… Boats Of All Sizes.

Yesterday was one of those days when it would have been criminal to spend the whole day indoors. And I didn’t want to be branded a criminal, so I didn’t. I tootled.

But to where? I confess it’s getting increasingly difficult to find new and exciting places closer to home. I’m sure the nice people at Google Maps are saying “not him again” as I zoom-in ever finer to see if there’s something I’ve missed.

Just up the road near the Koh Samui ferry terminals is the town of Don Sak. It’s the kind of place that would be so far from anyone’s bucket list, it wouldn’t even make a bathtub list. It’s just a town with no distinguishing features.

Or is it? I figured I’d better find out.

Well, driving through the town, I couldn’t find anything worth photographing; so I didn’t. I’ve stolen a scene from Google Maps Street View, to show you what I mean…

Pretty underwhelming eh? But the Street View drivers didn’t bother to go down any of the small roads and lanes that run off to the left of the main road, and out towards the river. So I figured I’d better find out what they’d missed…

Not too shabby. In fact, quite picturesque. And definitely not the kind of place frequented by tourists, farang or otherwise. Quizzical looks were the norm, accompanied by the usual smiles.

I abandoned Bert and just wandered down any road or pathway that looked like it would have a river view. Here’s some more pics…

Along the way I found this thing on the right.

Whatever it is that gets cooked in there, I bet it tastes better thanks to the polished chrome chimney.

Just to the south of the town I found a lake with these things growing…

I’d love to tell you what they are, but I’m afraid I have no idea.

Mangroves maybe?

I’ll try to find out and add the answer at the end if I ever do.

At the top end of the town, where the river empties into the sea, life seems altogether less hectic, and the boats smaller…

There’s even a boatyard of sorts.

I know, it looks like the boat has been abandoned against the side of the jetty, but in fact it’s been sailed over the wall on the right, and the receding tide has left it at that odd angle, exposing its bottom. Oops. Wrong word. Keel.

There are even people under there working on its bottom keel.


I thought about hanging around for the sunset, but it was clear there was a thunderstorm moving in, and anyways, someone’s catch of the day…

…reminded me it was almost Beer O’Clock.