We made it to Owen Beach from our drive down Ruston Way! For some reason, walking around here reminded us of Twilight. (I know, I can't believe I read the series either; but no matter how upset I was with them, I wanted to know what happened next.) The woods, rocky beach and cloudy sky all added to the Twilight ambiance. All we needed were some vampires, werewolves and an antiheroine, and we're good to go!
I love how the pavement had different contest winning poems by locals engraved on different blocks. To read other Promenade Poems, click here.
Skipping stones was the activity of the day!
I tried to get a cool looking shot, but it's really hard when you have little flies swarming from out of the tree trunk while you're trying to do it!
Plants will grow anywhere.
Leading to a trail that we did not want to go on today.
Owen Beach
Location: 5605 North Owen Beach Road, Tacoma, WA 98407
Phone: (253) 305-1010
Website: http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=80
Koh Samui, Thailand
My friend is currently on her honeymoon in Thailand, and one of her destinations is Koh Samui. The other day her Facebook status said, "Time to go see some...interesting looking rocks." I chuckled when I read it because I knew exactly what she meant. While we were on vacation last fall, we saw the same rocks, Hin Ta & Hin Yai, more popularly known as Grandfather & Grandmother Rocks. These natural rock formations strangely resemble male and female reproductive genitalia. Naturally, there is a legend that describes how these fascinating rocks came to existence. According to a folklore:
An old couple by the name of Ta Kreng (Grandpa Kreng) and Yai Riem (Grandma Riem) who lived with their son in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. Since their son had come of age, they felt that it was time to get married.
One day they decided to sail to neighboring province of Prachuap Khiri Khan to ask for the hand of Ta Monglai's daughter. During their sea journey, their boat was seized by a storm. The old man and his wife were unable to swim ashore. They died at sea—turning into rocks as proof to the would be bride's parents of their true intentions.
—Site Sign
Learning about the story made the site more beautiful and less awkward. In fact, despite the interesting formations, the view from the cliffs separating Lamai Beach and Hua Thanon is amazing.
Just a tip: If you visit Hin Ta & Hin Ya, there is a road filled with souvenir and food vendors that leads to the cliffs. Try the kalamae, a coconut dessert—it's delicious! My favorite is the green kalamae, which is made with pandan leaves, so it's not as sweet, but still oh-so-good!
Had Noppharatthara - Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park
Maya Bay, Krabi, Thailand
"As for me, I still believe in paradise. But now at least I know it's not some place you can look for, 'cause it's not where you go. It's how you feel for a moment in your life when you're a part of something, and if you find that moment...it lasts forever." -Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio, The Beach)
I actually didn't watch The Beach until after we visited this island, so I didn't understand what all the hype was all about. Now, don't get me wrong. It's absolutely beautiful at first sight. I had an amazing feeling as we sailed into the bay, but that quickly changed after I saw the speedboats lined up parallel to the shore, the beach crowded with people and trash in the ocean—my feeling of paradise slipped away. If you haven't watched the movie, the premise is about a group of travelers who've found this paradise that they want to keep paradise by keeping it a secret from everyone else. It just seems ironic now with waves of boats ushering dozens of people in all day searching for a bit of paradise but instead find themselves having to watch where they walk or swim. Honestly, it wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the trash. Clean up, people. It's easy. Throw your waste in a trash can or take it off the island with you. Let's keep nature beautiful.
Checking the view from "The Southernmost Point in Continental Asia."
Sentosa, Singapore
It's a strong statement for this islet since it's an islet south of Sentosa Island that is south of Singapore, which is also an island. Here's the reason according to the sign on the islet:
The islet that you are standing on is now 136 km north of the equator and is described as the Southernmost Point of Asia.
This islet is linked to Asia via a suspension bridge to Sentosa Island, which is linked to mainland Singapore by a 710 meter long causeway-bridge. Singapore is further linked to Peninsular Malaysia and Asia by the Singapore-Johor Causeway.
Bridges. Answers to everything!
