The Coconut Telegraph, Volume 11

The more things change the more they stay the same. This is one of those axioms that is oft repeated but not as frequently appreciated. I see the change happening on the island and as much as I like to recall "the good old days", I must also accept that in the grand scheme of things nothing has really changed. There is simply more of it. Koh Phayam remains a paradise.

People come and people go - this is a recurring theme when you live in a travelers' paradise for a longer period of time. After all, not everybody has months on end to be a bum, relax, play some sport and live life. How fortunate.

The Cashew Nut Festival came and went with the usual shenanigans. If you have never been to a Cashew Nut Festival you should experience one. That way you will know exactly what every other one was like and what future festivals will be. The events managed to be cobbled together without too many hiccups and the bars and restaurants lining the street were biggest success stories. Football was the sport highlight, with the Koh Chang team winning the tournament and then turning around and donating the prize money to the temple here on the island. There was a volleyball tourney and a half-assed attempt at kayak racing. Naturally, the parties on both nights were the highlights for most of the attendees.

There continue to be a lot of motorcycle crashes. Some incidents involve our old friend "alchohol", some excess speed, most a combination of both. The result, however, is usually the same - lots of bandages, a daily visit to the clinic and a repair bill.

"The Canadians" returned en masse from various locations around the globe and had a blast. They truly demonstrated what it means to have fun. Their antics were witnessed from Aow Yai Beach to the village and even as far as Buffalo Bay. Truth be told, the people on the Burma side are still recovering from their overnighter to Victoria Point to drink Burma draft.

There seems to be a flurry of building on the road from Smile Hut and along. Massage Oiy is building a new shop opposite Porn. She will offer a variety of coffee, fresh baked products, wifi and more. It will be a nice wifi zone with a comfortable atmosphere.

Spring is in the air. Enjoy.

If you liked "A Better Burnout", check out the video version.

Click to read the complete edition of Volume 11.

Return to Blogging

It has been quite a while since I last posted on my blog. Frankly, I am not up to speed on most of this stuff and let my account lag. I have fallen into the same black hole that other vagrant bloggers on blogspot like myself have discovered: it seems there is no way to recover old passwords from the old blogspot and reactivate the account. So, I have created a new account under the Google empire and will start afresh.

If you care, check out the old blog.

I will endeavour to be more current and more frequent with my posts.