Chinese New Year Part 2 -- Koh Phi Phi Island

The second half of our Chinese New Year holiday brought us by boat to Koh Phi Phi Island in Thailand.  I was expecting serenity and long, lazy days on the beach.  I was rather surprised to find the biggest frat party on earth!  I'm not much of a researcher when it comes to travel, and I'm sure if I'd have read any number of travel websites on Koh Phi Phi Island, I would have quickly learned what to expect...fire limbo and a plethora of 20-somethings on a would-be paradise drinking and fraternizing themselves silly.  

Here's what I saw my first night out...

But, I will admit the blazing kerosine-soaked jumprope didn't stop me from getting out on the dance floor and shaking my money maker!  These bars were right on the beach, the tide was all the way in and the water skirted the edges of where people dance and drank.  It was quite the scene.  

During the days, we'd mostly sit by the pool, which was 10 feet from the beach, and mostly be lazy.  It was difficult to say no to a pool like this...

One afternoon we took a tour on a long-tail boat.  These boats are traditional Thai fishing boats, here's some lined up along the beach...

These boats are quite beautiful with their colorful scarves, which I was told serve to keep the ghosts away.  On our tour, we stopped at a number of places, mostly on different islands very close to Koh Phi Phi.  We had lots of company as boat tours seem to be the thing to do!

This is a photo of a cave community--for lack of a better term!  There are people who actually live there!  No beaches, no nothing but the water, sheer rock walls, and hoards of tourist taking pictures of your home daily at 2:15 PM sharp!

We'd swim and snorkel in most of the bays we ducked into.  The coral wasn't much to look at, but the fish were amazingly brightly colored, varied and plentiful!  One of the beaches we stopped at was where the movie "The Beach", with Leonardo DiCaprio, was filmed.  I guess Koh Phi Phi didn't have much happening there until that movie was shot on one of the smaller islands nearby.  After the movie hit cinemas, the area hasn't been the same since.  

I couldn't get over how beautiful the water was!  I'm not sure "turquoise" does its color justice.   

One of the stops on our tour was called "Monkey Beach".  When the boats pulled in, monkey came out of nowhere, scaling the walls, climbing on top of one another and hanging onto whatever shrubbery and rock flake they could find.  Most people, myself included, had hopped in the water to get a better look.  Someone had brought a bunch on bananas and one had fallen into the water.  It was just floating there so I grabbed it and threw it up to one of the hundred monkeys hanging out, and...HE CAUGHT IT!!  Yes, the monkey caught the banana and started munching on it! 

Late in our trip, I discovered that people rock climbed on the island.  I couldn't pass up the opportunity to go rock climbing in Thailand.  So, I signed up for a guided half-day and away I went the next afternoon.  Here's the wall that I was on.  
  

 

If you look closely, you can see me!  Shawn was on the beach and saw me pop out above the tree line.  He snapped a much appreciated photo.  Thanks, Shawn!

The view from up there was quite incredible.

Here are a few more photos to peruse...

Now, Granny, I know you're the ONLY ONE who looks at my blog, and even if someone else managed to stumble upon this, there's NO WAY they'd be reading all my writing.  I know you have read every word though :).  Love you and miss you!!!