White Baboon

they say the universe works in mysterious ways, but i think if you make an effort to fine tune your cosmic detective skills, the clues are fairly easy to read - and following them to the ‘master plan’ (which usually bears little if any resemblance to YOUR plan) - sniffing out the fruit that the masterplan tree proffers andf then being able to recognize that fruit, even if it looks like a vegetable - saves you from any disappointment that could otherwise manifest when your trip veers off the map in your lonely planet (or in my case, stack of papers printed from the internet).my sole reason for visiting ko lanta was to attend time for lime cooking school - the idea of learning how to make tom yum with the andoman sea as my backdrop was enough to pull me from railay.

.. it was a long trek to lanta, and i booked a bungalow for 200 baht a night (about $6) thru a tour office in krabi at a resort called blue andoman… a long ass bus ride (half of which i had a sweet little girl named ruby sleeping in my lap) and two very slow ferries later, i arrived at the nearly empty, totally secluded resort famished and exhausted… the sea was too rocky to swim in, the enchiladas i ordered were total crap, and the first thing i saw upon entering my bungalow was a HUGE roach scurrying under my bed. after a much needed sleep, i awoke to a beautiful day and rented my very own hot pink motorbike. i scooted (at 20km/hr, on the shoulder of the road) up to time for lime, only to learn that they were closed for low season.

needless to say, i was crestfallen… junie, the owner, a californian who lived in norway for most of her life before relocating to lanta six years ago, saw the disappointment in my face and offered to A) bring me along to her favorite fusion restaurant on the island (red snapper - simply exquisite) and B) give me a free, private lesson on how to make curry paste from scratch. being someone who loves, loves, loves intimacy - it couldn’t have worked out better…the rest of my time on ko lanta was highlighted by a visit from a wild monkey while i sat on a lonely stretch of sand sketching - an awesome swim in the bath-warm sea with three thai children holding my hands, laughing hysterically and climbing up my neck when the waves came - a trek thru the jungle on the back of a 40 year old elephant named chow - getting a massage at sunset with the sound of lapping waves in the background - getting plugged in and playing a set for all the guests at my resort and, yes, the curry paste.thank you universe… keep the surprises coming!

after a crazy 15 hour bus ride, i arrived in krabi with two temporary partners in crime - thommo (an archaeologist from england) and hannah (a sweet lil 19 year old aussie girl), who had done the trek down from chang mai together…thommo convinced us to join him on railay beach and i am so, so happy that my travel sense had kicked in enough to say ‘fuck plans’ and just go… on the longtail boat that took us to railay, i slipped fully and completely into my travel head - which is like entering a whole other realm, one that can only be entered in a new culture, with new people by your side - sharing your meals, your wows, your beds…i was so, so anxious about this trip - even after i had arrived in bangkok (before that, i think i was in denial about leaving korea) - i felt like i needed to get a million things organized, figure it all out according to plan - but the fact that plans change is one of the best parets of travel.

.. but deciding between which of, like sixteen available and breathtaking islands to plant yourself on for the next 3-4 days - its a nobrainer - just find people who are chill and make wherever you go awesome.it is so, so mellow here, and the backdrop to the beaches are karst cliffs that make those in halong bay look like ant hills… after checking into our ridiculously beautiful resort (diamond cave on railay east - 900 baht total for two huge double beds and a pool that stares into a 70 meter high limestone wall), we headed across to the west, and i had a georgous piece of fish… had a swim with a sexy-ish dude from oz and then endured the rain with a j on our porch, where we were joined by lizzy, a funked-out, super sharp aussie gal.

last night was a blur of good conversation, reggae, a sweet wooden swing , a kick ass fire show by a 12 year old boy, a gnarly bathroom and a ton of laughter…one thing that’s so nice about traveling alone is that you can hook up with amazing people to hang with, and then unhook just as easily, without guilt or question - whether for 15 minutes to be antisocial in a corner (or on a swing) or to slide on into the next chamber of the realm - its all good, your own heart and gut are the only voices you need to listen to… they tend to steer you right in these instances.today, hannah and i did a 4 island boat tour to ko phi phi… yes, i saw THE beach and no, i DIDNT take even one photo of the beach that leo built - as i generally dont take photos of boatloads of tourists taking photos. it sure was pretty, though. did some amazing snorkling at lohsamah bay, and had a gorgeous lunch of the best tom yum soup thats ever touched my lips. am burnt as shit right now, both physically and mentally, but emotionally i am as relaxed as i’ve ever been. am gonna go sit on my porch and let the sound of the tropical rain do its magic…

my arrival into bangkok was as smooth as an international arrival could be - the flight pleasant, immigration was cake…and i got to khao san road easily by public transport.  and it was on that little mini bus that i was able to take a deep breath, or maybe let one out - i felt as if i hadn’t breathed properly in nearly three weeks… maybe it had something to do with my last minute everything, or maybe that was just the steady haze that hangs over busan.

khao san road was everything i had anticipated - but the sellers of virtually anything you could ever want to buy were much less aggressive than i expected and the tourists seedier than i usually prefer.  in places known to be hubs of the gringo trail, its so easy to differentiate the travelers from the tourists.

..   to sum up my 1.5 days in bangkok… scored a room, ate some pad thai, got everything waxed (and i mean EVERYTHING - it was SO surreal getting a bikini wax from an oldish thai woman in some little massage parlor - if thats not the quickest way to go from strangers to kin-ish in an hour, i’m not sure what is), had a beer and shot some pool at this funky little reggae bar…

then, as i was meandering back down khao san, chomping on some delish street spring rolls and headed for bed, i heard “JEN!” - i thought, nah, couldn’t be me… but i turned around and there was my buddy stu from busan…he was visiting his friend, jessie, and i spent the next day in their great company at the chatatuck weekend market - which was this labyrinthean gallimaufry (my new favorite word) of sights and sounds and smells…

booked an overnight bus to krabi for about $12… there are things i want to see in bangkok, and i will save a day or two at the end of my thailand leg, but i was absolutely aching for turquoise waters and shoeless feet…