Sunday, May 8, 2011

Ko Lanta--Island Life

After parting ways with my family I headed for Ko Lanta, an island off the SW coast of Thailand. I was so caught up in the people and place that I didn't take the camera out much, but here is a taste...
Island rhythms: life takes pause to observe the birth of night. 
Rebecka enjoying an exceptionally good one. 

One of Ko Lanta's many uncrowded beaches 

When I first arrived on the island I lived with a local family, helping them develop a food production garden in exchange for room & board.  

Craft time during the heat of the day with hosts Lek (Thai) and Leanne (English). 

Lek, a Ko Lanta native. 

The family's oldest daughter, Arial (6) continually humbled me as she fluently switched between Thai and English. 

The family car

The site of the garden in the making

With Arial in route to spelunking, Clara ( right from Austria) and Stephanie (from CA) joined me at the host family.   

Down into the earth





We spent an hour and half exploring underground 

Bats

I left the host family and moved to 'Guesthouse' right on Klong Nin Beach

looking right

Looking left

Lounging beach-side with Rabecka from Sweden.  

Thai massage often walks the thin line between pain and pleasure

Motorbike adventures 

Southern tip lighthouse 

Monitor Lizard 

Hand-crank gas pumps

Drying fish


The Thais LOVE their king.
 Large pictures like this are common in public spaces and smaller photos adorn nearly every household and business.  

Harvesting rubber--the sap gathers where the bark is broken and flows down into the cup.

Rubber is one of Thailand's largest exports--Rubber Tree plantations like this are very common.  

The three weeks are eternalized by sweet memories and new friendships. 

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