Just a sliver under twenty-four hours it took me. But, I finally made it to Kuala Lumpur. My only solace, my gateways to this city was through three of the top airports - when traveling finding free Wi-Fi is like hitting the jackpot and I certainly did at the airports at Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
My hostel was located near the bustling Pasar Seni (Central market) and Petaling Streets (China Town). But, first things first a shower -and it did not disappoint. I was soon hitting the busy streets of KL and exploring the Independence (Merdeka) Square area. The juxtaposition of the old and the new is seamless here. From the square you see the KL tower and the iconic Petronas Twin towers but the neo-Moorish architecture of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building across the street and the Tudor styled buildings that sit adjacent to the lawns still garner your attention.
After inhaling some food at the Pasar Seni food court- which was, surprisingly, disappointing - I was exploring Petaling Street and its pirated goods. It was here that the 'bull in a China shop' feeling first manifested itself. The alleys increasingly narrowing, yet the traffic steady. Later that night I met up with a long-time friend who lives in KL, Hetty. We went out to a neighborhood bar to catch-up on the latest, it had been fourteen years since we last saw each other!
The drinks were short-lived as I was still bleary-eyed after close to a day of traveling and another flight approaching in a few hours. I had roped Hetty into going to Koh Phi Phi with me early that following morning.
The last time I was in Phi Phi, it was for a short two-day jaunt and I promised myself then, that I would return at some point. This time we had four days to laze and explore on the tiny spit of land in the Andaman Sea.
Getting to Phi Phi is a bit of a trek in itself; an early morning Air Asia flight from KL to Phuket, then a taxi from Phuket Airport to the Rassada Pier and finally a two-hour ferry to Koh Phi Phi. The ferries aren't very frequent as we learned, we missed the first ferry of the day by five minutes and had to wait for two-and-a-half hours for the next ferry. The Pier isn't geared for stranded passengers, having only a few knick-knack shops and some benches haphazardly strewn about.
We arrived at Phi Phi slightly later than anticipated, due to engine trouble we experienced in the middle of the Andaman Sea. Fortunately, we had music and a small speaker to while-away the two-hour journey.
It helped that I was familiar with the island, as finding our hotel was a cinch. We were staying at the Phi Phi Palm Tree Hotel - affordable & very comfortable.
We went for a walk and found the ubiquitous fish spas that you find all over these parts. I was keen in giving it a try, Hetty was slightly more apprehensive - but she was game nonetheless. I can't quite describe the sensation of having hundreds of tiny fish eat away at the dead skin on the soles of your feet. The best way to describe it is as getting tickled. Hetty was a great sport even though the sensation of fish eating her dead skin was freaking her out. After our half hour was up, the only thing that was occupying my mind was: Hit the Pool! And that's exactly what we did... along with some tasty suds; Chang, Singha or Tiger all being viable options. After some pool lounging our appetites had reached mammoth proportions and we sat down at the beach-adjacent Tonsai Seafod Grill. Chicken Satays, Calamari rings and fried fish were accompanied by some "manly drinks" (cocktails).
After a much needed nap, we headed out to grab some food but to no avail, all the restaurants had closed for the evening - it was past ten o'clock. Instead we went to a beach bar and grabbed some food from a street vendor. This was followed by a few Chang's at the bar. After a few bevvies and people watching it was time to call it for our first day in paradise.
The next day, still feeling the jet-lag I was up early and decided to spend the first few hours reading 'Shantaram' by Gregory David Roberts. It turned out to be an excellent read especially when traveling through South East Asia. This day was spent entirely at the beach and the bar, not specifically in that order. We set out after breakfast at the hotel and perched ourselves at Lo Dalum Bay well into the blistering afternoon sun. The beach was almost empty when we first waded into the shallow Andaman. We migrated between the the calm waters and the icy, thirst quenching Chang's in what seemed like a perfectly choreographed routine. Towards lunch time we ordered some fries with our beers at the beach bar. This is one of my favorite childhood memories from living in Sri Lanka; coming back for a tasty reprieve after swimming in the ocean my parents would have fries, fresh off the fryer, waiting for us and the saltiness of your fingers (from the ocean) and the greasiness of the fries was the perfect blend of goodness. It takes me back to circa 1990 every time.
Another afternoon nap beckoned! After all this was relaxation, in its purest and most unadulterated!
We made sure not to repeat the previous nights' mistake and made it to a restaurant before they closed. For dinner, we had crab in chili oil, prawns in a rendang curry and eggplant all accompanied with some fried rice. The afternoon sun, the seafood feast, 'Cantaloupe Island' by Herbie Hancock all proved too much - I gave into the lulling coma that beckoned. That night I dreamt ...of what I can't remember.
Just like the morning before I was up early and continued to make my way through Roberts' 'Shantaram'. "Sometimes you have to surrender before you win." A quote that would resonate with me for the rest of the trip, more on that later.
Today was the day that we had booked our snorkeling trip. Last time I was in Phi Phi, I had no waterproof camera and suffice to say I was cursing that decision. This time though armed with a waterproof camera that took videos as well we embarked on an island hopping snorkeling tour. As we set out from Ton Sai Bay, the clouds looked ominous and sure enough after our first stop at Monkey Beach (so named for the colony of monkey's that congregate at the beach) the heavens opened up. As we made our way to the first snorkeling stop the rain eased for a bit. Snorkeling during a down-pour on the Andaman Sea - cross another off the bucket list. The snorkeling was still great, in spite of the rain. The variety of fish, impressive. The corals, bountiful. The water clarity, at least ten to fifteen feet.
The highlight of the trip though, was seeing a purple and black stripped sea snake. My first instinct was to freak out, but I remembered from watching too many Discovery Channel shows that although being highly venomous that sea snakes are very docile. I kept my distance but followed it for a little while before deciding to head back to the boat after about an hour of exploring. Next stop was Koh Phi Phi Leh, infamous for having 'The Beach' filmed there. We made our way through the rocky banks and walked across the island and arrived at Maya Bay. Even in the rain it was spectacular, the bay was walled in by limestone cliffs which provide a glaring contrast to the perfect and the sugary white sand. The rain eased as we headed back to Ton Sai Bay. The clouds cleared just enough to see the vespertine colors of the sunset, and the entire boat sat in silence and enjoyed the fried rice that was included with the tour. As we approached Ton Sai the rain picked up again.
The last full day on the island inevitably arrived. The rain from the previous day had given rise to the perfect island day, balmy yet with the odd breeze that provided a brief yet welcomed respite. We lazed around in the morning getting in ample beach and pool time, always accompanied by a cold beer. The real treat came at dinner time, Hetty and I had our hearts set on having lobster, and we satisfied this extravagant craving. We ordered prawns in chili oil, black peppered lobster and thai-styled steamed clams, of course accompanied by fried rice. Barring the odd shell, the plates might as well been licked clean. It was more greed than hunger that fueled our appetites, but it was satisfying to see empty dishes line our table.
The next morning we had to catch the morning ferry back to the mainland. Hetty and I sat in silence for the most of the two-hour ferry ride. We played back the four days we spent on Phi Phi and the great memories that we were taking with us. I still had five days left of my trip, but it was with a heavy heart that I was leaving Thailand - few place have ever tugged at my heart's strings as Koh Phi Phi. As we boarded our delayed flight back to KL, one thought resonated in my mind, "Sometimes you have to surrender before you win."
To Be Continued....
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