tripping out

as the speed boat zoomed and crashed over turquoise clear water, i COULD NOT BELIEVE THE COLOURS I WAS SEEING. coming toward D'Lagoon on the small Malay island of perentian, my breath was taken away, or did it quicken in excitement and anticipation? i don't even remember.

a tiny little inlet with a miniature white sand beach, surrounded by smooth sun-kissed bolders, tropical trees and a wide wide sky. the bolders hug a rugged shore which turn into a scottish highlands-like hill of small shrubby trees trimmed by the winds. tucked away behind the beach's coconut trees are a few little bungalows, a dorm and an open-air restaurant. this is where we would spend four days - on a kodachrome-coloured tropical island.

with our 4 boxes of fresh food procured meticulously at the kota baru market, including succulent mangoes and 4 durian, our guitar and bags, we settled into a small bungalow with a balcony just the right size for one of us to do yoga, and both of us to sit and eat, sing or simply look at the water.

it seemed to me that time just melted away. i had an experience floating in the sea that i've never had before - buoyant from the salt, my whole body seemed to be ON the water, and then twisting and turning horizontally i imagined myself a playful sea creature being caressed by the sea. joy! the water was warm and simply enveloped me, i felt surrounded and so calm.

we found the adam and eve beach, after a beautiful quiet barefoot walk through the forest accompanied by spontaneous bird calls, the surprised rustle of a harmless and very large iguana-like creature, and armies of determined black ants in strict rows climbing over roots (david suzuki says the whole world would fall apart if the ants suddenly disappeared, for all the space they take up). again, my breath was taken away! this very private beach looked like a picture - so perfect and still, with brillantly clear greeny turquoise water, white soft sand, bright green trees... yet i was there in person! lunch on the rocks, slipping into the sea, being naked and free....

and the same kind of slipping away seemed to be happening internally. subtle shifts in my body doing yoga, a new ease physically as well as on other levels. some things are just slipping away, certain old patterns and expectations are coming to light and then .. just not there anymore. recognizing parts of me that may have been so tired, dormant, and seeing them again come out - humour, muscles, energy -

one morning after jimmy and i ate mangoes i climbed onto one the big rocks facing sky and sea and just sat looking out, and then closed my eyes, looking in. not much to it, except I FELT I WAS REALLY THERE. no busy mind planning-planning, no heavy heart wondering-hoping, and muscles breathing and happy not stiff and hurting...