Was Koh Lanta relaxing? yes! Was the water warm, calm and perfect for swimming? why yes! Was the sand white and powdery? yes, but more like beige. Was the water a transparent greenish sparkling turquoise just like on the postcards? no, not really, but close enough! Was it just what the doctor ordered? yes! (especially since Penny came down with a cold, it was the perfect few days of just chillin at the beach.) Well, actually the beach was sweltering, so most of the actual chillin was done in air-conditioning.
As a day trip one day, I (Ace) took a ferry over to Koh Phi Phi (pron: pee pee) which is allegedly the belle of the ball of all the islands and a only an hour from Koh Lanta. We thought about staying there instead of Lanta, but am glad we didn’t. It WAS stunningly gorgeous— two limestone ridges connected by a narrow sandy strip and a spectacular bay and beach on each side of that strip (see photos). But the strip is also where everyone staying on the island is crammed into, and I think Phi Phi gets a good slice of the tourism pie when it comes to the southern islands since it has such a reputation. Every single inch of the strip is built on— to the point of there not being a road and everyone gets around on a maze of footpaths between the buildings. Its a nice feature to not have motors on the island, but its tight as sardines. I climbed up to the viewpoint which was an insane climb (even more insane in the 95 degree temps). The viewpoint area is also the tsunami safe zone. Not really sure how they think thousands of people are going to climb those narrow stairways in an emergency, but hopefully there would be lots of warning! Apparently the 2004 tsunami hit Phi Phi from both sides of the strip and met in the middle, destroying 70% of what was there. There are lots of signs put up as reminders of it throughout the island.
Back on Koh Lanta, we simply spent a few days hanging out on the beach in the shade. When it wasn’t hot enough to be toasted to a crisp we floated in the sea and looked at our feet. After a few days, paradise does get boring, so now its back to the City, this time the Northern Thailand city of Chiang Mai— 2nd largest City in Thailand and allegedly a cultural center. At the airport now!
Penny here! Ace is wandering the Krabi Airport now hunting for some food and drink for us. Our truck bed/back camper ride to a speed boat, then mini-van got us to the airport a couple hours early of our flight tonight and knowing Asia Air’s reputation I refuse to get on without some water and snack in hand.
After our experience at Kuta in Bali I was not particularly looking forward to going to a “touristy” beach and baking in the hot, hot sun again. In fact, I think I had to hold back my excitement about going to Chiang Mai sooner and compromise with Ace’s desire to check out the islands (how many Koh’s are there exactly and how are they different? Couldn’t tell ya! I left it up to Ace since it was her plan. And I’m glad I did. No sooner did we arrive after a 3 hour ferry ride on blue, mostly calm waters then I decided I wasn’t going to be ready to leave in the few days we had earlier negotiated.
Koh Lanta doesn’t even come close to comparing to the crystal clear water, white sandy shores, and almost empty beaches of the Abacos. Nor did it have the beauty and charm of island living in the same way the Abacos does. But it was 200% times better than Kuta where just walking down the street felt like an assault of the senses. In Koh Lanta, Ace and I were mostly on the beach, living like kings, away from the roads, away from the traffic noise, and away from vendors trying to sell their wares and haggle over prices.
While she was on Ko Phi Phi, I went to a little bungalow down the beach called Sanctuary and enjoyed a yoga class. There were 4 of us on the platform, overlooking the ocean and listening to our breath mixed with the ocean waves as we meditated before the asanas. The instructor reminded us that 99% of the practice is about the mind, focusing on the breath and being with the moment. Being in the moment is exactly what this trip has been about.
I also enjoyed finishing a book that Ace read earlier on the trip as well. “Love and a chance of drowning” by Torre DeRoche. Its not the typical book that Ace would read but she insisted I would like this mostly autobiographical account of young lovers crossing the ocean and living amongst the islands for 2 years. A joy to finish reading on the beach near the ocean sounds and waves and delicious sea food we found at Bamboo, our favorite restaurant here. The book was so good it *almost* convinced me that we need to sail the Pacific Ocean for our next big adventure. But as I said earlier, this trip is all about being with the moment...
