“Hello, you want sit here for nice dinner?” Two young Thai men beckon us towards large low tables where holiday-makers recline on triangular cushions as they eat dinner. We had already eaten there, under the stars with the waves lapping literally at our feet. Amazing setting, OK food.

Tonight we are flip-flopping in our jandals down Koh Samed beach, around the rocks, through to the next beach to Jeps Bungalows. The food here is fantastic. The menu offers every cuisine but we turn straight to the Thai dishes. What shall we eat tonight? The kids order Kaow Phad Gai – kai dow (Chicken fried rice with a fried egg) and Nam manao (freshly squeezed lime juice with sugar syrup over ice). We order omelette filled with minced pork and vegetables, sizzling seafood and vegetables with oyster sauce, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, garlic and green peppercorns. But the piece de resisitance is Whole Fish with spicy salad. The fish has been carefully cut into chunks, fried and replaced on the whole fish. Then it’s topped with a salad similar to Som Tam – crunchy green mango shreds, chilli, long beans, lime and cashew nuts. Delicious.

We wriggle our bare feet in the fine sand and watch the fire dancers – some Thai boys of 7 or 8 with their lean muscular dad. They swing flaming sticks through the dark night and gleefully gyrate hula hoops of fire around their neck, down to their waist and up again. Diesel fumes and blasts of fiery heat hit us. They wear only shorts, arm band and hat to protect their body from the flames. I think about how we tell our kids not to play with matches. We put some money in the box. Danger money. I hope they never have to use it for hospital fees.

P.S. Jeps Bungalows offers cooking classes. Maybe next time – if I can fit it in between swimming, snorkelling, sun-bathing and eating.

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