Mighty mutts and wonderful wifi on Ko Tao, Thailand
Days 20 – 21 – Round the World 2008
The next couple of days in Ko Tao pretty much merged into a blur of beachside relaxing and sun-kissed beer consumption. One night we discovered a bar which was offering a BBQ – only a couple of quid for a stick of meat along with baked potatos, corn on the cobs and other treats – so we got stuck into that straight away. I managed to wolf down about three sticks – some prawns, beef and squid – while Cat, in an effort of ladylike-ness, made do with two of the huge kebabs. It was amazing though and we ended up going back the next night too.
After the BBQ we went along the beach for a few drinks and in one of the bigger bars we saw the most amazing dog ever…
I should clarify a bit, because it’s probably not something anyone else would remember, but Cat’s pretty much obsessed with our slobbery canine friends so it came more to our notice than it would to any normal person. She gushes over dogs the way most women do over babies, and I must admit to a bit of a liking towards the furry little critters too, so we’ve been loving the fact that in Thailand you can’t walk 20 yards without falling over about 5 mutts. They’re mostly strays obviously, but for some reason the majority of them still look really well kept and they’re all of this Thai mongrel breed that’s pretty cute. So we’re always looking out for them and giving them a clap as we pass by.
Well, might as well get my money’s worth out of that rabies jag eh?
Anyway, that night we saw this dog that was just amazing and obscene in equal measure. I’ve seen fat mutts, but this thing was crazy. It was litterally like a little hairy barrel with four tiny little poles propping it up. From the straight legged waddle as it walked you could tell that it was so fat that it’s knees were actually inside it’s body. It lay down and you could actually see the ripple in the top of your pint. We spent a good hour gazing open-mouth at the canine behemouth before having to leave and I’ve seen it again today, shambling along the street. Who would have thought a dog could find so much food…
I discovered at one point over the last two days that the local aussie bar, Choppers, did free wifi so a couple of mornings in a row I was down there scoffing milkshakes while abusing their connection. I’m actually still enrolled on a distance education course at Napier while out here so I’ve got a bit of work to do from time to time. Those two days were conveniently right around my group project hand-in so I was typing away, sucking on my mango float, gazing out at the beach and the palm trees while simultaneously taking the piss out of my fellow group members for being in an office in Edinburgh. This is how work should always be done, I thought.
So time to go. We’ve ended up staying a day longer than we had planned simply because it’s lulled us into a huge pit of laziness, but it was a great wee place to visit. It’s totally quiet and tranquil enough for relaxation but had enough good little pubs and restaurants when you want to get out and have a wee drink. Plus, the diving’s easily cheap enough to give you something to do if you get bored with the beaches. Next time… I reckon I’m going to come back and do a dive course here – because of the free accomodation with every dive course it’s not much more to fly here, do the course and fly home compared with learning to dive in the UK. No contest.
And that’s pretty much the end of our visit to Ko Tao. Tomorrow we have to brave the high seas again – we’ve decided to go South and chance the monsoons simply because we can’t not go and see Ko Phi Phi because of a bit of rain. We’re Scottish for god’s sake, I’m surprised I haven’t dried up like a prune in the last week for lack of it. So, it’s on the ferry of doom for a couple of hours, a drive accross country to Krabi, and then another ferry to Phi Phi. Here we go again…
