Week Five - Phi Phi, Krabi, saying hello to Koh Samui and a grand new friendship with our Irish Beauts.

As we pulled up to the pier on Phi Phi Island, after a pretty relaxing ferry journey, I felt my heart being pulled out and swallowed up by Phi Phi. I was in love with how Phi Phi Island looked and I hoped everything on the island would make me feel exactly the same. It was ridiculously hot, me and the girls followed a local guy to a hostel we had checked out online, Centrepoint hostel. It was no longer then a 10 minute walk but with backpacks in tow and the sun beating down on us it felt like a good solid hours worth of walking. When we arrived at the hostel we were told there were only 3 beds available. Dripping with sweat, being over dramatic and stating that we were all now unable to walk any further, the Irish girls grabbed their own beds downstairs and me and Alex shared one. It would only be for one night and it was very rare that we slept in our beds anyway with us often partying till 7am (as you are now fully aware).
Eager to grab some lunch and cool down, we headed for the beach picking up a sandwich on the way. The island was small enough that the only transport available on the island were push bikes. You could walk from one side of the island to the other in about 30 minutes. The little pathways that linked together around the island were dainty and dusty. The pathways were lined with clothes stalls and tattoo shops. We followed the closest pathway to us that led us straight to the beach in about 5 minutes, if that!
The beach was nice and the sun was beating down on us (it was really the first bit of sun we had had since we were in Nha Trang, Vietnam - I was craving it). The only thing a little disappointing about the beach was that the tide was always super far out and so you had to have a good walk out if you wanted to get into the sea.
We set up our sunbathing camp in front of the night club 4Play. After a few hours, the sun began to set and the locals started setting up a stage outside of 4Play. It was for later that night when the locals would show off with their fire throwing skills and the girls and I would party on the beach. The fire skills of the locals made the majority of the girls melt (not literally) and the locals were seen rarely without a traveller by their side. Who knew living the beach life and throwing fire around made you sexy? The sunset began, and it was amazing. Once 4Play was set up, a huge amount of the locals joined each other to play football beneath the sunset. I sat there, watching, fascinated, completely pulled in by this beautiful island and their simplistic way of life. The sky in the distance had gone completely red, adoring it, we also then became a shade of red, looking up at the sky above us, curious of our glow, we were amazed to see that the whole sky had turned red. It was breathtaking. We sat there in silence (very rare occasion between us and the Irish beauts) admiring this stunning sunset on this heavenly island. It was then I realised, Phi Phi had swallowed me up and I didn't even know when it would spit me back out! Or if I even wanted it too.
After the tide had made its way back in, we went back to our hostel to get ready for our first night out. We had heard amazing things about the nightlife here and couldn't wait to party on the beach. We grabbed some local food and headed to the nearest bucket stand (the bucket stands were the most popular way to drink on the island. The locals sold a sand bucket, bottle of spirit, mixer and an energy shot for just 200 Baht. You pored it all in and drank it with a straw - it's safe to say they got you seriously fantastically messed up)! They would become our favourite thing to buy for the following nights we spent on the island.
Our days on Phi Phi fell in unison, woke up with a hangover, headed to our spot on the beach, got a sandwich, drank lots of water, watched the sunset, watched the football, spoke to the locals and then back to get changed for another bucket (or two) and party on the beach. We made friends with the local fire artists and met up with them most nights, they were fun and looked after us. We exchanged questions about our different cultures and found out lots about each other. We asked about the Tsunami, it was strange being on Phi Phi island and imagining it. When it hit back in 2004 Phi Phi island was completely wiped out. Nothing and almost no one left. When it happened, because the tide went so far out many people followed it as they were curious as to where it had gone, unbeknown to them within seconds the Tsunami hit and everything was gone. Some of the locals, one being called Ruby, mentioned that he was at school off the island and so him and his friends were very lucky but sadly they lost some family. This year will be the 10th anniversary and I'm sure Phi Phi island will be a very airy place on 26th December.
That night, we met up with The Posh Boys (I was looking forward to seeing them, they were such good company and I found I could talk with lengths to Sam and enjoyed being around him and listening to his philosophies - well sometimes) and partied the night away with a bucket in tow. We was saying goodbye to Karen and Emma but looked forward to seeing the Irish beauts on the island again within a few days (they were just popping back to Phuket to pick up a friend from home).
The following day, Alex was super ill. I was woken up to her throwing up in the dorm bin, the night before her and the girls had eaten with the fire boys at about 5am so we assumed she had some form of food poisoning. Grabbing her some water, I headed to the beach on my own. I enjoyed spending time and experiencing everything with my sweet Alex but sometimes I really did just want some time on my own and so unfortunately for her (being ill and all) I got some alone time.
There was a time back in Vietnam where I felt a rush of content and a happy feeling of disbelief at my life at that current moment. Today was another, I sat on the beach, happy. I was so so happy.
