1. From Ko Phi Phi to Ko Mok to Ko Lanta to Rok Nok to Floating Islands, the huge rocks were the prominent feature on the landscape. Terracotta colouring fused in with the grey strata. Above the base of the rocks verdant vegetation flourished; tree roots have been clinging onto the rocky formations for thousands of years and looked perfectly natural in their surroundings. Beautiful white soft sand covered the bays and at once one could imagine a Robinson and Crusoe effect and a second world war scene with the guerillas bursting through the jungle onto the bay to fire at the boats about to land. As you can imagine such scenes were unique to us as boat travellers. The boat avoided the day trippers by docking after the rush hour and departing before. Something akin to the M25 I suppose.
2. Scenes from Paradise, unspoilt, unpopulated, living a simple life. Away from the madding crowd, it has an appeal. The sea is a beautiful aquamarine colour and so clear, one can see the bottom even at 6 or 7 metres.
3. The Tsunami. The impact of the Tsunami drove home on the Island of Phi Phi which was badly hit. As I stood on the narrow strip of land between the two bays on the Island, it was possible to imagine the huge wave crashing over the whole area. All the islands now carry signs indicating escape routes to higher ground. Watch towers have been installed on the beaches and on high ground.
4. A personal highlight was the visit to the Emerald Cave. An awe inspiring experience which is now down on my top ten greatest sights. A dinghy ride of five minutes through a dark cave with a torch to light the way brought us out into a small secluded bay flanked by tall rocks. The silence and calm was truly amazing. It was indeed a secret garden - white soft sand, silky green water, large leaved plants. Yes a sanctuary. The rocks in the cave groaned and moaned. One had the feeling large monsters were hiding behind the rocks.
5. More adventures later - time for some activity.
Scribe
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1 Sanctuaries. The experience of the moment. The momentary experience. To have been.
2 Yes, I can understand your response to the cave and to the water and sand beyond. No, too easy. The point has to be that I cannot understand. The language enables me to create a picture of what you saw, but the picture will be a dim representation of what you saw. (I have in mind the dim representation of the pool and its surrounds which were available to me this morning as I swam in clouded goggles.)
3 So the photograph - you took a photograph? - becomes the means whereby the imaging function in the brain is enabled to produce a mental picture which it wouldn't otherwise be able to.
4 And there are whitish flecks of something or other falling on the Close. But they seem to be more water than anything else.
5 Continue to enjoy the holiday.
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