Pure Shores

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There are 2 things I dislike about travelling alone. 1 is that you have no-one to rub suntan lotion into your back. 2 is no-one to look after your bag when you go swimming. Apart from that, still loving it. hehe.

Let me just start by telling you about my awful humiliation this morning. Was walking into town as I had to change up some money, I'm wearing a new brown skirt because pretty much everything else is needing washed and a white t-shirt. I came to this building site and there was a bus parked in front of it. I could have walked round the front of the bus but took the quicker option of going round the back, through the mud. Well pretty much as soon as I stepped on it it was like an ice rink and i was slipping and sliding all over. Just when I thought I got my balance I went crashing down. I landed right on my arse and I hate to say it but it looked like I'd shat myself. Oh the shame. I also hurt my hand a wee bit but nothing like the pain of my wounded pride. So I've spent the morning wandering around town, eating breakfast, shopping in a shit stained skirt. And while I'm on the subject of skankiness it's now exactly 2 weeks since I last washed my hair. I may as well go for the record now and leave it tell I get home. No point spending hard earned bahts on shampoo eh?

Yesterday I went on a speedboat trip. There were 3 other people from my hotel on it, 2 guys and a girl from London. All pretty young and friendly enough, I got chatting with them and we all sat up the front of the speedboat together with an German couple.

First stop was Monkey Bay, unfortunately the tide was in and we weren't able to go onto the beach to see the Monkeys but we were able to snorkel out in the bay. I got up to jump off the boat but my bottle went so I just climbed off the back. Can you imagine me snorkelling, a few years ago you'd have had to pay me a million pound just to get into the water. I really enjoyed it though, the water wasn't too deep and very clear with loads of little yellow and black fishes.

Then, next stop was Maya Bay. This of course is probably the whole reason I came to Thailand in the first place I'm ashamed to say. I first heard about how great Thailand was when I was in Israel and considered it then but couldn't afford it. Then I was given a rough guide to Thailand when I worked at the network and that really got me interested. Then I read the Beach. And loved it and read it again. Then they made the film and that was it. Unfortunately I'm clearly not the only one.

Maya Bay is quite small and the cliffs are actually much closer to the beach than you would think. It was really beautiful and breathtaking and would have been all the better had there not been about 30 speedboats moored up and about 350 people all crammed onto the tiny beach. I got the obligatory shot of me in front of the cliffs (I'm wearing my bathing costume though so it's not for public viewing) and a couple more shots and the battery on my camera packed up.

Once we came out of the bay we went to a lagoon round the other side of the island but it had become quite overcast and the see had gotten quite choppy so we weren't allowed to snorkel. Up on the cliffs there were trees with these huge bats hanging from them, I was really gutted I didn't have my camera. Funny though there was a movie on the other day about vampire bats, it was crap but seeing those bats hanging up there did give me the creeps.

Next we went to the Viking cave but by then it had started to rain and the sea was really rough so we weren't able to stop there for long either. The trip from Phi Phi Leh to Phi Phi Don was mental, it was chucking it down with rain and and we were being tossed about inside that speed boat like we were in a washing machine.

By the time we got to Phi Phi Don the weather had become beautiful again, we stopped for lunch which was ok, a chinese buffet thing and then we had 2 hours before getting back to the boat. Phi Phi Don was hit really badly by the tsunami, it's basically 2 islands connected by a thin stretch of land, this is the main resort and the ferry port etc. When the tsunami hit, it hit both sides of this stretch meeting in the middle, I think I read there was 2000 people killed there. Once there it's easy to see how destructive it could have been, the market has very narrow lanes and theres loads of little stalls here and there. You really can't imagine how anyone could have survived that.

Anyway I walked across to the beach on the northern side which was really lovely. It was also a type of lagoon with cliffs that go quite far round it although are much further out than Maya Bay. I sat there for a while and then made my way back to the boat where I met up with the 3 Londoners again and 3 Norwegian girls.

Next we stopped at this coral reef but it was right out in the middle of the sea. Even though it wasn't that deep I was a bit wary getting in. Eventually I went in and all my snorkelling confidence was gone. There were much more fish here and the crew were throwing bread in to feed them, at one point I was totally surrounded by millions of fish and I can say truthfully, I crapped myself. Then to make matters worse because it was deeper than before it was a nightmare trying to climb back into the boat. By then I was practically paralysed with fear. Anyway I got back on (else I wouldn't be typing this now).

Lastly we stopped at Bamboo Beach. This is really a tropical island and although busy the beach was big enough that it didn't seem so packed. I snorkelled a bit by the beach, I'm much happier when my feet can touch the bottom, although there wasn't a lot too see but I enjoyed it anyway.

The speedboat trip back was really rough again, remind me to sit in the back next time.

I got a taxi into town last night and went on the hunt for a charger for the camera. Found one at 1,850 bht (about 30gbp ouch) but when I went to pay for it I realised I'd taken out the wrong money, I had about 5 100bht notes instead of 5 500bht. The guy was really nice and let me put a deposit on it until today. Then I went to O'Malleys bar and had a couple of drinks, realised that I really didn't have enough money to stay out all night so jumped in a tuk tuk back to hotel, got my money and went back to town. Paid for the charger and went to Planet Ao Nang and had a Mai Tai, yum. Then back to O'Malleys where I got chatting to a guy from Leeds called Dan. Then two young girls (17) from Bristol came in that he introduced me too. They were very funny, one of them got her bag knicked at the full moon party, I asked her how it happened and she ruefully shook her head and explained it was the buckets. Hee I haven't had the pleasure of a bucket yet, and I doubt I will. It's basically a bucket (like a bucket and spade) full of ice with a half bottle of spirits and some mixer. Not for the faint hearted and certainly not for 36 year old ladies travelling alone! I'll leave that up to the 17 year olds.

Anyway, was feeling a little tipsy, which btw has not happened much at all this holiday you will all be pleased to know I am being careful and good, hopped in another tuk tuk and home to bed. I have a vague memory of me listening to my i-pod and singing along in bed.

So now I am off to the Lazy Bar because I owe him some money from the other day, then probably down to the beach. Will need to procure myself a snorkel.

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Comments

[mum]

great to speak to you today ive been missing our wee chats but im having a great time reading up about your travels i must be getting better as ive not had one sleepless night worry about you ,i think its the blogg thats keeping me contented. wonderful idea. well Jane I love you and miss you and im so pleased you are having a wonderful time love you loads mum xxxxx