Kayaking in Krabi

Hey Everyone.

Thanks so much for all the love, support, and advice that you have sent my way. I will certainly make my decision with great care and trust my heart.

Today was a great day! We went on a kayaking trip through the mangroves and caves nearby. We were picked up at our guest house at 8am, taking a little while to drive around and pick up other people for the tour and then on to the restaurant at Bor Thor, our base for the day, situated on the mangroves. There were 9 people taking the tour including Corinne and I. There was a couple from Sweden, a couple from England, and a couple from Germany with their grown son. Corinne and I were quite surprised to find that we were the youngest by quite a bit. But it was a great group of people. The tour guides were all wonderful people, always smiling and quick to joke and laugh.

We paddled through the mangroves and through a number of limestone caves, lincluding Tham Lod Tai, Tham Khoa Wong, and Tham Lod Nua. These limestone caves were full of wonderful stalactites and stalagmites, and were open to the mangroves on either end, so we did not need any artificial light to get through (although it did get a bit dark at times and hard to see....all part of the fun!). Any description I give about the mangroves and the caves won't do them justice, so I'll see if I can attach some photos for you (although no promises....downloading photos can be a bit of a challenge at times!). Everything was very lush and green. We passed sheds on the water that were set up to catch the oysters, crabs, fish, and clams that are found in the mangroves.

The last cave we visited, Tham Pee Hau Toh, was full of prehistoric paintings. Really cool to see. This cave was a bit higher than the water line, so we got out of our kayaks and explored on foot. It was interesting to see the lack of protection these paintings had. We could walk right up to them and touch them if we wanted. Nothing to protect them. Plus, some people had left a little art of their own on the walls quite close to the paintings!

Halfway through the day, we returned back to the restaurant for a bite of lunch before continuing on to the remainder of the caves. At the end of the day, they took us to a local swimming hole, Tha Pom, where we jumped into the stream and swam with the locals. Being a very hot Sunday afternoon, the place was packed! A couple of Thai girls were comparing the brown of their skin to the white of mine, laughing. It was pretty funny. I stand out a bit here, but everyone is very kind.

At the end of the day, they dropped us off at our guest house, where I showered and tried to doctor my sunburned legs. They're pretty red! Although with the combination of open air kayaks, sun, and salt water, I'm not that surprised. Hopefully it will turn into a beautiful tan, and not peel. We'll see.

Tomorrow morning, we're off by boat to Ko Lanta, an island about 2 hours away, for a little lounging on the beach. We'll be there for at least 5 nights.

With regards to the length of my trip, the more I think about it, the more coming home after Thailand feels right. I'm not upset. I'm writing this with a clear, relaxed mind. And I don't think I'll regret coming home early. It's not so much about missing home and family (which I do, of course), so much as it's about not wanting to travel any longer than the 4 weeks. I think backpacking in Thailand for 4 weeks, a truly wonderful experience, moving around and living out of a 60L bag, is enough for now.

Corinne and I have talked extensively about it, and she fully supports me. She does not feel that I'm abandoning her and she has no ill feelings about me going home early. In fact, she completely understands, having gone through the same thing when she traveled after school. Plus, she feels perfectly safe continuing her travels on her own, meeting up with some friends in Australia. She also mentioned that my leaving early may be better for our friendship than if we continued together. After 4 solid months, we may not have liked eachother very much! In any case, I know I won't be abandoning her or giving up on her. We're simply taking different forks in the road. And I'm so greatful for her support and friendship. I would never leave her if she or I felt that she would be upset or feel uncomfortable with our splitting up.

I'm not making this decision lightly, on the spur of the moment, or in an upset state of mind. In fact, I havn't made the decision 100% yet. But I am leaning in the direction of coming home in 2 weeks. It just feels right. And I don't think I'll have any regrets. It just feels like the right time.