Boxing Day Walk

As is traditional, we planned a walk for Boxing Day. This one involved fewer scarves and mittens and more in the way of sunglasses and swimwear. The idea was to get out of the house and burn a few of yesterday's calories from our sedentary selves. But not before taking on a few more.

I reprised the steamed egg omelettes from last week, serving them this time with toast, as we unusually had a supply of bread in the kitchen.

The National Park on Ko Lanta  takes up much of the southern and central part of the island. Its tree-covered slopes rise up behind the coastal towns and resorts. Despite its size, the portion open to visitors is a small section at the southernmost tip, encompassing a steep climb into the jungle, a beautiful stretch of sandy beach, and a lighthouse.

Baffling signs. Lassos allowed? Snake vaulting permitted?

The walk is well-paved but still offers a strenuous ascent up the side of the hill in 30° heat. The views of the bay and out to see are magnificent.

The lighthouse is situated at the southernmost point of the island and can be ascended for an even better view of the bay.

Arriving back at our starting point, we decided to grab an ice cream to cool off. We had heard about particularly bold and aggressive monkeys that attacked people carrying food, even tearing open bags and rucksacks to get to the treats within.

Indeed, the small shop was surrounded by monkeys hidden in the trees, and in some cases brazenly waiting at the entrance. Mysteriously, the camo-clad military guys tucking into lunch didn't seem to be being bothered by the sneaky simians. We, however, were stalked by a number of them upon exiting the shop. One leapt through the air and made a valiant attempt to grab the Cornetto in my hand. Having failed once, I wasn't going to give him another chance, so I bared my teeth, threw up my arms and made a sound I hoped would be interpreted as intimidating. To all around it was a ridiculous sight, but my attacker looked nonplussed and started to back away. Unfortunately, this didn't stop the others and we were soon beset by a monkey attack squad. They all looked a little wary after my performance, so I gave a repeat showing, and we made it safely to the beach to enjoy the ice creams in (relative) peace, followed by a dip in the sea.

In the evening, we assembled the spread that we had intended to eat yesterday before gluttony got the better of us.

The spread covered all the major food groups - fried, deep-fried, devilled, and raw. The highlight was Thai-style arancini - sticky rice mixed with curry paste, formed into a ball, breaded and deep fried. I made half with red and half with green curry paste. The green were by far the spicier. These were joined by fried tofu with a satay dip, devilled eggs, while crudités of cucumber, carrot and pineapple provided a much needed palate freshener.