I get a big thrill out of seeing the world
differently.
Bob is the brother of our neighbour on Gabriola.
We met Bob last summer while he was visiting for a few months. Bob lives in
Thailand where he runs a business from Phi Phi Island called “Bob’s Booze
Cruise”.
If you knew Phi Phi Island, the name “Bob’s Booze
Cruise” wouldn’t be so outlandish! Phi Phi Island is small…about 50 km
southeast of Phuket. There are several places on the island where you can see limestone
mountains with sharp cliffs, and caves that open to long white sandy beaches.
The entire island is about: 8 km in length and 3.5 km wide. There are
no vehicles on the island. Pushcarts and bicycles help pedestrians get from one
place to another. Longboats and ferries travel around the perimeter. I come to realize that most of the people on the island aren’t old enough to
drive anyway! Paul and I were definitely the oldest!
The population on Phi Phi is said to be about 2,000-3,000, but I would say that that number more than triples when you account for the tourists. Once again, it seems that western presence overwhelms that of Native Thais. Restaurants, resorts, entertainment, bars and spas appear overwhelmingly throughout the island. Young travelers (mostly 20-30 year olds) come to Phi Phi for beautiful beaches, lots of alcohol and on-going partying! Thais serve.
We played with Bob and his Booze Cruise for two
days. Monkey Island, cliff jumping, cave touring and checking out 100-year-old
wall paintings are all a part of the adventure. I passed on most of the booze,
choosing bottled water instead, but, I have to say, I marvelled at the amount
of alcohol most young people could consume. In the two days, there were several
drunken young people walking off the boat. It was fun though, and really nice
to be hosted by our friend, Bob. He liked it too. It was the first time in a
long while since he had conversation with someone over the age of 28.
Bob took us scuba diving! I love breathing with
the rest of the life underwater. It’s just like communing with a whole
different culture. I tune into my breath so completely when I swim, and
maintain a rhythm that keeps it comfortable. With SCUBA I know I can stay under
water so much longer. I often stop just to ‘fish watch’.
The colours off of Phi Phi Island are subtle.
Browns, tans, beiges, dark greens comprise the backdrop of the coral. So much
of the sea foliage looks like the same design as the human brain. All shapes
and sizes are scattered across the sea floor. Every so often as I swim, I see a
spattering of bright colour in the growth. Splashes of violet, or sunshine
yellow stand alone sporadically. It reminds me of a Steven Spielberg movie with
his splash of bright red against a background of black and white and grey.
Scattered along the floor are these amazing vase
like structures, with an exterior of pure purple and the inside an ivory clear
surface. Each one I see, I think to myself “who made this? I want to buy one!”
But there is no one on the bottom of the sea selling it. These perfectly square shaped tall
receptacles stand solidly on the sea ground appearing as if they are waiting to
be filled with fresh cut flowers. Instead, they sit empty, the waves flowing
over, with occasional fish investigating what’s inside or maybe even hanging
around for a bit of a rest.
Beautiful fish of different sizes and shapes and
incredible colours, yellows and purples, solids and stripes travel in schools.
I wonder where they’re going and where they’re coming from. They probably wonder
the same, as they look back at me, obviously curious at what they see. I stare
back with my hands folded comfortably in front of me, a sign that I promise not
to touch. I am a tourist in another world once again and I just want to
continue to observe……
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