Day 7 - On a 3 hour tour
Trip Start
Dec 17, 2007
1
17
30
Trip End
Feb 14, 2008
Phuket,
Thailand
Thursday, January 17, 2008
After 30 minutes in the van, we arrived at the harbor where we had a short briefing and I bought some sunscreen to protect my lily white skin. Then we hopped on the boat, a 45 foot long speed boat that was hauling 18 passengers and 4 crew members. I sat in the back under cover with two Muslim couples (on their honeymoon?), two Australian dudes and some more Australians, a mother and her two daughters. I later met four Vietnamese friends living in different countries who like to travel together
At Ko Phi Phi
. The guide was a real friendly guy named Lek. And off we went at high speed for a hour long ride to Ko Phi Phi Le (Ko means island). The ride was a bit bumpy and the engine was also noisy but I didn't get seasick.We soon arrived at the island to a small bay which had a small beach where they partially filmed "The Beach" (which I have never seen). The bay was stunning, surrounded by tall cliffs with clear emerald water. Then we motored around the island and I saw where the limestone cliffs were being eroded at the bottom due to the pounding waves. We did not stop on the island and then headed to Ko Phi Phi Don, the next island which was larger and more developed. We were supposed to stop off at monkey beach but the tide was out.
Next, we headed to some reefs just north of Ko Phi Phi Don for snorkeling. At first, it was a bit scary because the nearest land was a couple of kilometers away but as soon I jumped into the warm clear water, I was blown away by the beauty of the colorful fish and the brilliant coral. The coral came in several different types; some looked liked mushrooms while others looked like tree branches. The guide dived down and brought back a black sea urchin with spines that I held for a minute. The water was not too deep, maybe 5 meters at the deepest. I enjoyed just floating in the water and looking down to the marine wonderland.
Then we headed to Bamboo island which was small, maybe only 500 meters long, and it was flat with a forest of pines and bamboo with a white sandy beach encircling most of the island. There was a campground. I did what I usually did, walk the beach
Bamboo Island
. It was bit hard to do as there was a lot of broken coral and the bigger ones hurt when you walked on it. The sun was beating down fiercely so I retreated to the shade and looked at my now missing sunscreen. Talked to the Australian girls. When we got back to the boat, I found my sunscreen.We then headed to a much larger island, Ko Yao Yoi, which is home to the Thai Aborigines who are Muslim. We docked at the fishing port and it was definitely not a tourist spot (no tuk-tuk or massage parlors or any shop at all). Their homes were built on silts and there were hammocks underneath (when it was too hot to sleep in the house). We walked a short few minutes and arrived to the dining hall where the food was all laid out for us, lots of local fare; fried fish, streamed vegetables (due to my culinary ignorance, I can't describe any further). Anyway the food was great. The serving women were all wearing head scarfs.
Next, we headed to another island, this one real small, maybe 200 meters long with a rock backbone and a white sandy beach filled with beach umbrellas and tourist. I rested 30 minutes before hitting the water again. The Tsunami had destroyed much of the coral and the bottom was littered with the skeletons of the coral. There was a lot of fish, mainly hanging around the rocks. I really enjoy snorkeling as it is a great feeling to glide over the bottom of the sea and watch the beautiful fish and see the underwater terrain. When I got out of the water, most of the boats and the tourist were gone so it felt like we had the island to ourselves. But soon we had to get back on the boat and head back to port. I was a bit sad and a little sunburned but I had a great time and I really felt that I was on vacation.
I hope everyone is enjoying my travel blog and I enjoy getting any comments (somebody is actually reading this?). Sorry for no photos yet.
Comments
Many Reading Blog
Wanted you to know that many of our friends and family are reading your blog with great interest. They are very impressed with your writing and the detailed descriptions. We all feel like we are with you on your adventure. Grandpa even told me he checks almost every hour to see if you have a new one. Keep up the good work and please keep the sun screen on! Mom and Dad