Thailand: Ko Phi Phi
Saturday morning at 8:00 am, Julz, Leoni, Anna-Karin, Tom, and I hopped on the large ferry to Ko Phi Phi. We arrived on the small, pristine island around lunchtime, and after checking into the cheapest rooms we could find, we headed straight out to the beautiful beach for a refreshing swim.
It has been over a year since the tsunami that completely wiped out the island, killing hundreds of people, but even with all the rebuilding efforts that are still taking place on Phi Phi, it is still obvious what happened. There are very few trees left on the island, and I could not help but paying a silent respect to the few lone palm trees that surely saved the lives of several people. After our swim and a quick lunch of Phad Thai, Tom and I geared up and walked to the end of the beach for some amazing climbs. We managed to get in about three or four climbs each, enjoyed the amazing views from the top, and eventually met up with the others for dinner.
After dinner, we wandered around various bars in the area, catching the nightlife that is Phi Phi is renowned for. I even ran into a few people I knew, including a group of Canadians that I worked across the street from in Korea. After a long night of dancing, we all eventually headed back to our rooms and crashed.
We spent Saturday morning lazying around on the beach, spinning poi, throwing the frisbee, and relaxing in beach chairs before saying goodbye to Leoni and catching the afternoon ferry back to Tonsai. That night, tired from all the activity, AK, Julz, Tom, and I had dinner and sat on the beach watching the fire shows before bidding goodnight.
Julz headed off to Koh Phangan Monday morning, and Tom and I decided to go for a multi-pitch climb on our last day in Tonsai. It took alot of effort to get geared up, but we eventually arrived at the "Beauty and the Beast" crag around 4:00 pm, giving us just enough time to scale the three pitches and get back down just as it was turning dark. AK, Tom, and I enjoyed one final dinner together. Of course, getting through the last few days of climbing without any injuries was just too good to be true, and I managed to slice a huge hunk off my big toe that evening while walking along the beach. Tom gave me some excellent medical attention, though.
After much persuasion, I have decided to go with Anna-Karin to Koh Phangan for the famous monthly Full Moon Party. We are going to meet up with Julz there, where he is arranging for a bungalow for us in Haad Rin. I have never really had the desire to go to this party where thousands upon thousands of people spend the night (and the following day) dancing on the beach, likening it to the always-disappointing New Year's Eve, but seeing as I am absolutely clueless about what to do with myself until I meet Chris in India in June, I am open to any and all ideas. Therefore, I am off to Koh Phangan for the next few days.
After that, I am not sure what my plans are. I originally planned to travel from Vietnam to the Philippines, then on to Indonesia and Malaysia before going to India. However, my money (and time) situation is not what I was anticipating it to be, so I am hoping in the next few days I can figure out what to do. My options at the moment are either heading down to Malaysia for a couple weeks, spending a month back in Tonsai climbing, or going with the plan of finding a job in Cambodia for a month. Let's just hope that I can decide something quickly!
It has been over a year since the tsunami that completely wiped out the island, killing hundreds of people, but even with all the rebuilding efforts that are still taking place on Phi Phi, it is still obvious what happened. There are very few trees left on the island, and I could not help but paying a silent respect to the few lone palm trees that surely saved the lives of several people. After our swim and a quick lunch of Phad Thai, Tom and I geared up and walked to the end of the beach for some amazing climbs. We managed to get in about three or four climbs each, enjoyed the amazing views from the top, and eventually met up with the others for dinner.
After dinner, we wandered around various bars in the area, catching the nightlife that is Phi Phi is renowned for. I even ran into a few people I knew, including a group of Canadians that I worked across the street from in Korea. After a long night of dancing, we all eventually headed back to our rooms and crashed.
We spent Saturday morning lazying around on the beach, spinning poi, throwing the frisbee, and relaxing in beach chairs before saying goodbye to Leoni and catching the afternoon ferry back to Tonsai. That night, tired from all the activity, AK, Julz, Tom, and I had dinner and sat on the beach watching the fire shows before bidding goodnight.
Julz headed off to Koh Phangan Monday morning, and Tom and I decided to go for a multi-pitch climb on our last day in Tonsai. It took alot of effort to get geared up, but we eventually arrived at the "Beauty and the Beast" crag around 4:00 pm, giving us just enough time to scale the three pitches and get back down just as it was turning dark. AK, Tom, and I enjoyed one final dinner together. Of course, getting through the last few days of climbing without any injuries was just too good to be true, and I managed to slice a huge hunk off my big toe that evening while walking along the beach. Tom gave me some excellent medical attention, though.
After much persuasion, I have decided to go with Anna-Karin to Koh Phangan for the famous monthly Full Moon Party. We are going to meet up with Julz there, where he is arranging for a bungalow for us in Haad Rin. I have never really had the desire to go to this party where thousands upon thousands of people spend the night (and the following day) dancing on the beach, likening it to the always-disappointing New Year's Eve, but seeing as I am absolutely clueless about what to do with myself until I meet Chris in India in June, I am open to any and all ideas. Therefore, I am off to Koh Phangan for the next few days.
After that, I am not sure what my plans are. I originally planned to travel from Vietnam to the Philippines, then on to Indonesia and Malaysia before going to India. However, my money (and time) situation is not what I was anticipating it to be, so I am hoping in the next few days I can figure out what to do. My options at the moment are either heading down to Malaysia for a couple weeks, spending a month back in Tonsai climbing, or going with the plan of finding a job in Cambodia for a month. Let's just hope that I can decide something quickly!
posted by Tiffany Joiner at 1:49 AM
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