It's becoming clear to me on this trip that I am slowly evolving into a different kind of traveler, possibly a different kind of person: the kind that is content to throw the itinerary out the window. Yes, this may come as a shock to my past travelling companions (Stacey), but the more I find myself just going with the flow, the more I am surprised and pleased by seemingly random turns of events that end up better than what I could have planned in the first place. Let me explain.
There have been several instances where I've had something in mind that I wanted to do, then was disappointed to find I couldn't, only to have something even better shoved in my face. For example, this morning was bright and sunny, and I really wanted to find somewhere to go snorkelling. Much to my dismay, however, in the low season the boats that go snorkelling and diving leave only once per day, at 8:30am. I had missed all of them. So I decided to go further up the island to see if I could find a company that was still heading out in the afternoon. Once again, I could not locate a taxi, and once again, I found myself on the back of a motorbike with yet another Thai man. It turned out to be so lucky, though. On the way up to Kai Bae beach, we ran into a dozen monkeys in the road!
They were just hanging out, eaten fruit (ramboutin--sp?), leaves, and playing on the electrical wires. Now, had I been in a taxi, we would have blown right by, but this guy stopped and I stood around taking pictures and watching them for awhile. Apparently this is not a common sight on the road so near the beach, because the Thai people had gotten out their cameras, too. There were even two little baby monkeys playing around.
After I had watched my fill, we got back on the bike and stopped at a scenic point where you can take pictures just a little ways up. So I got to do that, too, all for the same price as a taxi would have been. Granted, riding the motorbike was smellier (deodorant, anyone?) and more dangerous, but hey--for some monkey shots I think it was worth the smell.
I got into town, grabbed my favorite 7-Eleven drink: Puriku cool white crysanthemum tea, for 12 baht, and went down to the beach, where I walked along for a long time and had the entire coast to myself. Not another person in sight until I got all the way down to the private resort's bay, where it started to rain, so I turned back. Didn't rain long, though.
So in conclusion, a day that began with disappointment has turned into a plethora of opportunities seized, and it's only half over. I wonder what will happen this afternoon?
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