Linger longer
By Lonneke — December 29, 2015 03:21 pm
With so much leisure time ahead and so little input, we started doing things we truly benefit from, for example my love started his running routine again and the oldest son found the courage to pick up writing his story, where he left off somewhere in Sri Lanka.
Idle hours turned into days and we all loved it. Living this way, was the very first intention, in the beginning of this year, when our dream just started hatching. Just living the simple life somewhere exotic. Residence visa regulations quickly turned that idea into moving around countries, from one experationdate to the next.
Fantasizing about a year of space, combined with inspirational surroundings, we came up with some ideas, which turned themselves into goals, by accident. Exactly the must-do vibe we wanted to get away from, but us humans have a tendancy to keep ourselves relentlessly occupied, to escape the stillness, which we long for and fear at the same time. Travelling through the Indian subcontinent we soon realized the ideas we'd come up with weren't realistic, so there we had our first excersice in letting go. This process went fairly easy, since the travelling itself took up most of our heads and energy.
After so many adventures in Sri Lanka and India, with some short breaks, this stay on a Thai island comes most close to what we first wished for.
Going to Ko Samui was prompted by the desire to finally create, and fortunately, we finally did. The results may become visible later, we're just happy to have gotten into it.
Surely we experienced a thing or two here that we do not at home: we witnessed a snakeshow; accompanied by an overwhelming loud discobeat the snakecharmer persuaded the cobra to kiss him and his apprentice had the guts to let some scorpions crawl all over his face. All much to the delight of our sons and myself, to be honest.
This was one of the few touristic events we attended, there are loads of other things offered here, but we do not visit those, from an ethical point of view or simply cost-wise. Thankfully the boys have been very understanding about not riding an elephant, ziplining, tigercuddling, jetskiing.
We did hike up to many waterfalls, the higher you get, the louder the crickets chirp, so you only hear them and the thundering waterfall. Usually the guidebook recommended sturdy shoes, but our faithful flipflops carried us everywhere, over the steepest rocks and through the slippery, moss-overgrown treeroots.
Many things contribute to the relaxed vibe here, for starters: no honking, at all, on the roads, local men with tattoos and long hair, trashcans! Yes, it's so nice not to use my bag as a fulltime garbagebag no more, the oldest son joked we should send a picture of some dustbins to India: look at this brilliant novelty! Not to be underestimated in the chill-department, is the purchase of five bowls, two plates and cutlery. Again, we experience the pleasures of indoor-breakfast and -lunch!
And then there's the masseuses, to be more precise: the beach masseuses, 'cause these are top notch. They should be rewarded with more than threehundred baht, they should be acknowledged for all the good work they do, they are the real peacebringers. With so much attention an dedication, they know exactly what you need. Should I suddenly be in need of an operation, I would gladly hand the masseuse a knife while I'm on her table: she knows precisely where and what is located in my body and what's good for me. I have complete faith in them, they are miracle workers: more people should lay under their capable hands, the world would be a better place, I'm sure. When she stands on me, right on top of the back of my body, the only thing going through my mind is: 'sure, that's a good idea, I'm positive I can only benefit from you literally walking all over me.' Mind you, they are not for the fainthearted, but tough love does work. Alright, I'll put a cork in this ode now and silently enjoy the feeling of stretched-to-the-max limbs and thoroughly kneaded muscles.
Christmas was simple and modest; the restaurant had put up fifteenhundred more lights then they usually already do, we drove around the island on a scooter all day long and we watched a movie with a bowl of crisps in our hut. Perfect, I wouldn't want to change a single thing.
So happy that the 'just being' went so well! For us, this year ends in Thailand and we will ring in our new year in Vietnam, crossing the line between the years whilst simultaniously crossing the borders between these countries.
We wish everyone the courage and strength to take a first step in the new year, towards whatever they desire most, taking their dreams a step closer to reality.
