The Year of the Snake (21 January 2014)

Not much interrupts the serenity and rhythm of beach life here but yesterday snakegate changed all that. I had just got back to my room when suddenly the housekeeping girl shouted "Madame, Madame" aimed at the German lady who was having a post breakfast nod in the sun. A kerfuffle broke out and I thought a child had fallen into the pool until I spotted a dark green piece of hosepipe wriggling around a few feet away from me. As its head turned in my direction I quickly computed that hosepipes don't have heads... With the speed of an Olympian long jumper, two paces saw me in my room with the patio doors firmly closed. The rather large snake turned its head towards me and then decided I was more scary than him. Knowing I wouldn't follow as the water's still a bit cold, he slithered over the edge of the pool and swam (rather well I thought) to the far end. There he was met by the rag taggle band of hotel people bearing long sticks and finding it funny as they poked, prodded and bashed away. They tell me they had killed it and chucked it over the wall but I wasn't convinced. The housekeeping lady didn't help when she announced "it could have been a cobra". It could have been but I don't think it was...



A couple of minutes later I went to the small reception area to show them my very brave picture of the swimming snake (above) only to find another kerfuffle going on - another snake had been spotted and the stick bearing crowd were in action again. This time they definitely did kill it. The PC part of me says I really should talk to them about calling someone in who could remove the snake and take it back to the hills but the truthful part of me says "kill 'em while you can". Strangely, the hotel didn't ask for the picture for their website...



I have to say, it did spook me out a bit, all being so close. I am careful to walk along the middle of the village roads so the three times I have seen a snake out walking it felt sufficiently far away. This time it felt it was right in my territory... But I think of the women I have seen sitting in the fields where these snakes are, happily settled, picking, trimming and bundling up their lemon grass for sale. Or the older ladies in their sarongs and bare feet bent double as they manage their gardens, I am just being a (careful) wimp! It is unusual. All the times I have stayed in Samui over the years I have only ever seen one snake and that was a long time ago.
But we are coming to the end of the Chinese year which finishes on January 31st. Here in Samui, Mae Nam where I am staying is the Chinese part of the island and the street is decorated and ready for the celebration of their New Year. I'm just wondering if the snakes are a bit fed up and letting us know that they don't want their year to end - it still is, after all, the Year of the Snake...



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Location:แม่น้ำ,Thailand