The ferry to Koh Phi Phi
We awoke around 6:30am to eat breakfast and catch our van to the ferry at 7:10am. Even though our ferry was not due to depart until 9am, we were told there was some kind of festival and that if we did not leave early the 10-minute drive to the pier would be impossible. So, we begrudgingly dragged ourselves out of bed early, threw down breakfast, and boarded the van. True to form, we were at the pier less than 10 minutes later, and it was not even 7:30am. We exchanged our hotel vouchers for tickets and were told to get on the boat. This felt odd since it was an hour and a half early, but oh well. We boarded and took one of the 20-something seats in the only shaded but still outside part of our ferry and began reading. Within an hour we soon were thrilled that we had boarded so much earlier that what seemed necessary: the ferry was packed with people, and not only were all the shaded chairs taken, but so were all the seats on the the entire boat. People were sitting on railings, the floor, anywhere there was room. Our 2 hour ride proved most comfortable for us and maybe not so for many other passengers.
Koh Phi Phi
We checked into our hotel, where for $40 a night we got our own bungalow next to the pool in view of the ocean. The beach here was not a pure and white or flat as Koh Samui, but was still a stretch of sand and rocks. The rocks proved to be walkable, making for some fun adventures later in the day. For the time being, we found lunch and then went on a “hike” to a view point. I say it like that because after Nepal, anything short of 4 or 5 miles without a serious pack on its really just a stroll. The walk to this viewpoint could not have been more than 1.5 miles, although the incessant heat did make our bellies feel ill and our heads pound. We made it to the first viewpoint, took some photos, and decided it was better to be on the breezy beach or in the cool water, so we headed back down.
We did a little shopping and then went for a refreshing swim. We amused at the “tri-aks” - a three person kayak - that seemed to be everywhere on these islands. After our dip we went for a walk along our beach and chased crabs amongst the rocks.
After our rock/sand exploration we ate dinner at the same place we had eaten lunch (oohh so adventurous I know), because Griffin saw on display the biggest damn fish kabob ever. (I bought him a ke-bab... for those who know Flight of the Conchords)
Dinner and the kitties
If Koh Samui was the place for puppies, this was the place for kittens. And not just kittens hoping for a scrap of food, but kittens playing and being cute. We were sitting at a table just next to a 4’ tall sea wall, which was about 30’ from the water across flat sand. In this area there were holes dug into the sand, and a kitten, hiding in one of them. Then, this adorable toddler with blond hair comes running at the kitten and smacks it on the head. Then he runs away, and the kitten leaps out of its hole to chase him, jump and swipe at him, and rapidly returns to its hiding place. The toddler and kitten played this game for about 15 minutes, both of them clearly loving it. The toddler even went over to the poor kitten and dumped sand on its head! The two of them played while we ate our meals. I went back to the hotel for the camera but the kitten had grown bored and taken off by the time I returned.
Despite wanting to stay out later (one bar had a great mix being put on by the DJ, but no one was there and happy hour was over... but we did get 2 of his CDs), we had an early snorkel trip the next day so Chez forced the early-to-bed, and passed out just after 9pm. Lame. Sorry Griff.