Off to Phi Phi

Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Ko Phi Phi Don, Thailand
22:05 We came to Koh Phi Phi today after leaving on the early morning boat. When we arrived on the island there was the usual greeting party of Thai folk asking (shouting?) to see if you wanted a taxi boat to another part of the island or wanted a room in a guest house. There is the 20Baht tourist tax for helping keep the island clean and a man with a megaphone repeating this as we walked down the pier.
We started walking to find our guesthouse and came across The White 1 and a very rude an grumpy receptionist that told us categorically that they were full . I said we'd booked though. We are full. We've booked a villa. Go to the White 2 she then said with a shooing motion. So we quickly left the grumpy little witch to her gossip with the neighbour.

We then found the White 2 a bit further to the back of the island, you might say that it was right in the centre of things. Being in the villa meant we were on the top floor with a balcony, so just a bit of outside area with chairs, but not much of a view- just some other rooftops. The room was big, wooden floors and white walls, very simple. We have a tv and fridge and an ensuite which looks like a bit of an afterthought- someone stuck a bathroom onto the side of the room with some corrugated plastic as the roof and open sides. Consequently we have to keep the door closed to keep the cold air in the room and any mossies that wander into the bathroom out.

We dumped our stuff and went out for some lunch and a lie on the beach. The beach on the backside of the island from where you land is very very shallow and you appear to be able to walk around what looks like into the middle of the sea for absolutely ages! We put out towels down, waded out a bit and decided to just lie down in the not quite knee high water for a bit.

About 4 we wandered back towards the hotel down the small streets. The streets which are packed with people and no motored vehicles. There are lots of bicycles which is horribly challenging for pedestrians and cyclists alike as you are always wrong footed and worries about being run down! We stopped at the Sea Frog diving school to enquire about diving for Han, I have my advanced PADI but she has never done it and I have been trying to convince her to do it. We decided on doing the discover scuba day whereby you get taught the basics then have a bit of a fun dive to enjoy the sights, and if you want to continue to doing the full open water then you've basically done day 1 and can just finish off over a couple more days.
Whilst we were there I enquires about live aboard diving trips for my last few days when I am on my own again before flying home. A nice guy there managed to find me a three day/ 2 night stay on a really lovely boat in the similan islands on the Andaman coast. It's quite a pricey trip but I feel I can afford it and will be able to give myself a very nice Christmas present.

Back to the hotel to change and have some dinner, watch some tv and have an early night in preparation for tomorrow. It rained this evening and the music from the bars on the beach is quite loud and goes on very late. I have earplugs though so can sleep through.

Best: exciting times booking diving for tomorrow and the end of my trip.
Worst: the weather is a bit cloudy and it's a bit noisy at night
Beautiful: phi phi island from a distance!
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