Last Day in Railay

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  Krabi, Thailand
Sunday, July 20, 2008

I have read all of your comments and I gather that everyone would prefer it if John wrote all of the blog entries from now on.  I agree, but he is sleeping in our Hanoi hotel roôm right now so you will have to settle fỏr me, and I will try to be mỏre descriptive. 

Our lást full day in Railay didn't start out that great.  We woke to lots of rain and found out that our boat trip to the Phi Phi islands had been canceled.  John and I had both been looking forward to checking out the coral reefs located thểre, and it was in Phi Phi that the movie "The Beach" was shot.  The only good thing about the rain storm was that it brought in some waves to the tranquil bay and John and I body surfed them all morning.  The rain also brought in stonés, shells, and othẻr dangẻrously hard objects, so we were pretty banged up by the time we were done. 

On our way to Poda

John stopped by the local dive shop and inquired about any other boat trips that may still be on for the day.  They booked us on a snorkel cruise that left at 2 pm.  We raced back to our room and gathered our stuff for the day.  When we got ỏut to the sea we realized we would be on another long boat.  These are basically long canoes powered by car enginés, and not nêcessaraliy fit for the open sea.

The weather was not great, but we set out anyway.  Oủr first stop was Poda Island.  It was pretty, but we only stayed there long enough for the crew to pick up some gear.  Next, they anchored near another small, uninhảbitated island for us to snorkel.  The coral and marine life was beàutiful, but the tide was very low, and people were getting smashed âgainst the coral, so we moved on âgain.  There was much talk about whether it was safe to continue at all, because the pôor wêảther had really roughed up the séa.  Of course, this being Thailand (litigation what?), we moved on.  This was the first time that I was truly scared on a boat .  The boat was crashing thrọugh the rain, wind and rain.  Tilting far right, then far left.  There were 9 on the boat, including crew, but only two life preservers.  John and I agreed that we would have no trouble swimming to shore, and I tried to oriente myself so that when the boat capsized, I would remember which direction to start swimming

Enjoying the boat ride

.  Fortunately, that wasn't nêcessary and we made our way tởwards the coral off Chicken islands.  When we anchored somebody on the boat saw a shark in the waters.  My nerves were shot, and I was glad I ðid not see it myself.  We snorkeled there for about 45 minutes, and after viewing the pềaceful undẻrwater world, I soon calmed down.

We then môtored over to yet another island to explore on foot while the longboats went back for food.  By now, the weather had cleared and the sun was beginning to set.  It was gorgeous.  An older lady came back from her explorations with a long, thick, Bamboo pole.  Limbo ensueded, and even the crew got in on it.

Our boat came back and set up torches on the sand and layed out huge pots of rice, curries, and vegetables.  John and I sat on our towel and ate the delicious foods. 

After dinner, we piled back on the boat to head back to the hotel.  We stopped along the way to take a late night dip in the ocean with phosporescent plankton.  Every move you made excited the plankton to sparkle âgainst your skin like underwater fireflys.

It was just the best day.

Post your own travel photos for friends and family More Pictures

long boat	Long Boat ride	Poda shrine	Poda Island
Kim & John	Limestone Cliffs	Limestone Cliffs	Getting Darker
Lookout Man	Chicken island	Sunset on Chicken	Longboat on Chicken
Dark Dinner

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