I made it. Twenty-two meters later (60ish feet...?), I arrived at the peak. Railay Beach
was off to my left and was glittered with longtail boats. The 12 foot long palm
leaves that I climbed through was just a canopy hiding me from the rest of the
climbers. This was on of the most challenging but most rewarding climbs I've
experienced. I've climbed with my brother in Southern
California along beautiful rocks above the ocean, but this climb
was special. I was worlds away in Thailand on some of the most elaborate
displays of limestone. There were points during this last climb where I feared
for my grip and just trusted that my jump over to the next pocket would secure
my footing. Flawless.
That climb probably lasted less than 10 minutes, and it left me craving
more, but the climbing package and my body had expired. Molly joined me for the
half day of climbing and had never climbed in her life. She showed those rocks
who was boss! She rocked those rocks and we couldn't stop glowing.
Our island adventures continued another few nights in Railay and then we
were off to Phi
Phi. (hey look, I learned how to include links in my blog!) Phi Phi was
only an hour and a half boat ride but I wish it had gone on forever. I perched
myself on the top patio of the boat to soak in some cancerous UV rays and took
in all of the beautiful scenery. Transportation via water is key, plus it's a
great opportunity for me to meet more people. I ended up striking up
conversation with a Kiwi named James who had a similar travel itinerary and was
easily entertained by his adventures.
We arrived in Phi Phi like a swarm of bees entering the island. We've been
told that the island was heavily populated by tourists and that it was rather
difficult to find a decent guest house. This was true. The streets were lined
with vendors and overly-tan bodies. The town was a maze of activity. I ended up
rushing past the congestion with James to search for guest house while Molly
and Hannah relaxed with their Lonely Planets at a nearby cafe.
The guest houses on Phi Phi were over-priced and pretty run down, but I
ended up finding a decent place just minutes from the beach. They even threw in
a free breakfast. As long as the accommodations were clean and could squeeze
three girls comfortably, we had success.
Moments after checking into the guest house, I ran into some other friends I
had made during the trek in Chang Mai. Of course. They were actually staying
right next to us. What are the chances?
My nights on Phi Phi consisted of drinking Thai-inspired concoctions from mini
buckets and watching Thai Kickboxing with an entire collection of new friends
from all over the world. The days were full of beach hopping, snorkeling and
relaxing.
The water along the beaches were almost too clear to be real. I felt like I was
snorkeling on a set, in a pool, where they imported the sand, the rocks, the
sea creatures. The water around some of the lagoons was so clear you could see
all of the fish from the boat. I was even bombarded with schools of fish when
the tour guide decided to throw in everybody's left over lunch right above my
head. I was getting kisses from hundreds of little fishies! A traffic jam of
fish directly in front of my face. Such a beautiful and lively scene.
Oh, and the sand. It wasn't even sand, it was pure powder. The finest, whitest
grain of sand I've ever walked on. I could even make my very own sand ball. Do
you think the airlines would mind if I brought a few tons back to Portland? I may have to
import some palm trees and sunshine as well.
