Already a Week
It has been almost a week, since I came to Thailand. But I didn’t have the will to go out and take photos as it has been constantly raining day in and out. It’s like the heavens is not going to ran out of water. It just keeps pouring. Well not that I’m complaining; in fact I actually love the weather. The only downside is that I was stuck in my room for the good part of my stay.
I realized that Thailand has quite an intermittent rain pattern. It rains heavily for 15 to 30 minutes, then it stops. It would rain again after a couple of hours. So I had to take the few minutes to go out with my DSLR, making sure that I am not caught in the rain lest my camera get soaked.
As you may have noticed in the photos, Chalong is located in the pier. Hence the many boats and yachts. What caught my attention are the traditional boats still used by the locals. This speaks a lot about how a country like Thailand managed to keep their tradition despite the grueling onslaught of modernity. One time I was eating at a local canteen when I saw the news on the TV. It was the minister of agriculture (or so) urging the people to come back to farming.
Farming? Seriously? I will never hear anything like that in the Philippines. In fact, I do not remember anything about the Philippine government reinforcing the importance of agriculture in the country. It was always about importation and developing sectors that only benefit 1% of the population.
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So I kept on walking. I thought- if only Philippines would be more organized, systematic and peaceful then I bet the country will be a huge hit to the foreign travel market. But not until you eradicate bureaucracy and red tape, crimes, lack of proper transportation and infrastructure and unpleasant attitudes of the Filipinos e.g. ripping taxi drivers; the country will never make it. A harsh reality that Philippine tourism will remain bear-ish for the many years to come.
The evenings in Chalong are very laid back and quiet. Unlike Patong, Chalong does not have many guests during the low season. But what makes this place really enticing are the exquisite seafood that comes at reasonable prices. On my first day in Chalong, I kept walking and found a restaurant facing the bay. The serenity and tranquility of the place just mesmerized me. Away from the prying eyes of other tourists, I sat there alone taking in as much as I can the peace that I was looking for. It’s funny that I even slept for a while, listening to the calming music of the waves.
This place is just so romantic (there’s actually a live band playing “Fly Me To The Moon” on the corner, but unfortunately it rained again they had to stop). I was half hoping that someone would just sit beside me and spark an intelligent discussion about the meaning of life and the significance of human existence; or maybe just a special someone who doesn’t really have to talk. It is moments like this that I long for a companion, but then again I have become so comfortable traveling alone.
Tomorrow I finally bid Chalong goodbye. There are still so many places to discover, but it is wise to come at a time when waves are kinder and the skies are sunnier. Definitely I’ll be back, and who knows I might come back with that one special person. 🙂
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