Easy day, beach day

We drove to Klong Nin beach with Sara to check the market, but we had wrong info about the times so we didn't see it. Maybe next time.. Anyway we walked around and had a look on some shops. Not much open though yet, as the high season hasn't started yet. We ate sandwich lunches in Oasis Sunset, which was really nice, and quickly ran to the beach to feel the water. It was hothothot in the mainroad. On the beach, there is a light wind coming from the sea. Najs!

Back in Klong Dao  beach, near Chada, we joined the others to the beach, sunbathing, swimming and massages. I skipped the queue and went to the massage place next door. Afterwards I slept on the beach on my new lovely sarong for few hours. Doublenajs!

Coconutmilk revolution

Yesterday I had fallen in love with elephants. That day coconutmilk stole my heart.

When I was thinking of thaifood before arriving here, I was terrifyed because I knew they would use quite a lot coconutmilk in thai kitchen. I decided to try it again, maybe it's totally different here than back home. But I also decided silently in my mind I wouldn't start enjoying the taste of coconut. Well, then happened thai cooking lesson and I was lost. Anyway, I don't still like the pieces of dry coconut. Nope. (haven't tried here yet though...)

Paddling in the morning with the team, Annu as my partner, was a bit surprise to all of us. Would have maybe good if someone had told us that you need suncream and waterproof shoes for jeep safari. ''How is your jeep floating?'' And as a curse, our canoe just couldn't possibly go straight. Well, good exercise when we paddled at least double as much as the others, as siksak route is -as usually known- maybe not the shortest way..

Well because of cooking and eating the whole afternoon, we mostly skipped the dinner and took a massage instead. Also this time the footmassage and pedicure included neck and hand massage. While we waited the nailpolish to dry, one of the ladies brought the aloe vera and put it on all of us, as we were indeed a bit burned after paddling almost three hours in the middle of the day, ofcourse without suncream. Success!

Picture of a dream in real life

I arrived to Koh Lanta on Monday around four in the afternoon after a long and exhausting traveling from Rhodes. Four flights in total, no proper sleep in 48 hours. After I woke up in my bed in Park the Saturday morning around eight, next time for a bed was Monday late evening around four after welcome dinner and nice party in Cheeky Monkey with many of my new colleagues. Strawberry daiquiri bucket is the beeest!

When Sara and Nine arrived on Tuesday, we were ready for studying the island on Wednesday. With a car, left side traffic, me driving. But it went fine! I realised maybe only once that I was driving the wrong side of the road, but as here the traffic is not like in a big city, no one luckily get harmed ;)

We drove slowly and tried to absorb as much as possible of everything surrounding us. It was looking so cosy in many places! Klong nin beach, thats the place where i want to have some day off alone, spend the night in a rented bungalow and lay in the hammock in some bar watching the sunset and drinking fresh fruit juices.

I'm so happy I'm still so full of energy. I really like it here, it's green and warm, the people are nice and the food is good. Fried rice with chicken served in a pineapple was quite something! The thai people always gives the something little extra. Back, shoulders and head massage have never in Finland or anywhere else included also your hands, legs, feet and ass?

The team feels nice. The island is peaceful.

Happy to be here.

Welcome back to the green planet

This leaves a memory

When I went home for a holiday, first three days I couldn't believe I was home. Then I got used to it, but excitement didn't go down, I felt happier everyday. Not that I hadn't been happy in Rhodes, but home is home. It's the place where you are the most comfortable, feel safe and you can trust that your friends know you, when you are happy or sad. At home you can express yourself spontaneously, overseas it's a bit difficult. I feel more closed and incentered abroad than I know and feel I really am. At home I'm sparkling, I do more stuff, get ideas and do things to make it happen. Arrange.

When I came back from holiday, I felt crushed. Tears when I said goodbye to my best of all Katri didn't want to stop. After 22 exhausting hours of traveling and even some sleep, I felt sick next day. Anxiousness of leaving home, going back to Rhodes or pure tiredness, I wasn't quite sure. I wanted to go back, but I also wanted to stay. After a week it would also be time for Thailand, but then I didn't even realize how tough week I was looking forward to in my current home Rhodes.

I arrived in to the middle of a crying party, our loved colleague had just left half an hour before my arrival, and ofcourse many were sad. It just hadn't hit me yet that we really were leaving this team and island and hotel. I was still a bit down because of leaving home, but super excited to start working again. I had so much energy! I felt like the holiday had healed my soul and body, I could have seen a lot of my friends, rested, had fun, had party, had new memories! With this energy I would smile months again. First day at work went alright, I had this energy. The next, my mood was getting mad, because I didn't feel the same atmosphere of leaving yet, and everyone was just talking about leaving. I didn't know how to be or react and think, I didn't feel anything. My mind was totally empty. Not happy to leave, not happy to stay, to be honest, I didn't really understand that we were even leaving. I didn't even somehow realize I was even back from Finland yet!

Sanna left this morning, and Sandra Thursday morning. After these I have been getting more understanding and my mind seems like realizing that we really are leaving. We are not going to see eachother everyday, and some not in few months in worst case. The team, the hotel, country, coulture and language will be totally new and different in just few days. Or actually in few hours.

I just came back from the last evening out with this great people who is still here, and who with I have been living these six months. It's awesome six months we have spent together, and for the first time this week, I feel I'm not ready to go.

Thank you everyone, for being such an awesome team. I will remember you. And luckily, I will see many of them next summer on a cruise we have been planning already this summer. But those who I wont, Thank You! .. But special thank you Sandra, you saved my rest of the season. I will miss you soooooooo much words are not enough to describe. You are just such an awesome person, I've never met anyone like you before. With your smile, you can cheer up so many people. One smile. I adore you. <3 Thank you, I'm glad I had a opportunity to meet you. We'll keep in touch, for sure.

In just two hours my journey to Thailand will start. Only two hours in this beautiful island I will probably miss more than I ever can imagine now. Thank you and goodbye, I've got a lot of good memories here.

 

You can see it from afar
We were riding that wave
Blinded by the lights, and it's something I crave
We didn't want to call it too early
Now it seems a world away
But I miss that day, are we ever gonna feel the same?

Play. Repeat.

Impossible to describe this feeling

 

It was a Monday morning. It was not more than quarter to seven in the morning. Air was fresh, chilly and humid. Refreshing to breath. The sky was still so dark you could mix it up with the evening sky, right after sunset. But the sun was just about to rise. 

It is a bit cold outside, but it's nice. It's fresh. You can hide behind a big woolly scarf and you can feel how even your hair is warming your neck. Fingertops are a bit freezing, but just when it breezes. Rain is thin and gentle, though a bit cruel also, it doesn't seem to wet you, until you check your friends umbrella after a short walk. 

I love autumn in Finland, so it was a perfect timing for a holiday. People are wearing nice clothes, scarfs and accessories. In south you cannot express your style with clothes. There you all just look the same, me too. Styles are so transparent. Maybe that's why I often feel myself uncomfortable and lost when picking up clothes. It's difficult there. 

I'm so full of energy, good feelings and happiness. I'm so happy when I see people. See their faces, new hair cuts, smiling eyes. I did miss them, but i never could imagine seeing them would make me thiiiiiiiisss happy. I feel like jumping, because words and hugs don't feel to be enough to prescribe my feeling. I love life. And the feeling, no matter if you are away for awhile, your friends are still there. So big thank you for you who are still there when I come back some day to stay. :)

Love you <3

The old town