Not sure if it was an extra busy weekend, but today, a Monday, Cha am seems like a ghost town. The one day/one night trippers in their colourful coaches don't get here until later and the weekend visitors made the long late journey back home yesterday, sitting in the big traffic jam at 7 pm last night. The big decorated double decker coaches, known as "chor ching cha", (and here's picture of my favourite artwork so far, "dogs having a party"...) are absent over the weekend as visitors arrive under their own steam.
That steam appears to be big pick up's which must account for at least 90% of all the weekend vehicles. Most are closely parked up against the three mile long ribbon of umbrellas and deckchairs, but some break for freedom at the extreme ends of the three mile strip where the deckchairs peter out a bit. They empty their occupants from up to four generations out of the pick up, then the contents of the back, spread out a tarp, empty the stripy bags, light the small BBQ and cook up a veritable feast that would feed many in a Thai buffet restaurant that smells amazing as you walk by at eight in the morning. And all washed down with beers and the seemingly obligatory bottle of Hong Thong the local whisky for the men and brightly coloured pop for the women and children. But even if you do forget something for your picnic you need not fear. I have never seen as many 7/11's in my life, even more than in Samui, it feels like there's one very few metres. But very helpful if you need a quick cool down on a walk, like mini cooling stations as their aircon is fierce!
And this week there's an extra attraction here. From the big poster I recognised a "31" and a "6" and from that cleverly deduced, as the rest, like all notices and ads here (and hotel front desks), are in Thai only, that the small market that has appeared on the prom at the main beach junction is just here for this week. It's a bit like Mae Nam's walking street but on a much smaller scale but without the Western influence! I have no idea what most of the food offerings are except for these fried insects, apparently a really good source of protein - think I'll stick to the local seafood for that!
There are additional clothes stalls including one selling the stylish full head cover ups for when you're working outside, quite scary! There's lots of soap and even a tent for "face candling". And each evening a concert. The first night was a Thai orchestra playing traditional instruments followed by gentle Thai dancing, bizarrely, the next night was a solo guitarist blasting out old Shadow's numbers on his electric guitar. I kept expecting Cliff to appear but no luck there...
But the food offerings here even outside the market are non stop. Obviously the seafood, but also the breakfast stalls selling all sorts each morning before the over nighters clamber back on their big decorated buses. One thing I'm not too sure about is the white sliced bread, very lightly toasted and spread with something yellow, could be butter. That sits there till someone wants to buy. Then it appears to be sliced into soldiers and dunked in warm Carnation milk.... not for me!
But going back to the buses, you'd think that with the expensive artwork on them they'd be careful drivers, but no. Every day in the paper and online there are terrible reports of bus crashes, dangerous driving, high speed crashes and even drivers on drugs (a frequent report) to stay awake. But in fact all Thai driving seems appalling. As a nation my observation is that generally they just don't look where they're going, pedestrians wander in front of you, cyclists pedal along looking anywhere but where they're going. When vehicles reverse out of a parking space, they don't check if anything's behind them, I've learned after a few near misses to never walk behind a parked car, as they all have smoked glass you can't tell whether there's anyone in there or not! No one ever gives way to a pedestrian even on zebra crossings. Motor cyclists are always texting as they go and completely ignoring red lights. But it's the bus accident rate that keeps me off them these days.... It just so happens taxi's are a bit more civilised....
