Spontaneity, it’s one of the things that I love about travel. It’s in those moments when you encounter the
unexpected that you’re given a gentle reminder of just how resilient you are. I had taken a solo detour south to Koh
Phangan, an island in the Gulf of Thailand that is famous worldwide for its Full
Moon parties which draw 8,000 – 10.000 revelers on a monthly basis. The island
itself has an almost mysterious air to it that I can’t quite put my finger
on. The landscape possesses a magnetic
pull that seems as equally beautiful as it is dangerous. I was there during an off time from the full
moon event and had the opportunity to meet many locals who were amazingly
friendly. I also met several individuals
from all over the world who told me tales of how they had succumbed to the
island’s vortex and were either now permanently living there or spending
several months there each year.
And so it was that I found myself in the Jungle.
I made a plan to spend an afternoon in Than Sadet, a beach
area near the eastern tip of the island that can be easily reached by boat from
Haad Thian. I was told that there was a road that ran north to the area from
Thong Sala, a popular area on the southern coast of the island full of
guesthouses, bungalows and boutiques. I
was also forewarned about the condition of the roads should I attempt to make
the trek by motorbike. Naturally, I
opted for the roads and the motorbike rather than taking the boat route.
The ride was quite exhilarating. The paved road soon gave
way to dirt and I found myself surrounded by the jungle in all of its gorgeous
hues of green and lush rolling mountains in the distance. The road was quite uneven, at times like a
treacherous path of crevices that sometimes dipped more than 2 feet. I would walk the bike up the hills between
the crevices and then I would ride down, maintaining my balance on the bike
while navigating the uneven gravel. The
jungle, dotted sporadically with tall slender swaying palms, was vibrant and
moist. The wind was softly blowing through my hair. This was exactly what I was
looking for.
With a bit of effort, I made my way to Than Sadet beach
where I spent the day climbing through a small cave and up several flights of
concrete stairs to find an astonishing view of the surrounding area. It had taken me close to an hour to travel by
road from Thong Sala, so I planned to head back around 4:15 in order to make it
back before sunset.
I began to head back along the same road and after about 30
minutes, I realized that I didn’t recognize my surroundings. There were leaves and foliage growing through
the road, something that I didn’t remember seeing on my way in. I noticed that there weren’t any vehicle
tracks on the road. I was going the wrong
direction. I turned around and pushed
the motorbike back up the hill that I had just ridden down. At times the wheels of the motorbike would
grind in place as I tried to push the bike over the gaping holes in the uneven
dirt.
I found my way back to what seemed to be a slight
intersection in the path and this time I veered to the road slightly to the
left. After another 20 – 30 minutes, I
passed a pile of coconuts across the street from a thatched roof
structure. Again, I noticed that there
weren’t any vehicle tracks on the road and soon foliage was growing through the
dirt in the path in front of me. I was
on the wrong road again. I turned around
and with sore arms, began pushing the motorbike back up the hill. The bike
slipped from my grasp and fell to the right of one of the crevices as I slid to
the left braking my fall with my hands.
My hands were throbbing in pain and I looked down to find them slightly bleeding. At this point my mind began to race. ”My
hands are bleeding a bit….I’m not sure which road to take. My liter bottle of
water is not quite ¼ full and it’s going to be dark soon…”
A small snake then slithered its way in front of me. It was about a foot long and was the width of
an electrical cord, but nonetheless it was a snake. I can be pretty intrepid and at times friends
and relatives have even referred to me as ‘fearless’, but if there’s one thing
I have an absolute unnatural fear of… snakes.
I stood frozen in the gravel. I
could only hear the quickening of my heart beat, which was deafening in my
ears.
”It’s getting dark and I’m in the jungle….and there are snakes….”
“There aren’t even any tire tracks. How long would it be
before anyone finds me?!”
“OK, Breathe….Breathe….”
Sweat was slowly trickling from the back of my neck down the
middle of my back as I tried to calm myself by repeating the mantra that I had
been given. My arms were lightly
shaking as I continued pushing the motorbike back up the hill. I once again found the intersection and I
pulled out the compass app on my iPhone which confirmed that the road veering
furthest to the left was headed south. I
proceeded along this path and soon enough I spotted a grey truck on the road
heading towards me. As I approached the
window of the truck I asked the driver “Thong Sala?” while pointing to the path
in front of me and wishing that I spoke more Thai.
Yes” he replied, motioning for me to turn right at the end
of the road.
“Kapoon ka!” I said with a large smile of relief.
The uneven dirt soon returned to a paved road of comfort that
took me back to the civilization of a Thong Sala beach lounge restaurant where
I had gone for lunch the day before. In
the back of the lounge facing the beach is an intricate network of tree
houses. The conversations amongst the
clientele seemed to always be in mixtures of English, Thai, Swedish and
Japanese. I ordered an orange pineapple
shake and shared some laughs about my day long journey with my rented motorbike.
“Is this your first time to Koh Phangan,” the bartender
asked.
“I’ve been to Thailand before, but yes it’s my first time on
this island,” I responded.
“Ah, you’ll be back,” he said with a smile as he handed me
my drink. Soon after, everyone in the
lounge seemed to pause to witness the sun as it began to set over the sea. I
found a peaceful solace observing the sun as it bled itself across the horizon,
leaving the sky streaked in fiery shades of orange. It was in that moment that I
began to look forward to my return trip to this island.
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| A January Sunset on Koh Phangan |
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