Ko Phi Phi and Ko Phangan

Whew...All this backpacking and then. Beach?

We spent one night in Phuket town, which was just okay since we arrived late and left the next morning. But we found ourselves in Ko Phi Phi after a quick ferry ride and we had...nothing to do. It's a beautiful island on the western end of Thailand that attracts many backpackers. Gorgeous white sandy beaches adorn most of the bays, with scattered rocks on the coast and a luscious jungle inland. So for the most part of 5 nights, we just relaxed. A lot of reading, journal writing, snorkeling, swimming in WARM WARM water. One of the bays near the village has a sandbar that goes out about 1/2 mile from the shore and stays only about 3 feet deep. On the shore, bars and restuarants advertise their drink specials and night-time "fireshows".

There are no cars on the island, and we discovered later that its population is about 80% Muslim. We could hear the beautiful calls to prayer throughout the day. Apparently this also explains why there are so many cats. We learned, from another traveler, that since cats are considered clean animals, there is no population control, and the cats are free to breed all over the island. We stumbled upon hundreds of cats throughout the five days we spent on the island. In fact, one night, a rat had managed to sneak into our bungalow and ravage through some food wrappers. (Jordan jumped up on the bed as if the rat were a fire-breathing snake). He did manage to find a cat roaming around nearby, and sure enough, within 5 minutes, "Big Mama" (the nickname we gave the cat) pounced on the little rodent and tore him a new one. It made for some good entertainment. (That and Jordan screaming on the bed mattress flailing his arms).

Ko Phi Phi has loads of diving centers, western food, internet cafes, and pubs. It's hard to just try and eat Thai food when a juicy burger or tasty scrambled eggs jumps off the menu at a restaurant. The food selection caters to the majority of travelers in the South. Most of the travelers we've met down here have been British and Israeli. Loads and loads of backpackers come off the ferry and fill the beaches in the Southern islands of Thailand. We've made a bunch of friends in transit, many of whom we continue to bump into throughout the rest of our journey. Everyone here pretty much has a similar path leading up to the Full Moon Party. On Oct 14, and every month near the time of the full moon, they throw a legendary party on Ko Phangan Island (the east side). The party is known by backpackers around the world, and almost everyone to travels to Thailand is expected to be at this event.

We just arrived yesterday in Ko Phangan after an entire day of movement via Bus and Ferry. The town is a little crazier, much louder than Ko Phi Phi, and we are hoping to have a good time these next couple of days. We rented Jet Skis today for about $15 USD for 30 minutes and had a fantastic time riding the waves during sunset. At this point, we've basically formed a crew of travelers that consists of group of british guys about our age (Adam and Rick) as well as this lone British traveler (Pete). Together, we plan to take on the island. With some fishing trips, beaches, nights out, and more jet skiing. More to come...