Title: A Beautiful Little Island
So small that there's no 7/11, that's how small it is. Small enough to walk everywhere. The locals still use scooters, but I believe there are only about 3 pickups on the entire island. More cars are not allowed on the roads, as they are only 3 meters wide, and there is no provision for cars passing each other.
How is this island spelled?
-Koh Mook or Koh Muk?
We learned about the Thai language and how dialects are spoken and written in present-day Thailand.
While Northern and Southern Thailand can understand each other, they occasionally use different words. I think this occasionally leads to different names for places.
Koh Mook had been highly recommended to us. That's why we decided to head south instead of sticking to our original plan of traveling north.
The question now was how to get from Krabi to Koh Mook. There were plenty of offers that would take us directly to the island, but they were too expensive for us. Agnes had told us that she paid 700 Baht (~20€) for the journey. We asked around, got prices from many different places: many hotels sell tickets; small stands on the roadside, mostly marked as "Tourist Information"; and also searched the internet on sites like 12GoAsia. The cheapest offer was 1100 Baht per person (~30€). That was too expensive for us. Because the distance is not that long, 3 hours in total, minivan and boat, if everything is organized smoothly, we had heard. So we decided to try it on our own and booked a spot in a minivan for little money and traveled to Trang. Trang is the nearest big city next to Koh Mook.
From here it wasn't far and we knew that there are connections to the island. Just not when or where.
After two hours of bus travel with transfers and almost getting off too late, we arrived at the bus station in Trang.
After a cool drink and a bathroom break, we wanted to find the bus that would take us to the coast so that we could catch the ferry.
Ask a few times, walk back and forth, and we were in front of a friendly bus driver who wanted to take us to the island for little money... Fortunately, a Belgian couple overheard our conversation and interrupted us. They wanted to take the bus too, but they had experience that although the bus goes to the right port, the next ferry would only be the next day. And there is no accommodation at this port...
The two of them called their accommodation on the island and asked them to arrange a ride with a minivan and a boat.
So we decided to join them. After all, if someone already operates the connection, they won't mind taking two more travelers.
And since we arrived 2 hours after them, we only had to wait 1 hour out of 3 hours until the bus arrived, which took us to the boat.
So we finally stood on the island in the evening. Since we didn't know when and where exactly we would arrive, we didn't book any accommodation. We could have ended up in Trang on that day. So when we arrived, we simply asked the locals on the street for accommodation.
And it was easy to find.
-Cashewnut Bungalow
The next day we looked for accommodation we had read about and found it right away.
So we spent the next few nights in a tent ⛺ under cashew trees.
The cashew tree is indeed an amazing plant. It's not a nut but a drupe. The pear- or bell-shaped fruit that the tree bears is actually a pseudocarp and is also called a cashew apple. It is not suitable for reproduction. At the lower end of the fruit is a stem-like appendage in which the actual cashew kernel sits. That's what we can buy as cashew nuts in the supermarket. It's a fast-growing plant that combines deep roots, which can still find water in dry areas, and broad roots, which can still find enough nutrients in nutrient-poor soils.
In the best case, it can bear fruit all year round.
The romantic idea of sleeping under a cashew tree took on a somewhat strange smell in reality...
Around our tent were the rapidly decaying fruits. The combination of mold and fermentation attracted various types of insects: ants, butterflies, mosquitoes, flies...
In between, stray dogs roamed, and at night, bats hunted.
Not to mention that every few minutes (often enough on the tent), one of the soft, mushy fruits would splatter on the ground.
Even if the fruits were cleared away, after 24 hours, it didn't make a difference because there was a new pile lying around.
So after a few nights, we packed up our things again and decided to find a new accommodation.
-Good Luck
In the first few days on Koh Mook, we tried some restaurants (after the first one was a bit of a disappointment). We came across a very small local place that was very delicious and friendly. We ate there more often and got into conversation with the owner of the restaurant, her name is 'Gai', and we also got to know her son and learned about what her daughter was doing on the mainland and how the mother was doing...
At some point, she mentioned that she also has 2 bungalows and that we could stay there if we wanted.
That's when the lightbulb went off for Janine.
Could it be?
Agnes had told us how well she got along with the owner of her great bungalow. The accommodation had only 2 rooms... ....
So quickly we took out our phone and showed her a picture. In the picture, we were with Agnes at the pier in Krabi.
Gai was very excited and happy to see a picture of Agnes and was surprised that we knew her. We happened to eat at the restaurant that Agnes had been raving about the whole time and where she had stayed.
So we moved into one of the two Good Luck Bungalows behind the Good Luck Restaurant.
So far, the most beautiful and pleasant accommodation. We were received very warmly, and Gai asked us how we were and about our plans on every occasion.
