Journey
to Koh Chang
Contributed by Trevor Ranges
Part
2
The
river, although slowly moving, appeared well overhead
at its deepest point. Its opposite bank was 20 feet
away at its nearest point. Having earlier been the
one shoelessly ill prepared for our now aggrandized
adventure, it was now my girlfriend Nat who hindered
our continuation. Although I could have probably thrown
her shoes across the river, I was not so sure of her
sunscreen, sundress, or wallet. Nevertheless, as an
accomplished waterman, I felt certain I could swim
across the channel while holding a variety of objects
above my head.
As I waded into the water, I thought of earlier adventures
in Malaysia and Australia, and therefore could only
superficially reassure myself that there were no crocodiles
in Thailand. Although I playfully joked about the
"log" floating our way fear overcame fact and I glanced
nervously at it, feeling defenseless and edible as
I swam one handedly through the chilly fresh water
and onto the opposite shore.
Laughing aloud, we blithely skipped along the sand,
past the ostensibly abandoned Tha Le Bungalows, amazed
that we were the only people enjoying such a pristine
place. Perhaps the only way there was by swimming
through a crocodile infested river! Splashing in the
shore-break, savoring the warmth of the sun on our
bare backs, we delighted in our adventurousness; the
seclusion, the sweltering heat and the crisp coolness
of the water conspiring to lure us into the sea, daring
us to throw off our clothes and celebrate our good
fortune.
Refreshed by our swim, we continued along the deserted
shore. Soon we came upon a large grassy clearing.
Dispersed throughout the field were a variety of rustic
cottages sitting upon stilts. Some had wooden stairways
leading up to small decks with tree branch handrails,
tables and chairs. Others were built high above the
ground like freestanding tree houses. All the huts
had thatched rooftops and shuttered windows; each
hut quaintly designed in its own particular style.
Coral and shell mobiles hung from various awnings
and vacant hammocks dangled between trees. The overall
impression was of a small, isolated, beachside village,
ideal for the get-away-from-it-all romantic holiday.
However, when we spoke with the staff of KP Bungalows
we discovered that half of those delightfully thatched
roofs leaked severely and the rest of the huts were
curiously occupied.
Dejected, but still optimistic, we returned to the
beach to restore our spirits. This was easily accomplished
when we discovered a rope swing hanging from a palm,
bent over the beach. While swinging wildly above the
sand, Nat observed a cluster of coconuts jiggling
threateningly, high in the tree above her head. Releasing
the rope, Nat launched herself clear of the tree's
shadow, landing squarely on her feet. The tree flexed
upwards and one of the coconuts came loose, dropping
to the sand with a weighty thud. She adroitly scooped
it up as if she had intended all along to dislodge
it and claim it as her prize. Raising the coconut
victoriously, she proclaimed: "lunch!"
Having
been told that we could not continue along the water
to the next beach, we chose to backtrack rather than
hike up the long dirt road from KP Bungalows. Unfazed
by our apparent set-back we strolled along the fine
white sand, swam across the river with crocodile induced,
irrational haste and returned to the main road.
It was now around 2 pm, and the afternoon sun beat
down mercilessly on us as we waited for a ride. Several
songtaews were parked nearby, their drivers resting
comfortably in the shade. For reasons unknown to us,
they refused to drive us in our intended direction.
For an interminably long time we stood exposed to
the excruciating and unrelenting glare of the tropical
sun, our recent frolic in the ocean a distant and
mocking memory. Rental motorbikes sat rider-less across
the road, tempting us to hire them and enjoy the breeze
blowing through our hair as we zipped along the road
from beach to beach. These thoughts were quickly offset
by images of a squalid island clinic and amputated
toes. But the heat! It was becoming unbearable. For
what reason were we standing so exposed? In the middle
of nowhere? Especially when we hadn't gotten any sleep
in what seemed now to be days? I was beginning to
crack, when an empty truck finally pulled up along
side us.
