Now that I have had a few days to recover my brain and body I can write this blog - if my memory serves me correctly lol...last week was crazy!
Phuket wasn't over exciting! However I did have a really great time! I met a bunch of solo travelers at the hostel and we all went to the beach and out for dinner at the night market and had drinks! It was a lot of fun. There was about 16 of us, the next day 8, the next day 5 and then we were down to 3.
We didn't really do anything wild or overly fun but we all got along so well. We hung out at the beach for hours and just hung out in the water...it was chilled and relaxing; and it felt really good to be doing my own thing.
There was a Spanish woman (Nancy a.k.a. Mamma) who didn't speak much English so for about 3 days I spoke Spanish with her. WOW! Was I am impressed with myself...when I try I can speak it, I know much more than I think I do. It felt so good to be able what I have and she thought I did great so as much as my brain was tired from thinking in Spanish it was great for me :)
I was a little bored however as there really wasn't much to do - though I did get some work done - so Vicky (one of the girls I had met) were planning on going to Koh Phi Phi for a few days (one of the Islands). But, one of my buddies from Chiang Mai decided to fly to Phuket from Bali and meet up with me so instead of going to Phi Phi, Vicky and I went into Phuket town where I got my visa extended for another month. It was only a two hour process but it was a pain in the ass.
Then, Joe arrived!
We drank the first night, we ended up at this where the servers...well they weren't just servers and they wanted a piece of Joe if you get my drift.
The next day we bought our ferry tickets to Phi Phi and went for a game mini-golf. I had seen this cool looking mini-golf course with dinosaurs on my way back from Immigration with Vicky and wanted to check it out. It was fun up until the 9th hole and then we both started getting really bored...and to be honest, there weren't as many dinosaurs as we thought there would be. I was also winning which Joe didn't like, but we came out even so he was happy with that.
That night we went to bed early as we had a bit of a day ahead of us.
We woke up fresh the next morning, packed and went for a quick breakfast across the street. The breakfast was good, but as we left the restaurant and walked back to the hostel (literally a two minute walk), Joe said "I'm not feeling so good." I looked at him and shook my head. Uh oh, we have an hour shuttle and then a two hour ferry ride to Phi Phi...please don't let us get sick. We walked back holding our stomachs. I was nauseous on the shuttle...however that's becoming a thing now...since India actually so I am not sure what is going on with that...but we made it, the whole journey with no vomiting.
I stood up-top and watched as the big rock islands came along side the boat. I watched in awe...this is how I pictured Thailand! This is what I had seen in the photos! It was beautiful!
Joe was super excited! "Phi Phi is my favourite place in the world!" He said. He wasn't lying.
Joe got us a buggy. They don't have cars on Phi Phi so we couldn't grab a Tuk Tuk but there are these guys that push these huge buggies with your luggage....and yes, we were being lazy it was hot as fuck out...and someone noticed our laziness. "Do you guys need help with your bags?" We looked up and some guy was just looking at us like we were crazy. "No we are good thanks." I said smiling. I am so glad Joe wanted to get one, it was a 10 minute walk in the blistering heat, and an 80 liter, 22.5 Kilo backpack is not fun to carry in the heat. Don't laugh, I literally have everything in my bag, you need it I have it so do not make a comment on the size of it!
We checked in, went to the beach, grabbed a beer and enjoyed the view.
"It's a beautiful party paradise." Joe said. "It is beautiful, there is no denying that. I just won't be partying the whole time." "Emmie! You can't come to Phi Phi and not drink! It's impossible!" You got that right!
We got drunk that night...really drunk..in fact...I think I have my nights a little confused. I think I lost Joe that night? I'm not sure but I know I woke up really hungover...and we had the boat cruise which I didn't want to be hungover for. In fact... I remember sitting at the place we bought the tour at...drinking buckets - which by the way are lethal...two of them and you are done for the night. The Thai woman (who worked there) very aggressively said to me while pointing at Joe. "He your boyfriend?!?" "No." "He no your boyfriend?!?" "No he's not." "You have sex with him?!?!" "No!" "You no sex with him?!?!" "No. It's okay...you can have him." "Emmie!" said Joe. "Why are you trying to sell me off?" "Because she is angry and she scares me!"
We went down to the live bar and listened to some awesome music and after that I don't know what happened after that... I think I might have ended up on the beach alone wandering around? But I'm not sure. But I do know I woke up with a hangover for the boat cruise and...what the fuck is that? Paint!!! Ughh I totally forgot we painted each other's face at the beach party! I'm to old for this shit.
