Hat Sichon
June 24th, 2009
Khao Niao Sung Ka Ya
Hat Sichon, Thailand – A fishing village with beaches sounded charming so that’s where I headed first for a quick trip to Thailand’s southern gulf coast. When I arrived in Hat Sichon in the morning I grabbed breakfast at a coffee shop – purple sticky rice topped with shredded coconut and palm sugar custard (khao niao sung ka ya). I could’ve had three. It didn’t hurt that the neighboring table of police officers picked up my tab (15 baht) and then gave me a lift to my hotel. One red and white truck, three Thai officers and me; it was a short trip long on broken English and broken Thai.
After settling in, I spent the day wandering around town and on the docks watching as basketfuls of shrimp were cooked in hot water troughs over burning logs and then shocked with cold water. I stopped for lunch on a shack overlooking the wharfs grabbing papaya salad (som tom), this one was made with semi-ripe papaya instead of green papaya. The owner pressed three rambutans in my hand as I got up to leave. The afternoon and early evening I walked down nearly empty beaches and out onto the rocks stretching into the ocean. Dinner was seafood salad (yum talay), simple and spicy, watching the sun set over the water.
Som Tom (made with semi-ripe papaya)
Nets
Overcast Hat Sichon
Hat Sichon
Yum Talay
Hat Sichon at Dusk
June 24th, 2009 at 11:20 am
this looks like paradise.
June 26th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
The breakfast photo of black sticky rice with custard is glorious and eloquent. Then going through the day with som tum, squid, the sunset, the fish nets….breathtaking simple delicious beauty. Thank you for a lovely look over your shoulder.