Bob Marley and the Wailers we were not, but I reckon everyone sounds a bit better after few Chang beers.
After having checked into my guest house, I after much effort finally negotiated myself a moto. Which with a passport wouldn’t have been a problem, but without one proved to be slightly more difficult. I inquired at six or seven places and getting turned down by everyone including a fairly mean 9 year old who choked back laughter at my request… But I did finally find someone who had a bit of faith in my smiling face, and took my California DL as collateral.
And I’m off, riding a manual moto for the first time. I tore down the island roads trying my best to make my way back to town and the Sea Scene Resort, as recommended by a guy who I met on the ferry that morning who was toting his guitar around and said if I wanted to jam I should stop by.
After getting my bearings I made my way to the Sea Scene resort for sunset. And after watching the sun go down from atop a rock I waded through the incoming tide back to shore and met up with Tim, the fellow I had met on the ferry ride. After talking for a bit we settled in at the "Chocolate Bar", Sea Scene Bungalo’s water side bar.
A few beers in, two of the teen and twenty something boys of the Thai family that runs the bugalow resort pick up two guitars tucked away behind the bar, and procure floor cushions with the growing group of slightly intoxicated musicians. All that build up would seem that I might be leading up to some exciting flourish of activity. Rather, this was just like many nights on the islands on the south east coast of thai land well at least my experience, filled with beer chang and relaxing on some beach as the latenight tide comes in.
Tim played as much Bob Dillon as the group would allow, all the while attempting to suck the life out of his metal munch box aka harmonica (which probably gave him problems with airport security), which every so often happened to be in the same key as the song he was playing. The thai boys strummed Thai songs, singing along in thai tongues. And me, well I mostly tried not to get in the way… playing a few hendrix tunes on the guitar and playing some form of percussion on whatever object seemed to make an appropriate sound, alowing the rest of the group to belt out the vocals.
Eventually the sun put an end to our session reminding the group that time had passed and sleep was necessary. So the group dispersed and instead of driving back to my bungalow in my weary state I threw myself at a nerby hammock and caugh a few winks before heading home.