KOH SAMET: AO CHO BAY Part 2
Taem had booked four rooms for us and the set-up couldn’t have been better. The bungalows shared a communal veranda, which would later come in handy as a venue for drinking and playing cards.
First things first, I got into my shorts and got Tommy ready for some swimming. I spend as much time as possible in the pool at home with Tommy so he’s used to water, although he still has a tendency to drink both swimming pool and bath water. In the sea at Bang Saen, however, he’d quickly found out that sea water was not to be drunk.
I put his water wings on and we trotted off excitedly to the water. Unlike many beaches in Thailand, there was obviously no coral reef protecting the shore so reasonably big waves were rolling in. It proved too much for Tommy and I had to take him out again pretty quickly. He wasn’t even keen on paddling anymore and Pim took over the baby sitting duties while I took advantage of my first opportunity to do some body surfing for over 10 years.
As the sun set our clan met for a meal in the restaurant and then the women played cards on the veranda, the kids played “bury the baby” in the sand, and the men bravely took on the drinking responsibilities.
The next morning, we had an early breakfast and then it was back into the surf. This time I was joined by the two older kids in our group and, at various times, Pim, her older sister, and her dad. It was great fun and Tommy was even persuaded to paddle into the water again. By noon it felt like we’d been surfing for ever but the day was still young. Taem arranged for a songthaew to take us into the main town and market to get some seafood for an evening barbecue on the beach.
It was a rough ride into town and the midday heat was sweltering. Along the way, we passed through numerous bays and clusters of resorts ranging from tasteful to commercial. After a fair price had been negotiated on what looked like the week’s catch at the market, it was time for a lunch stop and then back to Ao Cho and the beckoning surf.
For our barbecue, we were joined by several hungry mosquitoes that weren’t in the least put off by any of the mosquito repellents we applied or coils we burned.
The night finished with Pim, her siblings, her cousin and her sunburnt husband taking another songthaew back to the main beach. We found a bar with live music and after a few beers, Taem upped the stakes by ordering a kamikaze, which, in poker fashion, I saw and raised. The rest of the night is hazy after that although I do remember giving Koh Samet a lesson in dancing that it will never forget, no matter how hard it tries.
All too soon it was Sunday and our holiday was almost over. Another early breakfast was followed by more body surfing until, at noon, it was time to pack the bags and head to the restaurant to wait for the boat. Ah yes, the boat. I had forgotten about that. Those waves that I had been blissfully surfing were no longer my friend but now my mortal enemy.
Once more I missed out on a life jacket, but the crossing this time was thankfully much smoother, although Pim seemed to be suffering from sea-sickness and looked ready to fill at any moment the plastic bag she was grasping. She survived but young Boonchan succumbed. It’s strange but, despite my fear of deep water and dodgy boats, I never get sea sick.
As we made shore my feelings were mixed. I’m always glad to be au quai again, but the trip to Koh Samet had been far too short and it was a pity to have left her so soon.
Paul Snowdon
Related article – Koh Samet: Ao Cho Bay (part 1)
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