Well, That Was Nice

23 May 2009

Several people have told me that my book turns them off travelling. I've always maintained that I travel for "experiences, not necessarily good ones", because trauma is interesting. It's not all like that, though; it's not that we don't have good experiences, it's just that I don't write about them.

Because, except to me, they're not interesting.

Still, anything I don't write about, I don't remember. So, I have:

Explored a cave or two in Railay. Hiked across the peninsula, following a trail of red-marked trees to.. nowhere.

Sea kayaked around Railay peninsula and some nearby islands. Spiky stalactites poking down from cave roofs, a tiny secret beach, calm seas.

Had a sunset dinner on an island so small it was mostly sandbar, with Railay's lights in the distance. The partial cloud cover made the colours spectacular.

Swum to shore from a longtail. Swum back again in a hurry as the storm closed in.

Jumped into the sea from a longtail after dark, the headland blocking even the lights from shore. Tiny dots of phosphorescent plankton lit up all around me every time I moved.

Learnt fire-twirling from a Thai on the beach in Phi Phi. Well, started to learn. It's hard!

Hiked to the viewpoint at the top of Phi Phi, locating a cache by instinct and wondering about the wisdom of rebuilding on a sandbar. Turning back from a jungle trek in time, this time.

Enjoyed Mexican, Italian, and even Israeli food; like London, everything is available here, but unlike London, I can afford it.

Played brutally competitive air-hockey at a video games arcade in Surat Thani, watched by surprised children and disapproving staff.

Borrowed a DVD player from the other side of the peninsula, and holed up in the air-conditioning for our own movie marathon.