I look away for a second. I look back up again. Everything has
changed. The spectacular mix of blues, purples, reds and oranges
have shifted yet again. It's sunrise looking over the Gulf of
Thailand. In the tropics, the sun sets and rises quickly; dusk and
dawn are fleeting events. I sit on my rock at Hua Hin Beach at some
ungodly early hour, witnessing something I never have before: the sun
coming up over the ocean. I am overcome by its beauty. Nothing
diffuses light quite like the shimmering surface of a sea shore. The
subtle, steady rhythm of the crashing waves, tame as it is, adds its
hypnotic auditory effect to the dazzling visual feast of the eyes.
Birds begin to dart overhead. An occasional tourist wanders behind
me. I don't notice them much. It's just me and my thoughts.
And the camera on the next rock recording stuff that literally TENS of people will see.
I had a wonderful weekend. Just a two-day trip down the road to
Hua Hin, a beach town on the east coast of the Isthmus of Kra which
also happens to be the home of his beloved majesty, King Rama IX.
After visiting, I can see why he likes living there and why its one of the most popular weekend getaways amongst Bangkokians.
I heard via the AF some grousing about the place before I left, so I wasn't expecting paradise. The water is dirty. I was told. No, it wasn't. It was pleasant (ans surprisingly cold) and I could have spent all day floating around in it. See, one upside to being about 40 pounds overweight is that I float. I have natural bouyancy. Without any effort, I can just lie there in the sea, completely weightless and be free of gravity.
Another knock that I heard on Hua Hin was that it was full of farang (foreigners), this coming from farang people themselves. Indeed it was, but they weren't like the tourists of Phuket, the sex-pats of Pattaya or the backpackers of Kanchanaburi or Ayutthaya. It was like a retirement community. From what I saw (albeit I only saw a 6-block radius on the north part of town), the farang were mild mannered, silver-haired and rotund, all without being overly Russian.
I'll tell ya, although I'm overall a fairly confident man not
prone to fits of self-consciousness, normally speaking, walking along
the beach without a shirt on is one occasion where I can feel a bit
embarrassed about my body shape. Not so at Hua Hin! I fit right in!
I looked just like everyone else with my big old belly hanging over
my overly tight swiin trunks. My people!!! I have found you!
I met some new friends this weekend, strengthened friendships already existing and said goodbye to the last of a family of inanimate objects I have cherished for 7+ years. Back in 2006, I bought a JVC digital camcorder. Changed my life in that I found a new hobby from which I have gotten so much enjoyment. Six cameras later, my latest camera is truly hanging by a thread. It's 90% broken.
Fortunately, a new camera arrived to start a new era...
Enjoy this ultimate vid from Hua Hin:
And the camera on the next rock recording stuff that literally TENS of people will see.
After visiting, I can see why he likes living there and why its one of the most popular weekend getaways amongst Bangkokians.
I heard via the AF some grousing about the place before I left, so I wasn't expecting paradise. The water is dirty. I was told. No, it wasn't. It was pleasant (ans surprisingly cold) and I could have spent all day floating around in it. See, one upside to being about 40 pounds overweight is that I float. I have natural bouyancy. Without any effort, I can just lie there in the sea, completely weightless and be free of gravity.
Another knock that I heard on Hua Hin was that it was full of farang (foreigners), this coming from farang people themselves. Indeed it was, but they weren't like the tourists of Phuket, the sex-pats of Pattaya or the backpackers of Kanchanaburi or Ayutthaya. It was like a retirement community. From what I saw (albeit I only saw a 6-block radius on the north part of town), the farang were mild mannered, silver-haired and rotund, all without being overly Russian.
I met some new friends this weekend, strengthened friendships already existing and said goodbye to the last of a family of inanimate objects I have cherished for 7+ years. Back in 2006, I bought a JVC digital camcorder. Changed my life in that I found a new hobby from which I have gotten so much enjoyment. Six cameras later, my latest camera is truly hanging by a thread. It's 90% broken.
Fortunately, a new camera arrived to start a new era...
Enjoy this ultimate vid from Hua Hin:
You cracked me up with describing the "retirement" community cause it is so true. Loved the video and excited for you to enjoy your new camera. I don't often see the sunrise but I did see a couple out on the desert and they were spectacular. Really nice that you took the time to appreciate the beauty of the beginning of your day.
ReplyDeleteRoman Polanski look out! We expect great things from you and your new camera. LOL
ReplyDelete