THE BOUNDLESS BLUES

by Anushka Arora (India)

A leap into the unknown Thailand

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At the age of 11, it was my very first time travelling to another country. Infact, it was the first time I had ever sat in an aeroplane! We landed in Bangkok, Thailand at around 4 a.m and took a bus to go to Pattaya. We reached Pattaya, checked into our hotel, screamed in excitement when we saw that our room had a bathtub and a sea-facing balcony. Oh, and of course we jumped on the beds for at least 10 minutes! "Today's itinerary is filled with surprises and adventures, and you need to try it all", said Papa. So we packed a pair of extra clothes and left for the beach situated at a 5-minute walk from the hotel. It was my first time seeing the sea and I was astonished by the boundless body of water in front of me. The way the light reflected looking like little diamonds sitting on the surface of the water, the way the waves came to the shore and little crabs popped out, leaving little holes in the sand. It was all so mesmerizing! We took a motorboat to go to the middle of the sea for the activities lined-up. The first activity for the day was -Parasailing. The fear of uncertainty of not knowing what to expect was taking over me. I got over the anxious thoughts by assuring myself that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. When I rose to the sky I could see the whole world beneath me take on a new perspective. I had always wondered how birds felt like, watching all of us as tiny little creatures, when in reality they were the ones. The calm sea and the marvellous liquid sunshine forests, made me want to cry as I couldn’t take in all of that at once. It was a breathtaking view and I let myself indulge in the remarkable beauty of parasail. While still enjoying and never wanting to come down, the boat's speed decreased and I was lowered onto the deck. The instructor came up to me and asked, "So, how was it?". I gave her a one-word answer, "Hypnotic." We hopped into our motorboat and reached another deck in the sea for the next activity-underwater diving. We were made to put on bulky oxygen helmets that looked like the ones worn by astronauts. The idea of leaving the world I knew better and entering into something mysterious and eerie was undoubtedly scary. We started descending the never-ending ladder entering the infinite blue. Finally, my feet touched that silky seabed. I felt like I was in another civilization and as if time had stopped. I could hear soothing music, almost like a piano was being played. For the first 5 minutes, I could not take my eyes off of my only hope-my instructor and my parents. But slowly, I began to take shape and come into focus. I stopped breathing. It was not through fear anymore but from sheer awe and wonder. The world slowed down as I tried to savour every moment, remember every detail. It was far more alluring than I imagined. I saw uncountable fishes dancing in their ever-impressive formation. Candy-hued coral swayed underneath like a colourful Monet. Crabs were crawling across the seafloor, as the colourful parrotfishes appeared, out of sudden, eating algae off of coral reefs. And I vividly remember one instance where the instructor picked up a ball-like fish with spikes-like structure all over its body and kept it to on my arm. It felt as soft as cotton! The underwater world is fairy-like! Exploring nature is a meditation in itself. The feeling of power rejuvenates your inner self. It’s like a dream you don't want to wake up from; swimming with a shoal of bream, plants tickling your body with the smallest touch and the limitless vision of water around you and at the same time the peacefulness of floating over the ocean, watching the breathtaking sights of the coast makes you feel invincible! If it were up to me, I would want to live this dream again and again! That day was truly a leap into the unknown.