The King is Alive, But the Ferry has Keeled Over

It is in deep solitude that I find the gentleness with which I can truly love my brothers. The more solitary I am the more affection I have for them. Solitude and silence teach me to love my brothers for what they are, not for what they say.
- Thomas Merton

Having arrived back to Malaysia from Indonesia, I was content on jumping on a convenient, easy plane back to Thailand. But as I stood in Georgetown, Malaysia chatting with a Dutch couple before rewatching the movie Talladega Nights, (a movie I missed the beginning of the last time I saw it, and I did have a free day, so why not watch it again), when they mentioned something to me. "Why don't you go to Koh Tarutao National Park and to the island of Koh Lipe? Noone is there", they queried.

That is where the next week took me, Koh Lipe, in the far south of Thailand. Koh LipeI decided to skip the easy traveling and get off the beaten path. I had previously thought of going to Koh Tarotao National Park, but figured, ah, it will be too inconvenient and after Indonesia, I'm ready for a break. But my conscious wouldn't allow me to take the easy path, when I could have an adventure into the unknown and possibly a few interesting stories to tell.

Money changer anyone?

Making my way from Hat Yai on a public bus to the coastal town of Pak Bara, the jumping off point to the Koh Tarotao National Park, with another Dutch couple and their two year old daughter, we talked about the supposed solitude and quiet of these islands. Next morning, I was placed on a longboat with a local family for the 4 hour cruise across the Andaman Sea to Koh Lipe. The ride was a great trip of sitting back and watching all of the small islands pass by and flying fish flying along the longboat. Our boat was directly in front of some mean looking rain clouds, so we had a time constraint, get there before the rain does. Just as we were floating towards the coral and beach, another set of storm clouds came by and hit us directly head on.

For the next three days, I was on the island of Koh Lipe enjoying the tide go by, eating at the only open restaurant, Pooh's, and doing a little work on Pooh's website. For the first time during the entire trip, I completed some work that I was paid for. In exchange for updating Pooh's website, I was paid with beverage and dinner. I can now say that I am working my way around the world. In between that busy schedule, I managed to squeeze in some snorkelling time on four of the beaches surrounding this tiny island.

Morning view, I could get used to that.

Unfortunately, there are a few problems occuring at Koh Lipe. It used to be an isolated island in a protected national park, but it had been opened up for construction years ago. As a few sparce travellers discovered the place, this led to a steady flow of backpackers, and now the island is becoming one set of bungalows. Combine this with the fact that the water and coral surrounding the island are treated as a garbage can. The result is dead coral and trashed beaches. But as travellers do begin making their way to Koh Lipe, the beaches are cleaned. Clean in the tourist season, trashed during the off-season. It's a sad reality.

After a peaceful and relaxing 3 days at Koh Lipe, it was time to jump on a ferry and head back to penisular Thailand. With bright blue water gliding by, our boat engine stopped, and the ferry came to a gradual, floating stop. For an hour, we just sat there as very large jellyfish made their way by and people worked in vain on the engine. Finally, another ferry came to our rescue and towed us into harbor at a snail's pace. This little roadblock allowed the storm clouds from three days ago to call their distance 2nd cousin Bob to storm on us just as we were pulling up to dock.

Finally, a reliable ferry

There's nothing like a long boat ride, and a set of wet clothes and backpacks to cause a group of 8 farang (foreigners) to bond. As a result, we all jumped in a shared van passing around snacks and drinks, and travelled to the town of Trang. There, like the floating jellyfish from earlier on the boat, we floated around Trang's markets and streets searching for a restaurant. We then found a nice outdoor Thai restaurant where we shared various local Thai dishes. It was good fun.

Tiny local transport

Tomorrow morning, after a 2 week hiatus from traveling, to be with her family, Nadine will be flying back to Krabi where I will meet her at the airport with, yes, a kool-aid smile. It's hard to believe that we have already been traveling, to the day, 4 months. Like always, life is good, real good, and it's about to get better.

Last week's trivia question dealt with the fifth populous country in the world, and the answer was Brazil.

This weeks question:
The second and third longest reigns for a monarchy are Queen Elizabeth from the United Kingdom and the Sultan from Brunei, who holds the longest current reign among reigning monarchs and what country is he or she from?

Life is good. We hope all are doing well and happy.
Peace
J.W.

When you have once seen the glow of happiness on the face of a beloved person, you know that a man can have no vocation but to awaken that light on the faces surrounding him; and you are torn by the thought of the unhappiness and night you cast, by the mere fact of living, in the hearts you encounter.
- Albert Camus