colds going, Markets and motorbikes

So got up today feeling a lot better, nose was not running like a fire hose, it was now more like a leaky tap. Feeling better, headed out to Min and Roti Canai, ate breakfast and chatted away, then we got on to how to make Roti, Min said come and try, so it was, I throw on my apron washed my hands. Ok first step, use butter, sugar, egg, salt and white butter, which to me looked like lard. Mix together and than rest. We did not bother with this part as they already had a load done.
Now to make a good Roti you need to flatten it out, Take one lump of Roti, coat hands in oil, use palm of hand to push roti out flat, about the size of your two hands together. Done. Next lifting the roti with both hands do a circular motion and throw roti down. OK what he forgot to say in his pigeon English was once you stuff it up you throw that away and start again. Take two, twist and flick, he’s nodding , you have to do the twist and flick a few times, after 3 attempts I thought I am using a bit too much so gave it away. Something I think I will have to work on at a later date.
Min had invited me out for a tour of the city on the back of his motorbike, now these are 110cc of pure Asian grunt. I said yep sounds like a good plan so we made a time to meet at 12 o clock, I still had about 1 ½ hours to wait till he fished work, so I took a walk to the local market. Now local markets sell everything even a kitchen sink if you wanted one.
As I wondered through the streets in the direction of the market, thoughts of passed visits to markets sprang to mind, colors and smells, I would not be disappointed. As I made my way inside the colors of the fresh vege and fruit sprang to life, the local women in their bright berkers, it was a symphony of color. Greens of different shades, oranges, reds and purples all combined to make a vibrant view. Then the sound of a hundred deals being stuck, women chattering away negotiating the costs of meals for the next week.
I wondered further into the market just letting the place intoxicate me, and then BANG it hit me, the smell of rotting meat, old stale fish and a thousand other dead things. I had wondered into a maze of fish guts, cows legs and chickens. Not live but gutted and de-feathered ready for the oven. Flies were everywhere clinging to the meat as if it was there last supper while the people selling franticly swished cardboard over the produce to keep them away.
Asia markets are a photographers dream, you have these wise old women sitting in the middle of their produce, with bright colored clothes, in a sea of color. Men sharpening knifes and cutting meat and fish for many people who pass by. As I was leaving the market I came across a old man and his wife loading up their cycle rickshaw with the days buys. By the time they had finished there was only just enough room for his wife to fit on the bike. As I positioned the camera to grab that moment in time the battery light which had come on a bit earlier decided it had had enough. Bugger. Magic moment gone forever just to now live with my memories.
The time had come for me to head off anyway, so after picking up some new batteries I headed off to meet up with my guide Min. As I arrived at their little food stall Min was just finishing packing up, he must have had a busy morning. He said he was just off to get an extra helmet and would be back in 30 minutes. No problems, 45 minutes later his mum and dad are passing through to drop of some things and they informed me Min might be a bit late as he was have bike problems. This could be interesting.
10 minutes later Min shows up, I jump on the back of the bike, we cut in between cars and other bikes to get the optimum position at lights, we are heading to the coast about 8km from the city. As we head out of town, we join the rest of the madness that is Asia’s roads.The hat I am wearing is about 2 sizes too big, I have shorts on with a light top, great protection if something happens. For a start Min takes it easy just cruising along on the open road. We are getting passed by a few people but that does not matter we are in no rush anyway.
As we arrive at the beach it is a bit of a disappointment, Min says that years ago it was really beautiful but a storm came through and pretty much wiped the beachfront and a few km inland flat, so the government had build a high rock wall to stop it happening again. Now there is sand there but it is a steep beach into a green sea.
After lunch at the beach we head back into town, this time we are passing cars and bikes, I look over Min’s shoulder to see the speedo saying we are doing 100km/h, yes forgot to mention while we were at lunch Min confessed he did not have a motor bike license. With the few traffic cops I had seen on my travels I knew this would not be a problem.
So we headed back to town and then the river, A murky brown mass of water heading out to sea. About a football field wide the river picks up clay silt and drags it to the ocean, it was not my first brown river and I am sure won’t be my last. We discuss what to do next and because it is a Friday and a Holiday in Malaysia we decide to call it a day and head back.
The rest of the day I chatted with a few of the other back packers that were passing through. All had come down by bus or train and had not seen any trouble in South Thailand, it seems that a lot more people are heading down then up. I have only meet a couple of other people heading up in to Thailand.