July 31st, 8am somewhere around the Malaysian border city of Kangar. It was hot and sunny outside but the air conditioning was incessantly filling my cabin with cold air. I had fallen asleep at a decent hour and the ride was very smooth. I woke up feeling fresh and in need to relieve myself. My glorious poo was cut short, Polly was yelling something like, "hurry up in there we have to go through customs!" I hate hurrying up these types of situations. Anyway the border crossing was smooth but our train had been taken somewhere far for what we presumed was maintenance. We waited for some time, maybe two hours. Once the train came back we loaded our things and headed toward our final stop at the Thai city of Hat Yai. I have to remark about the Thai trains. They are old, very outdated but very clean; the bathrooms are spotless 24/7. Plus you get to see a good amount of the country side.
We arrived in Hat Yai, Thailand a few hours late. We were supposed to take a bus to the town of Krabi much earlier but so it goes in Southern Thailand. Polly used her Thai to charm the bus operator's price down to about local standards. If it had been myself alone I would have had to pay about twice. I don't remember how much it cost but it wasn't much. We had some time to wait before the bus came so in normal glutton fashion I wanted to eat. My first meal in Thailand was spicy and delicious. I think I ordered a red pork curry.
The bus came and what was promised to be a three hour journey would end up taking over five. We made several stops which involved postal deliveries as well as passenger pick ups and drop-offs. We finally made it to our destination, Krabi. Polly's good friend Na Oan live's in this beautiful part of Thailand. Huge limestone cliffs covered in thick green vegetation dot the landscape like chess pieces on a chess board. The sound of Muslim calls to prayer echoes through the tropical air; this is a predominantly Muslim region of Thailand. On the ride north to Na Oan's house she explained in a very energetic and enthusiastic manner her families history; how they live now, why she's here and how grandiose their past social positions were. She comes from a family of royalty who used to own this entire region from Phuket to Krabi and maybe farther.
While she was telling us these stories I got lost staring at the huge old growth trees lining the road and imagining going back in time to when her family ruled and watching the numbers of these trees multiply exponentially until there are no more palm oil plantations to be seen. Then I come back to reality; back into the present, a time when most land in the tropics is used to grow the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis.) Thailand is no different and Na Oan owns her fair share of oil palms.
Na Oan's house is beautiful. Old, rusty, full of antique's but with an almost 1930's Mississippi like Southern charm. We spent our first night here. I slept like a baby.
August 1st
Na Oan hooked us up with a great deal for a boat tour. Polly had mentioned something about it but I tried my best to be as ignorant about our plans as I could. I figured I would just let Thailand surprise me, which it did in so many wonderful ways.
Wednesday morning we woke up at 6am to go give an offering of food to the local monks before departing from the harbor at around 8am, if I remember correctly. Well in short we cut it pretty close. On our way to the monastery we drove to the temple across the street from Na Oan. Polly's family and meditation group donated a good amount of money to build the temple. Their philanthropy resulted in a very beautiful temple. We sauntered around the premises for about fifteen minutes and then drove to the monastery. The huts and buildings of the monastery were ensconced within tall trees and high cliffs. We met some monks and people helping and we were brought to the hut of the head monk. He was an old man but with a nice smile. We prostrated and left the offering of fresh curry and rice on the floor in front of him. You are not supposed to make physical contact with monks and by leaving the food near his' feet it is a sign of offering and humility towards the practicing monk. We did a very short meditation inside a small cave. You could feel the good energy of the place. It was easy to meditate and find peace. I wished we could have stayed there longer.
We made it in time to catch our boat. Na Oan's sister's friend basically set us up on a tour of the outer islands for dirt cheap. Our captain was a fifty or sixty year old weathered but handsome Muslim boatman. His dialect was thick so it was hard for Polly to understand him; I couldn't understand anything. He drove us to some of the most beautiful islands and beaches I've ever seen. The boat engine had some trouble along the way but it added to the excitement. The waves were getting bigger. I sat up front for most of the journey to and from the islands. I could close my eyes and feel the sea breeze blowing my hair. The salt condensing on my skin. My mind clear and in the custody of the sea. This is when I am most happy. Its always been like this and it always will be. I think that's why I came to deeply admire our captain. He could tell I was a man of the sea as well and he looked at me like I was his' own son. He actually called Polly his daughter too. Its great to meet such amazing simple people who love their life's work and don't show any signs of aging.
