Angie and Ron

Phuket
We arrived at our flash hotel in Kata Beach Phuket very late the next day. It was great to be in Asia again and I felt like I was getting close to home. It feels more like home here than in Europe; same plants, same humidity. We have never been to Phuket before but got the impression that it would have been lovely 25 years ago. It really has been done over. Patong Beach remained me a bit of Surfers Paradise in the 1960’s, very tacky. As a policy I think avoiding beach resorts is probably a good idea. Even so the beach is very nice here. The food in Thailand is fantastic.

Floating flower display

What does this sign mean?? This is on Kata Beach.

We did the Phi Phi Island day trip. Phi Phi Island (pronounced Pee Pee) is very beautiful. We were on the Phi Phi Island Cruiser with about 400 others. It was a day when we felt like sheep. We were herded into lunch at the Phi Phi Island Hotel and then herded off on another boat for a bit of snorkelling. The fish were beautiful but the coral was looking stressed. I always love snorkelling.

Island on the way to Phi Phi

Me snorkelling watched on by Muslim woman, Can you spot me? we can't

One of our crew members told us about the tsunami and showed us his scar and photos. Phi Phi Island was very badly affected as it has a narrow isthmus where all the development is. The three tidal waves of about 7m washed straight over the isthmus. He was saved by being on the boat. People on boats were OK. It is difficult to see any damage now as a lot of rebuilding has occurred. It was very sad and we could only imagine that most people there had suffered great losses. We didn’t hear anymore about the tsunami even though the areas near Kata Beach were also badly affected.

Phi Phi Island

Boats at Phi Phi Is.

The next day 2 Australian girls Kerry and Jenna, organised us on Jing’s Walk in the Wild Trip. It started on the west side of the Khao Pra Taew National Park at the Tonsai waterfall and finished on the east at the Bang Pae waterfall, about 5km but somehow it took us 3 hours. There were only 5 of us on the walk and we were all Australians. We are the only ones mad enough to want to do a rainforest walk in such humidity with possibility of meeting snakes etc. It was very hot but great. There was a wonderful swimming hole but none of us had our togs (swimmers) as Jing’s brochure failed to mention it. We did see one beautiful green snake.

Kerry and Jenna waiting outside our Hotel for taxi

Ron in his walking gear

Kerry and Jenna looking as if they are off on a Vogue Thai jungle photo shot

Jing and his truck

Blue fern

Red crab

The swimming hole

At the end of the walk we visited the Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre where gibbons are rescued from captivity and slowly rehabilitated so they can be reintroduced into the National Park. We did hear some wild Gibbons but didn’t see them. Many of the Gibbons are so disturbed and injured that they cannot be rehabilitated.

Gibbons are used as tourist attractions like this one on Phi Phi Island. As it gets bigger it will become more aggressive and a problem for its owner. It are these kind of Gibbons that end up at the Rehabilitation Centre.