Kayaking & finding 'The Beach'

After the climbing I described in my last blog, I spent a few days chilling out on Railay, which included another half day of climbing. When I came back to the leading I felt much more confident and was able to lead some tougher routes, and I even managed to on-sight about half of an F7a on a top rope, which I was very pleased about. The day after that bit of climbing I took the boat back to Krabi town, where I spent the night before embarking on a day of sea kayaking around the nearby coast. We explored the mangroves that line this part of the shoreline, and ventured between towering karsts of rock.



We also ventured in to part of a cave, only accessible during certain periods of the day at low tide. We spotted an otter who came to play with us, splashing around the kayaks and swimming under us; whether he was really playing or telling us to get off his territory I'm not sure, but it was great to interact so intimately with the wildlife. As well as the otter we also sighted some monkeys, a long lizard, lots of salamanders and many brightly coloured crabs.







The following day I took a ferry to Koh Phi Phi, one of the most famous islands off the Andaman Coast. Many people here will tell you that Koh Phi Phi is one of the most beautiful islands in the world. They're probably right. In fact, Koh Phi Phi is actually comprised of two main islands, one of which, Koh Phi Phi Leh, is basically uninhabited. Today I took a snorkelling tour out to this island and explored the underwater realm of the coral reefs. The coral and the fish it played host to were very similar to what we saw in Lombok, but the surrounding landscape was very different. This is a truly beautiful place, where towering limestone plunges into turquoise water and sweeping stretches of pure sand lie beneath lush green palms. The beaches of Thailand are the most beautiful I've seen in the world.

Koh Phi Phi Leh was the choice of location for the famous film The Beach. The effect of this film on tourism to Koh Phi Phi was huge, and The Beach is treated with a similar reverence here to that of the Lord of the Rings films in New Zealand. After disembarking the boat at a rocky outcrop with the aid of ropes and lifejackets, we walked across the narrow island to come out on Maya Bay, the precise location for the film.



Another event that had substantial, but in this case negative, effects on southern Thailand was the December 2004 tsunami. Before I came to South East Asia I hadn't quite grasped the effect of this natural event on the people and communities of this region. Many of the buildings on Koh Phi Phi were destroyed, and many people lost their lives. In fact, speaking to a local man the other day, I found out that many people were too scared for months afterwards to go near the water. These people, many of whom rely on the seas for their jobs, completely lost their livelihoods. Many people have members of their family or friends who were never seen again. In a cruel twist of fate, I learnt that in the minutes before the tsunami struck, it caused a period of extreme-low tide which drew many puzzled people out on to the beach, wondering what was happening. These people would have been the first to perish.

Tomorrow I'm heading back to the mainland, where I'm going to spend a couple of nights with the gibbons in Khao Sok National Park. Then I'll head to Bangkok, where I'll do a crash course of the city in a couple of days before flying home.