koh phi-phi v1.1

trust me, it's paradise.

we finally made it to the beach. it seemed like a climax to our trip - the end of the pilgrimage. our mecca, koh phi-phi ley, is beautiful. we took a boat from koh phi-phi don pier, and stopped on the way at monkey beach. as you can guess there were monkeys, white monkeys, and as borat says "careful, they bite." we safely waded in the surf while fruit was thrown to them. back in the boat we travelled on to phi-phi ley, and once there, sea kayaked into a lagoon protected by limestone cliffs. it was so quiet. we snuck out kayak into a small canyon that ran between the rocks. we just floated in there and looked up at the above jungle and cliffs. back at the boat again it was time to get to business. everyone knows of the beach - one of my favourite novels and movies. influences from it can be found all over these pages. maya beach, on phi-phi ley, was used as the setting of the tropical paradise in the film. after the film was released tourism skyrocketed to the national park. our guide told us that as you cannot stay overnight on the island there are men with guns who guard it. tourists attempting to float in under the cover of darkness to camp or create a new society are challenged in thai. when they cannot answer the guards open fire. a not so "urban" legend perhaps, but who is going to challenge it? even i, a huge beach fan who thought of sneaking there to stay, had no intention of walking into a bay of pigs. wanting to approach the beach from the water and then move inland, like richard, etienne, and francois did, lyds and i asked to be dropped off in the sea on the opposite side of the island. we jumped into the sea, sunglasses and all, totally stoked. we had just watched the movie the night before at dinner. after our swim we made the cliffs that surround the island, and navigated through them by rope. the surf made it challenging as you were spun about against the rocks with the waves. once we passed under the rocks we were suddenly on the island with soft jungle underfoot. we were so excited, even though there were no dope field guards or waterfalls to challenge us. we bantered dialogue from the movie between us. we had made it. something we had dreamed about was occurring. it was real.

though a clearing in the overgrowth you could see the blue water. maya bay. the beach. paradise. we burst onto the beach at a full run and took it all in. the beautiful sand underfoot, the towering limestone cliffs that protect the bay, the clear, aqua blue water. after the initial giddiness we plunged into the warm water and played about. the bay was surprising shallow, with a soft sand bottom that allowed you to walk out forever. later when our boat had travelled around the island to pick us up, lyds came up with the idea to swim out to it. so that is what we did. we swam out to the boat while the sun set in front of us. the blue of the water, the cliffs of white limestone and green tropical growth, and the beach behind us. the best swim of my life.

on the boat ride home we were both locked on the fading colours of the sun. to me the sunset was like a religious zealot with an end is near sign. our trip was ending, and we both sat there and appreciated the moment, each other, and all of the things we have been blessed to see. we didn't even really need to talk. we were both thinking the same thing. seeing the beach was the last thing we had to do. after the beach there was no more.

boat to phuket yesterday. flight to samui today. flight to hong kong tomorrow.

trust me. it's paradise.

i packed my case, i checked my face,
i look a little bit older,
i look a little bit colder.
with one deep breath, and one big step,
i move a little bit closer.
i caught my stride, i flew in flight,
i know if destiny's kind i've got the rest on my mind.
- the killers