Kao Sok and Ao Panggna เขาสกและอ่าวพังงา

Elina, Veronika, and I took a bus from Hatyai to somewhere in Suratthani province. From there we hitchhiked to the town of our Couchsurfing host. Our driver was very kind. He offered us a place to stay in his home but we had to decline because our CS host was waiting.

These two newcomers to Thailand had loads of questions. And I did my best to answer them. The problem was the more I told them about working in a government high school, the more they started losing interest in their upcoming job. What we didn't know was that this trip would provide another reason for them to not want to work in Hatyai. All the beauty and serenity they witnessed in the depths of southern Thailand helped to make Hatyai became a concrete jungle in their mind. 

This is Rachaprappa Lake (ทะเลสาบรัชชประภา). Actually the whole lake is much bigger than just this. No photo can show you the entirety of the lake. A satellite image can do that. This is just a fraction.

Heart Mountain can be seen although the distinct shape of a heart is not very clear from this distance.

Elina posing for photos to send her boyfriend.

Veronika was easy in front of the camera.

These roots go deep.

The lake in tree-branch frames.

This is near the dam although it wasn't included in the shot. I would end up revisiting this spot with my dad and my sister a year later. There is a scene in the film my dad made that is taken at this very spot.

It must be nice to rest in those guesthouses on the water with the gentle sway of the waves rocking you to sleep.

Another vista from which part of the lake can be seen. Another scene was shot here by Baba about a year after this photo was taken.

Heart Mountain may have been a sign from Mother Earth that says "I heart you all."

On the flight over here, Veronika had befriended someone who ended up directing the second half of our trip. Mama and Papa, as we called them, brought us to Panggna. I am still in awe of the generosity of those two beautiful souls. 

Panggna Bay is a photographer's dreamworld. Who would want to return to Hatyai after seeing such landscapes?

The boat tour lasted all day and was a feast for the eye of the heart.

These mountain formations exist not only in the water but also on land. They're to be found all over Panggna province and northern Krabi. The girls forgot about Hatyai after seeing such places. After hearing about some of the challenges they may run into at their upcoming gig as high school teachers, their souls swayed and searched for possible alternatives.

Of course the landscape was telling them much more than human words could provide.

Peace and Serenity Under a Vast Sky

Nature Making Art

We spotted this little unpopulated beach. The captain asked us if we would like to stop for a swim. This spontaneous decision inspired a lot of our trip with Baba a year later. 

It was an excellent location for a swim.  There were no others there. It was quiet and peaceful and the thirty minutes we spent there was timeless.

Ko Panyee (เกาะปันหยี) is a fishing village in the bay. 

This meow (แมว is the Thai word for cat) and her friends talked to us about the little school of the island village. Of course this caught the attention of Elina and Veronika. They asked the girls many questions as the thought of living in an authentic place like this pulled on their soul.

I befriended the cat as the girls talked to the young students.

Veronika had lots of questions for the grade schoolers. But her main question must have been "Wouldn't it be nice to be teaching at a beautiful place like this?"

Family Photo

Unfortunately the girls and I had a disagreement about where to go next. They went south to Phuket (ภูเก็ต)as I went north to Kao Lak(เขาหลัก). This is Rainbow Falls (น้ำตกสายรุ้ง). I cycled there on my first day in quiet Kao Lak. I got exactly what I wanted which was a quiet place with few people. The crowds of Phuket isn't what I needed.

I had rented this mountain bike. I love the bright neon green of the bicycle especially in contrast to the darker shades of green found in nature.

This was at Wang Kieang Koo Falls (น้ำตกวังเคียงคู่) the following day. It was totally worth the early morning bicycle trip but the waterfall itself was so small I passed right by it and had to turn back. I didn't even include a photo of the falls because this dog in early morning laze is much cuter.

I hitchhiked a short distance to where the busses would be passing by and then got on one back to Hatyai. Also I want to note that Hatyai may not offer beautiful landscapes and quiet scenery that takes you to another world. But it offers a lot of other things and I appreciate my life here. I'm happy to call Hatyai my home.

I hope you enjoyed this photo journey from 2017. As for Elina and Veronika, well let's just say they enjoyed an early retirement from teaching in Thailand. Upon returning to Hatyai from these beautiful landscapes that warmed their soul, they felt nothing but a desire to return to these magnificent places. They taught at the school for one day, saw the problems every foreign teacher faces, and knew right then and there it wasn't for them. It's not short of courage to realize that something isn't meant for you and to pull yourself out of the undesired circumstance.