Life on the beach is relaxing in a way that is hard to describe. I haven't had this little to do in.. well, ever.. My days are delightful.. filled with great food, sunshine, and new friends.
A normal day is: wake up, eat some tropical fruit or eggs for breakfast. Read in my hammock. Take a dip in the warm light green water. (I think it's green because the sand is a bit yellowish). Take a walk, eat some lunch, maybe shop for some necessities, then before you know it, it's sunset - and time for dinner and drinks. This routine is especially simple, basic, and pleasurable.
As it turns out, I have landed at spot popular with long time regulars. The beach, the bungalows, the restaurant, the bar, and the staff are not to be beat for backpacker prices. For this reason , there are a number of people from around the world that return every year for months on end.
Sam: A friendly New Yorker that stays in the US as little as possible and lives here up to 7 months a year. Hergin: an Amsterdam bartender that saves her tips to return here again and again - not to Thailand, mind you... but to this beach, this guesthouse. Paul: a tall, bald, tattooed athletic Brit keen on long swims, beach Frisbee, and Thai massages. Nathan: a high energy Brit who is loads of fun keen heavy metal music and who has introduced me to the Handsome Burger, a local street food stop which is mainly a tent and a card table. They are also Handsome Gasoline, Handsome Travel, and Handsome Laundry ("make your clothes smell good 10 years!").
They know each other as well as many of the local merchants and residents. This makes for an atmosphere I didn't expect to get in such a transient place. It really is just like the Buc every night at the bar. The regulars give it a homey feel. And the Thai resident DJ at the bar is actually excellent!
Every night there is a BBQ at my guesthouse on the beach. This is probably the best cuisine I have had on the island. Great ribeye steaks, prawns, and amazing duck with mango. The cheaper food in the small nearby village is always great as well and about 1/3 the price of the beachfront stuff.
I met Peter and Fayette, a couple from London. Their journey and their experience leading up to it where shockingly similar to mine. We left home on the same day for a long term journey and both our first stops ended up directly next door to one another on the same beach. They both quit their jobs, and had the same stresses I did in preparation to get out on the road. So far my plan is more leisurely than theirs - they have more stops on their trip and more goals. They left today, while I'll be here for awhile I expect. Fayette left me with something to think about. They are taking a Thai massage course for 12 days in Chiang Mai. Having something like a new skill to take away from a trip seems like a great thing to do. I'll ponder that one.
Ian showed up here as well and now lives next door. Since he is such an experienced traveller in these parts, he was able to give them some good tips for travelling here and in India, they're next stop. Yesterday we all hiked up to a great waterfall above our beach. Great to have a fresh water bath!
Last night I met a woman from Ireland who used to live on Oak and Steiner streets in San Francisco, only a half block from my house. Wow.
With things this pleasant, no plans to leave any time soon.
A normal day is: wake up, eat some tropical fruit or eggs for breakfast. Read in my hammock. Take a dip in the warm light green water. (I think it's green because the sand is a bit yellowish). Take a walk, eat some lunch, maybe shop for some necessities, then before you know it, it's sunset - and time for dinner and drinks. This routine is especially simple, basic, and pleasurable.
As it turns out, I have landed at spot popular with long time regulars. The beach, the bungalows, the restaurant, the bar, and the staff are not to be beat for backpacker prices. For this reason , there are a number of people from around the world that return every year for months on end.
Sam: A friendly New Yorker that stays in the US as little as possible and lives here up to 7 months a year. Hergin: an Amsterdam bartender that saves her tips to return here again and again - not to Thailand, mind you... but to this beach, this guesthouse. Paul: a tall, bald, tattooed athletic Brit keen on long swims, beach Frisbee, and Thai massages. Nathan: a high energy Brit who is loads of fun keen heavy metal music and who has introduced me to the Handsome Burger, a local street food stop which is mainly a tent and a card table. They are also Handsome Gasoline, Handsome Travel, and Handsome Laundry ("make your clothes smell good 10 years!").
They know each other as well as many of the local merchants and residents. This makes for an atmosphere I didn't expect to get in such a transient place. It really is just like the Buc every night at the bar. The regulars give it a homey feel. And the Thai resident DJ at the bar is actually excellent!
Every night there is a BBQ at my guesthouse on the beach. This is probably the best cuisine I have had on the island. Great ribeye steaks, prawns, and amazing duck with mango. The cheaper food in the small nearby village is always great as well and about 1/3 the price of the beachfront stuff.
I met Peter and Fayette, a couple from London. Their journey and their experience leading up to it where shockingly similar to mine. We left home on the same day for a long term journey and both our first stops ended up directly next door to one another on the same beach. They both quit their jobs, and had the same stresses I did in preparation to get out on the road. So far my plan is more leisurely than theirs - they have more stops on their trip and more goals. They left today, while I'll be here for awhile I expect. Fayette left me with something to think about. They are taking a Thai massage course for 12 days in Chiang Mai. Having something like a new skill to take away from a trip seems like a great thing to do. I'll ponder that one.
Ian showed up here as well and now lives next door. Since he is such an experienced traveller in these parts, he was able to give them some good tips for travelling here and in India, they're next stop. Yesterday we all hiked up to a great waterfall above our beach. Great to have a fresh water bath!
Last night I met a woman from Ireland who used to live on Oak and Steiner streets in San Francisco, only a half block from my house. Wow.
With things this pleasant, no plans to leave any time soon.
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