WEDNESDAY 28th MARCH:
Another cloudy start to the day with threatened rain, breezy too.
After breakfast we decided in spite of the weather to take a motorbike out and do some island exploring. A little 125cc was adequate with Aom, as usual, driving and me with on the back with camera.
Drove up to the North-east tip of Ko Mak to a place called Ao Tann But this was after we paid a visit to several resorts most of which were inferior to our resort. This is not to say our resort was perfect, far from it, but it did excel in several respects namely a superior beach and cleaner surroundings.
Most of the "main" roads on the island are concrete and all are single carriageway. However, it's not uncommon to go down a concrete surfaced road for it to simply stop and either peter-out into jungle or become a dirt road or track.
We drove up to a place called Cinnamon Resort which sports a very long pier (1km?). From there we took a dirt road (actually more of a track through the jungle)
and ended up at Laem Son at the Eastern tip of Ko Mak. This was a small collection of Thai houses with a couple of beach bar/shops. Took a stroll along the beach and had a snack at one of the bars.
From here we explored the south eastern parts of the island and then turning our attention to the northern part taking in Ao Tann, Ao Talong. Before we got to the latter we'd made a wrong turn and ended up at the main port of Ao Suan Yai before venturing back on course.
Some of the tiny hamlets appeared crude, being traditional Thai-style on stilts.
A few hamlets had presses or mangles which were use to create sheets of latex rubber; the rubber, of course, coming from the vast number of rubber tree plantations.
By 2pm Aom was getting tired due to her driving on unpredictable roads so we got back to our resort and chilled out over a cold beer.
Dinner at The Hut again; really great strolling along a palm tree lined beach with the sea lapping the shore.
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TOP LEFT: One of the "major" concrete-surfaced roads with junction warning light in the distance.
TOP RIGHT + ROWS 2&3: Typical minor tracks, some (centre photos) through thick jungle.
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TOP: The longest pier on Ko Mak. Cinnamon Resort near Ao Tann.
SECOND LEFT: Aom posing with local kids on usual means of island transport.
SECOND RIGHT: Fishing boats at Laem Son, eastern most tip of Ko Mak.
THIRD LEFT & RIGHT: Beach restaurant at Laem Son.
FOURTH LEFT: Chicken barbecue fashioned from an old oil-drum.
FOURTH RIGHT: Typical house at Laem Son.
FIFTH LEFT: Village on stilts at Ao Talong on the northern coast.
FIFTH RIGHT: Taxi driver snoozing waiting for a customer sometime never.
SIXTH LEFT: Rubber processing. Rows of mangles which press the rubber into sheets.
SIXTH RIGHT: The freshly pressed rubber sheets hanging out to dry.
SEVEN & EIGHT: Village houses at Ao Talong.
