The Beach.....

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ITS SUNNNNNNNNNNNY!

Some of you will recognise our current "home" Ko Phi Phi as the set from the film The Beach. That and obviously the news as a result of last years Tsunami. Well actually Phi Phi Lay is where the film was set but that is an uninhabited island so we are living on Ko Phi Phi Don, its neighbour and big brother.

It really is stunning here and as we pulled into the harbour the beach was just beckoning to our corned beef limbs. Walking through the town was slightly morbid because of the Tsunami (see next blog entry) but the place is fantastic. We are sort of staying in the middle of a building site but the room having just been finished is lovely and clean and new.

We have spent the last couple of days just lazing around in the sun. We chartered a long tail boat to Phi Phi Lay and wandered round for a bit, went snorkelling in the crystal clear waters of Maya Bay where the beach was filmed, wandered in the national park area behind the bay and then came back and did a bit more sunbathing...its a hard life......this is what we have been looking for! We did trek up the side of a mountain to sunset view point which was cool if not a little tiring!

The evenings were spent as one would imagine, eating and drinking.....and fighting. Not between ourselves, although Andrew does steal the covers and Michael talks in his sleep, but in Reggae Bar. This bar houses the islands only Muay Thai boxing ring. After watching the professionals at it for a bit, if you're drunk enough and stupid enough (and lets be honest most of the customers were travellers who cannot all be as smart as us) you can engage is a bit of "fun" boxing for a free bucket. It was hilarious. Some idiots took it really seriously, stretching and doing press ups before hand, others barely stopped swigging from their buckets long enough to see their opponent's haymaker knock them out.

We are not entirely convinced that this should be tried at home. No doubt it would be popular, but you can imagine the fights, stabbings etc which would ensue. Phi Phi is awesome. We are definitely coming back, for how long though depends on our next visa run to get back in. The place has a magnetism we have not felt anywhere else. Andrew is already planning his career as a longtail boat driver on the island while lara does what exactly remains to be seen.....answers on a postcard please. Bangkok here we come!

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