December 24, 2017. Railay Beach, Thailand.
Christmas on Railay Beach. There were definitely a few surprises. More stomach illness, the persistent smell of raw sewage and a reminder why we are not fans of beach vacations. That being said, there are always good times.
One of which was the hotel Christmas party. A pretty decent shindig, especially when you consider Krabi is a mostly Muslim community. It was totally cool to see Muslims wearing reindeer antlers and wishing people a Merry Christmas. The highlight of the party – the “entertainment”. The house bands. The first house band was two teenage girls doing Kareoke. My favourite song was their kareoke cover of The Cranberries, Zombie. Umm, yes. Zombie. I was the only person loving it, and in return got the “devil horns” from the sixteen year old singer. Next up, the far less talented Kareoke singers. I pretty much have nothing to say about them besides “party killers”. Then there were the “sexy dancers” ad they were introduced. A sad insight into how the rest of the world must view Western lifestyle. To think we needed to see two scantily clad women imitating Miley Cyrus’ vulgar dance moves at a Christmas party was uncomfortable, creepy and more than a little bit sad.
Another classic. The draw prizes. The hotel was giving away spa and restaurant coupons. The DJ would turn the music down low while the draw was made and would then crank the volume after the winner was announced. A great way to add to the festive mood, no doubt. A quiet beat in the background as the MC proudly yelled out a room number. The crowd scanning to see who the lucky winner is. A young woman jumps up with a wave of her arms just as the lyrics “Motherf$cking Big fat bass” were blared through the entire grounds of the hotel and surrounding streets. Sweet.
All in all a great party with plenty of good food, beautiful decorations and incredible Christmas spirit.
December 25, 2017. Day 55:
Christmas morning in Railay. That could only mean one thing. Rock climbing for Shawn and SUP’ing for me. We headed off in our separate directions to enjoy our last day on the beach.
For those of you who don’t know me, I love sharks. They have had a very personal meaning for me from the time I was a child. They are also my one phobia. Terrified of sharks for as long as I can remember, my deep dark fear has ruined many ocean and even lake excursions. I have a small shark tattooed on my left ankle. There to remind me both to conquer my fears and pursue my dreams with passion, and to remind me of the beauty and wonder of the world. Yes, I love sharks. But I have never actually seen one in the wild. It’s been both a dream and paralyzingly fear to see one up close.
On Christmas day, alone and out of sight of the shore, a huge boulder island between me and the sight of the beach, my dream came true. While paddling around the Karst mountain, looking for angel fish in the perfectly clear and undisturbed waters I saw a huge fish. Then two more. Then I saw the jet black dorsal fins, long snouts and razor like tails. I knew immediately these were three blacktip reef sharks. I watched in fascination, without fear. Three beautiful and graceful creatures hunting. Smooth, arcing movements directly below me. So close, I could see one looking at me with curiosity. After 20 or so seconds I drifted too close and they darted away, just a blur of gray / black. I was breathless. Did that just happen? I got to my knees, suddenly aware of the chop that could easily throw me off balance and knock me into the water in my state of distraction. I paddled around the island and went back to the spot where I saw them in hope of seeing them again. After 20 minutes of searching I gave up. The area had grown busy with long tail boats racing by and I knew I wouldn’t see them again. Satisfied with a perfect Christmas morning, I headed back to shore to share my exhilarating experience with Shawn.
The rest of the day was spent lounging by the pool and planning the final leg of our trip to Bangkok. We were also anxiously awaiting nighttime and the Muay Thai fights held at The Last Bar.
I’ve had many loves in my life. Muay Thai is one of them. It was a short but passionate affair before life and age forced us to part ways. To this day the brutal martial art that utilizes fists, kicks, elbows and knees holds me spellbound. The grace and elegance of the Wai Khru Ram Muay, followed by the shattering speed and precision of the blows of the fight. The calm respect and the cold brutality. To see a Muay Thai fight in Thailand has been a dream since watching my first Muay Thai fight in Calgary over a decade ago. Two bucket list items in one day? This would make for a very special Christmas indeed.
We arrived early and got ringside seats. When the competition began we could feel the sweat flying through the air following a swift kick or a landed punch. Wow. I expected this to be an exhibition match to introduce Western tourists to the sport. It was not. It was a bloody match with multiple knockdowns by both fighters. A spinning back elbow that was too slow, resulting in the fighter spinning right into a powerful right hook. The hardest teep I have ever seen in person. And finally the knockout punch that would layout the receiving fighter for several minutes. Seeing this match heightened my respect for the sport. But there was also a sad regret for these two young men who were beating each other bloody for a few tourist dollars.
It was truly an incredible Christmas Day and one that will never be forgotten.
Live Life Epic 