Red Lotus Lake

INTENSE WINDCHIMES

The sound is startling but as soon as I come to consciousness, I am full of excitement knowing this 5 AM wake up has been long awaited. Some grunts and layers later, I am sitting in the van flying towards the rising sun. As others catch some extra ZZZs, the appearance of warm colors in the sky as well as the blasting nostalgic-yearning-stomp&holler genre in my airpods, stir those familiar bittersweet emotions in my stomach. This time last year, I remember seeing the photos of Red Lotus Lake on CJ’s instagram. CJ graduated with me at Bowdoin and was an ETA in Thailand last year. They have continuously been an incredible resource and emotional support as I made decisions surrounding my Fulbright in Thailand. When I saw the sea of pink in their insta post I knew it was something I needed to experience outside of a small square on my phone screen. I hoped and prayed I would be granted the opportunity to know how it felt on that early morning boat ride.

As I write this entry, I am sitting comfortably in my MAINE shirt and bucket hat with my Bowdoin College bag between my legs in a coffee shop in Udon Thani. I pause my typing when I realize the song Portland, Maine plays over the speaker. I gasp and look to Leila, a current ETA, whom I ran cross country with at Bowdoin: what a small world it is! This coincidence reminds me of a time last May when I was walking along a beach in Halkidiki, Greece and the song Maine by Noah Kahan played for the mid-afternoon sun. makes you stop and think about all those moments happening all over the world with or without you.

makes you think those moments happen just for you. 

After the 45 minute van ride of light blues turning pink streaks into foamy oranges, the first glance of the confident lady from the shore of Red Lotus Lake felt like the sudden bursting of a long-expanding bubble.

Soon enough we were off on the boats and I found myself situated at the front, peering out over the water. I had missed watching the way water parts for such sharp confident entities and I relished in the gentle proximity to the natural world.

I rarely witness the early morning outside despite the inherent joy hidden in those firsts: first pink cloud, first bird chirp, first deep breath, first wai, and of course the first sip of coffee. I hesitated little with my film camera, ready to spend the last of my roll on this special day. Our boat driver also hesitated little as she directed our boat and its engine directly into unblossomed tropical water lilies (They aren’t actually lotuses despite the lake’s English name). I laughed and cringed at the irony of ripping up lilies to get to the "photogenic" lilies and turned my attention to the flock of birds who much more gracefully and naturally traversed the plants walking on water as they searched for breakfast. The boat ride was a beautifully slow twenty minutes out and though it was the pink horizon we were chasing, each part of the lake held its own awe-striking ecosystem. 

In classic Thai fashion from the time our boat halted in the midst of the pink sea to the time we left it, we were taking photos. And how could we not? Sprawling out in all directions were the brilliant lilies, with a vibrant pink not common to many natural landscapes I’m familiar with. Looking around, it wasn’t just the lilies that were smiling and oozing joy, everyone had smiles plastered on their faces. And it wasn’t just the flowers or the water but also the cool morning air welcomed by a gaggle of Americans tired by the tropical Thai “winter”. It was a beautiful shared experience for our cohort alongside new friends, Fulbright ETAs from Laos. 

Chaa on their second trip to the Red Lotus Lake as they were an ETA last year. How lucky we all are that he decided to stay another year in Thailand!

Sabrina another ETA who like me experienced this landscape for the first time this December. We happily cuddled at the front of the boat taking in the sights :)

The boat ride back was almost as enjoyable as the boat ride there. I was full of gratitude for everything I couldn't have anticipated about the experience: the white tails of the hungry birds, the community of trusted friends around me, the sadness of saying goodbye to a friend headed back to the US early, the full roll of film in my camera, the relief of cool wind moving through my short hair after several hot months, and the eagerness for the extensive hotel buffet awaiting our return.