Our boat clears the rough stone harbour,
Past dirty fishing boats
Sitting motionless in the sick tropical heat.
Heading out into the open sea
We leave the old world behind
A breeze picks up,
The water clears to turquoise green
And we move slowly but steadily
Towards a different world
A heaven world of clean and green.
The sea smells of fresh water melon,
Fish swim in the clear water
A speedboat rushes past
It's white wake making our big boat sway
And ahead on the horizon
The island draws nearer
With gigantic trees towering above the low forest
And concrete pier below
There is a charge to enter the pier
(To keep it clean, they say)
There is a charge
(Quite reasonable, it seems)
To ride on the back of a covered pick up truck
To the beach of my choice
And there is a charge to pass the rangers checkpoint,
At the top of the dusty road
That leads to the island's beaches.
There is no explanation for this charge
But I am thankful that, as a Thai
I pay only a fifth
Of what 'foreigners' do.
But although John might have said
That the best things in life are free
Heaven comes at a price
Especially if it's an earthly paradise.
And 15 short minutes later
It is paradise indeed
With white, soft sands
And gently swaying palms
And the people of my resort
Smiling a welcome to me.
As I walk to my wooden bungalow
A hornbill flies in the forest above
And lands heavily on a flimsy branch.
Intrigued, I follow it towards the next bay
A small,secluded bay
Where the rich green forest
Goes down to meet the ocean
And a strip of white sand
Is the only thing that separates them.
Here, a rustic wooden cafe
Calls itself Rumin's Mystic Mountain
Promises Vegan and Vegetarian food.
Although there is no sign of any staff
And a sign at the bar declares:
'Your vibe attracts your tribe'.
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