Three men sang me their songs of freedom on Koh Lanta ...


Bonfire night fell on Loy Kratong, a big full moon festival marking the end of the rainy season, though the weather's haywire this year and it's still raining every day and flooding in the north. On Lanta island I made little lotus boats from candles, flowers, driftwood, banana trees, incense and discarded gold with Thai friends from Reggae House. They're sent out on the water when the moon's high, to thank the goddess of the rivers and oceans for the water and apologise for the mess that people make polluting it. If they stay lit, and sail away, any misfortune sails away with them, and you make wishes.

There was a mad lightning storm across the whole island and out to sea for hours that night, and I was pissed up drinking buckets of Sangsom (cheap Thai rum) on the beach.




An honour to the lady, and she protects me in the sea.
An adventure she sent me, I love you maman.
But then he told me who he was.
"I hate you!" I said,
"You've been away too long."

"You know, the sea heals all" I told him.
"Ideology." says he
But as they go not such a bad one;
And to the sea goes he.