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Delivery-date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 18:54:40 -0500
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Subject: Thai Tales (take 5)
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 17:54:29 -0600
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<DIV>Morning dawns warm and sleepy over Wanakorn.&nbsp; The tide has gone far out into the bay, leaving a feast of stranded sea creatures&nbsp;for the skinny dogs to devour in&nbsp;frenzied&nbsp;joy.&nbsp; A lone fisherman,&nbsp;made leathery by a lifetime of scouring sun and salt,&nbsp;deftly pulls a bloated puffer-fish out of the waters beside me then stalks off in the opposite direction without a glance or word.&nbsp; The university students are&nbsp;gazing in fascination into the myriad ecosystems thriving in rock-ringed pools up and down the beach, taking turns showing me multi-coloured crabs, sea urchins, tiny shrimp, star fish.&nbsp; </DIV>
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<DIV>We all dine together, there on the beach.&nbsp; The shock of the night before's&nbsp;plate full of gently flailing tentacles has worn off and I don't think twice about tossing back the delectable little morsels, savouring the fiery sauce and unusual texture as part of the experience of day.&nbsp; Everyone laughs about the turnaround in my demeanor towards them.&nbsp; One of the park men joins us, motions to his boat,&nbsp;offers to ferry us out to the island&nbsp;on the horizon when we finish our meal.&nbsp; It glows tantalizingly, purple, pale pink, gold in slow succession, enticing discovery.&nbsp; We readily agree.</DIV>
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<DIV>The boat is long and narrow, with a powerful motor.&nbsp; We wade out to it, anchored offshore, settle in for the&nbsp;ride.&nbsp;&nbsp;Our captain makes frequent hairpin turns to avoid&nbsp;the fishing nets laid across the bay during&nbsp;the night.&nbsp; Long before landfall we are all soaked&nbsp;in warm spray.&nbsp; As we approach, a glistening white beach appears, wrapping itself around the tiny&nbsp;island.&nbsp; We can&nbsp;see an abandoned bamboo shack perched precariously off the side of the low limestone cliff bordering the sand.&nbsp; Even from a distance the birds&nbsp;nests crammed onto every inch of it are visible.</DIV>
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<DIV>As the water becomes more shallow, the coral reefs under the surface come into sharp relief.&nbsp;&nbsp;Fluorescent&nbsp;fish flash&nbsp;under the now-bright sun, darting in and out of the maze below.&nbsp; The captain cuts the engine and coasts us in, navigating the labyrinth expertly to avoid striking any of the delicate reef.&nbsp; The sand&nbsp;radiates heat, encouraging us to remain in the luxuriously warm waves.&nbsp; Snorkeling gear is produced.&nbsp; We&nbsp;pass the day in rapturous awe, mesmerized by the diversity of life&nbsp;swimming around us.</DIV>
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<DIV>In the afternoon we break for food.&nbsp; Sitting in the cool shelter of the cliff, we dine on more octopus and freshly caught squid.&nbsp; The captain brings out bottles of cold water to wash down the spice, and wet our sun-parched&nbsp;tongues.&nbsp;&nbsp;He ties a cord to each of us in turn,&nbsp;leads us one at a time back into the water and out&nbsp;over breathtaking beds of poisonous sea-stars.&nbsp; He cautions us to be still, let him guide our movement, so that we don't get caught up on one of the vicious spines.&nbsp; It's hard to believe the stunning black and fucia blooms&nbsp;studding the reef are so dangerous.</DIV>
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<DIV>We barely notice, lying atop the swells, that the day has become stormy.&nbsp; Suddenly the captain gathers us together in a rush, bundles us back onto the boat, and strikes out across the bay ahead of the gathering&nbsp;gloom.&nbsp; The squall hits&nbsp;us about half way back to the mainland.&nbsp; We all huddle together against the lashing wind and&nbsp;rain as the boat leaps and plummets across the rolling waves.&nbsp; The girl beside me grabs my hand and shrieks in Thai with a wide grin.&nbsp; I am surprised to find that I understand some of what she is saying; think to myself "at least if we get shipwrecked I will learn to speak their language."&nbsp; And as quickly as it&nbsp;came upon us, the storm ends.&nbsp; We are left exhausted, jubilant, bobbing gently in the surf a few feet from shore.</DIV>
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<DIV>I bid my companions farewell, pack up my meager belongings, head for the highway.&nbsp; A passing motorcycle stops to give me a lift to the bus stop.&nbsp; I arrive just in time to flag one of the speeding monsters down.&nbsp; I haven't decided yet where I am going.&nbsp;&nbsp;The salt has dried on my skin, making me aware of how much sun I have had beneath the fine layer of grit.&nbsp; Fatigue washes over me in waves.&nbsp; The manager lady comes by, asks what my destination is.&nbsp; A sign flashes by on the road outside, "Bangsapan"&nbsp;in big letters.&nbsp; "I'm going there", I tell her, and give her&nbsp;the fare.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></div><br clear=all><hr>The new  <a href="http://g.msn.com/8HMAENCA/2737??PS=">MSN 8: </a> smart spam protection and 2 months FREE*  </html>