Koh Mak

Koh means island, I've no idea what Mak means.

I'm going to try to write this blog, but it won't be easy at times. Specifically, we are on Koh Mak in the Gulf of Thailand and haven't had internet access for the past two days. Don't know why. Satellite? Software? Weather? Anyway, I will add to it as I can. Dad is off somewhere and I don't know how to download pictures. Will have to learn another time. It is a shame because I can access the internet now but don't know about later. Well, will have to do what we can. I will write this to you girls, Alisa and Sara, but will give the address to a few friends as well.

We spent 4 days in Bangkok. We went to church at the Adventist Hospital church. I think it is called Seventh day Adventist Mission Hospital or something like that. Doesn't matter. What matters is that it was wonderful, nice to hear singing in different languages. The sermon was translated into English. The childrens story was a puppet show. They have a luncheon in a hall on the hospital grounds catered by the hospital. Basic but good. We sat at a table with other Asians which we thought were Thais. But they were from the Philippines in Thailand teaching English. Fooled me! They said schools in Thailand only run for 8 months a year and they paid for only those 8 months and now they were on the 4 month holiday. They didn't sound terribly happy about their situation. Well, working only 8 months a year isn't a lot so I can see their point.


Dad had gotten our bus tickets on Friday for our Sunday trip to Trat where we could catch a boat to one of the islands in the Gulf of Thailand. I told him to make certain we got front seats so we could see the sights. We got front seats all right and immediately after boarding the attendant put up full screens completely accross the front window to block the sun, which of course, blocked the view too! It was only a 5 hr trip so not too bad. When we arrived in Trat we were dropped off at the bus station out of town, not even knowing where 'town' was. Never mind, transport is everywhere. Got a songtheow (a pickup with benches in the back for passengers. I know that word is not spelled correctly but don't know how it should be spelled) into town. With the trusty Lonely Planet book found a nice little guesthouse for the night. The owner also has a travel agency and sold us songtheow tickets to the pier and speedboat tickets to the island where we wanted to go. One thing about Thailand is the ease of availability of things for tourists. Transport--easy. Eating--easy. Accommodation--easy. I truly feel sorry for tourists coming to America. Must be hard.

Koh Mak is an island on the Cambodia side of the Gulf of Thailand. There are many, many islands in the gulf. Some tiny and some large. They are mountainous islands so rise from the sea with trees on them and are beautiful. We had no idea where we were going to stay here as Saturday afternoon in Bangkok we were going to look through the book and decide but were sidetracked. At breakfast at the guesthouse we met a nice American lady who was in Thailand for the first time. She had come to be an English teacher and was spending the weekend in Bangkok prior to going to her assignment in the North. She is from Oakland, California. She was so nice that we (I) invited her to accompany us on a boat ride up the Chao Praya River in the afternoon. It is a thing we enjoy doing, going up before, but near, sunset to see the sights in the daytime and then returning after dark. It is about a one hour trip each way. We did that and I think she really enjoyed it but we did lose time looking in the book for a place to stay. When we returned in the evening we had to pack up and get ready for leaving Sunday morning.

