Guys, you know those pickup basketball games at the Y, where there's one guy who no one wants to guard because he's pouring sweat, and every time you brush up against him, it's disgusting. Well that's how I get within 5 minutes of the start of my hikes over the hill to town. When it's 85 degrees out and the humidity is 99 percent, it is the sweatiest I've ever been. Feels awesome, especially because I'm trekking over a lush hill, bursting with jungle energy, waving trees, lizards, butterflies and things in a raging state of growth.
It's the tail end of monsoon season in this part of Thailand, the mainland stopped raining a month or so ago, but here, we've had some great downpours. One of the results is that it's super quiet in this part of the world right now, very few tourists, off-season prices and a very calm atmosphere. I didn't know that was going to be the case, but I love it. It gives me a chance to get my travel legs under me, with lots of exercise, great food, plenty of water (from the bottle, naturally), daily swims in the ocean, daily dunkings in the waterfall which is close by. I couldn't really ask for a more 'chill' spot to hang out.
So of course it brings up the inevitable travel question of 'should I stay or should I go?'. That's the fundamental thing to decide on the road, especially if one travels without an itinerary like I do. I tend to rely on my instincts, and at this point, my instinct is to hang out some more days here, even though my friends are all heading out, I'm not quite ready. It's too good here, and it feels like I'm in some kind of training for whatever comes next. I had to shed my layer of western flab, and every day, I'm getting leaner, tanner and more fit. Not quite there yet, but things are trending very positively. I feel great.
In Thailand, one of the other considerations is the visa situation, as they give you 30 days upon arrival, and then you have to vacate the country before re-entry. I've been talking to some long-timers down here, and am beginning to formulate a plan based on what I've been learning. The best option sounds like a trip south to Malaysia, where you end up in the town of Georgetown on Panang Island, and that sounds like an incredible place to be. The population is basically 1/3 Chinese, 1/3 Malay (muslim) and 1/3 Indian, and I hear the food is about the best anywhere in the region. Georgetown gets great reviews as far as being a friendly, safe and interesting city, so after my month of beaches and islands, my most likely move is to head south, enjoy a bit of Malaysia, then return to Thailand, this time with a 60 day visa. Of course this could all change, but it seems like a good bet.
Yesterday on the beach I saw a 3 and 1/2 foot long monitor lizard, amazing!. But it was nothing compared to what our Basque buddy Cristobal saw while returning to the bungalow. He was coming up the steps from the beach, when a 2 meter long snake cruised by, crossing the path just above him. He was surprised, reacted with a start, and the snake rose up from the step and hissed at him, freaking him out. It was a king cobra, quite the moment for our buddy, especially since they were about eye to eye from a distance of two meters. Now all of use are really paying attention when we climb the stairs, one more thing to keep an eye out for.
Me, I'm finding myself being quite cautious as there is no one looking out for me, other than me. So when I'm scrambling on the rocks in the river, I'm extra careful, as this is no place to fall and bash my head or break an arm. Ditto when I'm swimming in the ocean, I'm just that much more careful knowing that I'm on my own here and if I get pulled out to sea.... no one is gonna save me. I like the feeling, keeps me focused.
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