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A passing Island
See how it seems to rest on the water?! We left Phuket happily. Between the bad weather and the blatant touristyness of Patong beach, it was a relief to get away. Unfortunately, my alarm didn't go off that morning, so when I randomly awoke at 7 am, I yelled "WAKE UP!" as we were schedualed to be picked up around 7. Luckily for us we weren't picked up until about 7.30! The minibus ride felt pretty short and by the early afternoon we reached Krabi, where we had to take ANOTHER truck to our hotel on Ao Nang beach. For some reason or another, our older Thai truck driver took quite a liking to me, calling me "darling" and insisting I sit up front with him. Seeing as there was no more room in the back, I had no choice! He told me a bit about Krabi, pointing out his favourite bar here and a 35 million baht mansion there. The love affair soon ended however when we arrived at our bungalow and he insisted we pay 100B each for the ride (Amy talked him out of it).
The rest of that day was spent getting familliar with our abode and walking to the stretch of restaurants and minimarts
Long-Tail Boats off of Bamboo
Who wouldn't want a ride in one of these? on the beach. We weren't quite in Ao Nang proper, but it was extremely refreshing to see barely another farang, and not to be haggled by idling tuk tuk drivers. We went to the lovely strech of beach where we went wading out into the waves. The beach was so flat, we must have walked at LEAST a hundred meters straight into the water and it still only came up to our waists. After that we enjoyed the cool ocean breeze and sat reading both on the beach and in the shade. Unfortunately, Erin and I both came away with mild sunburns- the first of the trip! At any rate, we were happy for the sunshine.
The next morning we embarked on a full day island and snorkelling tour. Initially we were a bit dissapointed that we were going by speed boat and not the traditional long-tail boats, but we realized that between the wind and slow going of the long tails, we got way more out of our trip with speed boat (just slightly less authenticity). Thankfully, the sun was shining and the sky was clear. Erin, Amy and I piled into a speed boat with about 20
Fishes!
Taken from the boat. Can you beleive that water! I wish I had an underwater camera.... other people and set off. I had a prime seat at the back of the boat, where I got both a good breeze and a great view of the passing islands. The person sitting next to me was quite a character- quite a tall, older man (I'm guessing around 50), who was completely covered, from neck to ankle, with classic punk tattoos. Some were faded, while some looked quite fresh. He either didn't speak English, or didn't speak at all, but he didn't say a single word to me the entire trip, besides head gestures to let me get to my seat. Ah, the crazy sorts we come acros!
The islands out in the Adaman Sea are really something else. They are so abrupt and small that I am led to beleive they are probably volcanic formations. The salt water was so abrasive that it created an undercut on each island, so they narrowed right where they touched the sea. From far away, they seemed to be sitting on the surface of the water, rather than rising from it. We passed many of them before we came to Bamboo Island, a small fishing island which had remnants of coral
Boat boy
My little confidante who told me when to look over the side a fish~ littering the white sands like pebbles. It was there I had my first experience snorkelling.
Now, for whatever reason I've never thought of snorkelling as legitimate. I don't know why, I just never thought it worked. But as a plunged into the perfectly turquoise waters, I realized how very wrong I was. I soon found a nestling of reef, and as I watched, fish lazed around me. I was so excited by this whole world that had previously felt so distant from me. It was completely National Geographic and more! Unfortunately, after what felt like no time at all, we had to make our way to our next destination.
Our boat took us in and around Koh Phi Phi Lai, the infamous island where the movie "The Beach" was set. Here we jumped right off the boat to snorkle in the deeper waters. And if I had thought Bamboo Island was great, the sea life around Phi Phi blew my mind! There were countless species, flying this way and that, all preoccupied with their own underwater agendas. There was a particular breed of fish that stayed clustered near the surface; when I stayed still they seemed to lose
Dripping Wax
Doncha think??? fear and swam as if I wasn't there (but the second I tried to paw at them, of course they sped away without a thought). Some of the boatsmen threw pieces of bread into the water where we were swimming, and suddenly the water around us became a frothing mass of fish bodies, completely unabashed by our presence. The thing I was most taken by was all of the fish's apparent peaceful coexisitance with eachother. There were obviously so many different breeds, shapes, sizes, and of course a rainbow of colours, and yet despite their differences, every being got along. How come people didn't live so easily? (Aww existential moment...)
Our next stop was Koh Phi Phi Don, a bigger island with resorts. Here we had lunch and were able to relax for a bit before heading out yet again. This time, we swam near Monkey Island. Before we went out the guide warned us "Watch your feet for the reef and urchins!" Truly, if I had stood vertically in the water, I could have stood on coral reef! The reef was another new thing for me- again, countless species intermingled to make a rich underground landscape. And of
Island paradise
The last Island we snorkelled. Don't you wish you were here? course, even more fish to discover, from the classic angel fish, to menacing black urchins, to a neon fuscia-turquoise-yellow-green fish (with the ugliest mug you've ever seen... I've since found out its called a "Parrot Fish," so what can you expect from a fish trying to look like a bird?). We went to yet another dive (though they didn't tell us the name of this one). The day was totally fantasic, though needless to say I was totally exhausted. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, Erin and I both came away with pretty bad sunburns from having our backsides up for so long. We're still pretty sore.
The day was completely fabulous, but unfortunately our time in Krabi had come to an end, and we boarded a bus for our current location: the Island of Koh Samui. Updates to come!
catcha later,
Emma
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Mackenzie
non-member comment
Underwater World
Emma! I love how you describe your snorkling moments! Parrotfish are great! Their colours are amazing, but DO NOT get bit by one, it hurts major! I'm so in awe of everything, the way you are blogging of your adventures is so eloquent! Keep updating, I love reading about everything you gals are up to! Enjoy every moment! Mackenzie