Landscape Aesthetic of Samet Nangshe

By Nantes T

Spring 2022 5^th Grade

“I can’t believe I am in Samet Nangshe with my favorite aunty!” Nice finally got a place in the sun. She revealed her feelings with a smile after her aunt wiped her sweating face with a new tissue. It was the late summer when the temperature nearly reached the boiling point while the mist in the air shimmered around.  Nature had given Nice’s body an unexpected adventure to heat up.

“Can we hike to the top of the hill instead of driving the car?” Auntie Aey asked with a gentle voice even though she sounded to Nice like a reporter, “You will love it, we will walk on the mountain trail to the top of the hill.”

Nice nodded and smiled as the corners of her mouth curved up high.  “Definitely, yes.” She giggled. It felt good being with her aunty as easy as a day at the beach.

“Be on the right track, avoid walking too far from the trail otherwise you will be lost!” Aunty Aey suggested. She picked up her phone and assumed it as the role of navigator. “It will take 30 minutes to go to the top of the hill,” she explained with her usual attention to detail. “If we focus on the speed, it will take only 15 minutes!”  Aunty Aey always saw the glass as half full.

The sound of grasshoppers and crickets chirped in harmony filling the hikers with a symphony of chirps and tweets. When Nice and her aunty walked up the path, they encountered a maze which seemed to open into one another. Suddenly, a small bird from a tiny branch with its soft exotic eyes brought new life into their tired and fatigued faces. This bird seemed to know it was helping the hikers and followed them for the rest of the trip, entertaining them with a mixture of soft and sweet tweets. Then they both stopped walking which startled their helpful birth who flew away, tweeting a soft goodbye. They stared at the bird flying gracefully in the air. After the quietness, they continued their hiking without a little song which they no longer had their feathery chords to accompany them.

Upon reaching the top of the meadow and getting her fifteen minutes of spotlight, Nice felt calm, light, and the cool breeze lightened her soul. Then she saw a steel fence. When she leaned against the railing, Nice saw the 180-degree views overlooking Phang Nga Bay with its hundreds of remarkable limestone formations and small islands. After a long day of hiking up a steep hill, she looked at the river that was filled with glistening, shimmering, and flowing water. Calm water always calms the soul. This calmness made her think about camping on the shore while her family filled the late afternoon with marshmallows on sticks and roasted them over an open fire.

While taking a picture, Nice realized that there always seemed to be a small crowd of passionate photographers, amateurs and professionals, blocking the camera. She imagined busy bees working to gather enough pollen from the sweet-scented flowers. These photographers were not her idea of a delightful time.

With a long enjoyable run the day passed quicker than usual. When Nice got exhausted, she rested at the boutique cafe on the top of the hill. This cafe was the bee’s knees.  It had smoothies, drinks, sweets, food, and gifts. When she saw the most admired menu items on the board, she looked like she was as hungry as a tiger with a growling stomach still hunting for its prey. She ordered a cherry smoothie and a vanilla ice cream with a waffle on top. This dessert had so many unique spices that her tongue was happily confused. After drinking all the tasty and delightful food, she went to pick up her bag which was carrying something heavy. Once she was outside of the cafe which resembled a small cabin, she took out the big camera and clicked at the landscape. She held it firmly, almost clicking her next photo, but a crowd blocked the way. She went to the front and took many pictures before leaving, but the crowd grew bigger and she was lost in a pack of people. She found her way out and went back to the cafe. She found her aunt eating a banana pancake that was made from the resort.

“This landscape picture is so beautiful, right Aunty Aey?” Nice asked curiously.

“Definitely!” Aunty Aey exclaimed.

“Would you mind taking a picture for all of us?” Aunty Aey asked the passing tourist.

“Okay,” replied Peter, the tourist.

“Thank you. I appreciate it!” Aunty Aey exclaimed.

Peter looked at the picture through the camera lens, seeing Nice and her aunty Aey smiling happily in front of the background behind them.