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Last Week of our trip - Beaching it!
- Saturday, March 20, 2004 |
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We weren't really sure how to beat our fabulous beach experience in Koh Bulone Lae (KBL). No other beach could possibly compare! We considered going back there for our last week of the trip, but decided that it would be better to explore another place. Fellow travelers were ripe with suggestions. We settled on going to Koh Phangan after we found an incredibly cheapo flight. This island is near Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand along the opposite coast from Koh Bulone Lae. It was a great choice! Check it out:
After both a ferry and long-tail boat ride, we settled in for our last week of our 2 year journey. We stayed at a place named The Sanctuary Resort - Spa & Wellness Center. This island was much bigger than Koh Bulone Lae. Every month ~10,000 people gather on one of the beaches on Koh Phangan to celebrate the infamous Full Moon Party (missed it by a week or so). Unlike KBL which has no roads, no streets, and no spas, Koh Phangan has cars, buses, taxis, spas, hotels, resorts, and much more. However, we found a small slice of paradise at The Sanctuary because it's isolated - only reachable by long-tail boat. Similar to KBL, but they also offered a spa, yoga, and a wellness center.
On arrival we grabbed a smoothie at the wellness center and were talked into (didn't take much) to participate in a 3 day cleanse and fast. That's right - no food, only a strict regiment of herbs and shakes to help promote the bodies natural ability to clean out toxins and begin healing itself. We figured, why not! We've been doing a pretty good job of eating healthy as we travel, but it seemed like a good opportunity to clear out all the German Brats & Beers and Turkish Kebabs. What the hell, we had nothing else to do except sit around on the beach during our last week.
The 3 day fast turned into 7 days after talking with many folks who were just completing a 7 day program. They felt and looked great, literally glowing, so we decided to go for it. Besides, we felt great on day 3, never feeling hungry, lethargic, or nauseous like some of the other participants. All in all, it was a great week because we met some great folks (along with some very strange rangers) and shared in this unique experience with others.
Our days consisted of several doses of herbs, shakes, and juices starting at 7am and finishing in the evening over DVD's and vegetable broth with lots of chili pepper. The soup was a great end to our day and tasted as good as a big 'ol steak dinner to us. After a week we down to our fighting weights, felt great, and were ready to start eating again.
We spent our days lounging in the sun and reading up on lots of nutritional information. On day 5 we did feel pretty lethargic and generally yucky. Not sure if it was because our bodies were releasing toxins or because we needed some real food. Either way, we made it through the day and were rewarded with soup in the evening. Also, the wellness center had a great chill out area with hammocks, pillows, and chairs to make hanging comfortable. The center also had a herbal steam room, spa, and massage services along with a herbal tonic and juice bar.
It was such a great experience because we had committed to it so spontaneously. All in all, it was one of the best out of many great experiences our journey. M will miss all the fresh coconut juice......
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