What to do when you see a snake in Koh Samui

I like it so much at Samui Code that i decided to add on an extra couple of days while i figure out how i ever leave this place! To clear my head a bit and make the most of my time here I hired a car and set out for frontiers new today. The first time i have driven in over 7 weeks…  thankfully it was an automatic so there were no embarrassing bunny hops in the hotel car park. They drive on the correct side of the road here (the left in case you were wondering ;)) so it was an easy ride from that point of view. But it was still quite an adventure, from the tourists deciding that they need ALL of the road on their little scooters to the poor little Yaris screaming at me when i followed the blue signs to a randomly signposted viewpoint up a very

steep hill. It was probably 30% gradient if not more! poor little thing, but with a bit of encouragement she made it every time. And i cruised through the rain storms in my bubble of tranquility while the scooter touting brigade were huddling under any shelter they could find during the momentary torrential downpours. Getting a scooter is what everyone seems to do and it’s dirt cheap. But frankly, i would never do it at home so i’m not going to do it overseas. It was more expensive to get the car 1,300 baht (about £25 for the day) but it was so worth it for the convenience and comfort.

Some of the people that i have seen on scooters today just bring shame on travellers/tourists whatever they are defining themselves as. Leaving bikes in the middle of a turning because they don’t want to pay an old man 20 baht for “official”

parking at the viewpoint. Yes it can be a bit a bit of a racket, but it’s 20 baht… (about 40p) and it must be worth his while to do it to be sat out on his verandah all day hollering at people as they approach. So have a little respect for the people that you come across, 40p is not much to you in the grand scheme of the world but it can add up to a lot for the guy that you

ignored. I have seen it so many times, in places where you are already getting a very good price for things they just go in and barter to save a few extra few pence. Street food stalls for example, they are great value for money. The ingredients are fresh and everything is cooked to order, they are a great way to eat in Thailand. I have seen people barter and haggle over these meals as well, it’s embarrassing when the prices are so low. Yes there is often a different price for the foreigners but there is a reason for it, and in the grand scheme of the world you are arguing over a few pence. This sense of entitlement is rude and out dated, and i hate seeing it in action.

Travel is about learning how other people live and part of that learning should be respecting who people are and where they come from. Respecting the fact that the minimum wage here is far below that of the average in Europe and the impact that those few pennies every day can have on a family’s life if they keep on having to give them up every time some weasels enough for another bucket of cocktail in their next stopover on their way to “finding themselves”. Yes it means that there are a few things that i pay more for, but i do a rough calculation. “how much would the same kind of journey cost me at home?” If it’s nearing or over it then someone is taking advantage and i will challenge the price, but if it’s below then I just go with it. If I can afford to pay it at home then pay I will pay it here too, why not enrich someone else’s life? The guy had clearly put a lot of effort into the viewing platform as well,

there was a covered walkway with flags from all sorts of countries over the world overhanging it, in a form of official welcome. This led to a verandah area that housed an old Thai cycle rickshaw, some other vintage displays and a fully enclosed viewpoint and bar to take in the sights all the way from the mountaintop to the sea.

I spent the morning merrily stopping at whatever “point of interest” sounded interesting as i circumnavigated the island. There’s no real need for a map in Samui as there aren’t that many roads and a loop can be completed in about an hour according to legend. But i was taking my time and sightseeing in one of the ways that i love best, following the brown signs (or blue in this case!)

I had a quick stop for lunch at a local market for a pineapple smoothie, some BBQd chicken and the most delicious brioche/cake i have eaten in the whole of Thailand. It was a light and fluffy bun which tasted like a cross between a brioche and an iced bun. Topped with crunchy chunks of sugar. It was great sustenance for my next unwitting adventure…

