Koh Phi Phi to Koh Lanta...a journey through the Jellyfish sea

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12 November 2010

7:30 am and no rain. I looked out of our bedroom window towards the sea. Where, yesterday, there had hung heavy grey clouds today there hints of blue. However, yesterday started this way and the last weather forecast we saw predicted more of the same for today.

This made deciding what to do today difficult. There are two things in particular that we wanted to do, firstly walk to the island view point and secondly take a boat trip snorkelling which includes a stop at Maya Bay - “The Beach”.

It may not entirely surprise you to discover that the day passed without either of these outings having formed a part of it. We met Scott & Sara for breakfast during which time the sun came out to play and the temperature began to soar. Having been robbed of the opportunity to make use of our friend’s ‘pool’ yesterday, we all decided that heading to the beach must become the day’s priority and reconvened right by the ‘pool’ shortly thereafter. Fortunately, it was not closed for cleaning on this occasion. Between paddle ball, reading and cooling off in the Adaman, we all passed a happy & very warm two hours or so until the sky began to darken and we felt the odd spot of rain.

As we headed away from the beach it looked as if the rain might bypass us and we were hopeful that we might be able to return to sun-worshipping after lunch. Alas, it was not to be. As we sat waiting for Scott & Sara’s Calzone to arrive in our new favourite café (Garlic 1992) the rain began again. It was far from torrential but nevertheless, sufficient to turn a beach/snorkelling/viewpoint afternoon into another half day of admin and reading.

Tomorrow we, once again, head off in a different direction to Scott and Sara and the evening was therefore put to good use sampling street food, playing a few last hands of cards (games just seem more interesting with 4) and partaking of the odd farewell drink. We finally found our way to the beach on the northern side of the tourist town and took one final stroll along it and ended the evening by the ‘pool’ at the Chill out Bar watching fire shows up and down the beach. There are numerous bars along this small stretch of beach all competing for business and all of which provide ad hoc seating under the stars. This is one of the parts of town where the partying goes on into the early hours and things don’t really kick off until. It is, to me, a pretty hedonistic place. I am sure that at the bar next to ours a game of strip musical chairs was taking place and at another a competition involving a glowing rope being used for some kind of skipping competition. I, for one, was pleased not to be participating.

We said out goodbyes to Scott & Sara on the beach and left them to enjoy the spectacle whilst I headed off to bed and Gregg went for a stroll. Not long after he left, the skies truly opened and I realised that it would therefore be sometime before he returned. Apparently, he found his way to a bar with a boxing ring where the evening’s entertainment alternated between local Muay Thai boxing (and apparently the boxers were as hard as nails) and invitations to the crowd to ‘come and have a go if you think you’re hard enough’. We will all have to take Gregg’s word for how entertaining it was.

13 November 2010

I was awake before the alarm went off at 8am. Gregg took somewhat longer to come round than that, although he is adamant that he had very little to drink whilst watch the Muay Thai. For what seems like the hundredth time already, we packed our bags ready for the off, after which we headed across the road to Garlic 1992 for one final time.

Garlic, along with many of the buildings in the area we have been staying in, was flattened by the Tsunami and there are photographs of the devastation and the clear up volunteers adorning the walls as is common in many of the eateries in Koh Phi Phi. It is clear to see why the town was so badly affected - it lies on the lowest ground which forms a narrow isthmus between the two parts of the island. Scott & Sarah were here 3 years ago and they say that, then, there was virtually none of the construction and infrastructure that we saw and lived amongst. If you walk beyond the town, there are some areas where buildings were flattened and are yet to be re-built but one gets the sense that even when all visible signs are gone, the tsunami and its consequences will live on in the memories of all who were affected by it.

After breakfast, we checked out of our hostel, bought ferry tickets and headed for the harbour. The ferry was already docked and we therefore took our seats. This ferry was smaller than the one that we had taken from Phuket to Phi Phi and air-conditioning was obtained by means of opening all available windows and waiting for the vessels to move. Even before we boarded, we were approached by reps from hotels in our next destination -Koh Lanta- touting for business. The wait, the journey and the arrival in Koh Lanta (an island slightly further south and east than Koh Phi Phi) was one long sales pitch and each time we thought that they had given up on us, someone else would decide to give it ago.

When Scott & Sara arrived in Koh Phi Phi 3 days ago, they told us that Sarah had been stung by a Jellyfish whilst swimming of the coast of Koh Lanta. I am now far from surprised. At about the half way point in our journey, I suddently noticed lines of what appeared to to be white plastice bad bobbing around in the wake of the ferry. On closer inspection, I saw that we were actually speeding through literally thousands and thousands of enormous jellyfish. Unfortunately I couldn't photograph them as we were moving too fast but, take it from me, they were enormous. I might just give the sea a miss whilst we are in Koh Lanta!

We both find the rush to get our business on arrival at any port, station, or terminal draining and were relieved to see, on arrival in Koh Lanta, that there were cafes at the harbour. So we sat down to lunch and let the touting subside. Just as I was beginning to think that that had been a stroke of genius, we were approached at the table and eventually agreed a price for a Tuk Tuk to the backpackers’ area. The first place that we tried didn’t quite fit the bill but the second (which was right next door) won the prize of our cash instead. We are staying in bungalows by the beach and this time we have aircon and floor space. The beach and sea here are not as much of a tropical idyll as those that we found in Koh Phi Phi - no clear blue sea and white sand but the place is much more relaxed and less packaged which gives it the vibe of paradise, if not the sheen.

Just along the road from the bungalows is a restaurant (with free wifi!) called Sonya where we whiled away a couple of hours in the evening. We watched the couple on the table next to us wade through the most enormous plates of Pad Thai (we have eaten at our hotel earlier) and are resolved that we will return tomorrow to sample the food for ourselves.

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Photos

A cat chasing a bird...
something tells me that he won't ever catch it

Nemo
Welcoming you/waving you off from Koh Phi Phi

Me on a Tuk Tuk
here the passenger car is to the side

A crab
hiding in its hole on the beach

A little frog
on our veranda

Comments

[Chris and Lisa]

Thanks Again
Hi Gregg & Lou. Just another note to say thanks for the great blogs. Lisa and I are really enjoying them, were still in Vietnam, a few paces behind you but it would be great to mee up in blighty sometime to swap tales. Hope the rest of the trip is fab. Chris