Waterworld

We awoke to rain, no electricity, a few weak feathers of light filtering in through the curtains. So much for seeing the sunrise. With some effort, we wriggled out of our comfortable cocoon of silk mosquito netting and crawled up to the window to take a look outside; bleak grey skies, mud puddles, a wet dog. Mia returned to the cocoon, and with no major plans for the day, I couldn't blame her.

I ate alone amidst the clicks of geckos stealing glances from behind beams. Mia slept, while I read. Shortly after Mia woke, with the tide then low and shallows long, we had a swimming lesson.

Though she grew up on an island, Mia can't swim, and in fact, she's afraid of water. As a child, her younger brother had nearly drowned, so their mother told them that if they ever went in the ocean again, a ghost serpent would eat them. This proved so effective that, to this day, Mia fears sea monsters, and therefore, doesn't swim. But she gave it a shot—treading water, a few simple strokes, holding her breath—and did just fine.

Later, under a graphite sky, we kayaked to an uninhabited island, and paddled its perimeter. We scoped out the coast and eyed its nearest neighbours, but between ill-fitting life jackets and dark clouds rolling in, decided against going into deeper water, and instead made our way to the nearest point to follow the shoreline back around to the beach.

Our tandem kayak cut through waves past disused docks and backyard barramundi farms, fleeing growing thunderheads. All color drained from the Andaman. Bone-colored ships with masts like the tips of fish skeletons passed silently in the distance. We pressed on, navigating a mini mangrove forest where fishermen staked nets in receding water.

Back on our beach, we enjoyed some excellent seafood spaghetti and vegetable tempura. After dinner, I got 4 beers, a bucket of ice, and wrote until it was rude to stay on the computer any longer, then read. After some preemptive packing, I laid down with a little Legend of Zelda (A Link to the Past) but, instead of defeating Trinexx—the three-headed keeper of Turtle Rock—I fell asleep with my earphones and glasses on, the DS resting on my chest.