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FLASHFORWARD – I am soooo behind with this blog that I have decided, in an attempt to have it follow my travels, to jump forward to current events and then to go back later and fill in the gaps. So here we go!
I am now in Thailand. I was very lucky that my good friend D., in need of some escape from the UK, wanted to do Thailand too so we travelled together. He flew from London and I from Rome, we met in Dubai and travelled the rest of the way here. 36 hours travelling is not fun, so it took us a while to get into the swing of things.
But arriving in Lanta makes everything worthwhile. More on Lanta and Lanta life in another post. Today I want to tell you about our PHI PHI MISADVENTURE.
We decided to go to the famous island of Phi Phi for a few days and visit the amazing locations of the film “The Beach”. As PP (as I’m gonna call it from now on) is a famous party/backpacker island, we didn’t want to be right in the middle of the chaos, and so we decided to book a resort that was away from the main area. Oh, how smart we thought we were!
So on the first day we arrive, enjoy our almost private beach and chill. In the afternoon we decide to go into Ton Sai (the main town) to have dinner and explore – you can only move around the island by boat as there are no roads. Now… Ton Sai is one side of this beautiful bay, divided from the other bay by just a thin strip of sand that connects the two parts of Phi Phi Don. It would have been a magical place, were it not for the fact that after the tsunami (which hit this island in a catastrophic way) they’ve overbuilt and the once strip of sand is now alleys of buildings and shops. When you walk there you forget you’re even on island…
Anyway, we get a longtail boat into Ton Sai. We have been told that coming back to our beach (Rantee) at night will be more expensive but we are prepared to negotiate. So we walk, have dinner and then, about 9pm, we decide to get the boat taxi back to Rantee. We negotiate the price down to 1000 Baht and hop onto a longtail boat. As we leave Ton Sai bay, the sea starts getting rougher and windier. The boat starts jumping up and down, rolling sideways, at times almost going under a wave. D. and I, instinctively, cling onto each other, not saying a word. We’re getting sprayed like crazy, dancing in the boat, all around us the pitch black sea with only the far-off lights of fishing boats in the distance. I am terrified. So is D. We grab each other’s hand. Perhaps a little too dramatically, I think to myself, OK if this is how I die, at least I’m in a happy place.
Just then, the engine slows down to nothing and we just float over the big waves. We look around, ask the pilot what is happening. He says nothing. It looks like he’s waiting for something. We strain our eyes over the dark sea. Nothing. Suddenly a though hits me: what if he’s waiting for another boat to come and rob us, or worse? You sometimes hear these stories when travelling and think it’s never going to happen to you, until it does. So now we are scared for different reasons (although the sea is still very rough). After a few minutes of this tension, our pilot turns the boat around and says “big wave”. And with that, he takes us back to Ton Sai. Annoyed but hugely relieved, we get off the boat and pay him 100 baht for the petrol he used. The organiser of the taxi boats come over, trying to tell us he can find us a more experienced pilot – but on the same boat – for triple the original price. At this stage I start to think the whole thing is a scam, but neither D. nor I feel like braving the rough dark sea again, so we set off in search of a hotel for the night – getting back to Rantee is now impossible.
We find a hotel then go buy some toothbrushes and toothpaste, then basically pass out. The next morning, we decide to walk up to the Lookout point, a place high up on the island that affords beautiful views of the twin bays and strip of sand. We have been told, and the wise internet confirms this, that once you’re up there, there is a path in the jungle that takes you back down to our beach. We had briefly considered it the night before but had (wisely, as it turns out) decided against it.
So, in our flip flops we set off up the hill. It’s hot and humid but the way is paved and it has steps so we make it easily. The view at the top is breath-taking. We sit and enjoy it for a bit, then, eager to get back to our rooms and our things, we start to follow the jungle trail. It was supposed to take around 20 minutes.
It turns into one hour of hell. The way is narrow and overgrown, and the mud slippery from the previous day’s rain. Logs cobwebs and other plants block the way. Then it starts going steeply downhill. And remember, we’re only wearing bloody flip flops. But the killer ingredient here is this: mosquitoes. Hundreds of them, greedily sucking on my legs. They attack me faster than I can kill them. This is driving me nuts, I feel like breaking through and running out of the jungle, except the only way is down with the threat of broken limbs. Both D. and I make a huge effort of will to keep ourselves calm and not freak out. At some point I slip down some mud, nearly going over the side of the path. Then D. slips, his flip flops having no purchase. We are swearing like truck drivers. We miss Lanta.
Finally, I can hear the sea. This means the end is in sight. Rushing but trying not to rush, we finish the last few dozens of metres and finally we’re on almost level terrain with the beach in front of us. I fight the urge to kneel down and kiss the sand. I run to put my swimsuit on and throw myself into the water, my legs bleeding and stinging from the vampire mosquito bites.
The next day we go on a one day tour of the beauties of Phi Phi Ley (the other island), Bamboo Island and Mosquito Island (no, apparently it’s not because it has lots of mosquitoes!). It manages to make us make peace with Phi Phi after that horrible ordeal. The only downside is that there are so many people… shouting, music, bloody selfie sticks. But it’s still worth it.
The day after that, we happily return to Lanta.
What I am missing this week: nothing really, I am so happy in Thailand. Oh, wait, actually, one thing: sex! Hahahahahah (I’m gonna regret typing this, aren’t I?)
What I am not missing: the frenzied run up to Christmas, the cold of Europe, stress.
New word learnt this week: Bumgun! What a great word. Here is a picture of it.
ANYWAY, LIFE IS GOOD!
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