When we arrived at Koh Mak we got off the boat and some touts met us and showed us a resort near the dock and it was awful for the price. Dad was being obstinate and told me he would stay with the bags and I could hike up and down the beach (extremely HOT and HUMID) and look for a place to stay. So he found a shady place and parked his backside there and I thought, go ahead and be a brat, and I'll find a really nice place. But where?! Saw a bunch of people up the boat ramp and hill and walked up to see what they were doing and low and behold there was an information booth. To make a long story short, I found a place and for some reason it came to me while speaking on the phone to this resort to bargain. After all, I come from the Middle East, right?! Well, the resort did bargain, so I told the man on the phone I'd like to see the resort before making a committment, could he send a driver please, and he was very nice and agreed. A songtheow came and brought us here, we liked it. He even included breakfast for two. Nice. It is an old resort, at one time was nice but it's glory days are over. But the part that is wonderful though is the fantastic beach, on a long bay. I think this resort owns the entire bay. There are other resorts on either end of the bay up on the hills, with no beach whatsoever. The little houses where we stay are right along the beach with only a foot path between our door and the water. The houses are individual rooms, each with a bathroom. Our section is with air conditioners. Some have only fans. The swimming pool is at the far end of the beach. It is very nice. It is an infinity pool, and beautiful. We have hiked into town twice. It was a small place we saw on our way in here. It is about a mile, on a paved road, through the jungle of mostly rubber trees. Very dark and spooky especially at night. The town has a small motor repair shop, a grocery store and restaurant. We went there last night to eat and had a wonderful meal. Our only problem was that we left quite late. There is almost no traffic. The road is a one lane wide concrete affair. We each had a flashlight though but still....coming back we were discussing pythons. I remember reading once where there are Burmest pythons and Reticulated pythons on these islands. Thats all I remember reading and I don't remember the details. But as I shone my flashlight in front of me I commented that I hoped pythons didn't drop from the trees onto suspecting tourists when behind me I heard Jody yelp. Kind of a scream, yelp, awful sound. I'm thinking python and turned around and saw with my light what he had done. On the pavement was a huge dead frog and he had stepped on it! I don't know how I had missed it as I was walking in front. I don't remember seeing it on the way in. I think it had been hit by a car then he had stepped on it and there was frog blood all over his shoe. It was kind of like a bull frog--big and squishy! We both had to laugh and wonder what kind of fools we were for walking through the jungle at night!

Every place here is a 'resort'. Resort is a word used loosely. This place is quite nice but still very third world. The Thais put up with all these feral dogs. They put up but barely. Most of the dogs are sick and soooo skinny. They have some sort of eye disease. Makes their eye's cloudy, like the old men we used to see in Riyadh all the time. One such dog lives under our room. Awfully sad. These dogs are in the  open dining areas, pee on the outside tables, chairs, but they are good about picking up after them as I don't see that, much. Each hut has a trash bin outside as well as in but the dogs are forever rummaging through the trash so there is plastic all over, especially in the morning. This resort is on a building program, they are building a new bar and something down by the pool but they really don't maintain what they have too much. They have hired a woman from Austria to cater to the Westerners. But I wish they would fix the plumbing under the rooms as the water from the showers drain right onto the ground and things like that. The girls who clean the rooms are clever about folding the towels so pretty. They do what they can I guess. I'm not complaining about anything. I'm grateful to be here. The scenery is fantastic, the weather wonderful and the people nice. What more can we ask for?

We do miss you girls. We miss Jack. Alisa, thanks for sending the pictures of your little 'pumpkin'. He looked so cute dancing around in his costume. What a wonderful gift the internet is. We love having our computer and another gadget we brought that we have enjoyed is our little solar radio for the beach. So nice having beautiful Thail music while swimming or sitting in our chairs. I miss, so much, my little water heater. I burned that out the first day in Bangkok. I know better. 4 years of living in Riyadh with 220 volts. How many hair dryers and curling irons did you girls burn out? 110-220!! I just wasn't thinking with the water heater and didn't use the converter. I looked all over and couldn't find another water heater either. They are common in Saudi at the 10 SR store. There must be some in Thailand. Will keep looking. Thank goodness most appliances now convert automatically.

Will take a break now from the computer and will try to write more tomorrow. Don't know how long we'll stay here. It does get kind of boring. We do have t.v. with an English speaking channel now and again. I've read all the books I brought. Oh, on the songtheow on the way here a very nice Thai lady was loaded with used books for her bookstore on one of the islands. I had brought a picture of Alisa, Jack and me and showed her and she gave me a small Buddha image and one to dad too. I thought that was so kind and thoughtful. I have it up in my room. It is about 1 1/2 inches high. Looks like it is made of a compacted sand. It looks fragile but I hope it doesn't break as it was meaningful to me.

Love, Mom
I don't see a spell check here. It is so hot and humid and I am so sleepy I can't really go back through this for errors. Hope you can put up with me.