Tempted By Toblerone

  Ko Phi Phi Don, Thailand
Wednesday, March 17, 2004

***************************
Sunday 14th March

Left the polluted, noisy north of Thailand for the Andaman Sea in the South. At the airport in Phuket we sidestepped the minibus that takes you to a travel agent in the middle of nowhere by informing the driver of the imminent departure of our ferry to phi phi. Didn't see much of Phuket but it seemed like a bit of a tourist dump.
As is the main strip of phi phi don. The island is gorgeous, limestone cliffs, palm trees and green seas. The one narrow strip of land edged by two arcs of sand. The problem is that this leaves little space for the resort, bars, cd sellers and food joints.


Monday 15th March

Jane came to phi phi to do her PADI which is cheap and squeezed into three instead of four days. Today was spent in theory watching videos and then filling her mask with water. Lying on the sand (face down) she informed me that it was in fact possible to lift her torso up and down purely via breathing in and out: fin pivot. I didn't want to burst her bubble but I've been doing this for years in the bath.
Left on my own in phi phi I signed up for an advanced climbing course with KE Hangout.

Tuesday 16th March

PADI day two: this actually sounded pretty impressive, 2 dives to 12m.
jane-I was a bit nervous and needed a bit of help to stop me sinking or floating up, but I had a great time. First dive- I saw 3 black and white stripey sea snakes (very poisonous)and lots of colourful parrotfish, impressive coral, angel fish, and I found nemo in some anemonies.
2nd dive-(Phi Phi Leh) had to do some more skills, like filling up mask and clearing it, taking breathing apparatus out of my mouth, fin pivot, etc. then more looking at cool fish. went through coral archway and saw 2 lionfish. After diving it was back to the classroom for 4 hours of academics (yawn).

Wednesday 17th March


At 9am Maya (THE) Beach Ko phi phi Leh is one of the most beautiful places on earth. At 10am it's hell. When we arrived it was just us, in an old fashioned long tailed boat, on a white sand beach gazing out on an inland bay of calm,clear water, ringed by sheer limestone cliffs. By the time we had walked along the beach and turned around the tour boats started chugging in noisily spewing hundreds of tourists onto our little idyll.
It's a small intimate place that can't cope with mass tourism.
Still it's nice to know I've laid on the same sand as leonardo!
The rest of the island is amazing too. Caves criss crossed by fragile, bamboo ladders, that contain the delicious bird's nests, made from spit, which make soup. Pi Leh Lagoon, if anything more stunning than Maya beach.

Thursday 18th March

Last day in Phi Phi, finished the climbing course. 50 metres above the bay on a narrow ledge feeling exhasusted and nursing the cuts all over my hands. Jane finished her PADI 18 metres under the bay and saw a shark too. To celebrate had a night out at Hippies bar with a couple of French divers. Best fire show I've ever seen.
Our room has a minibar and in that minibar a toblerone has sat for three days.

No more.
******************************************