After our monumental New Year’s celebration on the beaches of Koh Phi Phi, Dave and I headed to a larger island further south called Koh Lanta. Koh Lanta is known as the gem of the Andaman Coast because of it’s long beaches with white sand. We were looking forward to going snorkeling on one of the island tours, swimming in the underwater emerald cave, or exploring a limestone cave on our hands and knees. Unfortunately when we arrived it started raining and it didn’t stop until long after we went to bed that night. After we dropped our bags in our overpriced and overrated villa we puddle jumped across the street to find something to eat. We both enjoyed different kinds of curries with rice and a couple big beers. We had such good service and food that we decided to go back a few hours later for dinner. In between lunch and dinner we napped, watched TV and even dipped our toes in the ocean. We doodled in the sand and took photos and video of the beautiful yet cloudy beachfront. We also decided to buy tickets for a Maui Thai fight later that night. We were sitting near the front desk contemplating what we should do, since we were so bored, when we heard a truck roll past announcing that there was a “Fight Tonight!” So we bought tickets, ate dinner and made our way to the stadium.
The stadium was small, but lively. There were a total of five fights. The first one was a pair of kids, literally, I think they were six years old. The second fighters were 14 and the men in the third match were in their early twenties. The fourth match was a 28 and 34 year old, but Dave and I thought they looked like they were in their late forties. Probably the first time I thought an Asian person looked older than they actually were. The fifth and final match was a Thai fighter and a white guy from England. It was the only match that was really a fight. The other ones seemed like they were just fillers before the main event. This match was different. The fighters were actually punching, blocking and kicking with ferocity. It was really exciting. So much so that Dave and I decided to get out of our seats and head down near the edge of the ring for the beginning of the third round. We weren’t sure if we were allowed because that was the V.I.P. area, but we took a chance and it was worth it. We both got amazing footage with our cameras and the match happened to end that round. It if was a competition of footage between Dave and I, he definitely won. He stood up on the V.I.P. bleachers right behind the coaches and filmed them yelling and cheering on the guy from England, who was kicking the Thai fighter’s ass. Dave was also there when the English fighter exited the ring all sweaty, waiting for a drink of water. I can’t wait to see what he puts together from that night. I was so proud of him. Not like I taught him anything, but he was like a little photojournalist, just going for it and taking chances to get the shot and it all paid off in the end. After the match we went straight to bed in excitement and anticipation for the next morning when we would head back to Tonsai, the coast we wished we had never left.
