Thai Initiation

Again, I have been to a group of islands and returned to land and thus the land of wifi, ice cream, and 7eleven. We just returned from staying on Koh Surin Nau (North Surin Island) in the Surin Islands. These islands lie on the western side of peninsular Thailand and are just south of the marine border of Myanmar (Burma). While there for seven days, we studied coral reef biology, bio-mineralization chemistry, tsunami hazard mitigation, a nomadic native group of people called the Moken who live their lives based on the monsoon seasons, eastern health practices and meditations, ancestral fish evolution, and weather and climate in the tropics. Yes, I am in school. Haha I know it may seem like I'm just here playing around in Thailand, but truthfully, I've learned soooo much here. I'm the type of person that does okay in school, but where I truly exceed is learning in the flesh; in real time. This is where I flourish, in the field. Thats why my college, Huxley, and this program are perfect for me. We have class every single day with no weekends.
When on island, a typical day looks like this:
-breakfast at 7:30am
-going out on a boat to snorkel for several hours doing transects, GPS locating and photographing specific coral heads, or just exploring and identifying creatures
-back to lunch at 12:30 at camp
-either a second round of snorkeling or another class activity like a hike to a inland lagoon or cave to study the ecology there
-lecture, student presentations, or review around 4:00pm till dinner
-dinner at 6:30
-then we have nights off to do what we please. Typically I shower, read my book, study, hammock, hang out with my friends, or do absolutely nothing. On land we typically go out.

Observations and my experiences so far:
- I was sick for 4 straight days with what I believe they call traveler's diarrhea. I call it Thai initiation. So for more than half of the time that I was on Koh Surin, I was sick and best friends with the bathroom. I've definitely not ever been sick like that before. At first I was mostly able to do the class activities, but after awhile of not being able to eat food and constantly fighting something nasty inside me, I started to lose energy fast. Sometimes I had to skip the morning snorkel session and just sleep. After several days I realized that my illness was not getting any better and I was only getting weaker, so I started taking antibiotics that I brought with me. Finally when I woke up on what would have been day 5 of illness, I felt like Rachel again. My teachers could tell right away that I was back. You know me, when I'm feeling good, I share the stoke! My last two days on Surin felt like my only two real days there and I took advantage of them. I had the most relaxing and meditative solo snorkel sessions, saw black tipped reef shark juveniles swimming amongst the protection of a mangrove, was the only person to see a sea turtle (one of the most incredible and calming experiences of my life, went trail running on a coastal jungle trail with rickety wooden bridges and vines, and found Nemo several times!
-we had a scary moment when our long boat driver had a random seizure while we were out snorkeling. The navy (coast guard) came out to help him but unfortunately I don't think they understood that he had a seizure...there isn't a word for it in the Thai language so they must not be common here. He's okay as far as we know.
-I had one of the most venomous snakes in the world come up for air right in front of my face while I was snorkeling. It was absolutely beautiful.
-Toyota Tacoma trucks here are very popular, but they're called Toyota Hilux instead. Every time I see one, it reminds me of a certain adventure I had living out of my favorite Tacoma in Indian Creek, Utah not too long ago.
-when we visited the Moken village to be taught about the way they live off the jungle and the sea, we were caught by surprise when we found out a boy our age in the village had died the day before and they were in the midst of his wake, mourning his death. His relatives invited us to come back that night for the celebration of his life. They were going to keep his body for 3 days so that his family over the Burma border and mainland could get there to mourn.
-I desperately crave granola everyday
-ice cream stands on the mainland are the most incredible thing ever: coconut ice cream with sticky rice. Yes! The diet here doesn't really include dairy so my body has been craving it.
- I still think about the mountains most every day
- the presence of my tattoo with me on my travels has become more and more of a comfort, anchor, beacon, and reminder. Especially while I was sick, having home with me was huge. When I got it put on my arm I really liked it, but it is continually becoming more of a reminder of my roots and has given me a lot of guidance. I'm realizing more and more that home is exactly where I currently have my tent laid and where the people I love are. Going from living on Orcas Island to living out of my car to Bellingham, to moving out and to Thailand the next morning, to living on a boat for half a year in Alaska I'm realizing that this is it. I am a nomad. Life is right now. It's an incredible thing; beautiful and humbling.
-the amount if trash here still amazes me. I'm starting to understand how so much plastic ends up in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. I'm trying my hardest to refuse plastic bags and styrofoam here. I just wish I could communicate to the Thai people why.
-there are a lot of really sweet vans here that I can't help but imagine what it would be like to live in.

Well it is getting late and we have our midterm tomorrow morning after breakfast. Plus, I have my presentation on cephalopod camouflage science the day after so I have both studying and research to do while I have wifi.

Thanks for reading!

Sarah with her watermelon seed art that I gave her

Somehow the Z-tan  is still around even though I'm barefoot all the time

One of our rad boat drivers

Sierra found espresso...obviously stoked! 

Good times in the songtao truck

Like I said; rad vans

A Longhorn Cowfish

Class on the beach on Surin Island

Longtail boats

We may or may not spend too much time on boats....

The Moken village

The tip of a Moken fishing spear

Using a GPS to find a specific coral head. This way the growth and progress of each coral head can be photographed and recorded year after year.

Short spined urchin 

A Christmas tree worm

Anemone fish

Mangrove forest

A spider conch

Coral

My epic trail run path

Black tip reef sharks in the mangrove