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Slowly the darkness give away to light, I wait eagerly at the deck of the Koh Samui, an island destination in Thailand, ferry to catch the glimpse of the rising Sun. My eyes feel heavy and drowsy, my body aches for I had just gotten out of 10 hours bus ride from Bangkok.
Sun begins to emerge from the deep blue ocean with a rocky backdrop, a golden hue is cast on the sky around the ball of fire. The whole scene seems surreal and combine it with my semi-sleep state and it all becomes a surreal experience.
It is not many times in my life I’ve seen a Sunrise. I realize what I have been missing my whole life. Hmm… I get it now, why granny used to wake me early up in the morning…
I hop on a Sangtuek which takes me to the other side of the island. Koh samui is a large enough island with a center which is mostly mountainous and hence inhabited. Most of the island is populated around the coast line with some areas more popular than the others.
I get down at Chaweng beach which my Sangtuek driver told me is the most busy one. The whole ‘marine drive’ is dotted with open restaurants, souvenir shops and Thai massage booths.
He points me to the backpacker lane, where there are no. of hostels, but as I find out everything is sold out. I consult my LP guidebook for this South East Asian destination and zero-in on The Queens, a boutique hotel. I must say, the hotel is damn good for the budget.
I spend two days in Koh samui and the whole experience turns out to be so much fun. I rent a motorbike the first day and go around exploring the island. On my second day, I go out on an exciting day trip to marine national park.
I ride swiftly on the motorbike on my way to the giant Buddha, I make a quick stop at 7-11 for a sandwich fix. Giant Buddha is a tall, beautiful statue overlooking the bay where several dozens of fishing boats float with an occasional yacht in between.
I watch the Sun set behind the hills as the last light reflect on the perfectly still water. The whole effect is so calming, I might fall asleep, or am I already?
Am I dreaming? Am I still dreaming? Maybe I am still on the ferry watching the Sun climb up with my dreary eyes… It all feels so unreal.
I had just been conceived, how is it that my time is already passed?
I come from the womb of one mother and pass on to the womb of another.
Something wakes me up back to the reality, is it the thought police? I don’t recognize them, they come in many shapes.
Beautiful sunrise and sunset on the same day; I must really be a damn lucky person. I thank God for bringing me into life.
I visit the nearby temple, located very close to the statue of Big Buddha in Koh Samui. Hey, wait a minute, what is that? I am surprised to see statues of the Hindu Gods – Shiva, Durga and Ganesha; Thai still clinging to their old Hindu roots? Never seen such a fusion of religions anywhere, Hinduism and Buddhism co-existing in a perfect harmony.
I reserve a ticket to the marine national park after I return the motorbike. I speak to the woman at the desk in Hindi, it’s all a fun experiment which I have been doing while backpacking in Thailand.
To my utter surprise she replies in a perfect, crisp Hindi. Damn! How did it happen? Turns out, she is a Nepali from Myanmar who migrated to Ko-Samui during the years of turmoil in Burma. I need a bus ticket for the next evening to return to Bangkok, and as I will be busy in the day trip she offers to buy it for me.
The long ride aboard the shaky cruise ends when the crew suddenly begin to take out the kayaks. What in the name of God? Somebody tell them we are in the middle of the ocean! Remind me why did I sign up for this?
Though the sea is calm, it takes a herculean effort to row the boat and to finally reach the shore. The day is full of activity, I skip snorkeling as I am yet to grow a pair. Instead, I take the hike up the mountain, and boy, oh, boy, what a stunning view! I might as well close my eyes forever with a view like that.
I am all sweaty and tired, a perfect reason to take a dip in the ocean. I come out of the ocean with a stomach churning hunger. Thankfully, when I return to the boat bowl full of fresh fruit salad is waiting.
I take a plateful, and climb up to the sun deck. I settle myself on a mat, with wind blowing (almost with a howl) and the evening sun shining so gently. It all feels so relaxing, I eat slowly, savoring every bite.
It is all so relaxing, my eyes began to feel heavy; and I don’t realize when I fall asleep…
This place looks gorgeous 🙂 Love the images
Yeah, Deepak, visit if you get a chance.