When one touches down on Phuket International Airport, he would know that he will be heading for the people...people come here for two reasons :
1. the Thai girls...somehow prostitution here is legal...sadly this is where the money is for them at the moment...'tourist' will spend a month or two there...for good company...and some other things...
2. to enjoy what the beaches and the sea have to offer...beautiful corals, great ski-ing place...kayaking, canoeing among many other activities...and last but not least, a heart melting sunset...
For those opting for option #1, they are usually sun-bathing in the morning...and back in the hotel by sun down...for more intimate activities...
As for option #2, we wake up early in the morning...have a hearty breakfast, and head for the speed boat which will bring us to our destinations...
Here is Lesson 101 : Before you jump down, learn how to swim...
If you don't fancy swimming, and yet would still like to look at some corals...
Here is Lesson 101.1 for you : Before you jump down, learn to put on a life jacket...properly...or ask the locals to do so for you...
I was on my first trip to Phi Phi Island, where the activity of the day was snorkeling, swim, snorkeling...tonnes of corals to explore...and so little time...the speed boat I was in, had about 30 people in it...2 families from Hong Kong, one from Sweden, another from Australia, 2 groups from M'sia (including us) and a few singles...
Our first drop off was at Maya Bay...for snorkeling...I being too excited, I think...was the first few to jump off...goggles only, and no life jacket...(yes, I am aware of the dangers...but I wanted to touch the sea corals, and the life jacket was restricting...)...
At first, I did have some problems keeping afloat...the current was strong, and there was the sea temperature to adjust too...so I swam near to the back of the boat, where there was a rope...and I held firmly to it, while taking a breather...
When all of a sudden, there was this 300 megaton hippo grabbed me on my shoulders and pulled me under...Caught by surprise, I had a few gulps of sea water, before I struggled to reach the surface once more...I looked out for the source...and, would you believe it...one fat dude (from the Hong Kee group)...had just jumped into the water...and was also struggling to float!!..the difference was...he does not know how to swim...I understood that he was fighting for his survival...but, crap...need he hang on to a small shrimp like me??...btw, he did have a life jacket...
The local guide tried to pull him up...somehow he slipped once more...and dragged me down again...TWO-ZERO...I could not swim away in time...and besides, the under sea current was pulling me towards his direction...and yes, I had a few more gulps of sea-water...blardy hell...and this time, I wasn't in the mood to be nice...
True, it may just be my luck, that I happened to be in the right place at the wrong time...I can accept that gracefully...but what pissed me off...was the fact that when the locals got him back on the boat, he turned to the tour guide, and scolded her for life jacket malfunction!!!...I was already up on the boat, watching this scene (I quickly climbed up after him, as I was tired after the struggle)...and it was obvious that he didn't buckle the strap between his legs...which not surprisingly, didn't keep him afloat...also, erm...there wasn't any life jacket that fitted him...he was WAY too big....
Not only had he the audicity to scold the tour guide in front of us, tourists...he was so self-absorbed that he didn't apologize to me!!...and yes, I was expecting an apology...why not??...true, it was an accident...and I was an innocent bystander who got involved...but still, I would expect some courtesy...some sort of an apology for inconvenience or rather...or at least, a little concern to see if I am alright or not...
But Nooooo....he never went down...and spend the rest of the trip (till the next stop, at least)...being his egoistic self, and proclaiming to his family/friends...how he struggled...and how he nearly drowned...and no thanks to the locals for pulling him up just in time...
And with all the salt water I drank...I really wanted to puke...literally...
So, learn to swim...if not, learn to put on a life jacket...properly...its for your own safety, after all...
1. the Thai girls...somehow prostitution here is legal...sadly this is where the money is for them at the moment...'tourist' will spend a month or two there...for good company...and some other things...
2. to enjoy what the beaches and the sea have to offer...beautiful corals, great ski-ing place...kayaking, canoeing among many other activities...and last but not least, a heart melting sunset...
For those opting for option #1, they are usually sun-bathing in the morning...and back in the hotel by sun down...for more intimate activities...
As for option #2, we wake up early in the morning...have a hearty breakfast, and head for the speed boat which will bring us to our destinations...
Here is Lesson 101 : Before you jump down, learn how to swim...
If you don't fancy swimming, and yet would still like to look at some corals...
Here is Lesson 101.1 for you : Before you jump down, learn to put on a life jacket...properly...or ask the locals to do so for you...
I was on my first trip to Phi Phi Island, where the activity of the day was snorkeling, swim, snorkeling...tonnes of corals to explore...and so little time...the speed boat I was in, had about 30 people in it...2 families from Hong Kong, one from Sweden, another from Australia, 2 groups from M'sia (including us) and a few singles...
Our first drop off was at Maya Bay...for snorkeling...I being too excited, I think...was the first few to jump off...goggles only, and no life jacket...(yes, I am aware of the dangers...but I wanted to touch the sea corals, and the life jacket was restricting...)...
At first, I did have some problems keeping afloat...the current was strong, and there was the sea temperature to adjust too...so I swam near to the back of the boat, where there was a rope...and I held firmly to it, while taking a breather...
When all of a sudden, there was this 300 megaton hippo grabbed me on my shoulders and pulled me under...Caught by surprise, I had a few gulps of sea water, before I struggled to reach the surface once more...I looked out for the source...and, would you believe it...one fat dude (from the Hong Kee group)...had just jumped into the water...and was also struggling to float!!..the difference was...he does not know how to swim...I understood that he was fighting for his survival...but, crap...need he hang on to a small shrimp like me??...btw, he did have a life jacket...
The local guide tried to pull him up...somehow he slipped once more...and dragged me down again...TWO-ZERO...I could not swim away in time...and besides, the under sea current was pulling me towards his direction...and yes, I had a few more gulps of sea-water...blardy hell...and this time, I wasn't in the mood to be nice...
True, it may just be my luck, that I happened to be in the right place at the wrong time...I can accept that gracefully...but what pissed me off...was the fact that when the locals got him back on the boat, he turned to the tour guide, and scolded her for life jacket malfunction!!!...I was already up on the boat, watching this scene (I quickly climbed up after him, as I was tired after the struggle)...and it was obvious that he didn't buckle the strap between his legs...which not surprisingly, didn't keep him afloat...also, erm...there wasn't any life jacket that fitted him...he was WAY too big....
Not only had he the audicity to scold the tour guide in front of us, tourists...he was so self-absorbed that he didn't apologize to me!!...and yes, I was expecting an apology...why not??...true, it was an accident...and I was an innocent bystander who got involved...but still, I would expect some courtesy...some sort of an apology for inconvenience or rather...or at least, a little concern to see if I am alright or not...
But Nooooo....he never went down...and spend the rest of the trip (till the next stop, at least)...being his egoistic self, and proclaiming to his family/friends...how he struggled...and how he nearly drowned...and no thanks to the locals for pulling him up just in time...
And with all the salt water I drank...I really wanted to puke...literally...
So, learn to swim...if not, learn to put on a life jacket...properly...its for your own safety, after all...
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