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Published: October 10th 2008
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Phi Phi View Point
When the Tsunami hit in 2004 there were actually two waves, one from the left and then one from the right causing major devastation. One Night in Bangkok…
We arrived back in Bangkok, Thailand on August 1st after many wonderful weeks on the road. Bangkok was just a quick stop over for final destination in Thailand - Phi Phi Island (a.k.a. Paradise). Getting there was of course a journey also. We took the overnight train from Bangkok to Surat Thani. Our second class fan cabin was nothing like the comforts of the overnight train in Vietnam…but at least we had a bed to stretch out in for the 12 hour ride. Nothing ever plays out like we hope it will, connections from train to bus to ferry didn’t work in our favor and it took us 24 hours to reach Phi Phi from Bangkok!
Finally Phi Phi Island!
We first visited this island in August 2005. It was eight months after the Tsunami that devastated South East Asia, including Phi Phi Island, and the very week that Hurricane Katrina was destroying New Orleans. During that time we were travelling in Thailand and could only watch the destruction of our hometown on TV. When we arrived on Phi Phi and saw what was left of it after the Tsunami it really hit me that we
may be going back to the same situation. At that time there were only a few bungalow operations, stores and restaurants open on the island but they were busy rebuilding and welcoming tourists. We stayed a few days, met a lot of locals and heard their stories of the Tsunami and really fell in love with the island and people. At that time I hoped that we would return and we did in September 2007. We stayed a week or so that time and were amazed at the rebuilding process and the determination of the local people to get their lives back to normal. Phi Phi had recovered far more than our own home of New Orleans in such a short amount of time. We still loved this island and tried to think of a way to return again, even picked out a bungalow to rent for long term if we ever returned…
So here we are again and this time we’re staying for two months. We found that bungalow we picked out last year and settled in. Our bungalow was located on a nice hill side just about 5 minutes walk from the beach. It was one of
Phi Phi Boats
Ferries, Supply Boats and Longtail Boats 12 bungalows in a small resort and had bamboo walls (very thin walls so we got to know our neighbors a little too intimately), a thatch roof, fan, double bed and attached bath with cold water shower. The best part was a nice place to sit outside and watch the people pass or just enjoy the tropical surroundings.
We love the island because it is so small; there are no cars or motos. The only way to reach the island is by ferry from Krabi or Phuket (approximately 2 hours). Walking is the way to get around; although some locals ride bikes and a few have gotten pretty creative and chopped them out like motorcycles. The local taxi is a push cart to carry the luggage (you still have to walk to your accommodation) and all supplies are delivered via push cart around the island. There are many restaurants, tourist shops, local market and food stalls. There is one school for the island kids. The island is heavily populated with Thai Muslims and there is a local mosque; the call for prayer can be heard all over the island. I could almost set my watch by it.
There
is tons of stuff on the island. Diving, snorkeling, rock climbing, hiking, hanging out on the beach…what else do you need? Coffee shops, internet, book stores and DVD shops - got em. Tattoo shops, beach bars, whiskey buckets and fire shows - got those too. Vendors of all kinds - banana pancake stands, fruit shakes, donut lady, fruit lady and BBQ Man. We tried nearly all the restaurants in town and our favorites were where the locals ate - always good, always cheap. I will have to say that I am starting to miss cooking on my own and would love to have a good steak, cheeseburger or taco right about now. The “Western food” just isn’t the same here as at home.
We did have one little “adventure” trip while we were here. Our Thai visas were only for 30 days so we made a quick visa run to Myanmar with a couple of guys from Cliff’s dive shop, one guy from S. Africa and one from Australia. Our trip went like this…we stayed overnight on the mainland in Phuket so we could leave at 5am the next day. It was a five hour drive to border in
Home Sweet Home
Our bungalow at Chunut House, what a great place to stay! a rented car. Passports stamped out of Thailand. Hired longtail boat with to cross water from Thailand to Myanmar (Burma), stop by immigration when we get into Burmese water. Arrive at boat landing, walk to immigration for passport stamp in and out, pay money. Back on boat, stop at immigration office in Burmese water (again), stop at customs office in Thai water for inspection and then immigration on Thai side for stamp back in. The whole visit to Myanmar and back to Thailand took about 1hour at most. Arrive back in Phuket about 6pm. Easy Day. Now we are legal for one more month!
The past two months living on Phi Phi have been awesome. I have been nothing but a bum just hanging out on the beach and reading lots of books. I hiked around the island nearly every day and made many trips to the viewpoint to see the spectacular view and sunsets (imagine the treadmill set on 15% incline for 30 minutes and you’ll get the picture - about 1 mile straight up). I became good friends with the folks that worked at our guesthouse; they called me “teacher” since I helped them out with their
Gem & Wut
My friends from Chunut House English. I tried to learn some Thai, but failed miserably. I also went hiking with them a couple of times to some remote beaches that could only be reached by paths through the jungle. I did get one souvenir to remember my time on Phi Phi Island, a beautiful bamboo tattoo. It’s a pretty little gecko that will stay with me always, right on my hip. I just love it! It sounds as if I haven’t done a thing but laze around, but that is just what I wanted to do - perfect the "art of relaxation"! Now that we’ve had some down time we are ready for more adventures. Next we head for Malaysia and the jungles of Borneo.
Read on to see what Cliff has been up to these last two months…Ruthie
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Dustin from NOLA
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Going to KOH PHI PHI
Loved your story about your experiences in Phi Phi. Can you email me and let me know how much you spent for your hut per month, and what time of year you were there? I can't wait to show them how to make some Jambalaya! :) Dustin