Frogs and Jumps

The monkeys have just wrapped up a brief excursion to Koh Phi Phi and Tonsai/Railey, aboard our favorite mode of transportation, the pirate ship Dragon Heart. It seemed that not only were the monkeys reluctant to leave the low-key atmosphere of Koh Yao Noi, but we were equally hesitant to enter upon known tourism hotspots. But alas, the prospect of clear waters, snorkeling and abundant climbing won out and we set off to investigate some new areas.

Phi Phi is gorgeous. Upon arriving, we immediately donned snorkeling goggles and flippers and jumped overboard to explore. There was deep water soloing above water and an assortment of colorful fish down below. When then sky grew pink and our bellies rumbled with hunger, we ventured into the harbor and took a long tail boat to the beach. The town was quite a shocking difference from what we had experienced at Yao Noi, bustling with tourists and large restaurants. We finally selected a place with decent prices, but very little Thai food on the extensive menu. Rather, options included everything from onion rings, to spaghetti and pizza. I opted for something safe - shrimp and rice in a pineapple bowl. It wasn't bad. After dinner, we maneuvered through a maze of souvenir shops and retreated back to the boat. The rest of Phi Phi seemed to just be waking up for the night, but we were falling asleep after a long, active day.

Next morning, while some headed back to town for errands, Brian, Luke-mon and I explored the coral reef nearby. I loved snorkeling! It was one of the most fun, fascinating things I have ever done. I can't convey how many different colors and patterns I saw. I even found "Nemo" - and they are curious little fish that aren't afraid to swim right up to your snorkeling mask! So cool. I also saw some black and white striped water snakes that shyly peeked out of the reef, but didn't linger in view. I was definitely inspired to paint some more batik!

That evening, we moved on to Tonsai and arrived around sunset. We took a long tail to shore again to check it out and find some grub. It was more laid-back than I was expecting, though still crowded with foreigners. Again, it was difficult to find true Thai food on the menu, and I opted for something safe in light of "Tonsai tummy" stories I had heard. After a yummy meal, we explored the little beach village, and ended up spending most of the evening playing on slacklines that are set up there. We came up with a ridiculously fun game, involving many people on a line at the same time, trying to race each other and knock each other off the line.  I ended up drenched in sweat and with sore abs from too much laughing.

We woke with the sun the next morning and packed up for a full day at the beach. As I was down below the deck of the ship, packing my bag, I noticed something move in the bottom of my pack. My stomach turned. It was a large enough movement that it had to be some sort of rodent or large spider. I tenderly closed my pack and took it up to the deck, where I opened it up and turned it upside down in full view. To my relief, it was only a big, fat toad! I have no idea how it got in my pack or how long in had been stowed in there, because I have been incredibly careful about keeping my pack closed so I wouldn't be surprised with a spider or some other critter hitching a ride. This toad was no prince, so I tossed him overboard and re-packed my bag.

Andy and Scott loaded their base jumping gear, and did about 6 or 7 jumps off Tonsai tower. The rest of us climbed some pitches in the morning and then relaxed during the heat of the day, lounging and watching Andy and Scott jump from a tower above us and land on the beach next to us. I had never seen anyone base jump before, so it was awesome to witness my friends doing it in such close proximity and to be able to give them a fist bump when they landed! 

In the afternoon, Brian, Jared and I hiked to another climbing area, near a cave. It was an adventurous hike, through some shallow water around a rock outcropping, down a beach, through an endless maze of a resort, past some monkeys, down another beach, through a patch of jungle, and up a sketchy bamboo ladder to a deserted climbing area (which is almost unheard of in Tonsai). However, on our return, we took a different and more interesting route back. Around sunset, we entered a giant cave that was just coming alive with bats. The cave was essentially a giant, hollowed out tower. We climbed several bamboo ladders, used fixed ropes, and scrambled through the dusty darkness, pausing to turn off our headlamps and listen to the eerie sounds inside the cave. The air was stuffy and hot. We heard bats and insects...but not much else. It was a strange and exciting place. Eventually, we reached an opening on the other side of the tower, where we rapped down in the last light of the day, and then precariously made our way through the dark jungle back down to Railey beach. We crossed the beach, found a trail and hiked through another patch of jungle, and finally arrived back at Tonsai, exhausted, sweaty and thirsty. I was grateful to Jared for taking us on such a fun and unique adventure, particularly in a place that tends to be overrun with tourists!

