Halloween Costumes

Halloween Costume creation YEA! My tradition of hosting a Halloween party will not be deterred by my travels to the other side of the world :) I am organizing a shindig at the beach with my new friends. I have made and posted some flyers at the yoga halls and at the bungalows restaurant/kitchen. We will have a bonfire on the beach, and dance music in the green hall nearby (DJ Rabbi) and a potluck before the party. The theme is Nature recycled so all the costume will be made from found items at the beach or in the jungle. I am so excited! I went out today with Lorena and Mike and got a bunch of banana leaves and palm branches and flowers, its gonna be a great creative outlet as I am also going to be painting people with my body paints! Woohoo, Happy Samhain all my pagan friends and Happy Halloween to the rest of the world, Blessed Be.

Pheang Waterfall

What a beautiful place, I am totally impressed! I went to Phaeng Waterfall today which is actually in a National Park (albeit a small park but beautiful none the less). There was a well marked trail for the direct to the summit path and also for the nature trail that runs closer to the water…..I of course took the nature trail :) It was fantastic! Falls and pools all along the way, it was a great hike. No getting lost in the jungle this time we hiked upwards for a few hours but it was hard to determine when to head back down and we timed it perfectly it was just turning dark as we exited the trail head and made it out just fine. It is always so dark under the canopy of trees in a forest that even before dusk you need flashlights.

Bamboozle

Wow, well I found a Mexican restaurant ;P its called Bamboozle and located in Haad Rin so a good 30 minute motorbike ride from where I stay but went and checked it out tonight. It was actually alright, had Guac, quesadillas and burritos. The guac was good, a little heavy on the onion (and they put cucumber in the salsa but I think Thais just put cucumber in everything). The quesadillas were nice, chicken spiced very well but not pressed/grilled enough, they sorta came apart when picked up….haha, but overall delicious! I wandered around Haad Rin with Mike, stopped to say hello to my friend Tai at his sushi place and met Mikes buddy at Electro Pimps. What a great concept, you can get any device or hard drive filled with stuff for super cheap….music, movies etc. ah the joys and conveniences of living in a country where laws are negotiable and the rules are there are no rules! HAHA! I have actually made all the music swaps I can until I get more hard drive space ;P I already scoped out a few hundred gig of documentaries and world music I want from other friends……

Waterfall

I took a wonderful walk out back of my friend Mikes house today to visit a beautiful hidden little waterfall. The rainy season is finally starting to get going and it has rained every morning for about an hour or so and the dry creek beds are coming to life! You can hear the sound of the rushing water before you can see it and then you’re right on top it after you walk through some brush and trees. The water cascades down a rocky creek bed with little swimming holes conveniently spacing the drops by 15 feet or so. (I was imagining being able to just stand under the flow of rushing water to wash my hair, it was better than a massage shower head and definitely had more pressure than the plumbing in my bungalow :P) I had a very nice soak with the water swirling about and the sun peaking from behind the clouds. We hiked up as far as we could and then made our way back down to the bottom all in the water…it was a perfect temperature, refreshing but not cold. All only a 3-5 minute walk from his patio, what a paradise!

Potlucks

We had another fabulous bonfire potluck! These folks are becoming like family, such diverse backgrounds but a beautiful blending of hearts. The varieties of food made with such LOVE feeds us in a way that goes beyond the body. There was a drum circle, and Carlos got out his Flute which is always a hit! We ate and sang and danced and drummed. Life as it was meant to be lived. The ocean right beside us and a family I have found here on the island that I will not forget when I leave.

Migraine

Yesterday was a hard one. I awoke near dawn to a splitting headache, a killer, make you dizzy when you try to walk to the bathroom doozey. So I spent the day in bed, sleeping and trying to relax away the pain. Keeping m eyes closed always helps lessen the pain and since it was a first since being away it took a while to find my comfort zone….but I am feeling better, a little stronger today. Took a walk on the beach in the light of the Full Moon and ate some fresh fruit and morning glory. What I really miss is real dark chocolate. I can find candy bars and some knock-off chocolate candies but I would love some rich dark chocolate squares, like 69-70% or more dark, mmmmhhmmm! Ah well, ya take what you can get sometimes and my adventure so far has had few down-sides so a temporary sacrifice of really good chocolate isn’t destroying me just yet ;P

Golden Memories

I have found a very special place on this planet. I have been to many other places in Thailand and a few other South East Asian countries. This island has a unique energy. There is a great variety of people that come through, from the partiers for Full Moon to the Yogis and the local population that all comes from 5 big families who have always been here and pretty much “run” the island. All the laws are pretty much buyable and the place is very laid back and quiet politically because of that (no riots or demonstrations ever happen here). Anyway there is just such a beautiful and simple life here but with great diversity of activities. A rocking psytrance and dance music scene (and plenty of house to satisfy me!) lots of Yoga, pilates, and muay thai boxing ;P, beaches, jungle mountains, waterfalls, an archery range and I even found a weekly stitch-n-bitch group, haha! A constant influx of interesting new people and many who come and never leave! Time sorta stops or at least completely changes pace…..life and business revolve on a lunar calendar. You can find anything you want and abundance has a different meaning. I can literally pick fruit from my yard; mangos, bananas, coconuts, papaya growing outside everywhere in this paradise. All you need for comfort is a fan and a hammock. Life the way it was meant to be lived. I know I was directed here for a reason, I had considered passing it up on my route and then thought I would only stay a week or less…..2 months later I am wishing I never had to leave and plotting my return.

The Cave

There is a cool little spot just 3-5 minutes up a hill across from my bungalow….a hidden cave that faces the ocean and the setting sun. The climb up is a little steep and you walk 15 feet down the Cliffside to the opening once you get to the top of the hill. It is all set up from many previous visits…there are candles and cushions, books a blanket and paints to decorate the walls. It is cool, shaded and a nice breeze blows through. The only sounds you hear are the waves below and the occasional bird. The view is superb, facing west over the ocean with a perfect view of the setting sun, it’s a little corner of heaven. I have chilled with friends and also spent whole days up there reading or meditating. It is so very peaceful and relaxing and you can feel the happiness of all the other people who have loved the space.