It has been so relaxing the last few days, I have started a reading cycle again…..I haven’t read a good murder mystery thriller since Angels and Demons a couple years ago……but I picked up this book called “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” and I could not stop reading it…..I read it in bed, at the pool, on the beach, in the pool, in the ocean, at breakfast, at lunch, late, early, until I finally finished! I don’t think I talked to Molly for 24 hours.
Anyways, that is how relaxed I am. Other than reading, the last couple days have been rather quiet and filled with quiet. The resort is slowly filling up with holiday vacationers, making it a bit more interesting. Molly has a case of sun stroke or bad food or something that is slowing her down and she is content to read and sleep too.
The only outing we have had is taking a long tail boat over the Railay beach. A remote, yet still busy, beach nearby, famous for rock climbing, kayaking, snorkeling and caves. I was thinking what absolutely perfect day it was and trying to remember other favorite days from the last 3 months. I loved our day in Ronda, Spain, the hike in Zermatt, Switzerland, the day on the Island of Capri among others. It is just that every once in awhile, we seem to have an exceptional day that surpasses other great days. The day on Railay beach was one of those exceptional days for me.
The boat ride over was fun in itself. The Thai’s have these traditional wooden boats with flags, umbrellas and scattered life jackets, making them colorful. They run on a loud, obnoxious engine and have a propeller extending out about 10 feet from the stern of the boat. Thus the name “long tail”, I am guessing. They are fast, but I think they might only go forward, not backward, making in and out maneuvering tricky.
The beach had white, soft sand and cool designs made by all the millions of hermit crabs making their homes there. We couldn’t understand at first what all the little round balls of sand were and how the beautiful patterns crossed the sand so uniformly. Watching closer, we could see hundreds of little crabs going in and out of their holes in the beach, each time coming out, they throw out a little sand ball. Somehow, the sand balls make a pattern. It almost looks like meaningful Thai writings.
I rented a sea kayak and headed out on my own to explore the caves, rocks and scenery from the ocean perspective. I love the fact that you can rent a kayak without filling out any forms, signing any releases, wearing a life jacket or even having one in the boat. The 10 year old who rented it to me, didn’t even ask if I knew what I was doing. Anyways, I paddled off and immediately saw huge orange jellyfish, small fish schools and tropical tangs. I paddled around two small islands of protruding rock that had dribbles of stone falling towards to ocean and cave like indents where the waves had eaten away at the rock. I wish I had my camera, but I didn’t! Argh.
We have seen pictures of the tsunami that happened here on December 26 of 2004. I can’t imagine what that would have been like and how much destruction that would cause to these little village like places along the beach. Some of the islands actually were hit on both sides by the tidal wave. The power of water is strong and I know I have been tossed around without control in the smallest of waves. The pictures we saw showed mostly the aftermath of destroyed houses, resorts, automobiles and businesses. A couple pictures were actually were taken as a wave hit the shore and we saw the terror on the faces of people as they ran upland as fast as they could. There are signs frequently telling you that you are in a tsunami zone and signs telling you evacuation routes and safe zones. I can’t help but pay attention to the water level on the beach just a little.
Anyways, that is how relaxed I am. Other than reading, the last couple days have been rather quiet and filled with quiet. The resort is slowly filling up with holiday vacationers, making it a bit more interesting. Molly has a case of sun stroke or bad food or something that is slowing her down and she is content to read and sleep too.
The only outing we have had is taking a long tail boat over the Railay beach. A remote, yet still busy, beach nearby, famous for rock climbing, kayaking, snorkeling and caves. I was thinking what absolutely perfect day it was and trying to remember other favorite days from the last 3 months. I loved our day in Ronda, Spain, the hike in Zermatt, Switzerland, the day on the Island of Capri among others. It is just that every once in awhile, we seem to have an exceptional day that surpasses other great days. The day on Railay beach was one of those exceptional days for me.
The boat ride over was fun in itself. The Thai’s have these traditional wooden boats with flags, umbrellas and scattered life jackets, making them colorful. They run on a loud, obnoxious engine and have a propeller extending out about 10 feet from the stern of the boat. Thus the name “long tail”, I am guessing. They are fast, but I think they might only go forward, not backward, making in and out maneuvering tricky.
The beach had white, soft sand and cool designs made by all the millions of hermit crabs making their homes there. We couldn’t understand at first what all the little round balls of sand were and how the beautiful patterns crossed the sand so uniformly. Watching closer, we could see hundreds of little crabs going in and out of their holes in the beach, each time coming out, they throw out a little sand ball. Somehow, the sand balls make a pattern. It almost looks like meaningful Thai writings.
I rented a sea kayak and headed out on my own to explore the caves, rocks and scenery from the ocean perspective. I love the fact that you can rent a kayak without filling out any forms, signing any releases, wearing a life jacket or even having one in the boat. The 10 year old who rented it to me, didn’t even ask if I knew what I was doing. Anyways, I paddled off and immediately saw huge orange jellyfish, small fish schools and tropical tangs. I paddled around two small islands of protruding rock that had dribbles of stone falling towards to ocean and cave like indents where the waves had eaten away at the rock. I wish I had my camera, but I didn’t! Argh.
We have seen pictures of the tsunami that happened here on December 26 of 2004. I can’t imagine what that would have been like and how much destruction that would cause to these little village like places along the beach. Some of the islands actually were hit on both sides by the tidal wave. The power of water is strong and I know I have been tossed around without control in the smallest of waves. The pictures we saw showed mostly the aftermath of destroyed houses, resorts, automobiles and businesses. A couple pictures were actually were taken as a wave hit the shore and we saw the terror on the faces of people as they ran upland as fast as they could. There are signs frequently telling you that you are in a tsunami zone and signs telling you evacuation routes and safe zones. I can’t help but pay attention to the water level on the beach just a little.