Bucket List Day
Even though I was hungover, I was excited for the (party) boat cruise. We were going to Maya Bay or as you may know it; The Beach....the one from the movie.
A bit of a background. Maya Bay was made popular from the movie The Beach (with Leonardo DiCaprio). Thousands of people swarmed there to visit the movie and see the view we all fell in love with in the movie. But over the years as it got busier and busier, the beach got ruined and the wildlife started dying. To top it off, after the filming of the movie the crew left equipment there, they didn't bother cleaning up - the crew including actors (yes that means Leo as well) are all banned from Thailand FOR LIFE!!! That's what happens when you don't respect other places and Mother Earth!
So after years of people visiting the beach they finally shut it down last year. Upsetting as it was on my bucket list but so good for Maya Bay itself... in the past 6 or 7 months the sea life has already started regenerating and the beach has been cleaned up.
How was it possible that we could go? Well technically we didn't...you can not access the beach (as of now) but you are able to swim in the water which was good enough for me!
I was excited! Maya Bay had been on my bucket list for years, even if I couldn't actually go on the beach going there was still enough for me.
We went for breakfast and ordered...well Joe ordered us daquiries to get us started and then we went to sign in for the cruise - which I believe we had another beer. As we were nursing our hangovers with Hair of the Dog we hear "There's the lazy people!" We look, it took us a second, it was the guy who had asked if we needed help with our bags the other day when we were getting a trolley. This sparked an instant friendship and we went from 2 -3.
Our first stop on the cruise was Monkey Island. I already wasn't a fan because I don't really like monkeys but I went anyways. We got of the boat and hopped on a long boat to take us right to the island...as I stepped off into the water Joe says "I don't like this!" Hahah, he doesn't like to get wet.
There were monkeys all over, smaller than the ones in India though but I was still a little nervous to be so close to them.
I get to one spot and this guy was trying to take a piece of watermelon out of a monkeys hand and everyone was laughing. "Not cool!" I said already disgusted with peoples manners. Then there was a mother holding it's baby and everyone was just surrounding it people were talking and snapping pictures. Poor thing just sat there. One of the guys from our boat lay down beside them to get a photo but behind him the father came very timidly and bit him and ran away. Honestly, I was waiting for it to happen...people have no respect and I don't think we should be allowed there, if they can shut down Maya Bay to help it then they can stop taking people to Monkey Island and let them be. He ended up going to the clinic after that cruise...a drip and $1600 was the price he paid.
I was really excited to swim in the waters of Maya Bay...it was so amazing to be there...in the scene where the movie was filmed. It's not a closed beach like in the movie, that was done with effects. There is actually a huge opening which is where the boats come in and unfortunately I didn't get to see that view as we are only allowed in so far...but I did get to see the beach from where I was and it was really beautiful. I couldn't stop staring at it.
My friend Emma and I stayed in the water for awhile....just hanging out, enjoying the day when mid conversation I said "Holy fuck!!! I am actually swimming in Maya Bay!" We get swimming around when I felt my arm burn and tingle a bit but I ignored it. Then I felt it on my leg. Jellyfish, great! That's all I need. "I think I am getting stung" I said rubbing my arm as it itched and burned at the same time but mildly. "Me too! Do you want to get out?" "Ow, fuck, I just got stung again! Yes let's go." We swam to the boat and as Emma started climbing up the ladder my stomach started burning. "Hurry up! I just got stung again!" Sea lice! It was sea lice, not jellyfish. You can't sea them and it's not as painful but man does it burn.
We had another stop at Pirates Cove. Tourists are no longer allowed in there....if they try there are 3 warning shots. One in the air...if you keep going the second is in the water...if you continue... it's you that gets shot. There are birds that make these nests from their saliva and the saliva apparently gives men a big penis. One little bit of it costs about $5,000 USD (I think that's what they said). It was actually quite interesting as I had seen this on Planet Earth's cave episode.
Our last stop was the lagoon. Again stung by sea lice so I decided I had enough and got out of the water and just enjoyed my beer.... I forgot to mention there was quite a bit of drinking and dancing going on the whole day...so hangover was gone.
We were sad when it ended, it was such a great day and we now how a new group of friends and had such a wonderful day. The sunset was perfect just like our day but all good things must come to an end. However, Joe's friend was meeting us at the hostel so he was excited to get back and continue the drinks into the night...which was great until I lost Joe.