I came across a waterfall called “Hin Lad” sniggered at the name “lad” and ventured up the hill. I had two

options when i got out of the car, to left was the temple, and right was the waterfall. I went for the waterfall… The cleared pathway and cafe area soon gave way to ever smaller tracks which were interspersed by growing numbers of tree roots poking their tops up through the mud to create obstacles for little old me. A disaster waiting to happen you may think, a notoriously clumsy cake lady clambering alone through the jungle. I suddenly realised that was all alone in a relatively remote place, putting myself at physical risk. It was a bit like when i used to go for long cycles in the woods of Northamptonshire on my own and got told off for not telling anyone where i was going. Maybe i should get some sort of GPS so you can all keep tabs on me… but then i am 31 so the need to check tell my Mum where i am going has fallen away over time! I do appreciate that i probably should for some of the things that i do but It normally occurs to me when i am mid way through whatever i am doing, so sorry folks!

With an already withered toe from snorkelling and little sense of direction (i didn’t have my compass with me, the shame!) i was becoming a bit alarmed as to where this would eventually lead me. This was heightened when i heard hissing, i froze.

Oh, my gosh there are snakes in here! Someone had joked about rattlesnakes when we were kayaking the other day when we heard rattling and i had laughed it off. But, i hadn’t properly researched this just wandered off into the jungle as if it was Salcey forest dreaming of pixies and waterfalls. It dawned on me that i am not Bear Grylls and have no idea what to do if it really were a snake, when that show comes on TV i look at him not what he’s doing. That gruff man that can look after himself (and maybe me!) in any situation… oh i digress… I had no idea what i should do, run/hide/scream/freeze on the spot. I was a little panicked, then i realised that there hissing was in fact the sound of water being spurted out of a pipe that was running unseen along the side of the waterfall…

What a moron! There is nothing to see here, i gave myself a MTFU speech and hurried past it. It did not stop every tree root

then becoming a potential snake, there was also a hairy moment when i thought a fallen and aged palm branch was a lion… (I can’t believe that i am openly admitting this!) I’d made it quite far up and was wondering how much longer i would remain attack/accident free and the waterfall opened up. It was stunning. But the air was close from the humidity and the after effects of my panic, so i quickly marched back down. I don’t think the people on their way up knew what to make of me scampering down while they sauntered along.

I had a quick pit stop at the cafe and popped over to the temple “this will be nice, i can hear the bottom of the fountain and temple grounds are always calming” i thought to myself. I was about 200 yards into my stroll when i glanced along the footpath. “that looks like a snake” i thought to myself, “oh wait a second… it is a flipping snake!!” After all that faff in the jungle, the blighter creeped down and scared the bejesus out of me on the concrete pathway… Sneaky Sid! I didn’t know what to do, “has he seen me should i fight or fly?!” I did the obvious thing and took a picture on full zoom while slowly sneaking away! One of the temple dogs came along at that point and noticed Sid, he woofed his buddy over and i left

them to deal with Sid. I felt bad but only just met him and he wasn’t that kind to me, the laws of nature will take care of him…

Holy moly, i needed some a/c and a less snake infested place to explore so the little Yaris took me over to the Big Buddha. It was nice and quiet at the end of the day, and i was able to have a look around and observe people making offerings to the temple. I sometimes feel like i am intruding when i visit other denominations places of worship. The acts hold great reverence and i personally feel it’s rude to try and join in. I always try to make an offering if i am sure i understand what

it means and what i am supposed to do when told by someone who knows. I wasn’t sure here and there was no one to ask so i observed. The setting of the Buddha is very peaceful, its on the edge of a pier away from the bustle of the local town with a few fisherman’s boats for neighbours on one side. The sound of the ocean lapping against the sides of the complex seems almost cleansing and enhances that feeling of peace that is ever present even at the most manic of temples like those of the royal palaces in Bangkok. The serenity belies it’s setting and popularity it’s quite remarkable.

After making an offering to sponsor a tile in the extension of the temple, I managed to catch the beginnings of the sun stirring for it’s setting. What i am calling my evening’s “sky porn” i just can’t get enough of it, dancing around in the clouds until it’s ready for it’s final flourish before going to bed for the night. Simply beautiful.

Ciao from a very tired cake lady, hopefully not too much nature tomorrow!  x x x