A path led into the jungle and I of course could not resist the hope to meander West to catch the sunset over the Indian Ocean. As we crossed next to an old marine house - there on display was a whale skeleton gleaming among the gorgeous beach miraculously left there for everyone's dismay and pleasure. Standing next to an animal's bones four times the size of you and know you are one of many is one of the most wonderful feelings left. You revel in it.
4 young boys were there riding their bike - they told us "Big Fish" and continued with us along the beach. I was scanning an area, so we could just bed down for the night against the jungle hidden beach.
After a while and seemingly all of a sudden - just before sunset the boys took off running, which was a relief. With them biking down the sand in something of a hurry, we were now at peace. We spread out faced west toward the sounds of the surf rolling in, the jungle to our backs and the setting sun onto the water.
We threw off our sarongs and traveling shoes and swam as American's do - in our swimsuits- running screaming and ecstatic at our first taste of the warm Indian Ocean - delighting in the seclusion and secret beach. This is a repeated quest and only those of you who have found such a place hidden from the rest of the world can share in the pure emotion of the salt water, the surf, the jungle and the natural clean ruggedness.
As the night took the sun, no bait was needed as we both were still very excited and high on the change of plans and the excitement of when everyone is game to fly with the wind.
We walked south along the water until we reached the river that we had crossed to the there. Unfortunately, we learned what those boys had left in a hurry for - the river had risen - we should of known as we watched the tide roll in. Well i didn't care I was happy to sleep under the moon. My friend was already yelling "help, help, can you help us?"
I was on the floor laughing, who are you yelling to in the middle of the dark? But all my laughing was futile, she was seriously scared.
I recommended swimming to no avail, which was good, because I had my recorder that I didn't want to sacrifice. I was contemplating a raft. A candle light approached from a distance and made it's way down to the water. By the time it reached the water - there were two candles, a man, a woman and a third person. They were walking into the river. The woman stayed at the bank as the candles floated in the air above their heads, they came across took our hands and while I was not afraid - how do you resist the invitation and such a gesture - we crossed the river, flooded up to our chest and shoulders and then across - sand on our feet and drenched in happiness and mystified. We knew we made the right decision before we could properly say thank you to those mysterious and beautiful souls were gone - except deep in our hearts and memories forever moved.
We wandered the rest of the night with what felt like the water gods protecting us from any harm and only leading us to more miraculous adventures.
We ended up at an upper class midnight children's talent show in an outdoor proscenium - build of wood and weathered by monsoon with an overhang where 50 chairs were set for adoring parents. We slipped in during the Hindi pop techno blaring and sat back to watch some of the most foreign dancing I had ever seen - obscure jerking motions to off beat measures. We were quickly escorted up front where we laid on the ground with some of the parents watching the children make fun of western fashion shows traipsing down a catwalk dressed in burlap sacks. All was memory.