August 2nd
We started Thursday off with a traditional Thai breakfast of soft white rice porridge and fresh fruit. We had to catch a ferry to Ko Phi Phi island at around noon. It was nice to lounge around for a while before departing. We were hoping the waves from the day before were softer today. The more I thought about the island the more I remember seeing post cards and travel documentaries of Ko Phi Phi. It is supposed to be one of the most beautiful islands in the world.
We arrived at the dock about an hour early. I had another light meal and some fruit. Thai fruits are unbearably delicious. To refrain from stuffing your face with all these various tree candies would be an ignominy.
The ferry ride was without any hitch. It lasted for about an hour and we got to see the beautiful islands jutting up out of the horizon like ghost ships setting sail. The winds were calm and the seas were blue.
We arrived on Koh Phi Phi in the early afternoon. To our delight we were greeted by dozens of tourists leaving the island, probably for the full moon party five to six hours west. Ko Phi Phi is normally packed with people. When the tsunami hit in 2004 the popularity of this islands was the reason so many people died here. We were happy to be as alone as possible here. The small streets were still full of people. Tourists, merchants and day workers fill the streets with well fed and tamed feral dogs and cats roaming around.
Our hotel was another thrifty add in to our tour package. Na Oan hooked us up. It was situated right by the beach and a few nice restaurants. We went around and explored the island. We had a boat tour organized ahead of time but because we came a day late we had to cancel it. So after taking in the beautiful and abnormally quiet atmosphere we decided to extend our stay a day. It was a wise choice. Today we decided just to explore the island and hike up to the famous look out on top of the mountain. We scheduled our boat tour for the next day and ventured to the mountain peak. It was hot and hiking in the mid day sun was a challenge. But we brought about a gallon of water between us. It took us about a half an hour or so to trek up the hike. The sun was intense. We found the main lookout points and even a few shops to buy water. We met a few people who gladly took our pictures in exchange for a friendly conversation. One man was from California. He was sailing up and down the coast of Thailand. He had some interesting stories to tell us, all very good. As far as the view I will again leave that description to the pictures themselves.
August 3rd
We woke up early and got ready for our boat ride. There were about 20 people on our boat and mostly couples. The most interesting people on the boat were a family of Brazilians. They were a bit exuberant at times but always cheerful; they brought a good energy to the boat. Their were six of them; two daughters, two sons, a mother and a father. The oldest son had to be about thirty-five so maybe he wasn't a son after all. The character who stole our attention was the dad. He was wearing the tightest black speedo which highlighted his beer belly. Every time he bent over the whole boat erupted in laughter but he didn't seem to mind or notice, he was proud and on vacation.
The trip was amazing. We were taken to several top snorkeling sights where I got to chase fish at the bottom of the sea. I even found myself at the same depth as a team of scuba divers. They were shocked to see a man with a snorkel that far down. Polly called me a Flounder. I feel an otter sometimes because I like to mimic their playfulness in the water. The corals were breathtaking too. The first place we stopped at was "monkey beach." The name speaks for itself; tons of monkeys on a beach. The boats pull up to the monkeys and they play with the tourists. I got pissed on actually. There is nothing more humbling than to be pissed on by a monkey. There are many memorable moments from this outing. One of which was the tsunami evacuation poster. Actually there were many but one I found very interesting. It had been bleached by the sea salt and made ineligible. Any trace of the evacuation route was erased and the only thing that could be made out was the word tsunami.
The last stop was the famous beach called Ma Ya Bay. It is best known to be where they filmed the movie "the beach" with Leonardo Decaprio.
