It has been a busy couple of weeks since Christmas day. As you can imagine, we were pretty sad to leave The Waterhouse. Our stay there was incredible. Waking up to the sound of the sea lapping beneath the bed, looking out at that perfect view and watching the world drift by on the turquoise waters. We gave serious thought to demolishing the bridge into the property and barricading ourselves in forever. But we'd booked a beach bungalow on another Thai island and it would have been a shame to lose the deposit, so we packed our bags, boarded the early morning ferry and headed back to the mainland to catch another ferry southwards to Koh Lanta.
For just over a week, our home was a tiny bamboo hut sat right at the edge of the beach. With it's single power socket and solitary light bulb, it's cold water shower and banana leaf roof, it is quite a change from the luxury of our palace on Koh Yao Noi. But, we do also enjoy the simple life and after long dreamy days in the sun, we'd pick up some beers from the local shop and step back down onto the beach to watch the giant disc of the sun sink into the ocean. This was our entertainment; the sky burning in slow motion, blasting out crimson streaks of cloud like cotton wool fireworks soaring over our heads and into the oncoming twilight.
As the sun's light faded, the restaurants and bars lining the beach would turn the bay into one long string of lights twinkling in the breeze. Tables and chairs would be set out on the sand and small ornamental fishing boats filled with ice would display whatever had been caught that day. Through the overhanging trees, moon light scattered down onto the beach, catching the moving shells of giant hermit crabs scurrying from their holes towards the blackness of the sea.
And it was in this beautiful setting that we said goodbye to 2012 - the year we set off around the world. After a feast of fresh seafood with spring rolls and rice, followed by a large ice cream sundae complete with sparkler, we made camp on a quiet darkened corner of the beach, lit a small fire, wedged our bottle of champagne in the sand and watched the new year arrive. Rosie and I have never really been fans of New Year's Eve, seeing it as little more than a number on a calendar and a night of "forced fun" signalling the end of Christmas, our return to work and the start of the most depressing month of the year. But given our current situation, this one was not like any other.
As midnight approached, families and friends huddled together in circles at the sea's edge around large floating paper lanterns. Holding them tightly once the burner had been carefully lit, the flickering flame lit up their excited faces and the sand around them. Those unfortunate soles too keen to let go would end up chasing their lantern towards the water as it skidded and slid perilously across the sand, it's paper chamber too cool to lift it. But for those patient enough, those who clutched at the bamboo frame until the dome of light above tugged at their grip, their lantern, once released, would rocket up into the sky, above the tallest palm trees, where the offshore breeze would catch it and send the flickering light out over the ocean. Beneath a sky of a billion stars and the immense cloudy streak of the milky way stretching from one horizon to the next, an armada of these gently glowing orbs of light took off from the island and floated up and over the Andaman Sea, drifting for miles and climbing hundreds of feet into the air So many were being launched from the two mile stretch of sand, it became hard to tell what were stars and what were lanterns - the sky was simply alive.
Then, like a rolling wave thundering up the beach, an orchestra of fireworks began to tear through the air. It was midnight. Fountains of light ignited the sky and streaks of colour fizzed out across the water. Deep thuds of mortars followed by giant balls of fire crept towards us until they were overhead, raining white hot sparks down onto the water, illuminating the darkness, punching the warm air. The fireworks from organised displays, put on by the various hotels and resorts, mixed with the rockets, bangers and roman candles being launched by revellers on the beach. As new year began, the entire coastline was roaring with pyrotechnics of all sizes.
We became dizzy, turning our heads from one side of the bay to the other; as one surge of explosions died down to the north, another would begin to the south, passing by our small camp and strobing down onto us in glittering rainbows as our shadows danced in all directions across the sand. All the while, lanterns continued their exodus into the sky, with explosions and rockets whizzing and cracking all around them. We stood in silence, gripping each others' hand tightly, smiling wildly. This year is going to be different.
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