Koh Phangan - beauty

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Okay. So I now know why the the monk in Phuket winked at me...the cheeky twinkle in his eye knew what was coming my way and the laugh he gave me then was knowledge. There I wrote on a tile that would be used in the construction of'The Big Buddha' on the hill in Phuket. Having already taken 10 years to build they are still going...after a rip off journey up there on a bumpy tuk Tuk it was all worth it for the view, the Buddha and my blessing from this monk. I thanked Thailand on that marble slate and asked for forgiveness, love and acceptance And it was all in that wink, I just had to awaken it myself. The last laugh will always be mine and yours if you dip into the now and free yourself from negativity and boy did the freedom taste good when I realised this. But I did have a little help from a friend...

A quick description of koh phangan surroundings - for it is the best beach so far...golden sand, big waves, jungle backdrop, scattered bamboo huts, a climb to a superb viewpoint you see for miles across the glistening ocean along wavy bays in both directions and a good atmosphere. The Sanctuary; a healing centre where tea temples, sound domes, yoga, meditation, taste sensation veggie food, friendly people and mindfulness are the norm. Truly an environment where your soul can be nourished.

Something magical happened to me that day and heres a poem to attempt to convey this:



The stars shone brightly as she sat silent, mesmerised by its power,

Her hair flickered in the night breeze and the little girl felt the intensity of its pull.

She found herself sitting, watching, as life poured forth to her;

Stories told and untold. Hers, yours, mine and theirs.

It was beautiful. Constant, unrelenting, beautiful.

And this is what the element told her:

The waves will never seize to be, will never stop.

Some will crash against the last before they have a chance to fully form or breath.

She knew the ocean was telling her the truth but it scared her,so she retreated home.



A few days later she found herself watching again, unable to move.

As the waves built up in the distance she was surprised to see them fizzle into foamy nothingness.

She wanted to feel the waves on her but inertia surrounded her in confusion.

She felt the unpredictability of the vast expanse that stretched before her and feeling brave she dipped her toes in...

The next wave hit the shore like a tsunami and shook the girl to her very core.

She feared she may be dragged down, tumbling into the strong currents with no one to save her,

Again, unsure. She left.



Over the next few days she heard the soft call of the waves beckon her.

So she resolved to try again and visited the blue continuum that encompassed her thoughts.

She visited at different times of each day when the light hit the water at various angles releasing both light and dark hues.

She felt she knew the changeable energies of the sea a little more and emboldened, decided to wade in.

As she did so she realised something:

The ocean would support her weightless body if she needed it to...

Wisdom flowing, the little girl felt the calm beneath the sometimes ferocious serface,

Slowly, her fear ebbed and flowed away with the waves as she watched with new eyes. This is what she saw





Waves lapped gently over a lone rock in the middle of the expanse,

Cleansing laps that wiped the rock clean like an old friend wiping marmalade from the corner of your mouth

Frothy bubbles chased each other like children; ducking and diving into each crevice of the rock.

Some flowed freely in the knowledge that they'd find one another again.

And in that moment, the little girl laughed. For she knew she was the rock, the waves, the froth, she was it all and more!



Euphoria took over her body as she swiftly opened her arms and swam.

She surrendered herself to the deep blue nothingness...

Fear dissipated, replaced by a realisation that this was happiness.

Letting go, she allowed the stories to unfurl around her in swirls of ephemeral beauty.

None claimed her but she knew they were, will and would always be hers.

And because she was the waves, the life, the stories; she knew she could save herself at any moment.

She breathed deeply and floated freely in the truth of it all. The truth and knowledge of being.

Laughing, splashing and twirling lightly in the ocean, she saw another little girl on the shore line looking at her.

Without hesitation she swam towards her and as she did so, joyful ripples released continually with every stroke.

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