We have spent a great couple of days relaxing in the sun listening to the sound of the waves and the whispering of the wind. I am pretty positive that we are two of, perhaps, 10 total guests staying at this resort. For those of you that joined us in Jamaica, imagine the San Souci resort but without anyone on the beach or in the restaurants. The rooms (bungalows) are as nice, the pool is similar, and the service is terrific. The food isn't quite as good, and we have to pay for it - but that hasn't changed our opinion of the place... the Moonlight Bay Resort is a really wonderful spot to recover from our travel woes.

After sampling the menu here at the resort, we decided to venture off the property in search of something else. We read about a restaurant on the island at the Relax Bay Resort which boasts a diverse Thai and French menu. The chocolate mousse had a great review, and Shaunna was fiending for a rich dessert.

We walked to the front office and inquired about a taxi. It was already close to 8pm (we're late eaters), and the resort driver was relieved much earlier that evening. We paid 150 baht for another driver to deliver us to the Relax Bay, which seemed like an appropriate price considering the hassle and distance.

The roads on Koh Lanta are in a total state of disarray. There are some smooth paved patches that have crumbling edges and no shoulder. These are separated by long, dusty paths made of loose, dry calliche that is rife with pot-holes and jagged rocks. One step on the road kicks up a cloud of yellow dust, and the foliage and buildings along these areas are covered in a thick layer of dirt. Occasionally we see tourists riding motorbikes, and they are dingy from eating dust behind trucks and cars.

There is some hope, I suppose. I have seen tractors and cement mixers all along the way, so there is a semblance of construction underway, albeit slow and poorly managed. I suspect that a good road would do wonders for this place, and it would boost the amount of money flowing into the little Muslim towns throughout the island. A ride on a motorbike, which is certain to happen tonite or tomorrow, seems like a dangerous affair - and that has held me back a bit from shopping or eating further down the road. Even a ride in a truck is a bumpy, bouncey, bone-jarring experience.

Instead of heading out and hunting for bargains, we have spent a great deal of time reading, relaxing and checking out the scenery.... check the pics below, and you can see why we aren't in any hurry to leave...

here are the views from the patio of our bungalow...

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here is the sunset from our patio...

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Every morning and afternoon a small group of Thai fishermen appear on the rocks and drop their lines in search of squid and fish.. they wade out a few meters and sing songs in Thai. It's kinda funny to watch, and it's a great way to spend a few hours.

Here are some pictures of the Rocky Bar, which I mentioned in my last post. This place is another wonderful spot to enjoy the sunset over drinks..

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Once the sun goes down, the mosquitos come out, and we become the best buffet in town. We've tried to avoid them at all costs, but it's pretty pointless. The tsunami kicked up alot of water onto the mainland, so their are gangs of "mozzies" that flock around us and poke at our feet. If I catch malaria and die, at least I'm in a pretty place to do it.

Back to my story...

Once we arrived at the Relax Bay restaurant, we were seated on a large, open pavillion made of bamboo, thatch, and wood. The place was a bit busier than the resort; even a bit more hopping than some of the restaurants in Ao Nang. It was filled with a fair amount of French people (of course) and a couple of Germans, Aussies, and Swedes. We were the only Americans there (I'm sure of it), and for some odd reason I felt out of place. We haven't met too many Yanks on this trip, so it wasn't much different than anywhere else. I can't put my finger on it, but I wasn't very comfortable there.

The food was terrific, the service was typically Thai, and the ambiance was great. We started our meal with two orders of ceviche made from fresh barracuda. I ordered the special of the day, which was barracuda steak in napoli sauce. Shaunna ordered the salmon steak. We finished it up with the mousse we had read about, and it certainly lived up to our expectations.

The French chef eventually emerged from the kitchen and had a pleasant discussion with the other French guests. I had a brief (and somewhat wierd) experience with him when I tried to compliment his food...

When the chef appeared in the restaurant, Shaunna pointed him out to me. I had to turn around to check him out, and (just my luck) he was staring right at me. Busted. I looked back around a few minutes later, and he was still staring at me - this time, he was talking to a lady at the bar. Later on, when I went to collect the bill, he was (yep) staring at me. I was already feeling kinda bugged out, so this was making me feel even more awkward.

After leaving some money in the tip jar, I walked past him and his lady friend. He looked at me, so I smiled and said, "It was very good!"

Maybe I should have been more eloquent? But words were failing me at the moment... and besides, I meant it. The food WAS very good.

He started laughing, and in a loud, almost sarcastic manner he said, "Oooooh, very good?"

He repeated "very good" a couple of times and nodded to his girlfriend, who started giggling.

I felt like the biggest dipshit, and I tried to laugh it off. But I had this gnawing feeling that maybe my "very good" wasn't good enough.

Anyhow, I chalk it up to circumstance, bad timing, and me feeling like a big, ugly American. But if you're ever in Koh Lanta, check out the Relax Bay Resort. Just be sure to gush about the food when you compliment the chef.