Bugs and Bikinis!

It's not often you expect to hear those two words in one sentence, but let me tell you, here in Thailand they actually do go hand in hand! After only two weeks, I do not blink an eye when a Gecko goes running across the roof or wall. Mind you I like them and they do make cute noises. Ants that's another biggy - they march in a line and mores the pity to you (meaning a bug) if you are in their way. Watched them take care of a poor dead Gecko - Ed came along and sprayed the sh*t out of them! He really likes this stuff called Baygon. It makes lots of things Be-gone! We have also gotten used to shooing flies off the produce and meat in the markets, after all you can wash everything once you get home and then it gets cooked so we're going with anything they may leave behind will either get washed away or cooked (possibly additional protein). Never thought I would hear myself say that!

Love the spots on this one!

This one actually enjoyed being on it's back, not to keen when I flipped it over.

 

Large moth - about four inches across.

The other bugs I like are the ones that are really good at camouflage. They catch me every time! Think it's a leaf and try to brush it away and then fuff - it flies into your face. Or you almost step on them. That would just be sad - poor thing just doing it's job and squish. There are any amount of new bugs and we generally see something different every day! Like yesterday morning for instance. Having coffee in our sitting room and Ed kept looking at something on the floor. Finally he went over and it turned out to be a snake! Now that was  just too much excitement for us. The thing (14" long), green and yellow checkered pattern just did not want to go into the dust bin.  I was jumping from chair to chair to get the window open, Ed was trying so hard to sweep it up (quick little bugger!) without hurting it. Finally Ed got a good grip between the dust bin and the broom and it got flung out the window. Interesting factoid about golden tree snakes, they can climb up walls (and trees) then they flatten themselves out and create a hollow in their underbellies. Then they 'fly' after prey on the ground. Now really - how do you deal with something like that! They will bite, and they will grow to about 4.5', but the venom will not kill a human. Also good to know! They will kill small rodents and lizards. We haven't quite figured out what the rodents here are and are not sure we want to either.

 

Which brings me to the bikini. The connection is that you are forever knocking little flies and mosquitos off of your arms and legs. A bikini was not something I was thinking about as I am about to turn 58 and never thought the word bikini would enter my vocabulary after about the age of 28. So there's been a 30 year hiatus from wearing one. But again here in Thailand it just makes sense! Put on the bikini, drop a dress over your head and, as our Natalie would say, voila! you are ready to swim anytime, anywhere. Don't even need a towel really. Just fling the dress on the beach or poolside, jump in, swim and then drop the dress over the head again. Bikini dries in no time. You see a lot of people here with wet bottoms and no one gives it a thought other then ' hey maybe I should go for a swim'. And so you do!

 

Time of day doesn't much matter either!