It occurred to me today that the roar of the ocean on Khao Lak beach is only about a two thirds the relentless crash of the waves against rock and sand. The other third is the  endless hiss of the popping of millions of tiny bubbles in the sea foam disappearing into the sand. It takes more than a few minutes laying on one’s back in the sand, listening intently to notice that. At least it did for me.

Today was the first day that has felt “normal” since we got off the plane.

There were no interesting monuments to visit. We didn’t have to catch any form of pubic transport. Tony and I both put in a reasonable amount of work. Several hours were spent body surfing. It was a good day.

My mission for the day was to find the local market, so we could shop, and get some leads on housing. Khao Lak is the first place we’re considering as a home base and we want to check it out throughly before we take a trip down to Phuket to see how we like it there. 

The market was a fail (Monday, Wednesday, Saturday… today is Thursday). I did manage to avoid paying 200 BHT for a taxi (5 km… who pays 200 BHT to go five kilometers? I mean really?! But I digress…) to the market that was closed. So that part was a win.

Gabe and I walked all over town just checking it out, getting some money, eating some ice cream (don’t tell the other kids) almost stepping on a snake, you know, our usual things. And then: the rain started.

When I say rain, I do mean rain, like, RAIN.

• So much that the mountains right behind the town disappeared. 
• So much that we were soaked to the skin in minutes (even though we had to walk almost an hour home!) 
• So much that it was running ankle deep in the streets and we were sloshing through it. 
• So much that the water rain down our bodies in rivulets and there was nothing to do but laugh and keep walking. 
• So much that there was a pond on the INSIDE of my backpack, which is kinda waterproofed, when we got home. 

We were wet. There was nothing about us that was dry.

We were the antithesis of dry.

Fortunately, the rain passed, the sun came out and the rest of the day we spent on the beach: hunting shells, body surfing in the big waves and laying in the sand, listening to the sea foam fizzle. The kids got to tumble, screaming through the surf with their Dad for a few hours. I got to walk and think and polish my whole self with the fine grit of soft beach sand while collecting some shells for a few little people on the other side of the world who will want them.  

It was a good day.

If this is at all representative of our new life here, I’ll take it. Minus the snake.

Can you see it?

I love the colours in these rocks!

The things boys find on the beach: Dead puffer fish

Tiger striped sand!