Two Brave Fisherwomen

Our long wooden boat anchored in the bay where we had lunch and a swim.

Colin with his 'catch of the day' and Juz looking more relaxed as she tries for a 'bite'.

Monday 25 September

Another early morning alarm call this morning, so no early swim again, but we made breakfast as they opened at 07.30.

By 08.00 Juz and Dave had arrived and we were all sitting in Reception ready waiting for the transport to take us to our meeting point for fishing and snorkeling. We waited and we waited, and we phoned (on way) and we waited. The receptionist even phoned again (still on way) and eventually, about 09.10, when we were all thinking we could have had an extra hour in bed, a tut-tut arrived. Juz and Dave had told us when they came that there were enormous traffic jams outside their hotel, where they are replacing the drainage system. There’s no such thing as temporary traffic lights or ‘stop/go’ boards to regulate the traffic flow here, although a man was doing his best with a whistle when we finally emerged from the village. By this time the line of vehicles stretched almost to Chaweng.

We were taken to Thong Krut, just a little way before “Chez Milton Keynes”, where long wooden boats were lined up ready to take several sets of visitors out for the day. The boat was a long narrow version of a rowing boat, but with a car engine mounted on the back and a long pole with a propeller on the end, which the “gondolier” would use to direct us through the waves. There was a covered area in the middle with four rows of benches straddling the boat. We all embarked and after some deft manoevring to turn the boat round, we set off up a dredged channel and out to the sea dotted with lots of islands, some looking far away in the distance – blue and misty – others seemed quite close.

When we got out into the open water, the current was running against us and the boat started to move up and down in time with the waves. The wind was blowing very strongly, so there were lots of ‘white horses’ in the choppy water. I didn’t realize Juz was so scared of boats, even if the water had been calm, and though I knew Jean was afraid of the water, she had been on lots of boats in the past and enjoyed herself. Today, both were very, very scared as the waves continually bumped the sides of the boat and at times even lapped overboard. The “gondolier” did his best to keep the boat steady, but some rolling and lurching was inevitable, and Juz and Jean were really unhappy. I think they felt similar to Colin when faced with heights, and me in the company of spiders and creepy crawlies.

We eventually came to rest in a small bay off an island that hadn’t looked very far away at the start of the journey, but took us more than half an hour to reach. The “gondolier” dropped anchor and took out the reels and a box of bait for us to fish. The waters here were calmer and we all enjoyed a couple of hours baiting our hooks and dangling the weighted lines over the side of the boat in the hope of getting a “bite”. We had lots of “nibbles”, but only Dave and the “gondolier” caught anything at this spot. We moved on a little further across the bay, where Juz and Colin were successful anglers. The fish they all caught were like small talaipa, with silver scales tinged with red and a bright orange ring around the pupils of its eyes. The “gondolier” thought that we were not catching much because the wind was too strong, and churning the top of the water too much for the fish to ‘bite’, so we abandoned our cause and agreed to go for lunch. We sailed to another ‘nearby’ island, around a rocky reef, to enter a lagoon. Some boats had arrived before us, and tables were already set up and people eating. Green chicken curry, rice and vegetables and some breaded chicken were produced from a cabin near the engine, so the food was still warm. There was also pineapple and watermelon for desert. In the gale that was blowing straight in from the sea, the paper plates we used were like airplanes waiting to lift off the moment you let go, even when fully laden with food. We all managed to find a way of anchoring the plate whilst at the same time devouring the food, which was most welcome (last time we went on a fishing trip, they cooked the fish we caught for our lunch on a barbeque – lucky we weren’t relying on our catch to feed us today!)

Following lunch, we wandered around the point to another bay, this one shielded from the wind, We waded out in the calm waters for quite a long way, and were still only thigh-deep in the water. The beaches were sandy, with areas of finely broken shells, as well as white sands. The others sun-bathed here while Colin and I returned to the windy beach, where I could play in the waves, before we too collapsed on the beach. The “gondolier” had said we could stay as long as wanted, as there was nowhere to snorkel around these bays, and would have had to venture to where the water was more choppy to find the coral reefs. The other boats had long gone before we returned to our craft, to once more brave the waves. Getting out of the bay, around the rocks, was quite calm and Juz had her eyes open at this stage. But once back in the open water, the waves again became stronger and the boat lurched and rolled in the motion of the sea, and some larger waves even came overboard and soaked everyone in their path. I was sitting on the prow at the front of the boat and hardly got wet at all, but by the time we got back to Thong Krut, Ray and Dave particularly were absolutely drenched. Juz and Jean again did not enjoy the journey, and when we landed on solid ground, Jean was absolutely amazed we had all survived and were living to tell the tale. We had a quick drink to revive our spirits and then it was off in the waiting tut-tut back to the Bandara and Smile. I think four of us enjoyed our day as mariners, but both Juz and Jean were adamant that they were never going in such a boat again.

While traveling back in the tut-tut we had watched dark clouds descending over Koh Phang Yan Island, across the bay, and we had only been indoors at the bungalow about twenty minutes (enough time to unpack and have a shower to rinse the sand and salt off our bodies) when the heavens opened and the rain came down in torrents – it often rains about four o’clock in the afternoon. The palms were swaying ominously in the gale force winds, but it was still warm. We watched from the balcony for some time, trying to encapsulate the scene on film, but failed dismally. As twilight was falling, the rain stopped, just as suddenly as it started.

We all met for cocktails in the Beatles Bar, before going to La Sirene for dinner, where once again I had moules and frites! This is our third visit, and I have chosen this dish for main course on each occasion. Although they have some other very delicious food – as sampled by the others – the moules are served with a really delicious thick creamy sauce – just right for dunking chips!

After some really satisfying meals, wine and cocktails, and the adventures and emotions of the day, we all felt we would sleep well tonight.