King Cobra outside Cosmic EnergyMassage

I stopped in the other day to the massage business I had been learning thai massage at, Cosmic Energy Massage, to practice and was greeted by the owner, Mr. Roeng, with a big smile. He excitably spoke in his broken English of a king cobra in the back. I wasn't exactly sure what he was talking about but I found out soon enough as he lead me out back behind the business. Lying on the ground next to the porch was a large dead king cobra. Apparently that morning he had heard his dogs barking in the back and he went to check it out and saw the beautiful specimen coiled and hooded up, defending itself from the dogs. His dogs didn't know any better as it was probably the first time that they had encountered a cobra snake. According to Mr. Roeng several times the dogs came too close to the snake and the cobra bit them. However it must have been a dry bite as the dogs survived and showed no sickness. In addition, the cobra must have been there since the previous evening as he had heard his dogs barking in the back the night before but was unable to view the snake. May have been disastrous for someone to have walked through that area in the darkness and to be struck on the leg by the cobra. Usually however cobras and most snakes head for cover as they feel the vibration of upcoming footsteps. Also quite amazing that the snake was in the around that it was, so close to the human population and the beach. From what I have been told king cobras are typically to be found in more remote locations away from civilization and the danger it poses for them. Higher up in the mountains and deeper in the jungle are most ideal for them. There there is more food for them to seek out, typically in the form of other snakes from what I have heard. King cobras are one of the few snakes which will eat other snakes.

The snake was a beautiful specimen,around 10 ft long or so, although not in the condition I was seeing it. Mr. Roeng had killed it and it had been decapitated, with its head buried so that no possible accidental post death bites may occur. It is possible there could be a spasm or something along those lines even in its death and it could bite and poison someone. Being that his family, wife and daughters, are often at the business along with much other human traffic, no need for such an accidental biting to occur. In additon to the head being chopped off and buried, the snakes abdomen had been cut open and one of its organs taken out, I believe its gall bladder although i'm not for certain. This organ was placed in some thai whiskey as a special concoction intended to bestoy strength on those taking a shot. Apparently according to either chinese medicine or thai folk medicine, the cobra possesses much strength which can be passed along to anyone portaking in certain of its parts. The gall bladder is one such of this parts which is said to make one strong. After viewing the snake and getting some good photos, I was offered a shot of the whiskey with the gall bladder marinating inside. There was no way I was going to decline such a noble offer, so I happily chugged a shot down. While I got a decent buzz from the whiskey, I can't say that I acquired any additional strength or powers from the gall bladder having been in the whiskey. One probably needs to take continual drinks of the potion over the course of several days for that kind of result to materialize.

2 days later I went back to Cosmic Energy and Mr. Roeng asked where I had been as I had missed out on the feasting of the cobra the day before. He and several other thai massage therapists and friends at his business had eaten the cobra, probably in a barbeque. The eating of the king cobra is also supposed to bestow strength on those eating it. I was very disappointed that I had missed out on such a feast. The eating of the snake also apparently raises your body temperature much as he commented on one of the guys eating it who had taken a shower to cool down. Seconds later he was sweating again, apparently effects derived from the cobra. Mr. Roeng also swore that the snake had made him stronger, both in his muscles as well as sexually. He pointed to his groin with a big smile on his face stating essentially that he was stronger and more virile. I asked his wife who was sitting several feet away if this was true and she laughed and said she didn't notice anything different about him.

It's unlikely that I will have the benefit of seeing another king cobra while on the island of Ko Phangan. However, from what I heard regarding the markets of Chiang Mai and Laos, markets there quite regularly serve up cobra meat and other kinds of Asian delicacies. I was talking with several lovely Australian girls in their early twenties who had spent time up in Chiang Mai and Laos. The one girl, Kaz, said she had drank a concoction containing tiger penis, another bestoyer of strength according to Chinese Medicine.