Mol's Bar

The OneSky story really begins on the island of Koh Tao, a small island in the Gulf of Thailand known mostly for its scuba diving. I traveled down to Koh Tao from Bangkok, and spent my first few days getting my scuba certification there. It didn’t take long before I realized that Koh Tao was much more than just a dive island. After receiving my dive certification, I rented a bike and spent my days heading up and down the western coast soaking it all in. It was on a rest stop in town that I came across a South African man named Matt. He was walking with somewhat of a limp and had a big bandage wrapped around his leg. Naturally, I asked what had happened. He told me he had been stuck on the island for the past six months due to a leg infection he sustained from a cut while exploring the reefs. Fortunately for me, his time spent on the island educated him on all of Koh Tao’s best spots. That being said, his direction giving was definitely not thorough. Matt insisted that I head east to a place called Mol’s Bar, and to make sure that I buy a drink upon arrival. So the next day, I woke up and hopped on my bike, pedaling east. After biking for a few miles, a small shack overlooking the ocean appeared in the distance. I figured I was in the right spot considering there wasn’t much this side of the island. I made my way down to the structure and came across an older Thai woman who was working the bar. She had a stern look on her face, but I quickly remembered Matt’s instructions and bought a beer from her. She didn’t say much, but simply handed me a beer and a snorkel set.  As I looked down from the bar, the open ocean overwhelmed me. It was absolutely pure and untouched paradise. Monitor lizards paced by me as I walked down the beach, and parrotfish greeted me upon my first steps into the water. The water was clear and the reefs within them were vibrant with  life. I spent the next three weeks of my time at Koh Tao biking over to Mol’s Bar every morning, as soon as the first sunrise. I stayed true to the routine; get a beer, grab the snorkel set, and head out into the water. It was simple, yet fulfilling. Slowly but surely the routine began to develop into something more, and things began to change. The once stern and unfriendly Thai woman became warm and inviting. She would welcome me with a smile each morning, and began to converse more and more. The woman, named Mol, introduced me to her family and even invited me over to her house for dinner.  I learned the history of the island, and gained a perspective that I never would have imagined. Each day, a new assortment of people traveled that same route that I took, and spent their days down with Mol. That’s what it was all about though; a stubborn, unfriendly, loving, and warm hearted piece of Koh Tao that I was lucky enough to experience. The day that I left the island, I went back to say my goodbyes and thank Mol for all of her hospitality. I didn’t spend very long, but just before I left she looked me in the eyes and said “There is One Sky above us all.” It did not mean much at the time, but it stuck and thus came the idea of OneSky.