How to Find Some Beautiful Place to Get Lost

From the desk of Victor Pride
subj: Lost at the beach of peace
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Every morning I’ve been waking up around 4 am and going to the beach of peace.

I don’t go here so early because I want to be alone in solitude, lost in thought or something like that.

I go here so early because that’s the best time to go, which I found out by accident…

I woke up the first day here at 3:30 am and she wanted to see the sunrise so we went to see the sunrise. How can anyone say no to this request?

The beach was only a few minutes from the hotel so that’s where we went. What I saw there shocked me…

At 4 am, the beach was full of people.

I’d found some beautiful place to get lost, and it turns out a lot of other people found the same place.

I couldn’t believe the beach was so busy, but who cares about believing. Believing is for people who don’t have eyes and cannot see. I went there and I saw it – a packed beach before sunrise.

So that’s what I do every day now. I rise before the sun and I go to the beach of peace.

I watch the ladies exercising, I watch the people swimming, I watch the old men watching the girls.

In the distance I can always see Monkey Mountain and the bright white lady who lives there. Her name is Lady Buddha and she is hard to miss.

So early in the morning, before the sun washes the fog away, she is lit in brilliant white and the pink mist envelopes her. She is 30 stories tall and can be seen from anywhere in this city.

I went to see her up close and personal but to be honest I prefer to gaze at her from a distance. Up close and personal she loses a bit of her mystique, but from a distance I can feel her warmth.

In the morning the horizon is a pink mist, Lady Buddha is bathed in fog, partially hidden in clouds, but always shining bright white. Her warm aura envelops the beach.

When the sun rises she disappears for a moment so you have to come before sunrise to feel her true warmth. Even after the sun rises I can still see her shadow, she is always lit, always watching over this city.

I love it here and I come to the beach every morning. If you get here too late, like after sunrise, the magic is already gone, so you have to wake up early. 

Thankfully it’s not hard to wake up so early. The distinction between night and day just isn’t there. Whenever, wherever, however. 

People are outside at all hours of the day or night. It’s not like Venice Beach where the only people out at night are bums on drugs. No one does drugs here and there isn’t a beer in sight. In the early hours of the morning, everyone is warm.

All people are outside here, there is no fear, there are no muggings, there are no bums. There are just people who love to be outside among other people.

At 4:57 am there are too many people on the beach to count. All are doing exercise in the natural way. Walking, swimming and stretching the body. There are no fat people.

People walk by me and they say hello with a big smile and they wave. I’m a simple man, when people smile, wave wildly and say hello to me I cannot help but smile back.

Maybe I’m a sucker but all you have to do to win me over is be nice without fear of looking too nice. When people say hello to me and wave it makes me happy in a way I don’t want to explain.

Where I come from, people don’t act like this anymore. They’re too cool I suppose. That’s why I found some beautiful place to get lost.

You should see it, it is really amazing. Close your eyes, I’ll try to help you to see it…

Imagine a group of nice people walking by you, smiling, waving wildly and saying hello! and having no intention to cheat, rob or harm you. You cannot do such things under the enchanting gaze of Lady Buddha.

That’s why I’m here and not anywhere else.

Where am I?

Friend I don’t want to ruin a good place by telling bad people about it. But I can give you one hint. If you can play true detective you can find it. Here’s the hint…

If you can find Lady Buddha at the base of Monkey Mountain, you can find a beautiful place to get lost.

Maybe I can see you here some morning and we can be lost together. Wouldn’t that be nice?

I just hope you aren’t too cool to say hello. That’s all I want really. Just say hello to me and mean it.

I will respond in kind because under the benevolent eyes of Lady Buddha I cannot be anything other than kind. No one can and that’s why I’m in love here.

Until then.

Your man,

-Victor Pride