Paradise has come home

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Spent a one and a half day in Kanchanaburi, the city of the bridge over the river Kwai. There was an encouraging sign over the road as you entered the city saying: ”Welcome to the land of happiness”. I was readily fooled. Not much to see, i saw. I bridged the River Kwai in an orderly fascinated manner, it was quite a beautiful bridge. But if not in a touristic obligatory mannner, you could also cross it as a meditation over the sufferings of war. This bridge was originally built by allied prisoner’s of war, driven like slaves by the Japanese during the late second world war as a part of the building of the so called death railway(popularised through the novel and later the excelent movie by David Lean ”Brigde over the River Kwai”). The river was beautiful, especially when the hard rain came down, just as i had arrived and checked in to this extremely backpacker friendly whatever guesthouse called the Jolly Frog. Went to a terrible museum over the famous historical events, read a book and moved on in the early evening, heading down to Ranong for a visa extension run. Had a quite difficult but heartfelt talk with a young thai guy, seeming totaly non english speaking! He had once been in a car accident he managed to explain somehow, lost all but little sight on the right eye and seemingly also some of his mind… But he seemed very happy to talk to me, clasping my hand, and with only handmovements we proclaimed our frienship. With a big smile yelling for his sisters attention showing how we held hands and we were friends. Desperate but honest.
I was Dropped of in a smaller city south of Bangkok to connect with a bus going south, but seemingly there were none. Suddenly a guy stopped his vespa and took on the duty of a local travel guide without any questions asked. At first a bit nervous over the new travel ruote, but soon exhilerated by the unexpected. I took a train arriving half way at four o clock in the morning. There i met an american guy who had done this visa run a couple of times over. I made him company and he showed me the best and cheapest way of going on and of to Burma for a the visa extension. We took a 30 minute boat taxi over to Burma in early morning. And how I loved to see the ocean again! The burmese were just as eager to get a hold on some of your money as the thai (they even had monks begging for money walking the streets!), but they seemed much less distorted by the tourist industry, just like the tibetans earlier on the trip their curiousity was much greater and their smiles felt more sincere. As i was carrying my big backpack all along i soon got tired and a little fed up after beeing scamed bying some burmese sarongs for double the normal price.
I got to the pier to take a boat to the island which i was supposed have started with telling you about, but once again i couldn’t my mind wouldn’t compromise in separating one occasion from the other…
Already on the pier I met the two people that would make me company the coming two days on this realtively unexploited little paradise-like island, Kho Phayam on the north-west coast. Both of them closer to my parents than me in age, we still found many common interests, especially I did with caroline, a very open hearted american woman now living on Hawai. With her and german Norbert we were talking all the way to the island. Names like Rumi and Rilke floated by, talking of retreats, Caroline was also going to a buddhist one and Norbert had already done several vipassana retreats in Germany. Norbert had even done a sufi-retreat in switzerland once. Caroline and me later exchanging more of philosophy, film (since she’d been into filmmaking for ten years) and also surprisingly she knew even more than me about the early electronical and avant-garde music from luigi russolo to Stockhausen. She once beeing a part of the art- and cultural scene of New York explained a little…. Enchanted i was by these spontaneus deep connections to new people and enchanted by the beautiful island. Caroline said what we all instinctively felt, ”it almost feels like coming home”. Me who had nothing yet seen of tropical beaches coming to this little but bright shining star in thai archipelago sure was stunning. I realised that this was what i needed. The ocean, the peace, the space and last but not least some stimulating company. No more stressful sightseeing in towns small or big, all of them as tiring for my mind as the heat on my body, just wanting to plunge into an ocean of coolness. Since the high season still was quite far away, the bungalow place where we stayed, wich had the most guest on the island counted up to some 14-15 of them…. 3km beach almost for yourself.
The days i spent chating with my new friends, bathing in sun and sea, watching the stars in the evening and even gicing myself some time to do some yoga and meditation. Early mornings and easy evenings. Two days feeling painstakingly short I had my crazy vespa girl (and i tell you she really was, if not also in me…offensively flirting with me, whispering to her friend whenever i turned my back to her. Real fun girl, but never to be taken too seriously. She was always joking, telling half-lies every other sentence.) taking me to the afternoon boat, I was sure that I’d be back someday again. Lucky I was to find a bus in the evening down to Chaiya. I was let off 23.30 5 km outside the small town, rain puoring slowly, I started walking the way waving to the few cars passing in great speed along the road. I made a stop after a kilometer or so, put on my trekking shoes, Howlin’ Wolf with the song singing ”I’m a poor boy a long way from home” on the Ipod and a cigarette in my mouth. I was caught in that moment by one of those everyday ecstasies, could have walked miles even past Chaiya in that buttersmooth state of mind if a young thai couple hadn’t given me a ride just five minutes later. Without their help i might never had found my way to the Udompla Hotel, the only place to stay in the whole now at night oh so desolate town. Filled with hope and confidence i went to sleep anticipating the 10 day mediation retreat ahead of me.

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Comments

[Nils]

that's a lot
well... again I am not sure when you wrote it as I have not really had time to read anything apart from my course litterature, which I have not read enough I realise as I am writing on an exam right now. Still reading your blog is a nice break from trying to write.