When we arrived in Phuket, Larry booked a couple of tours for us. We set out on our first expedition Wednesday morning. Having just recently watched 'The Beach' with Leo DiCaprio, I really wanted to visit Phi Phi Island's Maya Bay. I was sure it was fake as no place could be that pristinely beautiful. The driver picked us and seven others up at various hotels along the way. We arrived at Chalong Bay. The place was hopping with tourists looking for tours, boat owners looking for passengers, fishermen, and vendors, of course. I felt a little like we were livestock being herded. The leader of the pack made the necessary safety announcements and last ditch ploys to rent out snorkling fins. He also doled out some dramamine. I grabbed a couple since the ride out to Phi Phi was forty-eight kilometers and I remembered my last snorkling adventure with my parents in Key West. By the time we'd reached the reef, my mom was green. My tolerance for adventure hasn't diminished but my stomach's tolerance has.
Once we were sorted into our proper group, we made our way to our speedboat. The ride out was quick and relatively smooth. As we neared the islands, my jaw dropped. The pictures we took don't come close to capturing the beauty. The mountains shot straight out of the sea, rising into the sky. Idling into Maya Bay would have been dreamlike, had it not been for the twenty or so other boats already anchored onshore. Paradise found...by the masses. The pristine white beaches in the movie were in fact, pristine, but we could hardly see them through the throngs of other paradise seekers. Myrtle Beach on the Fourth of July had less people than this little spot. We did our best to try and look beyond the 'herd' as Syd called them and enjoyed the moment. Next stop was lunch. We docked at the main island and were treated to a yummy buffet. I was even more entranced by the gorgeous view we enjoyed while eating. There were only a couple of hotels on the island, but I imagine in a few years the place will be inundated.
The time finally arrived for snorkling. I was hoping for some basic instruction or minimal assistance. Nope, we were handed the masks and snorkles, and pushed into the water. Not really, but no help was offered. Sarah donned hers and off she went. Katie had latched on to an Aussie family, so they were helping her. Larry was busy snapping pictures with an underwater camera. Syd and I took twenty of the thirty minutes struggling to use the snorkle, look through the mask and keep the fish at a fair distance. I remembered how to snorkle, but things become a bit trickier when an eight year old is attached to your neck. She was just getting the hang of things when we had to reboard and head to the next location. The final spot was a lovely little island, except for the shady vendors. Larry ordered a Pina Colada in a coconut for me, but when the drink came, no coconut. The woman told Larry, "No coconuts". The girls were able to swim and snorkle in the shallow beach water. There were plenty of beautiful fish. I paddled around looking at the critters until I had a flashback of the lake eel incident. I looked up and realized I was further out than anyone else. Thoughts of 'Jaws' kept me parked in a lounge chair for the remainder of our stay. The girls were exhausted by the time we made it back to the hotel, but we all took a quick jump in the pool before heading to the room.
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