Lazy day

November 5, 2011

Day five on Koh Payam. This half gray lazy day has made me feel a little lonely. I woke up early and shared breakfast with two women I met the night before and our easy conversation over espresso on the beach was a good start to the day. I moved down the beach to a nicer bungalow with a sociable restaurant where I've been taking most of my meals. The bungalow is spacious with a massive bed and a huge balcony with a lounging area and private views of the sea. A stone indoor/outdoor shower lets you see the bay as you cringe under the relief off a cold shower. White sheets and bolster pillows add to the love nest in the trees vibe. Why am I here alone in this place of peace and beauty? Of corse all my reasons for paradise solitude are warranted, but walking into the bungalow today and napping to the sounds of the waves I had to question why the other side of my room-sized bed is vacant.

So what will cure my romantic blues? A trip to the killing fields in Panam Pen, Cambodia and sweaty days of temple touring at Angkor Wat of corse. As early as Wendesday I plan to take a ferry and a bus to the North\south transition town of Champon to book transportation through Bangkok and on to Cambodia. For now it's time for me to shake up my beach side meditation and follow the well beaten backpacker path. I'm feeling compelled to seek out a more cultural experience and meet the crowd of fellow travelers away from the beachside holiday destinations in the south of Thailand. I could be retreating back here indefinitely in ten days or my itchy feet could carry me to Chang Mai for New Years and on to Loas. As always I'm playing my hand as it comes.

For now I'm at a beautiful resort on a white sand beach with a very large beer in front of me as the sun sets into a strip of rainforest.

Amanda Mar
Koh Payam, Ranong Province, Thailand