When 'Mushroom Tommy' met my Father-in-law!

Every picture tells a story right? Well this picture goes back to 2009 when my girlfriend (now wife) and I used to run a small beach bar on the serene beach of Ban Tai, on the Full moon party island of Koh Phangan. @norwegianyogis you may know the place?

I love this photo because it captures the real feel of "Two Rocks Beach Bar" a tiny bar built under a tree right on the beach serving cold beers and our famous cocktails! Our mojitos were world famous, even if I say so myself, and every night we would witness the most beautiful sunsets, funny how we would take them for granted and now all I do is dream for the time when I see that sunset again.

Back to the photo, let me explain 'Mushroom Tommy' as we nicknamed him had arrived on Ban Tai beach a few weeks earlier with nothing more than a change of clothes, and a huge bag of magic mushrooms....hence 'Mushroom Tommy'. He would use the mushrooms as a kind of fungi currency swapping them with other travelers for food, beer and accommodation at times. Luckily he had the personality of a legendary traveler that you hear about every so often, always up for an adventure and always smiling, although I think the mushrooms helped with his sunny disposition, he had them for breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday!

He became a regular in Two Rocks, and a very welcome one too, if you were lucky enough to get into a conversation with him you would not be disappointed, confused yes, but not disappointed his tales and opinions were not always coherent (mushrooms again) but they were happy and generous and always left you with a smile on your face.

Although imagine the moral dilemma when one night I spotted Tommy making his way towards my future Father-in-law, a good hardworking man from the baby boomer generation, loves his wife, family, football and a beer...never had anything like a magic mushroom before, and I'd guess never met a Finnish mushroom lover before! Now I'm not sure if Tommy introduced my Father-in-law to the magical fungi, but after about 10 minutes of talking they were inseparable, BFF's, perfect foils for each others weird and wonderful comedy, it was a scream they had the whole bar in the palms of their hands all night long.

It was a special night, in a special place with special people....especially 'Mushroom Tommy'! If you ever come across Tommy in your travels give him a big hug from me and mention Two Rocks....the best little bar on Koh Phangan!

Be happy, smile often and enjoy the sunset...

!

Happy dayz :)