The Happy-Happy Senses of Thailand

It’s all about the senses here.

The smells – not always pleasant. Lots of rotten garbage odors, and many times one is assaulted by the reek of rotting fish or prawns. The dried-up river gut across the road from the hotel started to smell bad yesterday after a week of no rain. In the afternoon there were some smoking fires somewhere nearby, I am sure to mask the stench. Yet often there are delicious aromas of simmering curries and barbecue. The strong mentholated scent of tiger balm as it is massaged into sore muscles. The overpowering redolence of Thai weed wafting through the air around the bar at night.

The taste – It should always be spicy but it is definitely toned down for the tourists. Many times I am expecting to be blown away but I think if you want spice, you have to ask. Favorite so far is tamarind sauce on barbecued fish. Unfortunately I have to limit my Thai food intake because although it agrees with my tongue, it doesn’t agree with my intestines. Other memorable tastes – the sweetness of the green tea that the Boom, the massage lady, always gives me at the end of one of her fantastic reflexology treatments. The “fresh fruit” mixed in with the muesli in the morning which includes watermelon, pineapple and papaya – unusual but great. The smoky Pad Thai I had at one of the sunset bars. 

The feel – Sun and sand affect everything. My hair is sun-bleached and dry with the texture of Barbie doll hair. How the warm sea water caresses the skin. How hot the sand gets underfoot by afternoon. The sweat that covers every pore of the body in the heat of the day – the refreshingness of every swim and shower. The difference of the breezy air in the shade of the Funky Fish bar and the relentless rays of the direct sun.

The sounds – What stands out the most for me are the wonderful jungle noises that comes from palms and fruit trees in the bungalow grove. Sometimes it is riotous – the chirping, croaking and squeaking. I have realized that the a cappella background soundtrack that the Balinese men made with their voices to accompany the Kacek fire dance was actually an amazing reproduction of the sounds of the jungle. Then there is the music – lots of Bob Marley, some odd old country songs and then the very Chinese-sounding music that must be traditional Thai. The sound of the language which is so Asian tonal it seems impossible to translate. The best I have managed to understand is hello and thank you, both of which can fall right out of my head at any time. Everybody speaks English, but when it comes down to it only superficially , almost never enough to have a real conversation. I have grown more attuned to German and Swedish though. Had an entertaining evening last night at the Funky Fish bar with Goran (pronounced Joo-ran, two dots over the o), a surgeon from Stockholm who spoke superb English and has been rehabilitating himself in Thailand after two years in the hospital for disc replacement surgery that went wrong (the back horror story of all time, including the part where he woke up from a 6 month induced coma and his wife served him with divorce papers!). He said there are so many Swedish families here in the winter that they actually have a Swedish school for their kids, not unlike Bequia, as I recall…But he is like so many other people who come here, he found it too “soft-soft” – there is not enough action on Koh Lanta – and they head for more happening places. In just one week I am the old-timer at this funky little resort. “Soft-soft” is just enough for me. "Tventy baht" - every time you ask how much something is that is what they answer but it can mean fifty, seventy or any baht. There are certain sounds they just can't say - Marilinne is out of the question - I have reverted to "M" which seems to be the Thai way - their names are all one syllable - A, Ta, Chang...

The sights – A sunset every night, same-same but different. Pure colors of sun, sand and sea (it rained last night for about half an hour – that has been it). Bright clothing. The way Boom’s assistant (maybe daughter?)dresses in clothing that we would not think appropriate – lacy tiered pettipants worn as shorts, sheer tricot baby doll nightgown worn as dress (hmmm… as I describe this I am thinking maybe I am missing something there…)Many of the guys who hang out where I am staying at Lanta Pearl have long hair twisted up into top knots and I realize that many of them are Thai rastas with every laid-back thing that entails. It is all happy-happy here - I can't say I understand the double word thing but I embrace it! 

This is the unique water filtration system behind my bungalow??? Notice the water  coming out of the first can on the left and running into the barrel below...Yes - I am relaxed beyond recent memory - all nervous and muscular ailments relieved...