« blue period »
Sunday, July 11, 2010 at 11:02PM 
well--
picasso had his blue period from 1901-1904 and thailand has been mine since july 2nd... it is the blues that are strongest and what i see -- it is the blues that are so vivid and saturated in a range of hues that make up thailand's existence.
arriving in from delhi a shift in reality to say the least. india was full on with its impact, a force you cannot reckon with whereas thailand is a force that is done with an ease of grace... gentle and light... effortless. the cocoon of blues shedding one by one in layers that also result in a resounding glow.
my first place to land my feet was krabi. a little bustling town where you can jump from the many surrounding islands. i laid my head down at chanchalay guesthouse. perfectly suited as its shades where all the blues of its land. run by two sisters, it had such a welcoming feel to it. first day i did a boat tour to bamboo island, viking cave, piley bay, lohsamah bay, maya bay, monkey beach and hin klang. within these stops, we had a chance to snorkel - open water was my favorite (think i got the diving itch) at night in town, they had night markets where the locals set up shop with rows and rows of pristine, fresh food stalls making dishes to order that absolutely melt in your mouth. both locals and foreigners came together at night with simple plastic chairs and tables. i came to love this thai grandmother whose speciality was baked quail eggs and baked coconut pudding cakes (you get 10 for 10THB). next day i had a go at rock climbing in raleigh. it did me in... it was challenging to say the least. they say it is all legs but my arms told me differently for the few days after. my first climb was about 25ft and then climbs after we went up to 60ft or so... trust is a big part of it. trust in the relay person down on the ground feeding you climbing rope - give and take. at first i kept repeating myself saying "tension" wanting the rope as tight as possible but as time went by i started to let up a bit. the thrilling part is coming down - repelling down the cliff - so liberating!!! raleigh beach is a MUST. we ventured there a few times - the lagoon - the west coast - all so picturesque and lovely.
from krabi, we went to ko lanta.
this island did not possess the killer rock formations as the andaman coast but it did possess a peek into another beauty..
we stayed at time for lime - a little guesthouse tucked away, communal area is all done to concrete slabs, chartreuse accents and a white canvas/thatched roof that covers an open kitchen area that offers cooking classes to those that are desiring to learn thai secrets. a tight knit group were taking care of the place whilst the owners where traveling, it felt like family and we were welcomed home with open arms. a laid back, chill vibe with regulars hanging out at the tiny bar overlooking the sea beyond. at sunset both locals and a group of swedes made this place here hangout as they spend months here to learn thai. the owner has set up a foundation for rescued dogs and cats in ko lanta. after the tsunami, many of the workers that left back to their respective homelands left their dogs that they had brought over initially for security. unfortunately this resulted in a high overpopulation of roaming dogs throughout the island. the owner created this foundation just up the street and if you want, they will offer you lodging if you volunteer to take care of the dogs. at the time for lime, there were about eight dogs keeping us company and many, many cats. each time i returned to our bungalow, i was greeted by a handful of cats lounging and snoozing on the patio. the gardens along the bungalows were full with flora and fauna, a little garden of eden. at night, there was a chartreuse light beacon on the beach to find our home amongst the starry night. the first sunset was breathtaking - all corals and lilacs. the locals begun their practice of chofi... a metal chain in each hand with a weighted end that can be lit with flames. i could watch them for hours... they would get in such a groove - it was almost hypothesizing. the next day we took the bike and drove and drove all along the coast of ko lanta - klong nin beach was stunning and lunch at roi thai was not too bad either, that night we celebrated with the crew from time for lime - the manager's birthday.
time had ended here and we decided to try for ko phiphi -
it was going to be a mix bag for me but the pull was to see maya bay -- that precious piece of turquoise bliss. maya did hold its end of the bargain. we also got in another blazing rust sunset amongst the piercing mountains and danced a night away on the beach. our stay in phiphi was short and sweet.
ready to move on...
ready to discover more blues, more seas, next port of entry is ko phangan.
Reader Comments (2)
lar this is my favorite entry from you so far. it feels so free and alive and so present. i think part of it is i love hearing about the food! i can't wait to hear and see ko phangan!
happy trails!
lots of love,
m
this is gorgeous. reminds me so much of places i've visited in the philippines. it looks like heaven. i so wish i could come and relax with you now...
c:xo