Mangos are one of my least favorite fruits (Apples are probably my least). I don’t like how tangy they are. I don’t like the tart. But I saw how good they looked when being sliced up on the streets of Thailand and decided to give them a try in a foreign land. I figured that there could be a different mango on the other side of the world that could be something amazing. I was right.
The mangos in South East Asia are completely different. Imagine something as buttery and rich as an avocado, only just sweet enough to be a mango. Believe it or not, mangos here are among my favorite foods. This is significant because it shows first hand that there is always a chance to make a new impression. I had decided that mangos we terrible, but for some reason, I gave it a chance and found something great.
On that same vein of wisdom, we decided to go snorkeling the next day after the bad scuba diving experience. We walked to the side of the island that had a great beach and good snorkeling. We asked the local resort how much it would cost to rent a mask and snorkel and they responded with 50 baht (about $1.5 USD). We swam around in the 88 degree water and watched fish and baby sharks playing around the bay.
There was a fisherman on the bolder dotted shore line that had is fishing line stuck inside of a clam. We dove down and tried to free the hook from the clam’s mouth, but it had clamped down too hard. The fisherman eventually cut his line and offered us a fish for our efforts. This whole event happened, of course, with neither of us speaking one word of either’s language.
Soon we will be going to the island of Koh Panang for the world famous full moon party. This is a party that is known by all backpackers as the party of all parties. It’s roughly 10,000 people on the beach during a full moon with a bunch of music, drinking, and Thai Drugs! It’s a must do event, along with such famous events such as Mardi Gras, October Fest, and 4th of July.
But wait, I’m not done talking about food. There is something called a pancake here on Koh Tao. It’s basically a cross between a French crêpe and a crunch wrap supreme (from Taco Bell). Start with the batter and fill it with something (say slices of mango or a banana), wrap it up like a crunch wrap supreme, and top it with something sweet (say some peanut butter or Nutella) and chop it up into square pieces (maybe some condensed milk on top too). You have a pancake (Thailand style). How much is something like this? $1