I ended up alone on the beach...drunk...well a little more than drunk...searching for Joe. Then up ahead I see them...(I think this is the night I met them...I could've met them the night before but no matter what night.... this is how it happened.) They were tall and beautiful and gay! Ding ding ding ding...that's who I need to be with. Now, from what they told me I walked up to them and said "Are you two gay?" They said yes. "Perfect! I am safe with you then." I literally crawled into their lives but it ended up being a fantastic friendship as you will see. I stumbled...I fell, I slurred...apparently I fell over and said "it's okay, I was just sitting down." Classic me, trying to be smooth and elegant hahaha.
The Pool Party (2 times)
Hungover as hell the next morning, hating life I knew it was gonna be another big day. It was the hostel pool party! And man, was it ever a party! Talk about drinking away the hangover, beer after beer, song after song...and everyone from our boat cruise was there so we all partied together AGAIN. We were in the pool all day, we all turned in to prunes; we were water logged... so much so, when I got out to go to the toilet my feet felt like they were full of water they were so heavy! We partied all day and well into the night... well I did I know that because I lost Joe...AGAIN!!!
So on the beach I ended up again only to run into my favourite two people who I ended up calling "my couple." It turns out they were there on their honeymoon, they had just gotten married a few days before I met them and they were spending another week there as their honeymoon. They named me their Honeymoon Bitch!
I was able to walk this time except instead of stealth sitting moves it was stealth peeing moves. Instead of falling and saying I was sitting while actually falling over I would walk out into the shallow waters (I had on a t-shirt and bathing suit) and slowly bend, my knees touching and lower myself into the water. "Oh, there she goes again, taking a pee." They got a kick out of it but I ended up losing them and it looked really weird and probably obvious when I was sitting in the water alone with a bucket waving at people who walked by. I am a piece of work!
The next day I was done. I had started losing my voice on Saturday and now Monday morning I didn't have one, I felt awful, I had a cold coming on and I felt like a drug addict coming off drugs. I am done! I need to leave today! I was supposed to leave but I was too hungover and I couldn't be fucked to pack my shit. I was seriously not doing well. I messaged Joe (he was in a different room) and we met for breakfast.
George had met two girls the night before while he was on the beach and they also joined us for breakfast. It was a shit show...they were literally so good for my severe hangover...and I mean severe. I could barely function or eat and when we went to the pool bar the thought of beer sounded awful but I figured hair of the dog would straighten me up....it did ... I started feeling human after a few hours but definitely not fully human.
This is when I met Michael. He was at the bar talking to everyone and him and I started talking, and talking and talking...we literally talked for hours and hours. We went walking the streets for hours, just wandering, talking, laughing and eating. It was really nice just to hang out and not drink or party...the rest of them were off somewhere meaning I lost Joe...AGAIN! Hahaha, at least this time I wasn't alone, crawling around drunk lol.
We went down to the beach, grabbed a beer and walked as far down as we could to get away from the music. The beach is lined with hostel bars that just ooze music and bad bass all night, and it is so loud you can not hear the person next to you. It's so difficult to find a place just to sit down, chill and relax a little. It was quieter at the far end but we could still here the beats. After about an hour we decided we were hungry again and went back for some padthai (so yummy).
After we filled our bellies again we headed back for the beach. That's when I saw them, my couple. "Oh my god Emmie!!!" They gave me big hugs and kisses. "Wow! I'm surprised we are actually friends considering my state the past few nights." " Oh my god! This is the first time we have actually heard your voice and your sober. Wow! this is great!" We hung out with them for a bit, it was nice to be around them while in a semi-normal state as I was still feeling my hangover.
I got to bed around 1:30am but was sober and it felt good. I had decided to stay one more day and leave the day after (Wednesday)...but plans change frequently when traveling.
Michael met me the next morning and we went and hung out at the pool at his hotel. OMG! It was so quiet and chill...it felt so good to get away from the beach strip. No beer, no people and no beats pounding constantly. Honestly, I was still feeling my hangover, my voice still hadn't fully come back and I was starting to get a cold but the serenity of his hotel overrode all of those things. However, it was the pool party at the hostel that day and when we were leaving one of our friends said "So we will see you at 2 ya? For the pool party?" "No mate, don't think we are gonna come." But, we wanted to go and check up on the kids - we were the oldest of the group, barely drinking or partying. We watched things unfold and heard stories from the others and nothing ever involved us, we had no drama...we were quite entertained to be honest and we loved it...some even called us mum and dad... we got a kick out of it. We went, had a few beers, got in the pool but got out after awhile and said goodbye.
"Emmie, your still here? We thought you were leaving today!" " I just need another day to get my brain sorted I am leaving tomorrow." Ya right!
