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Welcome to the mangrove experience |
One of the unnatural wonders of
south-east Koh Chang is the recently (late 2005) completed (?) Mangrove
walkway in Salakkok.
No workmen are at the site now,
machinery has been packed away, construction is obviously - in the
eyes of those responsible - complete or the budget has simply been spent.
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Nature & concrete in harmony |
The idea of the mangrove walkway is on
the face of it an admirable one, to give visitors to the island the chance
to explore a mangrove forest on foot via a walkway on stilts. This is
the type of eco-friendly idea that you can imagine a country such as Costa
Rica pulling off successfully. Unfortunately Thailand isn't Costa Rica
and here concrete is king.
The walkway is, I'd guess, around 800
metres in length and is built entirely in concrete with supporting poles in
the ground every 4 metres. Along it's length are 9 stations where an
information board provides a sentence or two of details about what you can
see in the area. An attempt at mangrove education and you'll also
learn a little about the 'Flicking Shrimp' that you probably never knew
before. Nice idea but not enough info to be truly educational. I
can't imagine many school field trips visiting.
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It'll grow back again in a few years. |
Aside from pondering over the huge
amount of concrete used in it's construction, you're also left wondering
just how much mangrove was cut down as there are several large areas where
tracks left by a large excavator are clearly visible. A method of
construction that isn't particularly in harmony with the 'eco' tag and
probably not recommended in the 'Environmentally Sympathetic Construction
for Beginners' manual.
The walkway is currently bare concrete
but it appears as though it is due for a paint job. Judging from the
patterns of bark, and wood pressed onto the concrete I'd say the whole thing
will be brown just as soon as the paint budget is approved or a minor royal
or cabinet minister deems the place worthy of a visit.
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The rusting oil drum may be a metaphor |
It's worth a look though and there are
some nice views along the way. However, it definitely won't go
down as a plus point for the local authority's attempts at showing
some concern for the environment as it has obviously been constructed with
total disregard for the impact on the surroundings. The kind of impact
only using heavy machinery to clear the way for the sinking of hundreds of
poles in order to build a snaking 800 metre long path can bring.
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Naturally occurring concrete |
It may come a pleasant shock to know
that this isn't the first attempt to bring mangroves to the masses in the
area. On the main road, a kilometre before you reach the turning for
Salakkok & Jek Bae, you'll see a dirt track leading off to the left, this
heads a few hundred metres along the northern end of the bay.
The original idea was that tourists
could drive down here and see mangroves without ever having to get out of
their car (it is hot after all). There are no signs of any kind and
the road is a dead end, no views other than seeing mangroves that line the
road. As you'd expect there was no road here originally, the track was
made by dumping truck loads of earth on top of some unlucky mangroves.
The edges of the track have been shored up by using concrete pipe sections
as large plant pots. This is in keeping with the theme of 'not having
a clue' that runs though every idea the local government comes up with.
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