Sunset at Da Daepo Beach

Last night, I decided it would be nice to watch the sunset from one of the best sunset beaches in Pusan (Da Daepo)!  I accidently spelled it wrong in the sand -oops!  There really wasn't much of a sunset, since it was abnormally cloudy, and a tad bit rainy, but it was nice to lay on the sand and listen to the waves crashing... Reminded me of Thailand!  
Sparklers are my favorite firework, and since fireworks are legal on the beaches in Korea, I got a couple of them and stuck them in the sand, watching, mesmerized, by their beauty!  


One of my favorite things about being at Da Daepo beach after dark is the hill, which runs parallel to the water, that is covered in high rise buildings that light up the sky!

Then, on my way back to the taxi, I stopped by the carnival which was set up along the beach and gave one of the games a shot!  I had to throw 4 baseballs and knock over 4 pieces of wood.  The guy let me stand where the kids stand, and I did it! (Thank goodness! There were way too many people standing around watching me, to not make it... I would have been really embarrassed!) I ended up winning a yo yo... but not just any yo yo, a green light up one!

My Newest Guilty Pleasure!

Yesterday, I noticed this new store that was erected in my subway station while I was gone!  It's basically a "Claire's" but 1/3 the price!  I have no idea how I'm going to pull myself away from stopping here every afternoon on my way home from work!  

One Last Day in Paradise!

This morning, I headed over to Pranang Beach, but got stuck in a huge rain and wind storm while I was laying out!  The locals didn't seem to be too worried about it, so I ducked into a cave with them and some other beach-goers until the storm passed. 

 

I wish I had taken a picture of the "Penis Cave" at Pranang Beach.   It would make this story so much better!  As the story goes... a princess was captured by pirates a really long time ago.  During a storm, the pirate's boat crashed into a cave, killing the princess.  The Thai people in Railay ask for things from the dead Princess, and when their wishes come to fruition, they erect a penis out of wood for her as a thank you. (No pun intended!)  There are literally hundreds of carved penises, all different sizes!

After the beach, I hung out with Lek and No-n for a little while.  Non-n's cat, "People," is pregnant and due any day.  Can you see the lumps??

No-n also raises birds, which is a really common thing in Thailand.  The birds can mimic a whistled tune.  The owners bring them to "singing contests" and can win money if their bird wins!

Just a random picture of Railay and it's beauty!

The rest of the night was spent at Skunk Bar #2, Lek's other bar in Railay.  I sat around talking with other foreigners and met a really great couple from Spain, Alethia and Jose.  Jose was a tattoo artist and Alethia just basically hung out around the house and went shopping a lot!  Must be nice, huh?!   I also met a 32 year old Pharmacist from Barcelona named Miquel, and an English college student named Dave.   

At around 11:30pm, I ventured over to West Railay Beach after the sun had gone down.  I had heard it was a spectacle, and was pleasantly surprised at the way the moon shone off the cliffs and sparkled on the ocean water.  It was the perfect way to spend my last night in Thailand!

Back Where I Belong!

I couldn't bring myself to leave Thailand without being in Railay once more, so, with 2 nights left, I headed back to my home away from home!  When I arrived, I decided to stay at a new hotel that I had heard about from some friends who had stayed there before.  It's called Ya Ya.  It was only 9 dollars a night, and this was my Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse room!

I had a ladder that I climbed up to to get to my room...  The whole room was pure dark wood and creaked when you walked... and my favorite part was that there were huge doors that opened to the deck and the balcony, overlooking gorgeous jungle trees hanging outside.   It was quite the little paradise!

After I got all settled in, I headed over to Skunk Bar to see Lek and have some dinner... On my way, I saw this little kitten, laying in it's food dish, picked it up, and took it with me!  :)


I stopped here at Joy Bar first to play with the kitten and have a drink while the sun set over the water.  I'll be honest, I was more lured in by the relaxing music than anything else.

When I saw Lek, he was so excited that I came back that he immediately walked across the street and got me a coconut and a twix bar, which he knows I love!  Thai people are VERY VERY generous and thoughtful!  He also gave me this amulet.  Almost all Thai people wear amulets on a daily basis.  It's a carving of a Buddhist monk.  What a great souvenier, huh?!

While I was having dinner, these 2 darling girls came over to my table and asked me if I wanted to sit with them.   This is one of the best things about traveling alone... You're much less intimidating, and everyone wants to talk to you.  Anyhow, I said, "Sure thanks" and the rest is history!  Poppy and Chivonne were both 22 yrs old and from England.  They basically came to Thailand to get drunk and hook up with guys, which was why they were leaving Railay in the morning and going to Phi Phi Island, which I like to call "Spring Break - Thailand Style."

After Poppy and Chivonne left the bar to go bar hopping, I jumped on a bar stool and played "Connect Four" with Lek.  It's really common for bars and restaurants to have board games in Thailand.  It's great!  As we were sitting there, I met this amazing couple - Leah and Rich.  They are originally from Hawaii and had recently sold everything to travel the world.  The day before, they had bought a long tail boat (with no motor) and a couple paddles and were planning on living on the boat and paddling out to different islands everyday!  They were quite possibly one of the happiest couples I've ever met!  

It's so great to be back in Railay!

My last day on Phi Phi Island

Thank goodness for Kristin and her laptop, which saved me tons of money on internet cafe fees while I was staying on Phi Phi Island! Since I was usually one of the first people to wake up on the island, it was nice to drink my orange juice and write my blog in peace at the bookstore.

After Kristin and Mike woke up, we walked to breakfast and spotted this guy, blowing glass figures in one of the shops along the market street.  It was incredible to watch!

The clouds began to part, and the sun came shining through, which convinced us that we needed to try kayaking on the ocean!  So, Mike, Kristin and I rented kayaks and paddled ourselves out to Monkey Bay...

... where the water is crystal clear....

... the sand is pure white, and wooden swings are hung from beach trees...

... the wild monkeys take over your kayak and try to sift through your stuff...


... and they steal lays potato chips right out of your boat! haha

All in all, it's a great little place to check out!

You may think it's weird that I took a picture of this plate of nachos (which was my lunch after kayaking), but if you lived in Asia for 6 months like me, and never got to eat mexican food, you would understand what an incredible sight this was!

As much as I loved Phi Phi, I needed to make my way back toward Bangkok, so I decided to head back to Railay for 2 days. Before I left the island though, I went to go see Lampai (my masseuse) to say goodbye...  She was so thrilled that I had thought of her, and reached into her purse to grab this bracelet, which she had handmade.  She asked me to sit down, while she tied it to my hand and said some of the sweetest things I'd ever been told.  It was a really special moment.

After saying goodbye to Lampai, the guys at the tattoo shop, Mike, and Kristen, I jumped on the boat and headed back to Railay... my home away from home!