Trailing Off....: Leap to Lipeh: Snorkeling Meditation

Meditating Cat

I do not have the perseverance, patience, or agility to meditate in the typical style. Sitting in the lotus position gives me leg cramps and chanting makes my jaw hurt. However, there is one activity that I can engage in that produces the desired results of awareness without the distraction of emotion, thought, and self-reflection. Like traditional meditation the first steps to master are breathing and holding the body into a position in which you can best focus and not focus (it's all very confusing to explain, really). My meditation is snorkeling.

Thailand is renowned for its islands off both coasts--the Gulf of Thailand in the east and the Andaman Sea in the west. For my meditative retreats, I prefer an island with no McDonald's, no tailor shops, no time shares, and no place for cars. Lipeh (Lee-pay) Island ticks all the boxes. Koh Lipeh is part of the Taratao National Park and thus, has only been allowed to develop minimally. The island is inhabited by a group known as "sea gypsies".

First snorkeling session

Walking around the entire island would probably take a couple of hours at most and walking from one side to the other is about 30 minutes. Two narrow concrete roads and no cars, no buildings over one storey. I could stay at one of the islands with even fewer developments, but snorkeling meditation involves swimming and that makes one hungry.

Free advertising for Mulligan's in Dublin

Restaurants include standard Thai fare, a lot of grilled seafood, a pizza place, and my favorite--a grilled chicken place run all by ladyboys. A few pubs are scattered here and there, along with some souvenir shops, and a couple of places to get a full body massage for about $`10.

Biggest pub on the island

Last March, I was both excited and apprehensive to go to Lipeh after a 2 year hiatus. Excited because I wanted to share this great gem with someone great and apprehensive because said someone great thought snorkeling would be a big snorefest. What if the whole trip made my solitude paradise lose its sparkle?

Pre-snorkeling photo

Bungalow in Satun

Ferries to Lipeh leave from Satun, about 100 km from Songkhla. One of my Thai colleagues is from Satun and a large number of people in his family are connected to the local tourism industry. The night before we set sail, we received an incredible home cooked meal by his wife at her restaurant and stayed gratis at a cousin's bungalow where there was not only hot water and a comfy bed, but also cable. With Dexter showing.

Next day, breakfast at another cousin's shop and escort service to the ferry. The ride over is about an hour and a half with a short stop at this small island.

At small island on the way to Lipeh

There is no relationship between "naked place"and "porn resort"

When we arrived, I had hoped to stay at my usual--the Porn Resort. Despite being usually mature, seeing the sign makes me laugh like a 12 year old boy. Actually "porn" is a Thai woman's name that means "blessing" and is pronounced more like "pawn".

simplicity

The Porn Resort was full, so we headed to the Sunset Resort and stayed here for about $12/ night. Inside is a bed with a mosquito net and a fan. A step down in the back of the hut leads to a concrete "bathroom" with a shower and a lid less toilet. No cupboard, mirror, table, chair, or room service here.

We immediately donned our swimming gear of shorts and t-shirts and went to explore. Every beach includes sand, rocks, turquoise waters and the tell tale dark splotches of underwater coral where the fishes like to hang out. After finding a secluded spot to stow our stuff, I put on my teacher hat and showed Stephen the fundamentals of snorkeling. He took to it like a ....you got it. From then on, it was a fight over who got to use the lone mask.

Addicted!

I don't know if floating in the water, hearing only the sound of my own breathing, and watching an entire other universe of color and dancing shapes beneath me is true meditation. It's certainly not something I can do every day. But it's definitely a peaceful detour on this journey that if not enlightened, is pretty damn cool.