Alright, now to our last day. It was our day to snorkel at Phi Phi Island, which to me just screams Thailand. I didn't realize it was going to be an all day experience. We got out on the boat bright and early at 8am and cruised an hour or two to our first snorkeling spot. Our snorkeling guide was a notably good-looking Spaniard named Albert. Actually he was from Barcelona so he made sure to clarify that he was Catalan, not Spanish. I sat and chatted with him here and there throughout the day, but he was so good-looking it was intimidating. But I could have looked at him all day. And thankfully he took our snorkeling group out so I got to.
Unfortunately the first snorkel stop was too choppy to be enjoyable. A few people got sick before we even got there, then more got sea sick in the water. We cut it short and went back to the boat when it was too rough to be fun or see anything. Then after we got back on board we headed to Phi Phi island for a quick look see before lunch, and the waters eventually got even worse. About 20 min before the island the Captain told all of us to go down below because it was going to get really windy and rough. So we gathered all our things and went down below in the bow, where we proceeded to get even more sick. But if I had been up top I would have possibly fallen overboard we were rocking and tipping so dramatically. So far as I know I don't get sea sick, I haven't yet even while it was rough. However being down below and watching the water disappear and reappear into view as the boat tipped made me a little queasy. People were literally sprawled out on the benches and the floor, eyes closed, praying for it to end or to not vomit. But as soon as we hit terra firma we immediately felt better.
Phi Phi Island was INCREDIBLE. Nirvana. Remember I was writing about Sombop's discussion about different levels of heaven? This was definitely at least the second level. I told the scuba instructors I didn't want to get back on the boat, I wanted to be left here. Then hot Albert said "do you know how expensive it is to stay here? At least 1000 bhat a night." I had to keep myself from laughing as I did the mental math, 1000 bhat = about $30. Sounds good to me. We only had an hour on the island to shop or hang out on the beach. The place was packed with tourists and consequently had some pretty good shopping. I bargained my way through the place and picked up some odds and ends. I have this bargaining thing down to a science; later that night a few girls even had me bargain for them for night out clothes. After a half hour of shopping for more cheap things I don't need it was time to beach. That's when I spent the best 30 minutes of the trip on one of the best beaches I have ever seen. Rivaling Mozambique even. A couple girls and I walked way out into the water and it never got deeper than our knees. So we just sat in the sand with the water to our chests, floating and playing.
I can't believe we only had an hour there. At the pier getting back on the boat we saw the ISV Thailand coordinator, a guy named Chad, just getting onto the island. We may or may not have suggested that he scrap the hill tribe trek and let future groups spend a couple nights on Phi Phi instead. I don't think he realized we were serious... or at least I was...
After lunch the seas were much more manageable and the second snorkeling spot was gorgeous. Turquoise sea, lots of coral and brightly colored fish, etc. Nothing thrilling but it seemed to go by quickly so I know I enjoyed it. Then it was an uneventful 2 hour boat ride back to Railay. Mae suggested we get cleaned up and meet for dinner later, then go to what she called a "body paint party" at a bar for the night. None of us knew what to expect from this, we just knew we needed clothes that could get dirty. I went with a few girls to the small nearby market to buy neon pants and cheap white tops so we could get painted and hopefully glow under the black light. Thankfully it worked out perfectly.
Mae arranged for us all to have a final dinner together at a place called the Last Bar on the east side of the island. My group had been there the night before and loved it, they had watched a fire show there and were raving about it. Dinner wasn't bad, I was a little ashamed that I ordered Indian food for my last meal in Thailand. But the idea of more Thai food right now makes me gag. I need a serious break from phad thai. Then we all migrated over to a little deck area where we sat on cushions and drank embarrassingly tropical drinks. While there Mae broke out the lantern we'd been carrying around for the last week. The deal is you light a bottom portion on fire, which fills the paper lantern with hot air until it slowly floats away. We all gathered around and watched it fill with air and made some wishes. But when we let it go it made it about 6 feet up then came crashing down into the adjacent water. I guess there was a hole in it, it was so anticlimactic. And the worst part was that everyone had watched us crowd around this thing and then it completely flopped.
Then around 1030 the fire show started. A dj played a bunch of skrillex and other house music while 4 or 5 local guys twirled flaming batons and chains in really fast patterns. The others were right, it was pretty epic.
After the fire show wrapped up the dj kept playing and our group of 20 started our own little dance party. The bar brought out cups of neon paint for us to splatter all over each other and things got wild. We were all crowded around the dj dancing, flailing paint, and taking pictures. Eventually a group of what I think were 4 young lady boys semi joined in and danced in our periphery for a while. Then I got passed some pink paint and continued to splatter people when I think a lady boy got caught in my cross hairs... He/She just froze and started inspecting the one or two spots of pink, watery paint looking all pissed off. Then the rest of them started looking pissed and went off to pout at a table. That's when I passed Mae my cup of paint and slipped into the dancing fray to avoid the potential wrath of the lady-boys.
Soon after I noticed a guy sitting nearby on his own. Earlier I had done the Dougie with this guy (or tried to) and chatted with him for a bit. Then another girl swooped in and I just kept dancing. But I pointed him out to Alexandra, and she marched over to him and told him to come dance with everyone. Then she tapped me on the shoulder, and when I turned around she was basically presenting him to me. It was so embarrassing but you have to hand it to the girl, she's a ballsy wingwoman. His name was Govid and he was from the bay area, backpacking on his own through Thailand for 3 weeks. He was there with a collection of other single backpackers he'd met along his way and I chatted with a few of them. His English friend Ben was for some reason convinced I had an Irish accent. I insisted I didn't but eventually we conceded that I at times used Irish inflection. Sounds like someone I know...
We stayed at the bar much later than I'd anticipated and I was one of the last few to leave. When the other 5 girls said they were going I said my goodbyes to Ben and Govid and headed home. Then we decided to go wash the worst of the paint off by jumping in the ocean, and I ran back to invite the boys along. Govid joined us and we crossed the island and went straight into the water. It was incredible out, it was nearly a full moon which reflected off the water and lit up everything. The beach was empty and the place was silent. It could not have been a more amazing moment. Govid and I chatted into the early morning comparing stories about giant Thai spiders and weird Thai encounters, joined by a lonely black cat who wanted to cuddle. It was a truly memorable last night in Thailand.
What an amazing finale to an amazing experience.
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