Vibing on Lanta

Sometimes, you find yourself in a place that leaves such a powerful impression on you, and find it hard to leave. I found one of those today, in Koh Lanta National Park.

Thanks to a kind German stranger also named Jenny, who let me use her panorama function because mine broke, I was able to physically record what I saw:

My favorite corner in the world so far -

On the left, a jagged stone beach with crashing waves breaking into a noisy white foam upon hitting the sharp rock edges.

On the right, a gentle and calm beach with the most natural and untouched sand. There was not a single other tourist here - only a handful of local families, children splashing around in the tame ocean and parents chatting under the mangrove shade with picnics. I love mangroves

Behind me, which you can't see, is an aged white lighthouse, perched on top of and surrounded by rock-islands.

There is something about rocky cliffs, jagged rocks, and the clashing waves, that I love. I don't know what it is, maybe the wildness, maybe the danger, definitely raw beauty... it all excites me. I could sit here forever. But probably just for the sunset today.

This is a picture I took earlier from the rocky beach. I stood there for a good while, feeling the waves crashing into my feet. It was a good change of pace.

Speaking of changing pace - I found Koh Lanta to have a completely different vibe than Koh Phi Phi. After saying my goodbyes in the morning, I hopped on a ferry to Ko Lanta, an island southeast of Phi Phi. It was a sleepy ride, and I was not patient with locals on the ferries trying to offer me taxis and accommodations.

But the second I set foot on this new island I felt the difference - first off, it was so much bigger, and quieter. There are some touristy stores, but they were very spaced out. Life was slower and quieter here, with no boat men trying to stop you every 2 meters offering rides. Although this also meant you can't find 20 restaurants just down the street from your hostel. What struck me the most, though, was how incredibly nice the locals are here.

I first stopped by my dive shop near the pier (I had signed up to scuba dive the next day, and wanted to check in). Not only did they welcome me in, had me try on all my gear, they also spent a LOT of time helping me figure out the most cost-effective and convenient way to get to my hostel, and around the island. They called around, and even haggled for a cheap tuktuk for me.

The island is very long, and getting around required transportation of some kind. We decided that I would get my own motorbike at the hostel in order to explore the island the rest of the day (I only had one day!)

Man oh man! I was definitely much more confident riding a scooter this time around , and flew through the mountainous road - my favorite kind! With lots of hills, and exciting curves - kept me leaning left and right.

And the most amazing views kept opening up:

Also I stopped here for a bite:

After that was when I reached the national park and found my light house and beaches.

I turned in super early that night - haven't slept well at all the entire trip! (Talk about not actually relaxing :p) AND I got the entire hostel room of 8 beds just to myself! Slept like a baby before the scuba trip the next day!

I was picked up bright and early the next morning along with Keith, a guy from Western Massachusetts. He has been coming yearly to Koh Lanta for decades, always stays at the same bungalow, and uses the same dive shop. He was a swell guy - he was also my diving buddy!

The trip we booked was to the two famous rock coral cliffs called Hin Daeng and Hin Muang. After feeding us a delicious breakfast, the divemasters took us out to the dive site on a 1.5 hr speed boat ride.

One of my favorite parts about diving is the boat ride. The fresh current of wind in your face, the endless ocean, not a worry in the world.

Keith and I stared hungrily at the surrounding as we drove by - distant rock islands, squid boats (which shine strong lights into the water on moonless nights, attracting plankton who then attract squid), and a whole lot of open water.

The dives were sweet. There were lots of beautiful purple and red soft corals, and we saw quite a few moray eels, barracudas, and huge jellyfish. There was a big dead jellyfish that all the other fish were taking huge bite chunks out of - sad sight :(

 Sea cucumber feet

On one occasion Keith pointed out a beautiful yellow baby boxfish. It was SO little and cute - I got too excited, my heart started racing and I started needing more air - which meant I was feeling suffocated and very anxious (aka panic attack). I checked our depth and saw that we were 26 meters deep, and freaked out even more. At this points I was taking really deep breaths and still not getting enough - I signaled to our divemaster that something is wrong with my heart rate and breathing, all the while trying not to panic about dying before making it up

This is what the fish looked like - doesn't it just take your breath away? (Courtesy of Google)

Evelyn, our divemaster, took both my hands, and calmly motioned for me to breathe in and out while going up a little shallower. It was magic, and in no time I calmed down and felt better. Thanks Evelyn! But man it was NOT a fun experience.

Anyway. in between the two dive sites they served us fruits, and coconut rice wraped in banana leaves (best ever). We just sat around, chatted, and shared our diving stories.

And on the way back Keith and I sat at the head of the boat, chatting, taking in the limitless ocean, and getting to know each other. I was very sad to have had only 1.5 days in Lanta - it had been my favorite place on this trip! Definitely will be back.

The rest of the day was not so smooth (it was one of those "I want to go home" moments) - the car ferry taking me from Lanta back to Krabi was 2 hours late, so by the time I got to Krabi pier it was already dark. I had planned to go to a (only) boat-accessible beach to meet 2 friends from college, Renee and Katie, but because there was no other way of getting to the beach except by longtail boat,  I was the biggest scammer target. They were vicious in trying to clean my wallet.