The Posh Boys found me on the beach and joined me. Alex popped out to us but quickly turned back in and she felt ill again. That day I decided I was going to get a tattoo. I came away wanting a tattoo to represent the places I had been and Phi Phi seemed the perfect place to represent South East Asia. The majority of tattoos done here were Yantra tattoos, traditional tattoos created by hand with bamboo and so I was convinced. I went back and got changed, and headed out with Alex and The Posh boys to get my new tattoo. I decided on a Mandala tattoo meaning Universe in Buddhism, the local religion. Being covered in tattoo's already I was curious and nervous to see how the Bamboo would feel but it was actually fine and I was mesmerised watching how the artist did it. He would dip the bamboo into the ink and then press it in and out of my skin. It was pure art! After 45 minutes my new tattoo was now complete, Alex headed back to the hostel and I headed to the beach to do some sober people watching with Sam, it was hilarious. Shortly after, he walked me home and I fell into bed.
The day had arrived with excitement as our Irish beauts were heading back to the Island, we stayed an extra day then planned and they moved on a day earlier then planned so we could all have a last night together on Phi Phi. The girls were dream boats and we had a lot of fun with them! We met up with the girls on the beach, in of course, our usual spot. We sat and mooched on the beach and made a few friends, Jack Quick and Craig, a couple of cheeky lads from the UK. Alex also wanted a tattoo here and so I decided to have another too (it was her first and well I.. they're addictive you know)!
It was again a Mandala for the both of us, Alex having one on her calf and mine on my shoulder. This time, being slightly cocky from my previous one, I found it quite painful! Emma came to meet us with the new recruit Jenny, unfortunately Karen had become ill and so couldn't make it out for our last night on the wonderful Phi Phi Island. With a night of madness and fun we said goodbye to Phi Phi in true style of the Island - where I ended up finishing 2 bottles of Whiskey.
Collapsing, in no time I was getting woken up for the ferry to Krabi and it's fair to stay I was steaming. I hadn't had hardly any sleep and I was still completely drunk. Meandering through the island we made our way to the ferry and within minutes I was fast asleep. It was an absolute necessity I slept this alcohol off.
We said our goodbyes once again to the girls promising to see each other in Koh Samui. We arrived in Krabi after a couple of hours and got a taxi to the hostel The Posh Boys were staying in, after inquiring, we thought it was a little too expensive and so stopped in Bryan's guesthouse just a few minutes away. The place was great, friendly staff, clean room, a lovely owner and cheap! We grabbed our wifi fix and decided to try and nap off Phi Phi as we were feeling absolutely exhausted. We arranged to go to the food market after our nap with The Posh Boys and meet their two friends Gemma and Vinny over the football.
Our alarm went off and we felt completely dead, our bodies were super heavy and it was an absolute effort to get up. We went out but had a quiet one watching the footy. We bumped into Jack Quick and Craig. As soon as you meet one person in one place you end up seeing them again and again whilst you're travelling. We ended up in an acoustic bar called Cozy Bar with a few Rum and Cokes. I had read about a 4 Island tour which Krabi was famous for, we had booked that for the following day with an early start so didn't want to drink too much.
The early bird caught the worm the following day an we were up and off on the tour. The Posh Boys, Jemma and Vinny joined us. It was super cheap and we travelled on a boat to 4 different islands, stopping and snorkelling at each one. The fish were stunning and I can't explain how I felt when I snorkelled but it always felt out of this world. The things that exist around us that we don't notice really are the most beautiful of things.
Still feeling exhausted we napped, grabbed the longest-wait-to-be-served Taco and went to the Cozy bar for a few with an early night as we were heading to Koh Samui the following day.
We were picked up by a mini bus at 12, Jemma and Vinny had already headed to Koh Tao and with The Posh Boys already having Samui in theirs plans we all headed together.
After the mini bus, we got on another bus, possibly the nicest we had been on so far however it wasn't long until a storm came and it began pissing it down inside the bus. These f'in buses!!!!!! We were on there for a few hours where I briefly spoke to the Irish girl I was sat next too, the bus took us to Surat where we then got a ferry to Samui. We arrived and headed to Nids Bungalows which we had come across online. The bungalows were down some dirt track and a little bit out the way but I loved it. Tiny little wooden bungalows, with a shared pool and bungalow pets! I quickly fell for a light brown cross with big floppy ears.
We decided to head out for food, get our bearings and then head out a little later to the half moon party which we were all looking forward to. Alex and I shared some Calamari, one of our favs and it was so good. We both had a traditional dish whilst the boys had an unappetising western dish (they didn't eat the local food too often).
We got a bottle of whisky to drink whilst we got ready, we were ready for about 12 and walked out to a huge downpour of rain! We attempted the rain with our rainmacs but it was just too heavy and so we re-treated back to our rooms planning to go out when it had stopped, after all the half moon party was until 6 (or so we thought).
After a couple of hours of chill time in the bungalows, we headed out at around 2. It took us about 15 minutes to get to the beach and it was completely dead, not a soul in sight! We were gutted! We asked a guy at Ark bar (the place to be appranetely) and they sent us to the direction of the main road, shortly afterwards we met a hetic strip full of life. We partied until gone 6am and the 's*** Shirt' crew wondered our way back to our adorable bungalows.