mainland. One tree produces 1 litre of oil every day and they get about 200Baht or $6 for it. They also fish and sell charcoal. They rarely see white people as they were all over Gavin - touching his arms, smiling, and wanting to stand near him. I guess that a white boy is extra special. We actually were able to help them with a bit of their work by cutting wood with the chief - very special. There is so much more to tell you all about this tribe but it was a once in a life time encounter. We were pretty lucky to have this experience.
We did a day trip to the Surin Islands where we went snorkeling. We actually swam with reef sharks - apparently they are safe . . . we're all still alive.
There was a few days of snorkelling just around the island - I saw a sting ray. Myron and I took up the challenge of kayaking around the entire island in one day. The operator of the lodge said that people talk about doing it but no one does it. So the challenge was on and Myron and I decided to concour the quest. At first we were very cauky and stopped at a beach for a lazy hour and then realized soon after starting again that this wasn't going to be easy. It was probably the toughest thing I've done for years. We had head wind so bad that the waves were going right over my head and if we stopped paddling we would go backwards right away. All in all we survived but Myron doesn't walk upright anymore and the word Kayaking is a swear word now. We did see some sea turtles and hundreds of huge jelly fish.
We said our good-byes to Ko Ra, Gavin was treated so well by the staff and locals that I could tell he was very sad to leave but now we are on Koh Phayam which is completely the opposite of Ko Ra - very fun, lots to see with many bungalos, bars, night life and of course the locals. The only transportation on the island is by scooter so we have rented one for a couple days so see some sights.
We miss you all and definitely wish you were here with us. . . we think we'll stay here till Dec 20 and then head for the jungle of Khao Sok to ride elephants and see monkeys - maybe even a tiger . . .
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