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Tsunomic Paradise

"So did you see the tsunami?" I asked the guy selling me a coffee at Look Out Point. Koh Phi Phi(pronounced like the bodily function)is one of the places that was desimated by the Tsunami. Last night I arrived to Koh Phi Phi from Phuket. It is an island made of limestone mountains, coconut trees and turquoise water. The town is located entirely on a strip of beach that connects two mountainous islands. The Thai man had walked down from his home at the top of one of these mountains to town to work on the beach. He saw the water awkwardly receding, and knew enough to run.

"I told a guy (tourist) to 'run!', that there was a tsunami coming. He called me a liar and walked out on the beach to take a picture of some stranded beached fish." The guy went on to tell me that he ran for higher land and as he approached tripped as he saw the wave coming. When he got up he held on the water rushed waist deep by. "Did you ever see the guy you warned?" No.

You can't help but think every person here has some big story just like that. I also asked a girl at a dive shop who was diving at the time. She simply told me you can't really talk about it or then you start remembering and then you feel down all day. That's the sad part. The upside is this place is friggin amazing!

You'll remember from an earlier entry Marco Polo calling China's West Lake the most beautiful place on earth. That leaves me with one of three options. Either: A. Marco had never been to Koh Phi Phi, B. He was maybe trying opium for the first time, or C. Polo was full of crap! There is a good chance I have found the absolute most beautiful place on Earth.

It's stunning as you arrive on the boat and I haven't snapped out of it yet. By far today's highlight was renting a kayak for $2.50 and taking to the open sea in search for monkey beach. I did eventually find monkey beach which is supposed to be littered with monkeys but they and everyone else were nowhere to be found. Sad, yes, but not bad being the only person on a little tropical beach as the sun is setting.

I've also decided that it is important I do a little diving here as well so as not to have all of my diving experience in one place. Important to be well rounded, you see? That starts tomorrow at 8. There's a wreck somewhere around here and two days ago some divers spotted a whale shark. Either of which I would be just tickled to witness.

And if I'm lucky, I'll bump into some monkeys too along the way.

posted by Travelin' D @ 8:49 AM