February 15,

Up and about, Jeff had been awake since 0500, so he took laundry to washer whilst I woke up.🥱 When he returned, together we walked 3/4 of the beach and cut over to the launderette, Otteri. Cutesy name with an otter logo.🤗  We changed our clothes over to dryer and walked back to our place – via the street. It is already warm, as the sun as cleared the shade of the mountain behind the town. We cooled off for about 10 minutes then we hopped on Crackling' Rose and went back to launderette, sorting/folding the clean clothes and zoomed back to our place for our Javas. I have not opened my newest coffee, yet. Still trying to work out how to grind those beans!!  Thankfully, I still have some other from Koh Samui. Javas finished we went down, got our breakfast ticket, and strolled the few feet to the dining area. Breakfast was same – same, but we had to sit at the high bar on the edge. All the tables were occupied! It was a very busy time. They serve breakfast from 0700 to 1030. It was around 0915 when we were there. The rest of the morning was chilling out in our room. Around 1300 we ate some crackers with PB and Nutella, and a few dried mango slices.

Around 1530, we loaded onto Cracklin’ Rose and went to the Mangrove Festival 2025. It was about a 15 minutes ride to the Tung Yee Peng Village where the event was taking place. When we arrived, there were a few food vendors, setting up or already set up, but lots of empty spaces. It was supposed to have started at 1500.🤔  We stopped at one vendor, having two Chicken Satay sticks, a grilled Corn-on-the-cob, and battered Fish (we had thought, but it ended up being more chicken). We paid 80 Baht ($2.37). We wondered about eating our food and walked looking at different placards that had pictures of village life here in Tung Yee Peng Village. Then we crossed a bridge and took an elevated, cement “sidewalk” though the mangrove forests(?). Are they called forests? That seems right.🤔  Anyway, we passed by a few long-tail boats tied up, with rickety, bamboo “piers” to get onto the boats from this walkway. I could walk on them! 😲🫢😨  There were also a few houses and restaurants scattered around accessed by the walkway. We continued on. This area was surrounded by the mangroves with their knotted, tangled roots sticking out of the mud. The tide must be out. The mud, though, is alive with skittering crabs everywhere – from tiny 1/2 inch ones to a couple inches. The crabs also vary in colors. Some are bright blue, some fire engine red, but most are brown-gray blending in with the color of the mud. Also some of the crabs have one super-sized claw that is brilliantly colored. Mostly they catch your eyes due to their movements. We also saw a kingfisher in flight. It was a nice little loop walk.

We came back, crossed over the bridge to the vendors – more are opening now. We had 20 Bahts worth of a Local Thai dessert, called Jujor. It was a 3 inch springy-like pancake, and it was green colored from Pandan. We finished and left the festival. It probably will be more active later, but we were done and a bit disappointed. I had expected different foods- more local Thai; and there was supposed to be local story telling… didn't see any of this, except maybe, those placards… ???

So we arrived back to our town and stopped at the Family Thaifood Restaurant, mostly for a last awesome shake. We had a coconut shake & a strawberry shake; and decided on a papaya salad also. That cost us 160 Baht ($4.75). Finished, we went to a close by 7-Eleven for a beer and a wine cocktail; then got 40 Baht ($1.19) of gas for Crackling' Rose. We turn her in tomorrow morning. We returned to our place and went for our last sunset on this beach.