Island Life Is For Me 12/28-29

Gilligan's Island.
Lost.
The Beach.
Blue Crush.

The countless pop culture images come to mind as I have walked around this Island here in Thailand. The film "The Beach" was filmed in this island family and tomorrow we are going snorkeling around this area and will finish on Maya Bay, which is where Leonardo DiCaprio filmed his movie, which was not a great movie- but I do remember thinking when seeing it "Gosh, I wish to see something that beautiful someday". And look, here I am- its crazy.

Yesterday we took a hike to The Viewpoint. Ladies and Gentleman, even on a good day it would've kicked my butt, but STILL recovering from the leftover bronchitis left my lungs at such a depleted lung capacity I was sure I was not going to make it. Tiffany was great and kept pace with me so we could take breaks as we continued up the mountain, and upon Summit I did agree it was worth the pain. The view of the Island was pristine and seeing it from the perspective one has from up there was something I'll always remember. The point was also to reach the other side of the island to a sparsely populated beach where we spent the rest of the day enjoying lunch, swimming, and reading. The rocks that were strewn across the beach were beautiful, and I loved being able to see the bottom of the Sea because of the clarity in the water. It was fantastic. Last night we went to dinner on the water, saw Fire Dancers, and a little bit of Fireworks. It was really just a teaser for tonight.

We have spent hours floating and talking in the water which is not an Ocean here, its the Andaman Sea. The water is pristine, warm, and so blue you can't think of a single word to describe its illusions of depth and clarity. We've gone to the beach in the day, and have enjoyed meals on the beach in the evening. Tonight is New Years Eve, and its funny to think about the crowd that will be lining up in Times Square in the cold, while I sip a fun beverage in the middle of this tropical island. Of course it will be 2008 for me before the rest of you, so I think this means we get to celebrate twice here, again tomorrow at noon.

Today is my day of rest from the socialization that has dominated the itinerary. I wanted to update this blog and respond to messages in a more meaningful way, so I nestled in this Internet cafe with a bunch of others foreigners seeking a connection to home. I will go to the beach next and continue to soak up this island, and then get ready for the big party tonight.