The Never-Ending Ocean

Last summer, my family and I visited Lipe Island, an island archipelago situated on the southern edge of Thailand. Being situated far from any bustling city, it provides a serene environment and is the perfect place for a laid back and peaceful holiday. This place will always be very special to me and hold a place very close to my heart, not only due to its immense beauty but also because of being the set of one of my most memorable days. Getting to the island is already part of the adventure, as one has to board a plane followed by an hour’s worth of sitting on a scenic boat ride. I know what you might be thinking, it’s kind of tiring right?, Yes it is, however it all becomes worth it as the island comes into view. From the distance, I could see the palm trees carefully aligned against the shore line and the large brain-like corals under the boat. The crystalline blue waters made me want to jump right into the sea. As the boat moved closer to the shore and docked into its harbor, a pickup truck lead us right to our wooden lodge which was by the beach. The lodge looked fantastic, especially the wooden parchment in the front which was overlooking the sea. I was amazed by my first glimpse of the beach. The salty smell of the ocean stung my nose as I inhaled the fresh air. The sand beneath my toes was very velvety.

Although the sand looked like it contained a combination of both colorful sea shells and coral fragments, it was nonetheless as soft as silk. The sand grains were as fine as it could be and were of the perfect shade of golden color. As I took out my DSLR camera to click some pictures, I realized that, what I was seeing through those lens could not compare to the real beauty of this haven. The waves rolling in and out made me feel very welcomed, like they were calling my name. Sitting down on the feather-like sand, I admired the view not knowing how much time had passed until my stomach started to rumble and it was time for lunch. Later that afternoon, we went out for snorkeling near one of the hidden coves and were very lucky to encounter a variety of fishes, crustaceans and other marine life including manta rays and sea turtles. We then headed back to our lodge just in time for sunset. The colors were painted across the sky making it a very picturesque sight. As the minutes ticked by, the warm rays gradually disappeared, being replaced by the cool breeze of the night sky. Birds could be seen singing and roaming the sky to get back to their nests. The sky shed its bright blue color and brought in a misty indigo. The sea was very calm tonight. As the sky started to darken, the shore was illuminated by the bioluminescence of the planktons. The sight was truly magical.

Soon, the smell of BBQ filled the air, and an hour later dinner was served and all of us sleepy and tired dozed off for a good night’s sleep. I was awakened the next morning by the sun glaring through the blinds at my face. I turned to check the clock and realized that it was already seven o’clock. The sun was already bright and up in the sky. As I headed out of the lodge for a morning walk I realized that the beach didn’t look quite the same as before. Over the course of the night, a lot of people might have checked in to the nearby lodges, as the beach was now like a room filled with people. I could see children scooping up the silky sand and molding it into castles or whatever they could imagine. It brought back memories and made me reminisce my childhood. A group of teenagers were playing beach volleyball while their parents were resting on beach chairs lined in front of their lodges. A couple of yachts were now floating on the sea waters. Onto the never-ending ocean, I could see motor boats tailing each other as fast as lightning and speedboats zooming in and out of the shore bringing in flocks of tourists. This chaotic scene made me quite worried, as I started to ask myself if in a hundred years, there will be any place left on our planet that has yet to be rummaged by mankind.

Although I didn’t like the chaos, I was happy that the beach was able to bring everyone together. Through the chaos I could still hear the laughter from the group of friends rejoiced and families enjoying their summer retreat and this made me smile. The golden sand was now shimmering. Luckily, I had decided to wear my sunglasses to shield my eyes from the blinding sun. The blazing sun was already burning my skin, so I decided to get ice cream to cool off and head back to my lodge. As the outside was too hot, I opted to read a book inside. Through the giant square windows of my cabin, I could see that the beach was filled with people canoeing and swimming. As if in a time-lapse, the minutes ticked by so quickly and one by one, I could see people heading back to their rooms. It was just like a fraction of second before the beach was empty again. I took this opportunity to go outside and swim in the warm water. As I stepped onto the moist sand, I could see tiny crabs rushing back to their holes and small fishes swimming against the tides. The beauty of the beach could once again be seen, however the sun was getting tired and the curtain of the night sky was soon going to be brought in. As the sun began to lose its color, I could see the reflections of the waves and the palm trees and for a moment I felt like I belonged at the beach.