Life's a beach

For the last 10 days, I've been living island style as I explore the islands in the Andaman sea of Thailand. Small green hilly islands encompassed by majestic blue ocean water.

The slacking on my blog is reflective of my languid ways. Life passes slowly these days. I'm often unaware of what the date or day is. Or even the time, for that matter. I rarely wear shoes and I'm constantly sporting a head of beach hair, which smells of dreamy coconut from coconut oil. My makeup bag has remained at the bottom of my backpack the entire time. My attire consists solely of a bikini and a sundress.
My skin has turned from ghostly pasty white to a warm golden brown, kissed gently by the Thai sun.
I'm content with just strolling on the beach, taking a dip in the ocean or lazing in a hammock.

This peaceful lifestyle conjures up memories of my past island life in Hawaii and the Virgin Islands.
Falling asleep to the soothing waves of the ocean. Walking barefoot in the soft sand. The humid heat. The relaxed vibe and friendly moods. The straw feel of salt in my hair. The abundant supply of yummy exotic fruits. All your worries melt away.....

At night, I feel like a princess as I sleep inside a mosquito net. The geckos sharing my room chirp all night long with their buddies. Last night, I had an unwanted visitor that woke me up at 4 am. A small mouse. It took me 30 minutes to shoo him out the door :(
When I become bored of one island, I move on to the next. Ferries operate daily. Some islands I visit are so primitive they were connected to electricity only last year. Some innocent locals on these islands don't even know what a credit card is. Bless their hearts.

The salty ocean air carries Bob Marley tunes through the islands at all hours as local Thai wanna-be Bobs dope around with heavy dread locks. Bob Marley is as highly idolized on these islands as he is on every other island in the world.


♫One love, one heart, let's get together and feel alright......♫

One day I enjoyed an island tour on a long tail boat tour with my new Australian friend, Cassandra. We cruised around Phi Phi island, stopping to swim and snorkel in little secluded bays.
The first idyllic spot was nothing short of a little slice of heaven. Sparkling clear blue water welcomed us.

It was the perfect depth at just below my chin. The sun had warmed the shallow bay to the temperature of bath water and the striking tall rock cliffs spotted with green vegetation embraced the entire area, creating a cozy feel. If I could come here everyday to swim, I would, and probably be the happiest girl in the world. As I was swimming in this tranquil bay so happily, I felt something brush against my hand. Frightened, I peer through the water and see a school of brightly colored black and yellow striped fish. They surrounded me like kids begging for candy.

Floating on my back, I listened to the sea talk to me. There is nothing more beautiful than nature.
You can have your city life....
Another day, we kayaked around the island, in awe of the landscape of rocks with dramatic vertical drop-offs.

Monkeys on the beach

The islands are inhabited by friendly locals. Most of them even trust tourists with their precious children.

I also held the sweetest gibbon, who melted my heart when he made little cooing noises.

As lovely as it is here, I'm not blown away by it all. I see nothing particularly special about the Thai islands. After visiting/living in Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, the Maldives, Fiji and the Greek Islands, Thailand has big shoes to fill. I won't be nominating them for the most beautiful beach award, but I'm thoroughly enjoying my time here and have nothing to complain about.
Something deep inside is telling me this is the type of environment I belong in. Is this what I've had to travel around the world to realize?
This is the life for me..... at least for the moment  :)