Day 23 - wet

23.05.19

Although we had to do without an air conditioning like we had on Koh Phangan, the fan provided so much fresh air that we had to turn it off at night. In addition, all windows are permanently open and equipped with insect screens, so we always have fresh air in the room.

We get up, go to the supermarket, hoping to find something for breakfast for the next few days. We get toast and cold cuts. Jonna wisely got sticky rice with mango again yesterday, which she devours for breakfast. We plan to explore our beach region (Ao Nang) on foot and only go out with the scooter tomorrow. So we set off with our swimming trunks and beach towel to the sea.

Before us stretches a white, wide sandy beach that merges into turquoise-blue water. The sky is slightly cloudy; it takes away a bit of the paradise flair, but is easier to bear physically.

We walk along the promenade, aiming to find a pleasant place to stay. In doing so, we pass through the (perceived) tourist center of this region. Everything is a bit too intrusive and fake for our taste. When we want to hike along a mountain path to a more remote beach, an Asian couple comes towards us. The man warns us; the route is very exhausting and the beach is not worth it. Of course, the tip was kindly meant, but we would like to make our own experience.

What can I say; the route is very exhausting and the beach is not worth it. The entire bay is taken up by a huge resort and is currently being turned into a construction site. We watch a wheel loader for a few minutes as it transports stones from a ferry to the beach and then decide to start the return journey after about 5 minutes.

We take a short break at the public tourist beach and are surprised by a decent amount of rain shortly afterwards. This rain is for the very first time of a more consistent nature, so we store our devices (camera, mobile phone, etc.) in our waterproof backpack and, after a short break under a snack roof, march back through the rain to 'our' street.

After about an hour, the rain clouds move on and leave us wet behind - it's not like we were sweating anyway. We search for a large supermarket just outside the village - we saw it somewhere on the way there - and a scooter rental so that we know where to go tomorrow. Luckily, we come across a large market that happens to be taking place today. With wide eyes, we stroll through the almost completely covered place, along wooden stands offering fragrant dishes in steaming pots, wriggling fish, and fresh vegetables.

Unfortunately, the market is still under construction, so we decide to spend some time in a café and come back when all stalls are occupied. So we continue up the street where the colorful hustle and bustle takes place, looking for a place to kill time. We not only find a nice restaurant, but also a scooter rental on the way there. We order drinks - a cola (0.33, 0.50€) and a Chang (Thai beer, 0.33, 1.40€) - and get our selection served. The beer glass contains ice cubes. The small, flashy, German beer patriot in me shakes his head in horror. However, I leave the ice cubes in the glass and do not find them particularly annoying. With the help of the Wi-Fi, we make some phone calls and listen to the next rain shower beating on the roof of the restaurant.

After a while, we return to the market, which is now in full swing. We soak up the atmosphere, buy noodles, meat skewers, and dough balls, all of which we have devoured at the latest on the way home.

We are very exhausted from today's long hike (13 kilometers) and are somewhat skeptical about the weather. According to the Internet, it is supposed to stay rainy for the next few days. Well, we'll see. Now off to bed and hoping that the climate in the room is right today!

- Alex