Looking to get back to the west side of the island to explore some reputable beaches and getting some lunch, we hopped on our motorbikes and made the half-hour venture back across the island. We had lunch at Seatara, a beachfront restaurant located on the opposite end of Pirate’s Beach, where we were for dinner the previous night. Waiting for our food to arrive, I swam around in the warm Gulf of Thailand waters, where the water is lukewarm and visibility to the ocean floor is crystal clear. We munched on some naan bread with 6 different dips, sipped mint and lime sodas, and I devoured the lamb pita I ordered. Would gladly recommend this place for their food and atmosphere.
After lunch, we motorbiked a couple miles south and arrived at Zen Beach, a beach recommended to us. This beach had a fair amount of people but maintained a nice relaxing vibe. I laid on the sand and gave my stomach about 20 minutes to settle before reaching the point where I need activity. I respect people that go on vacation and can do nothing but lay by a pool or on the beach in the sun, but I simply am not one of those people. Nearby, I noticed a group setting up the net for Spikeball, a game I’ve been playing since my college years and have had countless great times playing either on San Diego and South Carolina beaches or San Fransisco and Ann Arbor parks. I was hoping to have the chance to hop in and play, and sure enough, as soon as the net was set up, I counted three people scanning the beach. Were they looking for a fourth player to step in? To my luck they were, and I was able to offer myself as the last player needed. My new friends, Ferdinand, Kathrin, and Tim, were from France and Germany, and I was pleasantly surprised by their friendliness and experience/skill levels being well matched with mine. We played 3 different games, all being decided by 3 points or less. After the games, we rinsed off our sand covered bodies in the ocean, grabbed beers, and we joined Joseph and Morgan to sit together and watch the sunset.
On our way back from Zen Beach, we stopped at a large market to get some salmon and grilling supplies. By time we were home, it was pretty late and we were all very hungry. Joseph and I spent quite some time trying to light charcoal for the grill without lighter fluid, but our impatience grew with our hunger. We eventually threw in the towel and decided to just use the stove to cook. Morgan and Joseph prepared our first home cooked meal of the trip, salmon, rice, green beans, and mushrooms. While eating this delicious meal on our large outdoor patio table, we noticed that due to a steady breeze and enough time passing, the charcoal had actually caught fire. To make use of it, we threw some pineapple on the grill to have for dessert.
The day was very fun but also tiring with all of the Spikeball played. Having gone out the previous two nights, and with big parties happening on the island all weekend long, I elected to hit the sheets early.