Happy Everything

(This post is co-written by Jennifer & Laura)

We woke up today eager to fill our tummies, and excited like a kid on Christmas to explore our new surroundings since we arrived after dark last night. After breakfast we took a scenic walk along the limestone cliffs, which had amazing caves & rock formations that were fun to explore.

One end of our resort leads to the famed Pharanang Beach, and it was easy to see why it's a popular destination. There were a lot of tourists there, especially since today is a national holiday, but there really are no words to describe the majestic scenery found here.

After getting our bearings in and surrounding our resort, we went back to our pavilion to put on sunscreen and bathing suits, then headed to Railay Beach (closer to our end of the resort) for some relaxation! We laid on the beach, swam in the water (which felt as warm as a bath), had lunch on the beach, and then lounged by the pool.

After a short break from the sun we headed out to find ourselves a kayak to explore the waters.

We hopped in our kayak and set sea to explore nearby Happy Island. The scenery here is so incredibly stunning and dramatic; the photos hardly do it justice - just breathtaking! It was so nice to be able to get up close to the islands with the kayak and see the interesting caves and coves - especially with the tide being low. Consider this reference to the low tide as foreshadowing. The fact that Ganesha is on Jennifer's tank top could also be a sign of what's to come (Ganesha is believed by some to be the remover of obstacles, but sometimes creates obstacles to help us learn).

We kayaked almost all the way around the island, taking in the scenery from every angle, and headed back towards the shore.

This is where the day, and our tranquil tour around the island, takes an interesting turn...

The obstacle continued as the tide kept lowering (warning: profanity!)...

And then the delirium, giggles... anything is better than getting into that water...

We eventually determined that we really had no other option but to get out of the kayak and walk it to shore. For those of you who are thinking that isn't such a big deal, let's just remember that we both have a phobia of rocks in water; not to mention the rocks are sharp, slippery and filled with unknown creatures! (We actually spotted a dead jelly fish on the beach as we were putting the kayak in the water).

Laura was certainly the braver of us two. She managed to get the kayak to shore and then had to return to save me from my total panic attack! What a great big sister! (regardless of the fact that she first stopped to take a picture of me stranded out on the rocks!)

After the treacherous walk across the sharp slippery rocks, avoiding all "deadly" creatures along the way, we made it to shore but still had quite a hike across the beach carrying the kayak (since we did not return to our launching point). Jennifer carried from the front and Laura from the back. We had to take several breaks because it was so heavy! During one of our breaks, we took a photo to capture the moment with the kayak, especially because the sunlight was so beautiful hitting the rocks...

Even though it may seem obvious in the photo, it wasn't until the guy who runs the activity centre was so easily dragging the kayak that we noticed that the damn kayak had a wheel at the back!!!

Perfect ending to what felt like such a traumatic experience! Gave us both a good laugh. Happy Island had a lot in store for us (as did Ganesha).

With Polysporin on our toes we are off to bed.

Peace & happiness,

Laura & Jennifer ❤❤