Koh Kood is Damp

Rainy season came early this year, but we went to the islands anyway. Our speedboat left from narrow finger of Thailand that pointed us toward Koh Kood along a route parallel to the Cambodian hills in the distance. Not that we could see those hills. The downpour kept us from even raising our heads. After an hour on the water, in spite of the boat’s canvas roof, we were all soaked to the skin.

Luckily the sun broke through just as we arrived. The owner of the cottages we’d booked was waiting for us with a warm seafood lunch. Seven of us passed a long weekend exploring the island, splashing around in a freshly recharged waterfall, or playing Scrabble indoors whenever the monsoon returned. (Little did we realize that a cyclone was hitting Burma at the same time, about 1,000 km to the northwest.)

Everyone else in the group speaks Thai better than English. So I struggled to keep up with the conversations, and surprised myself with how quickly the total immersion helped me pick up new words. Even the Trivial Pursuits-style games and the Scrabble were easier than I expected. If I keep traveling with this gang, I could get fluent pretty fast.

But I suspect we won’t return to this island unless we can get a sunshine guarantee. During the boat ride back, the skies opened again. Umbrellas were useless. We found the best sitting position was the one they recommend on airplanes “in the unlikely event of a water landing.” By leaning forward and grabbing our ankles, we retained as much of our body heat as possible.

By looking down we also could ignore the suspicion that our boat driver was lost. He finally cut the engine and admitted that without his familiar landmarks he wasn’t sure. We waited about ten minutes while the rain pelted our backs. Some people no doubt had now begun to find their prostrated position was also convenient for praying.

Happy ending. A fishing boat crossed our path, we were pointed in the right direction, and the mainland appeared just in time for the sun to shine again.