too good to last

I knew paradise was too good to be true.  About 2 days after arriving to this beautiful island, I got hit with a really bad case of something gross.  I had a high fever, the chills, vomiting, and the runs (I warned you, it was gross).  I was convinced that I was going to die in a Thai hospital cutoff from everyone that I love except Adam.  The next day, I my fever broke and now I just have the runs and a sore throat.  It might be from the ice cubes.  I know that I shouldn’t use them but its so so so hot here, and I really just want a cold drink. 

The bungalow that we are renting has such character.  Once again the bathroom is basically a giant shower with a toilet and a sink in it, but our sink faucet is broken and only turns on over the side of the sink, spilling water onto the floor – which works because (as mentioned) the bathroom is already a shower.  We also have pets.  Mosquitoes find new places to suck our blood every night, yet when we look for them, they are gone…my theory is that there is some new super breed of mosquitoes that can turn themselves invisible.  My favorite pet, however, is Squeekers McGee.  Squeekers is a little white lizard that looks like something you would buy for a quarter in one of those machines – except that Squeekers is much louder than those plastic lizards.  I never knew that lizards actually sound like giant squeaking birds when they make noise…but they do.  Squeekers is clever.  He likes to play this game with us where he only squeaks once we fall asleep.  Its lots of fun.  We’ve chased him around the room several times, but he is oh so quick and knows that he is far safer in our cool little bungalow than he ever would be outside. 

Feeling well enough to actually move this morning, Adam and I set off to find grandfather and grandmother rock – two rocks that are shaped remarkably like the male and female genitalia (what could be better?).  I realized about half way there that I was actually in no shape to be making long treks across tropical islands and nearly passed out…so we stopped and got a $6 massage.  I love Thailand!  Then we went snorkeling…because we could and the water looked so clear and beautiful.  It was during my snorkeling expedition that I realized that I am more terrified of the water than most people.  We were literally 20 feet away from the beach and I kept  griping Adam for dear life every time I saw anything that resembled a shadow.  I must admit I had some ulterior motives – Adam looks very sexy all tan and in a bathing suit, but I was also pretty scared.  I don’t know how I’m going to get through this diving course.  Tomorrow, I have decided that I will rest by the beach and swim if I want and drink cold drinks if I want and do nothing at all if I want.  It will be grand.  Wednesday, while all of you are at your 4th of July BBQs I will be learning the fine art of Thai cooking.  I will go shopping at a Thai market and make my own Thai food.  I will then be able to make Thai food whenever I want.  Thursday is the first day of four days of the diving course.  I’m already trying to talk myself out of it, but my theory is that if I blog about it, you all will be terribly disappointed in me if I chicken out so I must do it – but if I get eaten by a shark – it will be your fault! 

Being sick made me feel homesick for the first time on this adventure.  I miss my home, but I am beginning to realized the enormous amount of stuff that I have.  People here live with so little and I actually enjoy that more.  Big clean out time when I get back.  I miss you all.