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Published: January 27th 2023
Taking to the Skies Again
A new day and a new era begins, as we set off to travel with a beginner’s mind. FORTY TWO HOURS IN TRANSIT. Let’s just let that sink in for a moment. Forty two hours. In transit.
That says everything about our commitment to being here. And now that we have arrived at our busy, but laid back, incredibly beautiful spiritual, musical, back-to-the-sixties love and bliss inspired island destination, where we shall remain for the next six weeks, it is without hesitation that I say every minute of those forty two hours has been a worthwhile investment. Of course this is a rose-colored lens view of reality, as some complain that the island is far too busy, and everything is crowded and booked to capacity, with many Russians and Israelites here escaping political nightmares, and others, like us, escaping the cold, but its an easy, long overdue, and well deserved break from the bombardment of media-constructed reality that is equally distorted, so it is a very conscious choice to be immersed in sunshine, beautiful sunsets, smiling people, and a land where even the moon smiles back at you. It already feels like Covid is a distant memory.
But to recap our journey here. We did stop after the first thirty three hours, which took us from our
Sunrise over Hong Kong
Watching the sunrise as we await to board this plane that will take us to Bangkok. departure point in Regina, central Canada, to our first rest point in Bangkok, Thailand, with aircraft changes in Toronto and Hong Kong en route. We remained in Bangkok for three nights, during which time we tried to readjust our circadian rhythms, convert our nights into days and our days into nights as required when travelling to the other side of the planet, and simply tried to move through jet lag as painlessly and quickly as possible.
And we definitely had our beginner’s mind practice put to the test during this time. Repeatedly.
Firstly, for our long haul Cathay Pacific Premium Economy seats from Toronto to Hong Kong, we were surprised to discover that we were on a much older plane than in previous years of flying with this airline, so our seats were far less spacious than we remembered. But hey, the flight was not cancelled, as per our worst fears, and it got us to Hong Kong with no other issues than a bit of cramping. Our next connection to Bangkok was smooth flying, as was our first flight from Regina to Toronto, which was also burdened with much imagined fear of luggage loss fuelled by the
recent media reports of Christmas travels through storm ravaged Toronto this year. We have never before travelled through Toronto. It was smooth as well. So all were unwarranted fears.
We did though, invest in Apple Air Tags for this journey, in anticipation of possible luggage loss. It was a good idea. They were easy to set up, they worked very well, and we always knew where our luggage was en route - once our internet was again connected to whatever airport we had arrived in. But when we arrived Bangkok, that connection came after our luggage had arrived, and Stan was already doing the happy dance as he pulled our bags off the luggage conveyor belt, while my iPhone was telling me the bags were still 1,000 km away in Hong Kong’s airport. It was soon rectified, and my iPhone verified what we already knew - our bags were with us!
But then we arrived at our hotel in Bangkok, and were advised that our room booked months ago was not available, as there had been double bookings. Our initial reaction was of course one of disappointment, but it turned out that the new room had many advantages
Ferry Terminal, Koh Samui
Sadly I missed my photo opportunity, but visualize many of these people doing yoga. This did take place moments before, when a yoga teacher in the crowd volunteered himself as teacher to lead the masses in a ten minute yoga practice while waiting for the ferry to head to Koh Phangan. Welcome to the islands! the old did not, so it was another new experience with a good ending, once one allowed for an open mind.
One day after arrival. It is now time to book our flight from Bangkok to Koh Samui in Southern Thailand, where we will connect with the ferry that will bring us to Koh Phangan. Actually, as I will soon discover, it is long past time, and much out of character, as I always make all bookings to our first destination prior to leaving Canada. However, a couple of months before leaving, I recall checking the website, noting that there were numerous flights per day, running every hour from six a.m. to 8 p.m., and the price was much cheaper than it had been years before, so I decided to wait until we got to Bangkok.
Bad idea. I was shocked to discover that all but a 6 am flight, and two evening flights, were already booked. And the prices had doubled. So I immediately try to book the morning flight, but my bank card gets blocked. I Skype call the bank, and they unblock the card, I am assured. But when I go to book the flight
Happy Stan the Chef
Happy Stan cooking me an omelette on his new gas stove, on our patio, in our garden by the sea. Happy Bev is taking the photo before enjoying our first home cooked meal, listening to waves and birdsong. Delightful. again, I discover that the morning flight is no longer available, which now means an extra night of hotel stay on another island will be required en route. Oh well, I say, and try to book the evening flight, only to discover that my bank card is still blocked, and there are only two tickets on the evening flight remaining. So several jet lagged hours later, we finally concede to purchasing the remaining two seats through a travel agency at our hotel, pay an extra fee for the service, and eventually get two paper tickets - something I have not used in years and which I do not trust at all until we actually arrive at the airport the next day and find they are indeed legit. And then of course there is the added task of finding a place to stay in Koh Samui after our flight, and getting our ferry ticket booked for the next day.
There are several teachings to be had from these hours of booking stress. One is that I know better, as I have always booked my initial days of travel from home. Trying to do so while running on half a tank
The World is Your Classroom
This has pretty much been my motto since I left the teaching profession a decade ago, and my official classroom morphed into this much larger teaching, and learning arena, so I had to take this photo I found in the Hong Kong airport. was not a good idea, but we survived: I learned how to let go a little and trust someone else to do a booking for me, and we were introduced to the island of Koh Samui, which before we had only visited at the airport. We now have our hotel pre-booked for when we again need an over night stay prior to our departure in March from Thailand to Indonesia.
But we are here. We arrived safely, with our luggage intact. We have registered for our yoga classes which begin next week. I resume my Thai language classes in a couple days. The food is amazing, as are the sunsets, the birdsong, and the lush jungle we live in. Plus we have our scooter motorbikes to explore the island the entire time we are here. That in itself outweighs all the trials and tribulations endured to get here. We are staying in a rustic but perfect bungalow located on the same beautiful oceanside family run resort that we have stayed at for several years, but without most of the wonderful staff who have had to return to their homelands or families elsewhere from lack of work during the Covid
Smiling Moon Shines Down on Us.
What a beautiful welcome to this part of the world 🙏 closures. So we have lost our restaurant and hotel services, and are essentially looking after ourselves in this beautiful location, all of which is fine and easily manageable - we bought a little stove today, and are equipping ourselves for this new experience.
But we miss them. A lot. Its okay to feel sad. One of primary reasons we travel is to connect with the people in the places we visit, and as often as not they are the local people we come to know and love over the years. We hope they are doing well now, wherever they are.
The island is vibrant with energy, as both live music and the music of foreign languages entices and enchants, and reminds us that we are all so much more alike than different - all seeking peace, beauty, and joy in this life.
Stan regularly asks us to pause and reflect on this simple question: “Where are we?” Right now, we are in beautiful Thailand.
Thank you for your interest in our travels.
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Sheila McKague
non-member comment
42 hours!
It sounds like and photos show that your 42 hours in transit were spent. Enjoy the lushness of foliage plus all the wonderful new experiences and connections. Best wishes from Regina, where the sun shines brightly, but where it is -20 degrees!