Plans changed, and we stayed in Phi Phi for a couple of extra days. It's an expensive tourist hive but also definitely the most beautiful island I've ever been to, so we decided to slum it as best we could. Activity #1 : Make your own chess set. We split up to comb the beach and town for potential chess pieces. This resulted in my greatest haggling moment so far. A couple of black ornamental elephants (knights) down from 150B each to 50 for the both - It's amazing what showing a bag full of old crap you've found on the beach does for the cause.
On the white side, Kae had bought some superglue, which was then commandeered by a posse of local 6 yr old school girls, resulting in Kae removing stones and shells superglued to their fingertips.
The next day we paid about a tenner to be taken around Phi Phi on a snorkelling tour, which also took us to Phi Phi Ley (Small Phi Phi) where the film 'The Beach' was filmed, and where Kae saw a black and white striped sea snake. Kae also saw a fish leap from one rockpool to another, a very risky manouver for a fish at low tide, we thought.
That day we met and had dinner at the night market with Rachael and Kate, and a Canadian girl, Jessy. We were surrounded by half a dozen rats during the meal, but Kae and I returned again later on in the week regardless, not least because the chef let us buy beers from the supermarket and consequently let me have a pee in his home, where I had to meet his family in the tiny living room.
The evening turned into another session of free promotional bucket drinks, which I more than made the most of and stumbled off home leaving Kaeleigh out with the girls.
On our last full day we hired a sea kayak and travelled to a secluded beach, finding some more great coral reef to explore. On the return journey I found the liveliest and largest corral reef I've seen. Shoals of fish the size of keyboards. So a brilliant day, only slightly marred by some good old fashioned sunburn.
That night I met some good people while watching United take Arsenal apart (3-1) - and Nani played well! How long have I been away!?
Hi Jack and Kae, all sounds great as usual - the photos are really great although Kae looks a little bitten by the bugs? Are they sandfly bites or mosquito bites? The scenery is amazing isn't it, Dad and I did very similar trips so all looks familiar. You both sound well and that you are enjoying it all, keep well and look after yourselves, love to you both. Mumxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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