The rest of the island was very welcoming as well. We would have liked to say goodbye to a waitress we got along well with.
I had the feeling after a few days that one is perceived differently here, whether one just wants to lie on the beach and eat cheaply or whether one is open with the people and enjoys talking to them.
So we spent a nice evening sitting at the tourist information and talking to the people there about all sorts of things...
We could see how a proper cobblestone road was laid for the first time. Previously, there were paths made of concrete and gravel that led to incredible dust development.
Enough raving...
- Is the fossil still alive?
On the day we arrived at Koh Mook, as we stepped off the boat and walked over the pier, we were already observing the various creatures that could be seen in the water. Starfish, sea urchins, various fish, sometimes alone, sometimes in huge schools.
Then Janine fixed her gaze on a spot and asked me after a moment if I knew what it was (the name is coming up). When I saw what she meant, I had to be careful not to jump into the water right away because I wanted to take a closer look at this creature. I knew what kind of crab it was, but I couldn't remember the name (coming up soon). After a quick Google search, I knew the name again and also that this species is common not only here but also along many coasts up to Japan. So, one of my plans is to find this crab again and be able to examine it more closely because they are amazing for many reasons...
A few days later, during a walk on the "beach" near the fisherman's huts, we found exactly one dead crab among seashells, trash, and plant parts!
The cause of death is not recognizable, as the shell is completely intact. However, it seems to be only the shell left, as the internal organs and muscles seem to be gone. We promptly packed it up and took it with us (coming up soon).
Once we arrived at the bungalow, this crab received a sun cure. The shell was dried over several days. Luckily, it didn't start to smell, so there doesn't seem to be much left that can decompose quickly. As long as it's dry, it should stay that way and can be preserved long-term. (I once had an internship with an animal preparer. It was very exciting. I think I have to contact him again when I get back.)
(Coming up now)
The scientific name of the crab is Limulidae.
In English, this species is called "horseshoe crab" due to the characteristic long spine that resembles a tail at the rear of the crab. However, this spine is not used as a weapon but rather as a rudder. The body itself is a domed shell, which led to the English term "horseshoe crab."
These crabs are usually found at the bottom of the sea, where they search for mussels, snails, and other small creatures. Surprisingly, they can even swim, but they do it upside down. On Wikipedia, you can read more about this species and also find a video of how cute it looks when this creature swims on its back.
They are also known as "living fossils."
This species has been living on Earth for 150 million years and has hardly changed since then. Today's living animals can be compared with fossilized specimens. They have always adapted to the conditions and have survived warm and cold periods in Earth's history. They have, in the truest sense of the word, outlived predators. While they continue to live, entire species have died out, and entire empires have collapsed.
And now, they are endangered...
Actually, not because of climate change; they would probably survive that. However, every year when they come ashore to lay eggs, they are collected. The crabs are collected because of their blood. The crab is the king 👑 because its blood is blue. It contains a substance that is essential for various medical test procedures, for example, in China and the USA. In China, the crabs are completely bled out and then sold as food. Grilling the animal is considered a delicacy...
In the USA, the problem has been recognized that killing too many crabs is an issue. Now, the animals are no longer killed, but only one-third of the blood is taken for testing, and then they are released again (although there is a lack of research on whether this actually helps). I believe the better approach would be to reduce the inflationary use of the test that requires the blood, but this test is still required for the approval of all drugs in the USA.
I read that in other areas of Asia, crabs are also consumed, but they are said to be difficult to find. Well, at the market we visited on Makha Bucha Day (more about this in another post), they were being sold. And I'm afraid that these animals probably didn't undergo any blood extraction before being sold, so at least they are fully utilized.
In my opinion, these animals should be better protected. However, since they are not yet protected, the NaBu (Nature Conservation Association) assured me that I am allowed to import the animal to Germany.
Long story short, we found a fossil. Whether I can manage to bring it to Germany without any damage remains to be seen.
But when we are already talking about the animals in the water, we haven't talked about them yet.
But I think I'll do that in another post.
In the end, we reluctantly left the bungalow and the island. Our Thai visa is expiring soon, and we have to go to an immigration office to extend it.
As a farewell gift, our hosts gave Janine a scarf and prepared breakfast for us. Then they took us to the boat that brought us to the mainland. They even organized that the minivan wouldn't just take us to Kantang, but all the way to the Immigration Office, the place where we can extend our visa.
We definitely want to come back here. We want to see how the family is doing and how the small business is going. How the street looks in a few years. How the decaying bungalows are being rebuilt. When the beach and the water swallow a few more houses.
📷 You can find many more great pictures in the photo album for Koh Mook (shared photo album for both posts about Koh Mook).
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