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Published: November 15th 2006
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Didn’t realise that until I just typed the date. That might explain all the bruises then! Actually the following entry will explain it far more clearly.
Today I went on my boat trip to Koh Phi Phi. This one was from Chalong Bay rather than the marina, so it was a lot nearer and I was collected at 8.30. Lie in!!!
When I got there I just thought..Oh. My. God. It was really shabby, they didn’t provide you with a snorkel or fins and they even charged me for a drink of water. Oh well, I’m here now. Make the most of it.
After the last trip I’m determined to get to the front of the boat so that I can get some photographs of the islands we visit, especially as Phi Phi is supposed to be the most beautiful group of islands. When I get to the front the tour guide tells me to sit at one side and not at the bow where I am. There are two couples with me, one who sit up against the sides of the boat, and the others like me who wander around taking photographs, looking over the side….. We soon realise who
the experts are! The couple on my side are from Leeds and are in Phuket for three weeks. They have also been several times before and are on something like their 36th boat trip.
I. AM. SO. SCARED!!!!! The sea is so choppy; the boat is smaller than the last trip. Actually scrap choppy, it’s bloody bouncy and rough. We’re being thrown all over the place. At one point I look over at the bloke opposite and laugh ‘cos he looks like he’s levitating because he’s been thrown so high in the air…….then in the miniscule split second (it feels like 10 minutes) that it happens, I realise that if it’s happening to him…..it’s happening to me. And I know it has when I bounce back down onto the seat. Ouch! The whole trip is spent being thrown around in the air with Leeds bloke telling me to just relax. I hug his wife more than he will ever have done or do just to hang on. Not helped by the woman opposite feeling sea sick. I do get better though. First I let go of the rail, then I just hold onto the seat with one hand. I even
sometimes go hands free, but it doesn’t last for long!
Just like the traffic in Delhi this is something that I can’t even describe properly. I’ve just read the last passage back and it doesn’t come anywhere near to what the experience was like. Magnify it by 10.
It was a brilliant trip, despite my earlier misgivings. I’m starting to see a pattern here that if I hate something at the beginning it usually turns out to be one of the best experiences. We go to lots of islands and do lots of snorkelling. Get lots of bumps - see above, I have a bruised bum - and get wet. We can actually see that it’s raining heavily in Phuket but out here it’s pretty much gorgeous, except when we pass through the weather front that’s affecting the mainland, as Phuket is known even though it’s an island.
We stop first at Maya Beach, which is where they shot the film The Beach. I’ve seen this one so I’m not as ignorant as I was for James Bond Island. It’s privately owned so we didn’t disembark, just leaned over and took pictures. Apparently when they made the film they didn’t
think the sand was perfect enough so they shipped some over from the Caribbean. Looks ok to me. I knew this fact before I came over here so I was kind of looking for the “imperfect” sand!
From Maya we went to Loh Samah where the water was incredibly clear for snorkelling. Then on to Monkey Beach. My favourite! It’s an uninhabited beach…except for monkeys. It was amazing! We got off the boat and there were monkeys just running about. They definitely know their money maker! The guide had told us that it was safer to stay in the eater as the monkeys didn’t like it and so wouldn’t attack or bite us. It’s ok knowing this though, but when you see them you can’t help but want to be closer and closer to them. I held out a banana and one just came up and took it out of my hand, peeled it and ate it before running off. Amazing! I was taking photographs pretty much in symmetry with one bloke (us professionals you know! Ha!) When suddenly one of the monkeys started attacking him, slapping his legs! I was the quickest into the water, I tell you. It was so funny - once I was in the water!
Now I need to explain my bruises. They started on Monkey Beach. Think it may be caused by hangover ‘cos I was ok getting on and off the boat the other day, but today I cant coordinate and every time I get to the end step I slip, fall on my arse and get a big bit of metal stuck in my side. Do it 3 times out of 4 stops. I can feel a lump when I sit down on the sand!
We then stop for lunch at Long Island (I fall again). This is a beautiful island. I’ve met a bunch of Scottish girls and we all agree that this is the Thailand we’ve seen in brochures and dreams. Lunch is a lovely buffet of Thai food, plus the always present fried chicken legs and chips. Wherever you go for a meal they will have gorgeous Thai food, then fried chicken legs and chips. Maybe that’s what they think we eat in the west and so put it on as a side?????
This island is gorgeous. It looks really small and there are just a few huts set in the hill to stay in. I’m thinking that I will come back to Phuket or somewhere around here after Pattaya as there are so many places that I still want to see, and here looks a really nice spot. Mind you, you would be engulfed by tourists every day from the boat trips.
Next stop is Khai Nai Island, which again is beautiful. As we approach it looks amazing. Just a dot in the sea with a patch of golden beach. And a bright spot from the lashing rain that’s been giving me acupuncture! Oh and the bumps…..
It stays sunny for a while and I get another amazing experience. When you walk into the sea there are so many fish just swimming around your feet. Parrot Fish, Rainbow Fish (I made that up, I don’t know what they’re called but they looked like rainbows). Basically fish of many amazing colours> there were lots anyway, but this increased when you took bread into the water. You were engulfed! They swarmed around. And even when you didn’t have bread they got used to where it was coming from and just hung about in their hundreds waiting for the next fix. I’ve never had fish brushing against my legs before!!!! It was awesome!!!!
On the trip I'd also met some girls from Scotland, at lunch they asked me to sit with them and we’d walked on the beach together. I looked after their bags for a while after I'd told them about the fish id just been raving about. Sat chatting with them all afternoon.
Then back to Chalong and another rollercoaster ride. Hang on, I don’t go on rollercoasters, I don’t like them!!!!! This was brill though!!!!!
Get back to hotel, shower and collapse. Too tired for restaurant so order room service.
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Margaret Bagley
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Long Beach
Beautiful place - this is where I stay in the bungalows at the back of your picture. Meet Austrian,German and Czech friends there but they are all retired and are able to spend 2 months there!Hope to go again in Feb