I don’t think any of us expected such an intense experience, and the tumultuous quest only made the whole adventure sweeter.
On last week’s overcast Saturday afternoon, some friends and I decided to take a trip to nearby hot springs. I had heard many rave about these naturally heated pools, and my time was ticking here in Krabi. The cool and rainy weather made this the perfect activity. We pondered public transportation, but since there were only five of us, we settled on taking motorbikes. I rode with my friend, Am, and the other two rode on the back of my friend Freddy’s bike. We filled up the tanks, and set off down the highway. The two bikes glided down the roads, weaving in and out of cars, and passing through several towns on the way. The ride was a blast, and we were making great time. All was going well.
It had been about forty-five minutes on the road when our luck began to change. Suddenly, I heard a hissing noise and Am’s bike started to lose speed. He pulled over to the left, tried revving up the gas, but the bike wouldn’t start. He turned off the bike and turned it on again, but each effort proved fruitless. Two men drove by on a motorbike and asked what was wrong. Am explained something in Thai, and to my surprise – I’m not sure if Americans would have been quite so altruistic – they helped him tow his bike to a repair shop up the road. We followed on foot, and when we arrived, we learned his oil had overheated. It would be a three day repair job. Now we were five people with one bike. According to the repairman, though, we were only two kilometers away! The best choice would then be to shuttle a couple of us at a time, then come back for the other two.
But upon our arrival, we were all overcome with a wave of disappointment. The “hot spring” was just a dirty swimming pool that was supposedly heated naturally – not exactly what we had in mind. “There’s another one a bit further away,” Am suggested. I agreed with the others that this pool wasn’t worth the trip, so we collectively decided to push forward. On the street, we awaited a bus that would take us closer. It arrived shortly after, overflowing with people, but I boarded with Am anyway and the others followed on a bike. The bus led us to an intersection 15 minutes away. There, we hired a motorbike taxi to take us to the spot. There were signs everywhere, so at least we knew we were headed in the right direction. After a winding road, the group finally arrived at the entrance to the hot springs. The hour and a half trip took us around three hours, so it was already late afternoon. Nevertheless, we had made it. Am called his Dad, who would pick us up at 6:00pm and pick up the bike, too, so he could repair it closer to his house.
It took everyone a moment to regroup, but we were anxious for some relaxation and entered the park. Shortly, I began to see white steam billowing up through the trees. The white sky shed an eerie, almost fluorescent glow onto the springs. Black rock formations arranged themselves in small adjacent pools. Water cascaded through each pool then downward towards a small waterfall. The heated water fed into a cool flowing stream at the bottom. The oasis was enclosed by trees, and because it was so late, we were the only ones there. For a second, everyone was silent, momentarily awed by the hot springs’ beauty, but we quickly stripped down to our bathing suits and eased into one of the pools. The air was chilly – well, chilly for Thailand – but the water was hot, like a jacuzzi. Its source was further up, out of sight. It was hard to believe the intense heat was completely natural. I explored a bit, and jumped into the cool spring below the waterfall. After spending time in the hot water, the cold was a shock to my body. I swam with the current to the waterfall’s base. Sitting in the cool water, I tilted my head backwards and let the hot water rush over me, steam rising all around me. As we climbed around, playing and laughing, we finally each settled in our own spots, sprawled around the springs. For almost 15 minutes, the five of us all sat in silence. I don’t think any of us expected such an intense experience, and the tumultuous quest only made the whole adventure sweeter. The contrast from the stress and frustration we felt compared with the pure bliss and meditation made for a breathtaking experience. When it was time to leave, we reluctantly exited the pools. We were still silent as we walked to meet Am’s dad, as if the hot springs had cast some spell over us. It truly felt like a magical place hidden away at the end of a long and difficult journey.
Article written by Anna Carey.