Again, we went for padthai and hung out on the beach but this was the first night I didn't see my couple, I was upset as I wanted to see them before I left. Lucky for me I can be persuaded into things - or is it unlucky - and decided to stay yet another day. There was another boat cruise, Joe was going again and Michael had been trying to get me to go since the first day so I finally gave in and said "why not!" and I am so glad I did.
Bucket List (Again)
"Emmie, you're still here? Weren't you supposed to leave Monday? It's Wednesday!"
I stayed sober, I had three beers but wasn't going crazy like the first one; plus I still felt hungover from the weekend and my cold was getting even worse. This boat cruise had way more people on it and half the boat was intoxicated before we even left the pier.
We watched things take place in front of us, we both love to people watch so it makes for great entertainment. We didn't get out at Monkey Island, I didn't enjoy it the first time so why visit it again...and again, someone got bit by a monkey...3 times... for the exact same reason...trying to get a picture with mum and baby!
I was looking forward to Maya Bay but again, I got stung by sea lice and so did Joe this time. It really makes you not want to get back in the water, it really fucking stings and it's unpleasant, ughh.
"We are almost at Maya Bay - The Beach." Michael said to someone on the boat. "Cool. Why is so famous?" Pardon me?!?! Most of the people on the boat had no idea why it was famous, they hadn't even seen the movie, thats how young they were, but wait...they all new the words to No Digity and sang every word when it played on the boat but no...they didn't know THE BEACH. AS IF!!!
Michael and I hopped in a kayak and went over to the other side which they call Mini Maya. We thought we were just gonna kayak through an archway and go around the big rock island but when we went around it we came to a little beach. We kayaked up to the sand, got out and turned around.
We were looking at The Beach from a whole other perspective...it was fantastic. We turned around and there were these big droopy trees half encompassed by a rock wall that went so far up our chins where at a 180 degree angle; and all over the sand there were little statues made by rocks. It was
beautiful. I felt like we were the first to discover it, we thought we were in an area that they had filmed the movie but apparently not. We were amazed and just stood there looking at the view. One of our buddies had swam all the way over and got stung doing so but he didn't seem to mind as it was well worth it. In fact, this spot made doing the boat trip a second time so worth it! That night we did the same thing, ate padthai but didn't need to go far on the beach. Considering the hostel was on the beach, "my couple" was sitting at one of the picnic tables just outside of it which was perfect.
"Hey good looking." Steven said. "Hey." I responded with a smile. "I was talking to Michael." He said laughing. "I'm your honeymoon bitch. Don't forget that," I said laughing. "OMG...last night was the first night I didn't see you guys on the beach, it was devastating! We looked for you most of the night!" Seriously, I was devastated. Denys and Stephen had become such a huge part of my night time ritual it actually didn't feel right when I didn't see them. I already had a huge place in my heart for them in the little drunken time I had spent with them, and spending this sober time with them was great...well I was sober, they were 10 buckets in?
Because I was 100% sober, Steven thought it was a good time to remind me and tell Michael of my drunken encounters and gracefulness of the past few nights since we met. We were laughing so hard, and my blurry mind began recalling things I may have wanted to forget. The love that "my couple" showed me with no judgement was amazing and I truly felt a long term friendship forming.
Around 1am I decided to call it a night. I had actually gone inside to put a sweater on as I had a bit of a fever...my cold was getting worse meaning I still hadn't began to feel 100% since the first pool party. And no... I wasn't leaving the next day. I had to wait for my money to transfer, but, I was gonna move to a guest house, I couldn't take the noise and the lack of sleep being on the beach. I hadn't had a proper sleep in 6 nights and I was crashing; hard.
Pool Party x3
I know I know, you're seeing the heading and you are already judging me. I am saying how sick I am getting but yet I attend a pool party... look at the title of this blog post Heaven and Hell are both in it...you should be beginning to understand why it's called that now.
The next morning I moved into a guest house, Michael helped me carry my bags. As we were leaving one of the guys from the boat cruise said "So we will see you at 2 ya? For the pool party?" "No mate, don't think so." As we were walking away I looked at him and said "I'm kind of tempted." "I know, me too." "This place really pulls you in." He nodded.
He dropped me off at the guest house where I planned to get some sleep in. I was exhausted and sick and just wanted a nap but it was next to impossible. It was so hot outside that the bed felt like it had a heater inside of the mattress. It was so hot my bottle of water heated up and the water was to hot to drink. I stripped down naked and aimed the fan at me thinking it would help. The part of my butt that the fan did not touch felt like it had the sun beating down on it, it was that hot... I was lying in a pool of sweat.... just like Guadalajara all over again. Fuck this! I can't sleep! I messaged Michael. Pool party? ... Yes!
