I can’t possibly convey how amazing this place is. I’v ewanted to be here for such a long time, and a few days before coming I was worried that it wouldn’t be what I thought it was; that the picture in my head couldn’t possible be accurate. But it is.
The sky is the bluest I’ve ever seen. The water is every shade of turquoise, green and teal imaginable. The sand is beige and soft, and hot! It’s like walking on hot coals. 365 of equatorial sunshine will do that. The people are beyond friendly, and are always smiling. The water is warm, the air is hot (95 degrees F), and the breeze is fresh and satisfying. The sound of the ocean waves is rejuvenating and relaxing at once. In Ohio and Korea, I’ve listened to an mp3 of this sound to recreate this experience. It’s lovely, and works in desperate times, but nothing can compare to this.
I can see the moon above the peninsula in the distance, even as the sun is high in the sky behind me. It’s past half, and in a week it will be full. Jas, Brian, and I will go to the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan (the next island over), which will no doubt be crazy. I’ve always thought it would be fun, but maybe not my scene entirely. But I think it’s something I should do before I’m officially too old to enjoy it. :) Plus, I may not have 2 party people to go with the next time I’m here. So, we’ll go, and it’ll be great, I’m sure.
I had a pedicure woman make a bee-line to me a bit ago. She said she saw me coming because I’m the whitest person on the beach. And she’s right. In Korea, everyone’s obsessed with being as white as possible, even to the point of bleaching their skin. Here, everyone wants to be dark.
I said no to her, but another woman came a few minutes later and started scrubbing my feet even after I said no. Finally she convinced me to say okay, but then painted my nails as well, and tried to say that was an extra service after she did it. I already wasn’t thrilled with the price (at 300 baht, it’s the same as a full massage on the beach, or my bungalow for the night), but she wanted 200 baht more for polish. I told her that I agreed to 300, and that she did the rest on her own. She said, “Okay, then pedicure free.” Uh, okay, thanks. Shady bitch.
There are dozens of people day and night who walk up and down the beach selling products and services. Their prices are higher, because they have a captive audience. They can stay and harass you as long as they like, because the chances of you getting up and walking away are minimal. They are even pushier than the storefront salespeople, which is saying something.
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