It's definitely a shock to the system to go from 50F degree bustling, intense, curry filled northern India to 85F degree tropical, relaxed, coconut filled southern Thailand. You can feel your whole being take a long, deep exhalation.
Tonsai feels a bit dreamy, like you've woken up in a postcard. The scenery looks fake; huge limestone carsts emerge like giant fins from the turquoise waters. It's as if the gods took a handful of rocks and flicked them into the sea, letting them slice like daggers through the ocean and land where they may. And on the faces of these gorgeous boulders climb gorgeous creatures. Men and women, from all over the globe, scale these massive formations all day long, dangling like dancing spiders.
After just a few days, my friends and I already have an evening ritual. Gather near the Freedom Bar at golden hour and watch the sun exit stage-right to make way for the stars. I feel closer to the earth, here, in Thailand. In India I felt a closer connection to the mind and spirit. But this place carves a natural space to feel life's physical pleasures. It's easy and fun to beat up your body with climbing, swimming, hiking, snorkeling, eating, drinking, dancing and staying up late. It feels good to be salty and sweaty, like you've truly earned that cold shower each night.
I'm happy that I'm ending my journey here, in this mystical place full of magical people. It feels right to spend my trip's final days with cheerful locals and fellow adventurers - swimming in the ocean and swaying in hammocks under the palms.
Being baptized, each day, by the salty sea.
