The Crazy Things People Do For Money…
It’s crazy the crazy things people do for money. Was down to my last $20us yesterday and had no choice but to go to an ATM machine as the rains could continue for days. At 6AM the sea was incredibly rough and we all piled into a 30 foot 400hp panga to make our way to Big Corn. The price was double and it took roughly 45 minutes of rough sea to get there. Imagine yourself in the front and side of the boat, at points drop off of what appeared 10-15 feet as you’re riding the side of a large wave, surreal and a Go Pro camera would have been clutch.
Arrive in the rain and make your way to an ATM machine in great haste, take out the wrong amount, then another and your card is locked. Try your other card and it’s just not reading, hooray. Run back to realize the refueling will take hours. End up hanging out with the captain and crew of the panga then head to the gas station and breakfast with them. Few hours later the sea is still rough and head back. Normally a trip to the ATM is no big deal, this involved $20 for two 45-1 hour commutes on rough water and egregious overseas bank fees, wonderful.
Believe the trek from Big Corn to Little Corn is rougher than the reverse. The way back had half the number of people and cargo so a really light bow. This ship got airborn a few times and incredibly rough slaps into the unrelenting oncoming waves. About 30 minutes to the port side was a large storm and looked ugly. Besides us there was no one on this stretch besides a small tug boat with an insane captain.You want power out there so you can maneuver around the waves, not be at their mercy as there is none to be had.
Today the weather is beautiful, but when you need money you do crazy things. The need for money sets the foundation for a monstrous motivation station. Yesterday was the roughest marine experiences I’ve partook in, had I been sitting on cash would not have imagined going. Odd how it’s always at the least opportune time, yes? Being proactive is the name of the game in traveling and probably life, being reactive is playing on constant defense and at the mercy of external conditions.
The ferry from Koh Phangan to Koh Tao after a full moon is quite intense but you’re on a massive catamaran, quite a different scenario. While walking this morning ran into a crew member and the captain, turns out they went back once more mid day, madness. Supposedly they go everyday regardless of the weather and “accidents” are quite uncommon. That said was talking with the crew so one must make some room for bias.
When you arrive back on Little Corn you really get a great sense of just how remote it is. Big Corn is tiny and it’s like a happening cosmopolitan compared to Little Corn and they even have motorized vehicles! Right near the port I recommend you get some vigron from the blue house inside the port. Also recommend you bang a left and go to the lobster fishermen. My brief encounter on Big Corn has piqued my interest in the place…
Wonder what type of “crazy things” people are doing for money as you read this!?
Tips hat,
