.

He took her hand and guided it to the empty spot in between the small country road and the beach sand: “That’s where I would put it!”. She didn’t seem to mind the idea. And who would? The idea of having a bar in Thailand might seem outlandish while home in cold, cold Europe. But out here, it seemed like the most plausible thing.

When in Thailand, be careful not to fall in love, they say.  Macabre sex-industry jokes aside, this place makes listening to them quite difficult.  The air, the people, the food, the massages, the water, the nature and the wildlife make it easy to believe that visitors are likely to toy with the idea of prolonging their stay indefinitely.

Whilst running the fear of sounding like a tourist agency I would like you to imagine laying there on one of the many gigantic white beaches, slurping a cold drink and getting one of those massages that just make you wonder why you don’t get massages more often. Then, you get up to take a walk to the nearest local market with smells of everything from mangos to pigheads in the air. Afterwards you peruse the jungles and country roads to cross animals that you don’t even know the name of. The calm and the warmth are felt through everything you set your eyes on.

Jamie A Cowan © shutterLIVING