Broken in Three Places

Got up at 6:30am again, missed the tai chi time again. I keep wanting to but I really have to get to bed early enough to be able to get up at 5am. I like walks on the beach this early in the morning and meditating.

I met Susan and her boyfriend on the beach. Susan was in Laos and smashed her shin into pa concrete and didn’t know it was fractured. A month later it broke in three places in Vietnam. She had to have major surgery done. It looked terrible. I’ve been watching her hop on the beach with her crutches unable to play or touch the water.

Susan gave me cards of places to stay in Laos. I was instructed how tourist can be planted with drugs and be slapped with a $250 fine by the police. I am to stay way from any drug vendors, just walk away even if they park next to me or approach me. I was given many places to stay and things to do while in Laos.

I spent the afternoon in the water again totally content and happy.

Sunsets and Pina Coladas

I dreamed a female snake was captured. Instead of destruction, I had 100 councilors give it readings. It was pretty cool. I just wanted things to get resolved. So I prescribed resolutions.

I woke up and decided to go for another snorkel day tour. I enjoyed my tour the second time around. It was very windy and towards the end of the tour swimming in the ocean became difficult and unsafe. The rain started to roll and we all climbed back into the boat and headed back.

After the rain passed I went into the water again and snorkeled some more. The tide was low so it wasn’t much for swimming, it was more like a crawl with my hands. As a result I got to notice things I otherwise would not have noticed being so close to the beach bed. I had to watch out for the black spiny sea urchins. I finally figured what the neon colored rings on them were, it’s their butt.

I learned the bar in front of my hut has virgin Pina Coladas for 40 BHT. I decided it would be a good way to watch sunsets with.

Reservation For a Friend, Reserved by a Friend

I woke up again at 6:30am too late for morning tai chi. Instead I sat on the beach and did my morning chants and meditated. Then I went back to bed to sleep for another hour. During breakfast on the beach, I got blessed by a bird in the tree above with its droppings to show for on my left shoulder. I looked above at it and it turned it’s head away like, “Who me? No! Never!” I kept staring at it and finally flew away. I moved to the other side and it flew back. IT decided to bless my table this time. But it wasn’t lumpy, it was wet and watery so it spat hard and went far with it too. I had to finally call quits and leave for good.

After meditating a bit I went swimming off the beach and saw shrimps. The water was murky today with more frequent winds picking up the sands. I swam as far off the beach as I was comfortable with and then turned around when vision was at zero in the water.

In the evening I went and researched the boasts to Railay that it leaves everyday at around 3pm and it costs around 350 to 390 BHT. I went to call on my reservation in Railay at Yaya resort but they didn’t have anything under my name. They just have a reservation under “a friend reserved for a friend”. I kept telling the reservation that person is me and the person refused and said it wasn’t my reservation. Only later did I register how upset I was over this whole confusion ordeal. Then I asked myself why I was bothered by it. Anything is changeable, I am happy here and I can just stay here longer and that would be alright.

Snorkel on Ko Phi Phi

Woke up this early this morning but I didn’t want to get up till 6:30am. By then, it was already too late and too bright for doing my tai chi set on the beach. I would have to do it another day at 5am. It was a clear day to snorkel but I was ill prepared. I had not fully unpacked so I ended up rushing to get myself ready to head out to the boats before take off. I could not locate the place with 450 BHT day trip and ended up paying 500 BHT.

I ended up with a boat with mostly girls from Canada and Finland. My mask, was one of the things I was worried about. Was it going to work? I didn’t want to rent because I want a new one that was hopefully not going to leak. Lots of people have this problem with rental gear. Mine was from Team USA made in Taiwan. It was great and so were the fins.

The water was warm and clear. I had a great time looking at sea creatures. I especially like looking at corals. I saw big squids and sea snakes too. There were colorful big clams, the kind in Botticelli paintings. It was interesting to see the communities surrounding the corals. I had a blast looking at colors and patterns of nature. I really had fun with the girls and had a great time. They even helped me scout out things to see that I would otherwise have missed it.

I keep coming across a broken record on replay in my head trying to make me feel sorry for myself and to be upset and negative etc… Who’s playing that in my head? Shut Up! I am having so much fun, and it ain’t working.

Number 13

I woke up at 3:30am and then at 6:30am. I wanted to walk the beach during sunrise and feel the breeze. I had fun and was still very tired. I sat on the beach chairs and watched the sky change through it’s beautiful colors. I got up when the workers started to lay out umbrellas etc.. The chairs and umbrellas are for rent and good for the day for 40 BHT each. I went back to my very warm tent to chant and meditate. Then I went out for breakfast at a buffet on the beach. I killed time until 11am where I was due back at the reception, a.k.a. mini mart to ensure I was the first to stand in the no wait list line at it’s official time. I ended up with a hut for 500BHT with it’s own mosquito net inside, a twin bed, fan, and did I mention a burnt orange hammock? I got to check in to #13 by 11:30am. The ants and bugs crawl all over. The bed and the inside isn’t much to show for. Besides, who came here to just stay indoors?

I was still very tired and ended up falling asleep in a two hour nap with the fan on and the door wide open. The first thing I did when I woke up was to go swimming in the ocean. I wanted to check out the temperature, the currents, the salt level in the water. A very important thing I learned in surfing, always check out the water before entering, and respect nature. I went into the water and felt hot and cold currents in conjunction together. This tells me there is strong wind pushing in bringing cold water to shore. The dark rain clouds were moving in and I left the water to dry on my hammock. As I lay on the deck I watched everyone else moving with the clouds getting out of the beach. Within 20 minutes it rained, and it rained for 20 minutes. It is amazing how many beautiful people are on the beach and on this island. What blessings each person brings with them.

Twin Palms Bungalow

When I got off the ferry I waited for my British friends like we agreed on to head over to Twin Palms. His arrangement was so that the resort was picking him up at the pier. We walked in mud because it rained all day today. So I guess it was good that I got here when I did so that I would be out of the rain. Walking in the rain with luggage through mud is not fun.

We arrived in Twin Palms in the dark with the stars twinkling in the sky. Even in the dark I knew I wanted to stay here. All the huts were on the beach. Each hut had it’s own deck and hammock. Everything was full on the beach. After searching all over the island for the cheapest accommodation at 600 BHT in stuffy rooms, I opted to return to Twin Palms for the tent for 400BHT and put myself on the no wait list, list for the next day. The reception was situated in the mini mart. There was one security by the locker room. There were beach bars all over the beach. Reggae is the sound of the wind here. Andy the other guy who didn’t have housing negotiated a queen bedroom with its own bath for 500 BHT. Although the tent price was 400BHT I negotiated for 300 and ended up with 350BHT.

I would have slept on the beach but the guys wouldn’t let me. They didn’t think it was safe for me. How interesting that two strangers who I barely knew for an hour was looking out for me. How very gentlemen of them. This entire trip I have found it to be so, people where all taking care of me where ever I went regardless if they knew my name or not. They just wanted to make sure I was safe.

My tent was right next to the walk way across from the market and the security lockers. As I strolled on the beach and dipped my feet in warm salt water, I noticed the security guard keeping his eye out for my safety. The beaches here are clean without trash. I saw a crab in the water and a gold fish looking fish while walking with my flash light.

I hung out with two Swedish guys on beach chairs. One of them had a guitar and played. I was tired and relaxed. I went back to my tent and found a nice not so lumpy spot to lay on in the tent. I got fresh towels and a night lamp in the tent.