I put on pool party attire and then quickly went to reception. "My room is really hot, like really really hot." She nodded with a look on her face that said I know. "Would you like to switch rooms?" "Absolutely!" Without the air on it was cooler...sleep will be possible.
"We knew you would come!" Was our welcome, and the other one being. "Emmie you're still here?!? Weren't you supposed to leave Monday, it's Thursday!!!"
We actually had a really good time, we had a few beers and I loosened up for the first time since the first boat cruise. I was still quite sick but I was not hungover, I finally felt normal.
When I got out to go to the toilet a love song came on. This is a nice change I thought, not really noticing it was a bit strange. I was confused at the crowd and why everyone had their phones out and then... oh now I get it. One of the staff members had a fake rose and when he opened it up there was a diamond ring in it...he was proposing to another staff member. The tears started leaking from my eyes. This guy beside me looks at me "are you crying?" "ya" I said. He pulled down is sunglasses and he was crying to. He grabbed my hand and he held on to it while we watched the scene in front of us take place. It was truly beautiful...especially on Valentine's Day. Two other girls I met were bawling their eyes out, literally everyone was in tears...this made for a great pool party. No regrets.
We got a little tipsy actually, but nothing crazy...that's because mum and dad didn't have the kids to look after hahaha. Joe and them actually weren't there, they had rented a villa to get away from everything for a day... I haven't seen him since :( but we talk every day.
It was my real last night Phi Phi, I had purchased my ferry ticket to head to Koh Lanta the next day so I was on a mission to find "my couple" and spend one last night with them on the beach.
Michael has a good eye, he spotted them almost immediately - I wouldn't have seen them. I ran straight for Steven, he saw me coming, ran around in a huge circle and straight for Michael, hugging him first.
We had a blast. The four of us laughed so hard that night. We had a few drinks...I was still feeling sick but I was gonna push through until the last minute. "OMG Emmie! You have shoes today!"
Okay, rewind. In my first three days on Phi Phi I lost two pairs of new sunglasses and both pairs of my Havaianas I got in Mexico, one being the pair from my girl trip to Playa with Ana. I didn't even remember wearing them. I looked all over and asked around and I couldn't find them. I walked around for days with no shoes. The bars, the streets, the restaurants. I ended up getting blister that made it hard to walk and then we met a girl who had cut her foot because of lack of shoes. "Please buy some shoes!" Michael said. "But they are fake Havaianas and they look like shit!" "Seriously? Who cares you need shoes." I'm so glad I listened to him, I was paranoid about getting cut, that's all I needed. I've had so much shit happen to me during my travels and a cut foot isn't something I wanted. Fake Havaianas it was.
This was the first time "my couple" had seen me with shoes - well flip flops. It was a really great night...the music on the beach was even a different play list as for the last 7 days and nights even on the boat cruise and at the pool party it was all the same songs, but this night it was switched up which gave the night a little more flavour.
Two girls started talking to Steven and Denys for a few minutes and when they were finished I said "I'm sorry, I thought I was your 'honeymoon bitch' who are they?" "Don't worry Emmie, you are our only one!"
The night was coming to an end. I was starting to fade and I could feel my fever kicking in. It was time to say goodbye to "my couple." The end of an era - my time on Phi Phi had come to an end. I was really relieved to be leaving but now looking back, Phi Phi is my heart of Thailand. I didn't cry, but we gave each other big hugs and said how much we loved one another and thanked each other for the incredible nights that we shared.
I miss them.
I was on the ferry by 10:45 the next morning. The ferry was old and I honestly said prayer that it wasn't going to sink while I was on it.
15 minutes before it got to Koh Lanta, I grabbed my backpack and lugged it up the steep steps along with my other two smaller backpacks and stood outside and watched the scenery. A baby screamed the whole time and I mean screamed... I swear the other ferries passing us could hear it.
When we docked we were beside another ferry so we had to go down the outside stairs, cross the gap to the other boat - which is not easy with an 80liter backpack of 22.5 kilos - then climb the ladder like steps to the top of the other ferry and across a ramp to the pier. I was safe, we didn't sink, but I was sweating and wanted to get to the hostel - which I hadn't booked into so my fingers were crossed.
Now I have been on Lanta for a week. It's quiet and not really touched by tourism so it has the real Thailand feel to it. My cold is almost gone and my head is not blurred anymore.
I kind of miss the craziness of Phi Phi. I really had a fantastic time there and do miss it...as much as it is my heart of Thailand, my heaven it's was also the bane of my existence while I was there, my hell...but those are usually the best times shared with the best people.
- My Beautiful Life -
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