Lanta luminescence....

fire dancers set the night aflame at Koh Lanta annual's cultural festival. (koh lanta lost 1,000 of its own just a little over a year ago from the tsunami. There are only 7,000 people on the island. These people truly know how to perservere and continue to live life with love and the remembrance of their lost friends in their hearts.)

through the eyes of children come the reminders of the joy of life....

and through the eyes of the elderly comes only wisdom....

the view from my bungalow....

my little bungalow in the sun....I am very happy here.

it is wonderful to see a sunset every night....a reminder of the inevitability that time passes, things change, and a new day always begins...

Lanta lullabies...

Hello again..I am here on the island of Koh Lanta, a 2 hour ferry ride from Koh Phi Phi. I have been welcomed by amazingly freindly people where I am staying at...this, of all places in Thailand, truly feels like home for me.I wish I could explain to you all how wonderful it is here....Most of the island is populated by Muslims and northern European tourists...this makes for a wonderfully colorful combination of people....everyone smiles and waves to me everywhere I go...it is amazing....I have never felt as happy and relaxed (and safe !) as I do here.

The other night I went to a local festival where I swear the entire island had come to ( all 7,000 people....) and every single person who walked by me that night (including very young children ) gave me a big smile and/or hello.....the warmth of the local people just really permeates the air here. So much of our news is filled with such terrible commments about a few extremists from the Muslim world . I so wish more people could understand that the majority of these people are truly kind and peaceful. I have been blown away by the love they have shown me.

I am staying in a wonderful bungalow (for 10$/nite) a few meters from the ocean. I have bought my own hammock and have it on my balcony, where I spend much of my afternoons reading, doing work, and just watching the ocean. There is a small outdoor private shower and toilet and I am blessed with air conditioning as well- a true luxury here as the average temperatures are in the mid to high 90's.....I jump into the ocean often throughout the day......another great luxury.

The Swedes rule here, it seems...There is a large group of Swedish students, teachers, and families staying where I am. They are all going to a nearby school this semester as a cultural exchange program. I have been befriended already by one very special Swedish family here- we are already discussing plans on where we will meet next !. They even met me at the ferry boat when I first arrived on the island(based on a phone call from another travelling friend) and took me to the hotel - they didn't even know who I was but just out of the kindess of their hearts, they rode 20 minutes on their motorbikes to come get me, with luggage and all......Once again, I feel so blessed to have made such good friends so quickly.

Downloading pictures is slow, tedious, and a bit more expensive here so I will try to send photos when I find a quick connection. I really want to try and share with you the beauty of where I am staying....I think a few pictures will help.

p.s. I read on Yahoo (!!) today that Thailand was preparing for evacuations yesterday because of an earthquake 500 km from where I am....I didnt even know about this until today ! I guess the evacuation plans were eventually called off. Just wanted to let you know I am okay, in case you did read this in the news. I know how sometimes "news" gets a bit blown out of proportion in other parts of the world.

I am really happy here and already know it is going to be very hard to leave here. I feel like I have a wonderful village where I am safe and supported by everyone around me. It is a wonderful feeling. I think I may just stay here for the remainder of my time in Thailand. I feel at peace here and dont have the desire to move much anymore.

I hope you are well.

hugs from the south of Thailand.

more Phi Phi Pics...

My hostesses at my bungalow.......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....

The reconstruction begins.....

Yellow ribbons are everywhere....a sign of hope for all.

An elephant's view...

Enjoying a jungle safari with my freind Andrew...

Approaching Phi Phi Bay......

"Phi Phi perseverance"

(pronounced "Pee Pee")......so I am back in the south of Thailand again near the beautiful warm waters that I have not seen for over a month. It has been wonderful to be greeted by such balmy peaceful waters- again, I am reminded how much happier I am when I am near/in ocean water. Must be the Greek/Brazilian spirit in me..

Today I took a 2 hour ferry ride to Phi Phi Island. Many of you probably saw this island over and over again in the news last year during the tsunami as it was one of the hardest hit areas- mainly, because it has such a high tourist population and the island is so thin and unprotected from big waves.

I felt I needed to return here to see for myself what Mother Nature truly did to this island. I think one never gets the "real" picture from TV and news. As I approached the bay, there was a mixture of tears and joy as I approach. Tears for the fact that the devastation was obvious. Rows of bungalows that I remembered seeing 5 years ago were just completely gone. GONE. Nothing there but a few sparse trees with yellow ribbons tied around them.

But I have mostly felt joy being here as the perserverance of these peoples' spirit really prevails the island. I laughed today as I swam and heard a loud drill and some hammering in the background. Normally, (as many of you know), I would have become a bit irritated (okay, a lot irritated) that these man-made sounds were interrupting my afternoon swim. But wonderfully enough, I smiled for quite a long time, as I knew those sounds to be representative of "going on"- a sound of people not giving up and rebuilding, both their spirits and the homes/hotels around them.

I also found the waters to be amazingly welcoming here. I was a bit afraid that I would feel frightened or affected by being in the same waters that took so many lives away. However,wonbderfully enough, I just felt very calm and at peace when I went in. It was actually very difficult for me to get out of the ocean here, as I felt I was being cradled in a warm bath by a very loving spirit.

I have also been visited by my freind Andrew from Miami. He has been working in New Orleans with the reconstruction of THE hurricane. He has been operating a roofing company there and hadn't had a day off for 8 months so I suggested he come out for a week to get some rest. It has been interesting to hear his perspective of the reconstruction here after having spent so much time in New Orleans. And yes, he is getting rest at last. We even enjoyed a nice elephant ride yesterday in Phuket- always a fun experience and a reminder of how mighty yet graceful these creatures are.

I am off tomorrow to Aonang/Railay Beach, another spectacularly beautiful place that I visited 5 years ago. It felt like a dream when I was last there so I am very excited to have a chance to return to this magical place for a few days. I will, of course, send pics as soon as I can !

I hope this message finds you well. My journey here ends in about a month. It is hard to believe the end is already near. Yet I feel there is much more adventure ahead of me. I do look forward to getting home to my own bed again, kissing my cat and having her wait for me when I get home, hugging my Dad, talking to freinds and family and seeing them in person, playing the piano, eating a good Greek meal again, shopping at my favorite health food store, and just not having to live out of a small suitcase and zip loc bags for awhile.

I will see you soon.

just a few more pics....

Hawaii comes to Chiang Mai ! John, Roz, me, and the rest of the Hawaii "Ohana" enjoy a night of song and dance at the Chiang Mai Culture Center. John stole the show by showing us all how Thai dancing is really done !

Back in Bangkok at the famous temple of Wat Po. A stone carving greets us as we enter.

Yet another magnificent Buddha (in Wat Po). One can see from the massiveness and ornateness of this statue that the Thai people truly love their Buddha.

The lake in Chiang Mai where I practiced Chi Gong every morning at 8am. No doubt, one can see why I was so at peace doing my exercises here. Incredibly beautiful and peaceful.