We had come to the decision to finally leave the south and make our way back to Chiang Mai by my birthday, but before we would head north we had to spend 3 more nights in our favorite place, Railay. I wanted to go back now that I was feeling recovered and say goodbye the right way. Plus…why not?
It was easy and fairly cheap to get back to Railay from Koh Lanta. We decided to stay at the Rapala again because we really enjoyed our stay there in the treetops. When we arrived it was a perfectly sunny day and the tide was the highest that either of us had ever seen. It was all the way up to the walls! Railay East is usually a little rough on the eyes in comparison to Phra Nang beach with exposed mangroves, debris from the resorts, and plastic litter along the shore. With the tide being so high it was the prettiest I had ever seen the beach. This was such a drastic change after seeing the lowest tides there just a week before, which had its own unique appeal.
Walking to Phra Nang beach we saw some jellyfish of all sizes washed up ashore and floating in the water which made me a little nervous. That’s one of my few fears of the ocean. While I think they are beautiful and I’m fascinated by them, I am also terrified. Thailand’s waters are home to some of the most dangerous sea creatures, including the deadly box jellyfish. It’s always in the back of my anxious mind. As we walked along the spectacular limestone cliff and unique cavernous pathway to Phra Nang I was thankful to be back here and feeling good. When we made it to the beach we could see the tide was just as high on this side with the water touching some of the resort walls. There was almost no one in the water and as we tried to walk and wade along the beach we could see jellyfish in the water and pieces of them on the sand. Some of the jellyfish were as big as basketballs and some were as small as tennis balls. We opted out of wading across to the other side of the beach because we were nervous about getting stung. We didn’t know what kind of jellies they were and I didn’t want to risk it.
We hung out a while since we had made the walk and found a nice log under the cliff to rest upon. I had never enjoyed Phra Nang from that particular spot and I spent the afternoon marveling at the limestone cliffs, researching all I could on jellies, and trying not to be bummed about it. A few folks got into the water but they never stayed long. We overheard a few of them had been stung and it was painful but nothing truly alarming. After a while we saw the usual late afternoon rainstorm rolling in and headed back to our tree house. On the balcony we watched the langur monkeys leap from tree to tree and enjoy a late afternoon snack before it began to pour.
After the storm and some dinner, we ventured out to see our friend Mr. Bang Bang at his bar. On the way we saw the giant fruit bats making their trek out of the caves to enjoy dinner on the other side of the bay. Mr. Bang Bang was thrilled to see us back and that we had come to visit him first thing. He showered us with classic Thai hospitality and love. While we were there, more patrons crawled in and soon he had a packed house! It was a beautiful night at the Bang Bang Bar post pandemic. For every drink the others would order, he would make just enough to give me a “taste” (which was literally a whole paper cup) of his amazing cocktails with what was left in the blender. Each time I would tell him I was good he would shoosh me and say “no woman no cry” with a sly smile on his face. I just laughed and cheered him each time saying, “why not.” I needed to let go.
We shared and exchanged stories with the others in the bar, an American couple from Colorado on vacation from the grind of the American dream, a Polish couple who were celebrating an anniversary and returning to Bang Bang bar after 10 years, and a group of young backpackers looking to party hard and forget the world. Mr. Bang Bang brought so much diversity together and he had been doing it for decades. We were being served by a local legend! The American couple were lovely and the woman could talk for days. She was an open book and I appreciated her honesty and her story. The Polish couple were adorable and still so in love after decades of marriage. They all blessed us with encouragement for our bravery and wanderlust. We all inspired each other in different ways. It was a raw human experience.
Brad and I got completely happy wasted and it was the kind of night we both needed to let off steam and relieve the stress of travel, uncertainty, and the gypsy lifestyle we had been living. It was the kind of night that rejuvenates you. We didn’t wake up the next morning regretting our decisions, we woke up refreshed. Our monthly ‘family game night’ video chat was scheduled for the next morning and afterwards we spent the early afternoon relaxing in the treetops.
Later I had plans to finally get a bamboo tattoo. I had been wanting to get “why not?” in Thai language ever since I first came to Railay and I was determined to get it done before we left. I also wanted to experience the technique of tattooing. Elle is the man to get your bamboo tattoo when visiting Railay. He was kind and friendly like everyone in the bay and he provided a great experience! I was so happy with how it turned out, simple but significant. Since I got it, I have received loads of compliments and recognition from the Thai people about it. They just love it and it’s a great excuse for them to touch me (which is something a lot of Southeast Asians want to do I’ve learned).
I wanted this tattoo because I learned to be more adventurous when I came to Railay that first time. I learned to trust. I learned to be brave and try new things. I learned to ask myslef “tam mai la?” And ever since I have sort of lived by that phrase. It’s helped take me to some spectacular places and brought me to incredible experiences…like this one. After we were finished we went to the beach and sat on the sand and enjoyed our favorite place.
The next day we went kayaking around the bay. It was a cloudy morning and perfect weather for us to enjoy being on the water for a few hours. We stopped at some of the smaller beaches here and there and hiked around taking advantage of the morning low tide searching for shells and beautiful rocks and things. We found a sea slug that was on the brink of death and saved him. He was bigger than Brad’s hand and had been beached on the sand for a long time. We thought he might not make it. But after some time back in the water he bounced back! It was really neat to watch him recover along with all the little fish swimming around my legs. Even though we had kayaked around this glorious bay before, it was still just as magical as the first time.
We hit up Coffee Station to visit our good friend Non and have some of his famous brew. He and his wife were so happy to see us again and we spent some time enjoying each other’s company. We retreated to our tree house and spent more time watching nature and letting it heal our souls. The giant black squirrel, or Malayan giant squirrel, calls Railay home and it was the first Brad and I had seen this amazing animal. We looked it up and learned all about it and watched in awe as it finessed through the trees with incredible strength and skill. It was large like the size of a cat with a very long fluffy tail. Everytime we visit, we learn more and discover more! We spent another evening at Bang Bang bar having a drink and listening to music. Though we were exhausted from kayaking, we were happy and fulfilled. This was how I wanted to feel here last visit. It was almost like redemption.
Although I was ready to see Chiang Mai again, I was filled with the usual somber that comes with leaving this place. We were scheduled to leave that afternoon and Mr. Bang Bang invited us over to his place for a send off. We all knew it would be the last time we would see each other for a while. After enjoying our tree top views and swinging on the roof, we made our way to Bang Bang’s. He showered us with snacks for the trip and delicious mango sticky rice. He told us how special we were to him and that we would be family always. It was so bitter sweet! Some of his friends came by as well and we enjoyed a few Chang beers before it was time for us to set sail. To this day we keep in touch with Mr. Bang Bang over Instagram. We look forward to the time when we can visit this special place full of some of the greatest people we have ever met.
It was the perfect way to say goodbye for now, as the Thai people don’t believe in saying goodbye forever. I know we will be back again some day!