Advertisement
Published: April 18th 2007
Trunk show
A banyan tree at the beach on Ko Phi Phi. One tough mother! I (Leslie) read other people's accounts of their recent visits to Ko Phi Phi. The reports were pretty negative overall: Phi Phi's overpriced now, full of debris, noisy with construction, etc. But despite all the reports, I decided we should go. Like when there's a traffic accident and you just have to look, I just had to see the effects of the tsunami and how different the island was since my first visit there 5 years ago.
Our ferry pulled in and it felt like nothing had changed at all. The hotel touts swarmed the pier, each latching themselves onto anyone carrying luggage. A chorus of "Boat Taxi!!" ensued and the narrow, barely-paved lanes were jammed w/ homemade pushcarts and bicycles. (There are no motorized vehicles here, by the way.)
Just past the string of dive shops and the Reggae Bar was the little guesthouse where I'd stayed last time. It was gone. I pictured it clearly in my head along with the little place across the street where I'd go for breakfast. Also gone. That whole strip had been demolished and I wondered if all the people I'd met who'd worked there had been demolished,
Dude, where's my guesthouse?
This is what's left of the place I called home for 2 weeks in 2001. too. I'll never know.
So suitably depressed, we wandered on to find a place to stay. The island's very small but there are numerous guesthouses, some so grungy that I guiltily asked myself why the disaster couldn't have been more selective about which property it destroyed. To find better accommodation, we used a proven tactic: when you get too hot and frustrated to make a rational decision, sit down somewhere and get a cold drink.
Ko Phi Phi was blistering hot and incredibly humid so we ducked into a little spot, hopeful that we'd find a table blessed by a breeze from one of the 2 tiny fans. After chugging a bottle of cold water and catching our breath, we noticed that they advertised rooms for rent. Michael checked one out and came back giving the Double Thumbs Up. They were cute little bungalows - neat and comfortable with big porches and very unique bathrooms (see pictures). And they were brand new!
Right next to ours, a new family bungalow was going in and I learned a lot from watching the process. Visitors have wondered why, after so much time, so little improvement has
Paradise in Phi Phi
The incredible rebirth of the Garden Home Bungalows. been made here. I have answers.
First thing is, there's no heavy equipment. No cranes or bulldozers, just some guys with the most basic of tools. Second, it's a small, remote island. Supplies like sheetrock and lumber come dribbling in, delivered by 10-year olds on those rickety pushcarts. And these businesses have probably been operating close to the bone. If anyone got rich enough to finance a quick rebuild by renting rooms for 250 baht a night, I'd be very surprised. And third, what about that punishing heat and humidity? Most people could barely summon the energy to drag themselves from their beach chair to get a banana shake, much less cut rebar or pour concrete all afternoon.
So, the folks on Ko Phi Phi aren't down for the count. And the welding and hammering that some visitors complain about are, to me, evidence of guts and fortitude. And all the debris that still clutters the path to the beach, well that's a sobering reminder that the folks here had a much worse day 2 years ago than you or I did.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.178s; Tpl: 0.033s; cc: 7; qc: 51; dbt: 0.0492s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
danny
non-member comment
$$$
how much bhat per night was cute little place where u stayed