Stormy Weather

Last night my friend, Nancy and I decided to go for it and take a boat tour to the Ko Phi Phi Islands. The weather forecast stated a mixture of sun and clouds which was good news and Thomas said he wanted to stay back and relax at the pool. I was excited that I would have another opportunity to see more of southern Thailand and get to some of the isolated beaches. At breakfast Thomas started singing the "Gilligan's Island" song and substituting Nancy and my names for Mary-Ann and Ginger. I told him to stop as it was not a good omen to sing that song. I had a few concerns at that time as the clouds looked ominous and there was no sunshine anywhere in sight. Note that all days that it has called for rain it has been a mixture of sun and clouds. At 9:30 a.m. we boarded the boat as Thomas waved and relaxed by the beach. 

Little did we know that the storm from hell was about to approach when we were in the boat that held 15 people! After 15 minutes rain started coming down in sheets and all the water that landed on the canopy made its way to a opening above the seats where Nancy and I were sitting. The waves were increasing in size and everyone was ordered to have their life jacket on but Nancy and I had put ours on much earlier than when they made the request. The interior of the boat was not protected and rain, also, came into the boat from the sides. Within seconds we all looked like drowned rats! The captain kept moving the boat into the storm and the guide said we had to go through it. Everyone on board looked unsettled and I was praying that we would just turn around and go home. We continued on until we got to Chicken Island and at that point the captain decided not to anchor and instead kept going into the storm. Many boats had already anchored there to shelter from the storm and I could not believe his decision. Once we got around that island the waves increased in intensity and the rain came down so hard and fast that it was difficult to even see as the rain was pelting against our faces. It was at that point I realized that I still had on my Fitbit One which was not waterproof and that made me panic even more. I might drown and wreck my Fitbit One!  Finally, the captain realized that the trip was too dangerous and he turned the boat around to anchor at Chicken Island. Perfect place for a chicken like me to roost!! Once off the boat we sheltered under tin roofs for about 15 minute until the intensity of the rain decreased and the black clouds turned into shades of grey. Next we reboarded and set off for Bamboo Island through a storm that returned to the same intensity that we had sheltered from 15 minutes earlier. At one point, I told Nancy that I wondered how long Thomas would wait to remarry and hoped that whoever it was would love my baby, Sebastian! Nancy told me not to worry but she knew the last place anyone should be was in the boat that we were sitting in! Nervous Nelly had told us to reconsider and I had some regrets about our decision. After what seemed like a lifetime, we made it to Bamboo Island where the rain stopped and the clouds changed to blue sky with partial cloud. Everyone needed this change in weather as we were mentally and physically exhausted from the ride. However, in the distance we could see the black clouds that we had driven through and could see that the storm was not over. I was glad that it would not be until later in the afternoon that we would even need to move the boat in that direction.

Bamboo Island was beautiful, safe and dry. Since we explored there for 30 minutes, I hung my clothes on the the trees and tried to dry them as it was unpleasant wearing cold, damp clothing. Before we knew it was time to reboard and go to Ko Phi Phi Don Islalnd. The rain never returned but water from the wake and choppy water poured into the boat and no one could protect themselves from it. Nancy and I truly had the worst seats on the boat! Near Ko Phi Phi Don Island we stopped to snorkel but I was not going to test fate as I considered myself to be lucky to even be alive. No snorkeling for me in water filled with jellyfish! Next we moved on to nearby Monkey Bay and Viking Cave. Finally, we made our way to Ko Phi Phi Le Island where the views at Pileh Bay and Maya Bay were incredible. Maya Beach is where the movie "The Beach" with Leonardo DiCaprio was filmed.

Our trip home was fairly uneventful compared to the morning trip except for when the captain stopped the boat and asked for volunteers to sit in the front as the boat was not balanced and sitting too deep in the water at the back. No one wanted to move so the captain continued on and then stopped again and said four to five people must move forward. This time five men volunteered and the ride was then much smoother with less wake. I had no intention of moving anywhere as I was cold and wet and knew I would freeze and get even wetter up front.

A tip for anyone going on boat tours in Thailand. Always wear a bathing suit, cover up and flip flops as they sometimes ask you to get out of the boat in knee to thigh deep water and walk ashore. All day as soon as I felt like my sopping clothes were merely damp, I was asked to get out of the boat or walk to the boat and then I got wet again time after time. It started to irritate me after the third time. Around 5:30 p.m. we were dropped off in hip deep water and made our way towards the beach. Dry land felt wonderful! Thomas said he thought of us and hoped that we were not experiencing the storm that he did and just believed that we were okay! Would I do it again, absolutely yes! Now I know what Gilligan felt like in his boat before it shipwrecked!

To end our night we purchased a large, red, paper Chinese lantern while walking down the beach. After lighting it, we said a prayer for our friend Scott and sent it to be with him in the Heavens. It turned into a tiny speck of light before its flicker disappeared in the dark sky. 

Another photo album will be posted within the next day. Nancy took the photos with her camera as I did not want to take Thomas's camera with me. That was one of the best decisions that I've ever made as I am sure it would have been tossed around and soaked. Take care my friends! xo