Tuesday, July 28, 2009 @ 10:44 PM
Super long (really really) Picture intensive post.I suppose most would have seen these pictures from facebook. But nonetheless, I decided to leech the ones I liked from the various albums. So well, here's to perhaps the best holiday I've had, and yet one that left me ambivalent.
My home away from home. Land of climbing solace. Place of Gods wonder.
"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have ordained, what is man that you are mindful of him?"
Went to Tonsai the very first thing with some of the guys. Decided we’d not follow the main group to Railay beach. While Railay has a good few decent routes, some of us were only willing to spend a day there at most.Tonsai was where our final destination would be, and that’s where we decided to start.
I’d say everyone was on holiday with no obligation, and most were new to the place.Some took it upon themselves to lead the group, some followed, and I took a step back. Not like me to move away from where the main lively group is. Branded as hardcore? Perhaps.
But this time I wanted to see what Krabi was like, away from certain things.
But yet I yield eventually, and know, that being with the team that I have grown so attached to brings me greater joy.
Climbing wise,I admit I got caught up on many occasions in the “must send” mentality.But it definitely wasn’t for bragging rights.Finishing a route isn’t all that important I guess.But on a personal level, I know where I stand if I can send certain things without hanging. It is deeply satisfying. Most of all, I enjoyed the moves. Really hard routes such as Asia’s Shadow Play have left me in awe.
You wonder how a random wall of limestone has just these tenuous holds you can use to ascend. That’s probably cos it wasn’t random ..
Things sent : Lars and lars 7A, Café Andaman 7B, Quarks 7B ,Baby gorilla 7C, Hang Ten 7C, Chicken head 6C+, Muay Thai 6B+, Beauty and the Beast 6C, Tidal Wave 7B+
Things tried : Asia’s Shadow Play 8A+ , Mai Mee Fahn 7A+, Tantrum 8A+, Riesenbaby 7A
One of my wishes was to see the juniors going onto harder routes. Being unafraid of the number “7”. Where you can’t scramble or “anyhow hold”. Where you have to plan. Where you realize it’s so beautiful even if you can’t do it. Im glad some did..
Baby Gorilla :
Mai Mee Fahn
Heng Hong attempts the majestic Asia’s Shadow Play
Routes with ropes aside, majority of us got to try out the deep water solo. Signed up at Wee’s climbing school and they brought us out in a longtail boat. Well Most didn’t expect it, but many fell victim to seasickness
Deep water solo is pretty scary. Not because its high, but because you keep having this weird feeling your gonna smash into the base rocks. Wouldn’t have that problem with overhang, but we didn’t get a chance to go to that site. Also, you cant wear spectacles and do this or they’re just gonna get ripped off your face and sink, rendering you blind for the rest of the trip. So much for spectacle hooks. Pieces of crap.
Though almost everyone got their chance at some form of solo drop into the water, choppy seas saw us retiring to Poda Island. Where everyone busied themselves re-enacting the Sentosa experience.
Something different from last years trip, this year some of us got the chance to really be immersed in the culture over there. Seperated from the mainland by sea, theres a unique way of life here. The whole atmosphere is one of relaxation. Amazing really. The thai people are hospitable and spend their time playing with things like slackline..smoking weed..bouldering..poi. After 2 weeks there, one should probably have tried them all.
No smoking weed for me, but I tried a piece of the “peace pancake” shared by everyone. Brian had several friends on Tonsai working at a restaurant. Their welcome really was something and made the trip that much more memorable.Beer was the common beverage of choice, being rather cheap, and with all the talking we did at night, we needed something to drink. Cocktails came in buckets, and though cheap were watered down a lot.
The slackline champion of tonsai.
Matthew sub-dividing the marijua*#cough I mean peace pancake. Yes. Peaceful
The slackline noob of tonsai.
Now the funnies. Whats a holiday without meaningless, random fun moments. Putting aside climbing for abit.
For all your caffeine needs. Its really quite good.
The dam of corals. To protect our belay spot from the tide. Toss a rock here for every time you didn’t send something.
Best bit of humour ever. Aussie guy digging out massive old log to give friend down the beach who owns a bar who wants to sculpt it into a gigantic something.
How many engineers…
Can sleep anywhere, everywhere :
Second lastly, food! Hm not too much to say. Ate countless eggs. Many pancakes. Not much mango sticky rice. The pictures here more or less sum up majority of what we had there. And the snacks in between.
Stuffed omelette padthai/friedrice with beef/chicken/seafood/shrimp.
Breakfast.
Snack.
When the main group left..the 6 of us were left, with not much baht. We had fun relaxing on deck chairs, climbing crazy things and just enjoying each others company. No regrets to extending my trip even for just abit.
Yet soon, we wave goodbye to the azure waters, late sunsets.. and the place which I yearn to return to as soon as I can.
Until Then!