After our boat trip we watched the sunset and ate dinner at a small local restaurant. Polly had a long chat with the owners and especially one of the waiters. He had been a monk and is now working to support his family. He was a very nice dude and according to Polly a very hard working practitioner of meditation. I wished I knew Thai so I could chime in. After dinner we bought some fruit for breakfast the next morning. I of course bought some Durian. I love Durian. It smells very pungent yet it tastes like heaven in pudding form.
August 4th
This morning we boarded the ferry back to the mainland. Today we decided to stay at Na Oan's house another night. She set us up with a cheap Thai massage which of course hurt. I am strong but not so flexible so when someone gives me a deep tissue massage it amplifies the pain. But the ladies were very kind and they had me try all kinds of sour fruits they picked from their garden. Before our massage however she took us to the national park near her house. She told us stories about swimming in the rivers here when she was a kid. I guess there used to be cobras and tigers in the premises. Anyways this national park was something out of a Robert Louis Stevenson book. A series of jungle trails and rivers, waterfalls and cliffs. It was so green, so peaceful. I was to find more surprises a few days later.
Hanging out at Na Oan's house was one of the highlights of the trip. Her and her sister fed us like royalty. Her family came over too. We met her Niece and Nephew; nice kids in their late teens early twenties. They all helped prepare food. The dinner this particular evening was high in pork and very tasty. The vegetables were just tree leaves picked from the tree growing in their back yard. They were so good. You used them as a wrapping for a meaty slaw type dish. Polly and Na Oan had a heart to heart conversation for a few hours so I used that time to organize my schedule for Bangkok. The thought of traveling through Thailand without Polly was vexing. I will loose my companion and translator so I had to be as informed as ever about the logistics of my upcoming solo venture.
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| Na Oan |
August 5th
Na Oan's niece and nephew came with us to Phuket. We were glad to have them tag along for the car ride. On the way we stopped by a local fruit stand and bought over twenty mangosteens and a fresh Durian. During the car ride I chose to listen to music and get lost in the country side while the others spoke Thai. Polly had taught them some basic meditation the night before while I slept. I guess they were very interested. Its rare in Thailand for a young person to be so dedicated to the practice of meditation. Therefore people like Polly are rarities, even in Thailand. Polly makes it very easy to understand any lesson she teaches. She has a way of easing you into the lesson and letting your curiosity find its way out of you which she then grabs a hold of and runs with. She obviously sparked a bit of curiosity in these kids and I think Na Oan was very happy.
We arrived in Phuket at around two. It takes Thai people an extra two or three hours to discuss the arrangement and make sure its comfortable. We were shown two places; the first one was too touristy; we didn't care about a pool, I just wanted to go swimming in the ocean already... The second was, well again I will let the pictures and video speak for themselves.
Right away we rented boogie boards from the hotel and used them at the beach in front of our bungalow. The waves were not good at all, actually un-surfable with a normal surfboard. Polly had trouble with the boogie board. She thought surfing was much easier. She gets frustrated at things she's not good at right away, her temperament in these situations is kind of like a straight A honor student who got a B on a test. I thought it was adorable. I caught a few waves. I was actually having fun trying to find ride-able waves. The ocean felt good. It always feels good. Time flys when I'm in the sea.
We were told the woman who runs the restaurant at our beach bungalow was an amazing cook. The only problem was she closed shop at around five so we had to find another option for dinner. We found a nice restaurant at the top of the look out point above our bungalows. Before eating we watched the sunset and cracked open a Durian to the revulsion of the hoards of sunset watchers around us. We both thought this part of Phuket island looked a lot like Southern California. We entertained ourselves at the restaurant. I think what I enjoyed most of all about the South-east Asia trip were the long conversations with Polly. Her and I are like best friends on a camping trip. Our conversations are always of value both in time and content and are things I cherish.
August 6th
This morning we ate at the bungalow restaurant. We had some traditional Thai porridge and some of the mangosteen fruit we bought earlier. Mangosteens are so tasty and healthy! After breakfast we rented a motorbike. It was my first time, well second time riding one. Polly was nervous but I was confident after taking it for a test run. We put on our shnazy red helmets and embarked on our very first solo road trip. Our destination was a beach where we could rent surf boards. We first stopped by the famous Kata beach but found it too touristy and lacking in waves. We drove back to Nai Harn beach which is closer to our beach. The views along the way were stunning with elephants and elephant crossing signs to boot.