I won't go into details, but it was dark, and the normally beautiful limestone cliff islands surrounding Railay beach looked so ominous. I did not trust the boat man, and I paid way too much and was not let down the boat when I tried to change my mind and refuse the ride:

 "We already bought the gasoline", they said. 

"Then use it tomorrow, give me my money back and I will leave", I naively said.

"No, we can't use it tomorrow, we have to use it now"

"That makes NO sense....but how much is it maybe I'll just pay for the gas"

"500 baht." SO much bullshit, not my best travel moment

But I did eventually find Renee, and we had a lovely dinner, and she was so kind to let me stay with her in her cool rustic bungalow overnight. 

My travels are coming to an end - Bangkok tomorrow for a couple days, and then back home to NYC!

SONGKRAN

So our hostel room toilet has a flushing problem. If you take a #2, there's a 95% chance it won't go down, and you'll have to spend the next 10 minutes trying to unclog the toilet with 5 other ppl 5 feet away from you in the dorm room knowing exactly what's going on (one trick is to turn the shower on while you're going, but we all know that trick so you ain't fooling anyone). But at this point we're all good friends, so this shit (pun intended) is just funny.

I literally just did a victory dance cuz mine went down in one flush. Woo. Great start to Songkran. It's the little victories :)

Anyway, lemme get to business - what a day!

I got up bright and early, in hopes of safely getting breakfast, before the war starts. Unfortunately, I was being too naive - locals holding white cream (I think it's made of baby powder + water but I can't be sure) were waiting in the streets, and did this to me as I innocently tried to walk past:

Also this:

So I rushed home to assemble my own team of soldiers (couldn't figure out how to rotate it sorry)

Before we headed out though, I had a little hostel situation - I had been booking my room one night at a time because I wasn't sure how long I was going to stay in Koh Phi Phi. But I met some great people and figured I'd stay one more night there - but turns out they're full for that night :(

The lady at the hostel recommended the place next door. I didn't want to walk my backpack around the island in this heat and water festival madness, so I put down the 800baht (~26$!) for the only room they had left there - it's a private room!!!!! The second I stepped inside I decided that the extra 500baht was worth it.

Clean, spacious, private, and most of all, with a functional toilet!!!! Such luxury, I was excited for a good night's sleep (which didn't eventually happen but I won't go into it)

My army kindly waited until I finished dealing with my hostel shenanigans, and then we set off into the streets.

Koh Phi Phi is a small island with no cars, and all the streets are narrow and windy - pretty perfect setting for some water gun fighting. The entire experience was madness, and you really had to be there, but I'll try my best to describe.

This is an event which sees no race/color. In really doesn't matter what your nationality is, your age, your status - if you're in the streets, you WILL get shot at, and you WILL get drenched. One thing to note though: traditionally it's done with bowls and buckets, and I believe the western tourists are who made this whole water-gun thing so popular. Don't quote me though.

Owners of some storefronts put giant water buckets out front, and filled it with (sometimes ice!) water for everyone else to get gun refills. People holding hoses used to fill those buckets will periodically use the hose to shoot giant jets of water at passersby.

As you walk down the street, you'll get water coming from every direction - you'll get buckets of water dumped in your shirt from the back (sometimes icey), buckets of water dumped on you from balconies, and buckets straight in your face.

Some locals circulated the streets with the creamy thing I was talking about earlier, and smacked it on everyone's faces (they get washed off pretty quickly by the water).

The poor people just getting onto the island from the ferry got it the worst - weapons and carrying big bags, they didn't stand a chance and got totally drenched.

The children are the WORST. They were the most dangerous enemies. Here is a picture of some cute and tame ones - I didn't dare take a picture of the older ones, I would've died.

Our team put up a fearless fight -

"Take a picture of us please? "

"Ok." Said the Thai man

*sprays right in our faces*

*takes picture*

After going on for about 4 hours, we finally retreated back to our hostels - who knew water gun fighting could be so exhausting!

After a brief siesta in my new room, I decided to take a walk to the tsunami memorial (Phi Phi was one of the affected islands). Christian from Germany was awake so we took off together. 5 seconds into walking, we heard music, drums, and cheering from a block away - it's a parade! Well we HAVE to follow it!

Had no idea where they were taking us, but we bought beers and just followed...the yellow brick road

They took us all around the island, past the houses where locals lived, chanting, cheering, dancing around. And then ended back right near where we started.... at an effing EDM stage! It was bizarre, Christian and I were the only two tourists in the crowd of Thais wearing flowery clothes, dancing to the music. The host took a hose and just sprayed unto the crowd as the music pumped on

Ok let me speed this up, too much happened in one day haha.

Christian and I headed back after the party, grabbed Sam from the UK and Joanna from Dubai,  and we set off to look for the memorial again. Except this time we got distracted by the sunset:
       

Sigh. Just look at that for a moment. <3

Turns out the memorial we were looking for was torn down years ago and a hotel built above it :( But hunting for it brought so many surprises - there's always something happening around every corner. :)

After dinner, the gang headed to the Muay Thai fighting bar. The idea is, anyone can volunteer to fight in the ring, and the winner of 3 one-minute rounds gets a free bucket (of alcohol).

