The Islands

Thursday 26th November 2009: flight to Phuket. Tommy has joined Isobel and myself for the beach portion of our Thailand trip, don't blame him considering there are currently blizzards in Beijing at this moment in time. We got ourselves up at the crack of dawn and over to Suvarnabhumi airport, Bangkok. Had to include the name, is my favourite airport name in the world. A quick journey over to Phuket, found our hostel in Patong. Now the Lonely Planet guide does say that this is a place you will either love or hate; I don't like to be given such a choice of extremes to be honest. Now hate is a strong word, but I was not too keen on the place. That may sound spoilt, seeing as it is Thailand after all, but it felt like I was on an oldies package holiday: lots of man boobs and saggy breasts. Took away from the idyllic scenery somewhat. Each to their own though. Patong is a very comercialised party hotspot by night, buzzing atmosphere, but felt a bit like Magaluf. I haven't actually had the pleasure of visiting Magaluf, but I think it's a fair comparison to make. Maybe not so much my kind of place anyway. Though the ladyboys and iguana-carrying men do add an 'exoticism' that Magaluf may lack. Or is that eroticism? I'm sure they both manage on that note.

On Saturday morning, we got ourselves onto a boat to Koh Phi Phi. This is the island we all hear about for its beauty. And whoever started that rumour is very much correct. Paradise. The stereotypical images of the long-tail boats become reality when you get to Phi Phi; it is breath-taking, and I am so happy we are here! The atmosphere is more chilled-out, and although it is just as touristy as Phuket, this is in a totally different way. To begin with, the average age falls from sixty-four to the mid-twenties here. The sea is so calm and strangely shallow; it has a medidative feel to it. I think I might live here one day. Ha ha. Beach bum. No I will actually be productive one day. But for now, we should just indulge in the beauty of Phi Phi. Oh and to fully appreciate this beauty, one must listen to Groove Armada's 'At The River,' or at least sing it in your head. I sang this tune for most of the journey to Phi Phi; I made less friends that day. Hmm..

A few hours of sun exposure later, we found ourselves at the beach once again. Evening activities: loads going on along the beach front. Lots of fire shows/flame-throwing at the beach bars. Very skillful indeed; isn't it crazy how mesmerising it is to watch fire? And no, I do not have a problem if that's what momentarily flitted across your mind, but people do find the sight of fire completely intoxicating, hence the success of the fire shows. I like Koh Phi Phi. I will be back again one day. Don't like to break the promises I make. Ha.

Unfortunately we had to leave Koh Phi Phi on Monday. There are no such thing as taxis or tuk-tuks on this island, all about preserving the natural beauty of the place, which is great. What I love, is the alternative mode of transport they offer: the man taxi. Basically, a Thai man with a giant wheelbarrow has to ferry numerous backpacks across the island. My backpack weighs about eighteen/nineteen kilograms (probably more since my trinket-fest in Thailand), which is a pretty hefty amount. So think about the weight of ten of these damn things in a wheelbarrow. And no complaints from the driver. Hero. I feel bad now, considering I didn't carry my backpack.

And then the journey to Koh Phangan. This was a fairly long day: boat back to Phuket. Then a bus ride from there to Surat Thani port, and from the port we took a ferry to Koh Phangan. So a bit of a day trip really. We sat on the deck and watched the most amazing sunset on the way to Koh Phangan; obstructed somewhat by a boat-full of amateur photographers, trying to get the perfect sunset shot. I joined in of course. We arrived in Koh Phangan that evening, and got a taxi over to Tantawan Bungalows, which was situated in Haad Yao, a bit further out from the hustle and bustle that would soon become the Full Moon Party. Tantawan is situated in the hills; the walk from the road up to the place was a challenge with a backpack. Feel those legs begin to buckle under the weight. Lets just recap, about eighteen-nineteen kilograms. My own fault though, such a girl. Our bungalow was lovely; it had it's own little balcony, with a hammock that looks out over the sea. Amazing, and only five pounds a night! Can't go wrong here. The owners of this place are great: Yupa and Patrick, Thai woman marries French man. They're so friendly and the cuisine is a mixture of Thai and French, which is great if you were ever to tire of Thai food. (Not that that would ever happen of course). Yeah really great place to stay; because of the full moon party, the hostels and guest houses here have a policy that you stay for a minimum of five or six nights. A bit of a pain if you want to move on swiftly, but when we saw this place, swimming pool and all, we knew we wouldn't have a problem staying. Probably have more trouble getting me to leave.