Finally leaving party-ridden Phi Phi, the three o'clock ferry takes me straight back to the coast; to Railay beach. The ferry stops in the deep waters just outside Railay East bay where we transfer onto longtail boats together with the luggage. These zip us towards the coast, but have to stop 50 metres or so off because of the low tide. Everybody gets out - with luggage - and make their way through the murky, slippery salty waters. Glad I don't have to carry my suitcase with me. The guy behind me isn't so lucky, slips, scrapes his knee, legs and the gigantic suitcase he's carrying plunges into the sea. Really hard not to laugh.

I think Railay is even worse than Koh Phi Phi Don. Price wise I mean. The main strip of land is filled with luxurious resorts. There is no choice but to wade through to Railay West to Tonsai Bay. According to people I met in Krabi that's the cheaper, climber hangout. Only a small problem: there is no way from the western beach to the bay except for a trailing, steep, mountainous path. Or wait for low tide and cut through the rocky waters. Most people choose the latter. Great fun as these are slippery as hell and you can see people losing their grip and smacking on their butt. And if you don't see, you hear the high-pitched screams of the girls. Hehe. Luckily it's low-tide at night and in the morning. Which is good because I have to be back in Railay in the morning for the rock climbing.

After checking in I explore the small bay. The sun is setting to the west and the skies start to take on the same bluish purple hues that had me mesmerized at Phi Phi as well. I start shooting photographs freely while it's still possible, later balancing the camera on rocks. Of course I forgot the tripod back at the bungalow! The rocks don't really work out, they're never horizontal so I grab a handful of moist sand, mould it into a mount and set the camera in the middle. Instant free tripod! You are so smart, Tomi :) Thank you. You're welcome.

The guidebook mentioned something along the lines of having to go to Railay West for the sunset, so still making photographs I clamber back on the same slippery rocks - and hearing again people cursing, screaming. For once Lonely Planet is right! The sunset is breathtakingly beautiful! Ethereal! Divine! Phuket - I assume it's Phuket over there - in the background black as coal, the skies first purple, then yellow-orange and finally a bluish pink is something I've never seen before. On the right the sky is still blue. Absolutely amazing! Which is my doom...

I get a bit carried away and by the time I realise it's pitch-dark. I'm stuck on the beach. f***. Switching on the camera I find a really bright image and use its glow as a makeshift torch. Doesn't show much but it's better than nothing and I start to make my way back slowly. I don't really slip, but lose my balance in the dark, can't see where to hold on to and fall. A cut on right foot - again - some scrapes and a busted ego.

The next morning I go back to Railay again over the rocks, suit up and head out for the climb. What can I say? Climbing in Vang Vieng was at least twice as cheap as here if not less, and sooo much more crowded. The big "beginners" wall - 1-2-3-Wall - on the east bay is filled, every route taken; we actually have to wait for a free spot. It's crazy! Maybe there's big advertisements in Europe about Railay as I can see several 60-year olds and girls in bikini's screaming with every step they take upwards. Too crowded. Too crowded. Even in the afternoon when we go over to the western bay the stream of climbers never stops. It's not that much fun this way. On the upside there is at least an enthusiastic crowd.

The best part of the whole day was seeing everyone chucking tonnes of chalk on their fingers before the climb. As if that's gonna help them get up the cliff if they suck; pfft. But noo, they vehemently still do it. And because of that the most climbed routes are all white, the pockets slippery, making them harder than needed. I had two people climbing with me. Some kid, who pretty much sucked, and his friend. Picture Dan (a Sue elvált férje), a typical fat American with a trimmed beard, shirt taken off, his pens dangling somewhere above his crotch, half of if wrapped over the safety belt. This guy is carrying with him in his bag a fortune worth of climbing equipment. His own shoes, 70m rope, at least 10 quick draws - the clip-in thingies, the safety whatever-it-is and so on so on. He must be a pro, right? Ha! He barely makes it up a 5+, once down sweating like a pig, gutted, dead. What a show-off... Here I am, stuck with two idiots and the morning is pretty much boring as we stick to 5+ and a 6a max. No challenge at all, just a waste of energy.

In the afternoon at least we do some more fun routes. They can't make it to the top, don't even do some, so it's just me at the end. The best: a 30m climb on the 1-2-3 wall of 6b+ with an amazing view. I never believed thirty metres could be so high. Dazzling. The top five orso metres are really hard, small pockets on an almost vertical and flat surface. Great! I do this same one again, but this time without any help from below, telling me where to put the feet/arms if I'm stuck. Damn, it's hard! I'm already tired, my fingers can't really hold anything, I resort to chalk, but the last part just doesn't wanna go. I must've gone a different way than the first time. Only on the fifth try do I make it up. I'm done for the day. Dead. Exhausted. But happy.

And then I see the screaming girl from this morning making her way to the top like it was nothing. What? Eh, I don't feel so great anymore...