It was fucking intense. We saw two professional Muay Thai fighters, and the agility, speed, and force blew my mind. Multiple times they crashed into the sides of the ring, right in front of where we were sitting, and I felt the sweat spray my face.

Not surprisingly, we had a fighter in our group - Allan, a chef from Malaysia. He said he's never fought or learned how to fight before. Hard to believe because he fucking BEASTED and won!

Well, he did unfortunately throw up right after the match and had to go back, but still a winner!

The night ended at the hostel with some Never Have I Ever, some getting to know each other, and not a lot of sleep.

I miss the Phi Phi crew already.

I SWAM WITH A MONKEY!

Clearly the highlight of my stay at Koh Phi Phi so far has been finding out that monkeys can swim :p - doggy paddle style. Lolz. Super sad my gopro was out of battery and I couldn't take a picture of me swimming alongside mah monkey friend. I was just minding my business snorkeling when this dude came paddling out of nowhere! We chilled for a bit. Pretty cool stuff.

So anyway, after 60 hours of traveling on plane, another plane, 12-hr overnight bus (omg no sleep), and ferry, I was finally on the island of Koh Phi Phi. So far the plan is to spend the entirety of my trip on several islands, to chill the fuck out, eat good food, and dive.

I hadn't brushed my teeth or pooped in who knows how long, so I cleaned myself and took a half day to lie in my bed(!) until all the energy came back into my body, and my phone.

I got me a papaya salad (so good!!!) and wandered around the island for a bit to orient myself (it's an extremely touristy place) (also extremely hot) then headed to my first stop - the Viewpoints.

There are 3 viewpoints as you hike up the trail, it was quite a tiring hike!

But the view was phenomenal. Here are pictures from all 3 viewpoints, in sequential order. I stayed a while after getting to the 3rd hike to see the sunset. It was breathtaking :)

Also I thought it was really cool that you could very obviously see the low tide - all the boats are just chilling in the sand at this point!!!

I also liked this:

After that I turned in pretty early - been an exhausting trip, had to charge up! I'll spare you the hostel shenanigans but good sleep was not possible that night :(

Anyway, the next morning my new friend, Sam from the hostel, and I set out to find a water taxi to take us to some cool places around Phi Phi

First things first though - Thai fruit pancakes for breakfast! I got the mango - One of the best breakfasts I've had:

It being such a touristy island, we had no problems getting stopped by locals offering water taxi services. One guy was especially nice, seemed genuine, and offered a good price. So we got on his beautiful boat:

Yadi, our driver, was an extremely nice man. I got to know him over the 3 hours we were together. I found out that he used to be a scuba divemaster, but on one excursion he was leading, they saw a leopard shark. He was really excited, and followed it deep under water. By the time he remembered to look up, he was already 60m deep and everyone else looked like like specks above him. He felt a sharp stab in his side - turned out to be a pneumothorax (collapsed lung) (sorry about the big medical word, I got super excited about knowing the exact diagnosis) due to the extreme pressure. He managed to get back up but passed out for a while. That was the last time he was able to dive.

You know, I saw a lot of myself in him, that's probably why we got along so well. Didn't really get a chance to ask him about his life and if he had a family though, really wanted to. 

He took us to some cool spots:

Monkey Beach

Like the name suggests, the place is home to hundreds of monkeys, waiting to be fed by sun screen covered, non-environmental friendly tourists. I was very unhappy with what I saw. The photo speaks for itself:

Maya Bay

I believe this is where the movie "The Beach" was filmed - I need to see it still. It's really gorgeous, but because of that movie, it's become so famous that it's always filled with boats and people. 

We also hiked up the tsunami evacuation route and found the home of a pretty chill monkey:

Some pretty lagoon

The water here was absolutely stunning! 

I wanted to go for a swim, and Yadi insisted that I jump from the boat so he could get some burst shots of my jumping. He's kunda awesome :) here are some of my attempts...

Viking Cave

The Chinese are big on eating a certain kind of bird nest (swiflets?), which are found in rock caves. So in this cave, the Thais have built bamboo scaffolding to climb up to harvest those nests [:(].

Then it was time to say goodbye to Yadi. 

Sam's first time using chopsticks! 

We met some new friends in the hostel from Germany and Malaysia. Over dinner (check out my pineapple fried rice!) We shared our perspectives on the state of the world, mainly Trump and the Syrian refugee crisis. It was very eye-opening to say the least, to hear about the media portrayal of all of the above issues around the world. Amazing conversation. 

Next stop: fire show with the new friends. 

But little did we know, Songkran (Thai new year/water festival) has already started. This year it's 4/12-14, and today is the 12th. 

Traditionally on this holiday, Thai people pour water on each other on the usually hot day. But the overwhelming backpackers' presence has made this day into a full-on white-people-shooting-water-at-each-other drunk fest. Sam and I were just walking down the street trying to get drinks, when 50 tourists wielding super soakers super soaked us with full-force squirting from every direction.

So we decided to arm ourselves:

SOO excited for tomorrow - it's going to be WAR!