We found what we were searching for at Nai Harn beach. We met a French guy who had surfboards to rent. We rented a long board because I figured Polly could use it and so could I. I had Polly go out first. I think because of her swimsuit and how frequently the waves were breaking she couldn't enjoy her second time surfing as much as the first in Indonesia. She was getting frustrated but kept trying and trying. Contrary to what she was feeling about herself at the time I was seeing a bit of improvement. I could see a level of comfort in the ocean that she exhibited while getting absolutely pounded by the waves. I think she could get very good with a bit more practice. Anyways I love seeing her surf. I got up on the board a few times but it was hard to find my balance on it due to the single SMALL fin. It was one of the most wobbly boards I've ever been on.
The rest of the day we just rode around on the motorbike and took in the sights. There is one thing I have to remark about. On the cliffs near our bungalow beach are several epitaphs all dedicated to different people who died during the 2004 tsunami. It was sobering snorkeling and swimming in a sea where so many thousands of people died. As grim as it is to think about its important to consider when your in a place that so resembles paradise. No matter where you are in this world there are forces beyond your control that can take you from this life in an instant. These forces must be respected and understood to the best of one's ability.
On this day Polly and I parted ways. She was scheduled to fly back to Los Angeles in the evening while I will continue on to Bangkok. We tried not to think about the inevitable and made the best of our day. We went snorkeling and kayaking near our bungalow. We went on a little motorbike ride again. We had a good day. She spent an hour packing and got in a taxi bound for the airport. I spent the night chasing crabs on the reef and actually had a nice night looking at stars and drinking a beer on the beach. I was sad but I still had a week to go. Polly was the perfect travel partner and of course I love her dear. But my character requires me to travel solo sometimes, normally all the time. I knew this next week would be a feeling I know very well. To be at the mercy of the world with only yourself to rely on. This is the type of traveling that I know best. One more beer for good measure, a toast to the crab.
August 8th
I woke up at 8am and got a ride to the bus stop bound for Krabi. I was to spend one more night at Na Oan's house. The bus ride was very comfortable. Na Oan met me in downtown Aou Luk, the town where she lives. I had to borrow someones phone and knowing absolutely no useful Thai it was a challenge. Polly actually taught me the phrase "can I use your phone" which I didn't write down but I could almost remember. I finally remembered it enough to make a woman working at a food cart smile and hand me her phone. I called Na Oan and she picked me up.
I love Na Oan. This was our time to bond. I love her sister too. We had many great conversations and I listened to her stories like child listening to his' grandfathers war stories. I guess after traveling around this area for a few days my interest grew. I wanted to hear about her' childhood here, how much has changed and what is changing the most now. I was all ears and I think she appreciated the outlet.
She had to run some errands in the afternoon so I had her drop me off at the national park near her house. The park as I explained earlier is full of trails and rivers. This comes in handy when the ranger wants to charge you the fee and you brought nothing. I learned the art of playing the dumb foreigner card very well in Japan. This skill translates over to Thai as well. Luckily for me there was an entrance without anybody keeping watch and I just walked right in using the guise of "looking for the toilet." Anyways I found lots of surprises inside. I ventured into an area which we hadn't yet explored a few days earlier. There was a cave with an old Buddhist monument inside. Also it had a meditation area. I took advantage of it and sat for about 20 minutes. I then went swimming in the river. The water was cool and refreshing. There were a bunch of teenagers down stream jumping of trees into the pools. I saw them when I first came in, they were really nice. Na Oan picked me up about a half an hour later.
For dinner she made a huge pork, leaf vegetable and curry feast. It was so incredibly good. The rest of the night we just hung out and talked. Well in all honesty her sister and I ate while Na Oan talked... until very very late. I decided to meditate before bed in Na Oan's meditation room. It was a nice meditation. I had a lot on my mind and this was a needed mental refreshment. The next day would be long and arduous. The next week would be an adventure.
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