We managed to get a very cheap boat ticket to Ko Phi Phi which included a bus transfer and wondered what the catch would be. We arrived by minivan to the pier and the boat looked ok. Only after some time, as we waited and waited to get going, did we see that they were packing the boat in like it was the last boat to ever depart for the island. They packed people in like sardines in a can. We had to sit on deck as there were no seats available inside. It was definitely over capacity. But, good news was that we didn't sink. We did go through a tiny storm and everyone on the deck huddled together in the tiny space that offered some cover.
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| We've arrived. Hurry, everyone get your camera out! |
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| Our cheap boat ride. |
The ride was worth it though. Ko Phi Phi is amazingly beautiful. It's really an archipelago with a tiny mainland, Ko Phi Phi Don, where there are shops and guesthouses. The other islands are uninhabited. There is no motorized traffic on the Ko Phi Phi Don. There really wouldn't be anywhere to go. There is only a small living/eating area and the rest of the island is impassible unless you can hike and climb through towering cliffs. At the bay areas of the islands, there are small patches of beach. It's the most beautiful island I have ever been to (besides Maui, but I was there when I was 16, a very impressionable age). The waters are crystal clear, some of the beaches have coral where you can swim with fish right up at the shore with limestone mountains soaring overhead. There are other sights as well. Seems the island is a huge party place for the college crowd. Which means buckets of booze (literally) and all night parties, screaming girls and drunken waving around of lit cigarettes as well as meatheads displaying their muscle toned bodies.
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| The village on Ko Phi Phi Don. |
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| Buckets of Booze. |
Our first night on the island, we headed out for a night on the town, thinking we could keep up with the kids. We went to a bar where there was to be more Muay Thai boxing. They were advertising free buckets of booze for anyone who would volunteer to fight in the ring. I, jokingly, said to Peter that he should go fight so that we could get a bucket. I really was kidding! But, he took me up and got his butt kicked just a little bit. Most people fighting had no idea how to fight, much less throw a punch. It was all in good fun. But, Peter was paired up with some guy with Muay Thai boxing experience. Peter still did great. He lost, but he got some mean punches and kicks in. The crowd cheered him on and he even made some fans. And, besides a fat lip and some bruises, he didn't hurt anything too bad.
The following day, though, he was not really up for exploring the islands. So, I had to abandon him after our hike to the viewpoint and went on a snorkeling tour of the islands. I visited several other islands in the archipelago including one with the famous Maya beach, where they filmed “The Beach”. During the boat ride we visited Monkey Beach and one of the monkeys got so excited that he swam up to our boat like he was on a mission, jumped in, stole someone's bag of potato chips and popped it open with a big pop. He sat there until he ate all the chips and was scared away by our boat captain. The next day Peter felt much better so I made him go kayaking. My reasoning was that he could relax and lick his wounds while I rowed, but turns out I suck at kayaking. Who would have thought? Peter ended up doing most of the rowing while I helped by veering us off course. Wouldn't want to make things too easy on him.
I like your remark "Hurry everyone, get your camera out." It reminds me of yesterday, the aftermath of the big blizzard. I was walking around and the streets were pretty much abandoned except for people out with their cameras, taking photos.
ReplyDeleteThe incident with the monkey and the bag of potato chips is amusing too. I guess they know what they like. At least, they're easier to handle than, say, a grizzly bear.