After our stay on Maya beach we spent a lot of time sleeping and relaxing either on the beach or in our room. (One day we spent the entire day in our hotel room watching films and the Music Lifestyle TV channel - which was ace and felt a lot like being back at uni) We did however book another boat trip that took us around the little islands and beaches in Phi Phi.
We jumped on board a little rickerty taxi boat with eight other people. There was just enough space for everyone. We sped off towards the horizon and made a stop in the middle of the sea for some snorkelling. An hour or so later we were off again to Bamboo Island. I sat at the front of the boat and lapped up some sun and enjpyed the wind in my hair and the occasional splash of water. Heaven. I love boat trips.
We got to Bamboo Island and were given some rice to have for lunch and some spare time to explore the island which had a small natural park and sandy white beaches to enjoy. The Island was very primitable and heavenly. I was nice that there were not any hotels or stalls on the island that it was simply as it was found. (Well with the exception of the one cafe and toilet stand). I had a quick dip in the sea and then we head back to the boat. The little woodern boat had little benches for us all to sit on and a little canopy which provided shade for the middle of the boat. The driver stood at the back and negotiated the motor to steer us in the right direction.
We head off to Monkey beach where sure enlough the beach was littered with monkeys all scrabbling for food. They were enormous as they had been totally over fed by tourists. I thought it was a bit wrong, but took a lot of delight in watching the monkeys attach lads who were taungting them with bananas and the like. I did not want to lye down on the beach because I saw a lot of monkeys run off with people's stuff!
So we head back to the boat and prepared to be taken back to Maya bay. En route the waves got really choppy and the sky clouded ove. The boat was creaky unstable at the best of times... You often thought that the boat would tip over when someone climbed in from a bit of snorkelling in the sea.. so as we sped through thr storm our little boat rocked from left to right and bounced up and down. Water started coming in over the sides of the boat and you felt as though you were being tossed all over the place. We tried to sit in the middle of the boat to try to balance the boat out and minimise the rocking - but it was a lost cause.The girls on the boat started screaming and many people started reaching for life jackets. I tried to look out to the horizon to see how dar our destination was but I could not see and end in sight. We could no longer see any other tourist boats around us and my eyes were stinging from the amount of salt water that was being thrown over me.
Our little woodern boat continued to duck and dive through the ever growing waves. Everyone on the boat was soaked. I looked at our driver who was standing in a Bruce Lee stance fighting against the waves, clearly struggling to keep the boat under control. Every time the boat was lifted up in the air it was brought crashing back down on the water and I started to wonder how long till the boat cracked in half. I started to think about what would happen if the boat tipped over. I am quite a strong swimmer and thought that I would be able to stay a float and maybe even swim to shore if needs be... but my bag!!! I had everything in that bag. Trying to keep things like my passport and camera safe I took them everywhere with me. I thought I could cope with a wet phone and ipod as all my music is backed upand I have all the phone numbers I needed. But my camera... I would be so angry if I lost all my pictures (900 on my camera at that moment in time). I figured that if my passport got ruined then I could go to the embassy - but then isn't there trouble at the embassy at the moment? These are not the sorts of things that I wanted to think about before I died. I thought your life was supposed to flash before you? 😞
As the boat hurtled along I found myself being flung up in the air and then crashed back down on the little woodern seat that I was clutching to. As the boat rocked to the left water poured in from the right. If I had known I would have swapped my bikini top for a sports bar!
I looked around at everyone else on the boat and saw a look of terror on everyone's face. I was unsure whether to laugh or cry... we were gonners and all I could think about was my camera - oh and the text from my Aunty Karen telling me to stop doing such dangerous activities and to go to Phuket and do something touristy! - Sorry Karen I thought a boat trip was a safe bet!)
I felt the pressure ease off and for the first time I saw a smile appear on the drivers face. We were out of the storm. I looked around at everyone - their faces were priceless and we all started to laugh and demanded to be taken to the beach so that we could walk on dry land. I checked my bag to see what the damage was. Vix and I had tried to salavage things by covering our bags with a spare life jacket. I opened my bag and am pleased to say that everything is fine. Would like to say a big thanks to Jonesy for the freezer bags that kept all of my stuff nice and safe. Pinder started handing out plastic bags that he had stolen from the cleaning lady - something that we laughed at him for but now were very grateful for. My entire bag was now submerged in plastic bag chic - safe and stylish!
We arrived at Maya bag glad to be alive. I think I spent most of the time on the beach wiping away yesterday's mascara and coughing up salt water. We got back on the boat and assumed positions knowing that we would have to venture through the storm in order to get back to Ko Phi Phi. The second time round it was hilarious. I think because I knew that we would be ok and more importantly that all my stuff would be ok I could enjoy it. It was a mini rollercoaster and the driver even sped the boat up so that we would hit the waves faster. It was awesome!
Back on dry land I was rocking all over the place. Which at first was hilarious and I flapped my arms around and rocked my way back to the hotel. It was only in the shower later that evening that it hit me... I felt awful. We popped out to buy Vix and outfit for the evening when suddenly I felt the desperate need to lye on the floor. I grabed a sprite and a pack of Mentos from the nearest shop and loaded up with sugar I took myself to bed to recover from my land sickness...
Upon turning 25 I decided to do the responsible thing and leave the country and get myself into a mass load of debt. I see this trip as a quick stab of freedom before I grow up and get myself a morrgage.
The company that I work for as allowed me three months off and so I have booked to jet off to Hong Kong, Sydney and East Coast Australia, Melbourne and Perth and then onto Vietnam, Thailand and down to Singapore.
I'll do my best to keep this blog as up to date as possible but will ensure that I am back in the UK in time for ... full info
val
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im sooo glad
What a fantastic revelation of the terror you went through! I thoroughly enjoyed reading your story. I am so glad you didn't die