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Published: September 8th 2009
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Well, well, well…
Can’t say I thought we’d be on Koh Samui on week two of being here, but we are. After booking train tickets to the Perhentian Islands, we discovered that Malaysia is on holiday and all accommodation is, well, accommodated. So in a bid to get over our jet lag, out of the city, and avoid trouble-flaring Southern Thailand, we booked a ticket to Koh Samui. And here we are. Landed (most skillfully admits the flyer-phobe) with our bums in butter. On a peachy beach. In, what’s that word… Oh yes. Paradise.
A peach bungalow.
Despite our reservations about Koh Samui, and having sworn not to come back again, we are delighted to have found a slice of yummy island pie.
After hot footing it out of the main tourist areas, we ventured down a little gravel road, meandering our way through rustling bamboo, singing to the wizard and asking him to find us the right place.
Voila!
A few minutes later we’re clambering out of the car and gazing over a pretty little beach we are now happy to call “home”.
Sawadee kah Thailand!
The ebb and flow.
We have finally settled into this trip!
The kids wake at about 6am and we lie and cuddle. I then take my mat outside and do about an hour of yoga with the ocean lapping right next to me.
While I stretch and enjoy watching the day wake up around me, the kids play inside and Geoff has some computer time so that the rest of the day is psychologically free for him.
We then bumble around playing games, eating exotic fruit on our balcony, sewing something for our expanding felt dolly family or reading stories until someone suggests breakfast. Ahhh! Good idea. We amble over to our rustic table under a little coconut frond shelter on the beach and order our respective breakfasts - fresh fruit pancakes for the kids and myself, and a chilli omelet and coffee for Geoff.
So whatcha wanna do?
After brekkie it’s off somewhere - walking to a waterfall, visiting the Big Buddha, elephant trekking...
Each day has a couple of swims thrown in too, ’cos it’s bloody hot. I also jump under the shower often. Just to cool down. While I hose myself down, Faithie has her big bucket which she loves to fill up and splash around in.
Onto more important things…
The day’s main activity though, is eating of course, and the food is as sublime as it always has been. Not as cheap as before but excellent no matter what you order.
I think (hope!) we are finally slowing down and moving out of the manic “this is so delicious I simply cannot stop eating” mode. If not, we are both going to have to start jogging if we aren’t to return home as complete blimps. But seeing that I don’t have any takkies, and it is lunchtime…
And then the sun sets...
Nighttime is really special here.
As the sun starts to drop, tables get dragged onto beaches everywhere and a million captivating fairy lights begin to twinkle their way on, transforming a beautiful world into an entirely magical place.
It is very easy to lose track of time and we stay up late every night, enjoying the cooler night air.
Whooooosh!
There goes a mind-boggling firework. Just an explosion of lights with no bang. How lovely! The others are all asleep and I’m sitting our here by myself with the lapping sea keeping me company.
The other night we set
some “good luck” paper lanterns off into the night. Made of very thin paper, they are about 1m tall with a central “burner” that you set fire to. You unfold the flimsy paper and light the burner and then wait for the hot air to rise. After a minute or two (just long enough to let you to form your wish or prayer properly), they begin to tug at your fingertips, begging for release. So you step back, open your fingertips, let go and leave them to gently hover up into the night sky, slowly trailing through the dark until all they are is a distant glowing speck in the sky.
They are really very beautiful.
Phoenix, Faith and I decided to send one off for Les and Sam. As we agreed to do this, Phoenix and Faith shouted “There goes a shooting star!”
The God in every day things.
The spirituality here is very real and reverent.
I love the spirit houses. They offer an amusing juxtaposition between the sacred and the tacky. A bottle of Fanta - complete with straw so the spirits can drink - nudging a revered spiritual icon always makes me smile.
Many
of the offerings are enormous. Entire roast ducks or chickens, a whole case of beer or bottle of whiskey, bunches or intricately woven flowers offerings...
The ritual of preparing a daily offering must anchor one deeply in life. Perhaps it’s what we in the western world need most - a spirit home to house our souls.
Singing for your supper.
There is an Indian Miner here that sings for his supper. I have called him Oliver and look forward to enjoying his chirrups, croons and crows as he puffs himself up, cocks his head feathers or sways sideways, and always reward him with some of my meal.
Beautiful bamboo birdcages hang from roof rafters and palm trees everywhere here with juicy tidbits to tempt their obviously well loved occupants. But despite the pretty cages, I can’t understand why anyone would want to cage a bird.
I once built an aviary across the length of my room when I was at varsity which was home to zebra finches and quails. One day I took it outside and tore a hole in the mesh. It took the birds a long time to pluck up courage to leave, but when
they did they flew out as one, circled around me once and then flew off in the blue yonder. I wonder who felt freer…
When Geoff and I first came to Thailand I remember stopping in a market and looking at caged birds for sale there. We eventually bought two and set them free.
It was money well spent.
And onto our first boat
Tomorrow we catch a boat to Koh Tao where we hope to do some diving. We haven’t been to the island yet but hear it’s very beautiful. The last two days have been spent in a place called Bo Phut, swimming up a storm and playing Marco Polo and laughing until my cheeks ache.
See you in Koh Tao.
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