We headed back to Yoa Noi the next day, because about half the group will be departing Thailand tomorrow. It's a transitional and a bittersweet time. Our group, and therefore the epic projects, will dwindle, but I am glad that I still have another week with Brian, Jared, and Preston, and then about 2 more weeks with just Brian. We don't have any solid plans yet, though Brian and I have both expressed an interest in checking out Chiang Mai in the north. I am sure that as long as the Aldens are around, the epic-ness will abound, and I continue to welcome new experiences and adventures!

The crew on the pirate ship Dragon Heart.

Ryan "got" Scott in Tonsai (Scott now has to do a push-up)

Preston and Brian playing on the slacklines in Tonsai

Tonsai

Scott (left) and Andy (right) base jumping of Tonsai tower

Mai Pen Rai

Mai pen rai = All is well.

We, a group of about 10, just returned from 6 days at sea aboard the Dragon Heart pirate ship. We spent our time traveling from island to island, scouting for prime deep water soloing and highlining. We slept on the boat and ate family-style traditional thai meals. We got rained on most nights, but it was usually in the form of a brief but torrential storm, and it always calmed and cleared by the time we went to bed. 

The first couple of days were spent anchored outside an island with a cave. We boarded kayaks and paddled into the cave to discover that it opened into a huge cavern with an open ceiling. As we continued paddling, we discovered there were more of these caverns inside caverns inside caverns. It was truly magical, and perhaps the most special part was that you can only access these inner caverns when the tide is just right. If the tide is too low, it's just mucky, sticky mud, and if the tide is too high, you can't get the kayak through the cave. On top of this, the water has bioluminescence, which lights up neon, glowing in the dark when the water is disturbed. So, if you swim at night, the water glows around you....and if you are swimming in a cave, you can still find your kayak because it is outlined in neon where the boat touches the water!

The group rigged several slacklines, one rope swing, and one zipline inside the first cavern, and to our surprise, hundreds of tourists in kayaks started coming through the cave during the middle of the day. It was hilarious and bizarre to watch European tourists, most of whom were overweight, lounging kayaks being paddled by petite Thai men, but I think they found us pretty entertaining, especially when we erupted in monkey noises at their approach. 

We moved on to another couple of islands, containing both a tower and stalactites galore for climbing, as well as another cave, where a highline was rigged and sea shells were collected.  Because we moved north toward the river delta, the water was murky and we were unable to spot the abundance of jellyfish lurking below. Jared was the first victim....he got stung pretty badly on his knee while deep water soloing. Andy rushed to his rescue, offering to pee on Jared's leg, but unfortunately Andy was fairly dehydrated and only a trickle came out. Preston, Jared's brother, got stung the very next day, and his screams were agonizing! He declined offers of urine on his wound. Then, yesterday, I got stung while swimming back to the boat after deep water soloing. My sting wasn't as bad, but I definitely screamed loud enough that the others knew what had happened. Andy offered to pee on my leg, but instead I opted for the Thai method of vinegar and tobacco. It burned for awhile, but it's fine now.

I have been working on my chongo start but I have yet to stand up on a waterline. I helped Hayley rig a mid-line and took a few attempts. I've made some baby steps, and I am so psyched to walk my first line!

The group is pretty banged up, but doing well. We are covered in scratches and bruises and are taking a much-needed rest day before raging to Koh Phi Phi or perhaps Tonsai. No plans yet, but things seem to work out better that way....

Coconut juice...yum!

A couple of monkey pirates

Dragon fruit

slackline using the pirate boat and a stalactite as anchors

Welcome to the Monkey House

My plan was to do a short post with several photos to illustrate the Thailand adventure thus far. Unfortunately, the internet is extremely slow, and it took way too long to upload just this one photo.

Monkeys island hopping on a longboat.

This sums things up pretty well.

I will say this: Thailand is an amazing paradise. We've been here almost a week, and this place blows my mind every day. We've spent 2 days on a longboat (a big, motorized canoe), rigging water lines, highlines, space achors, kayaking, deep water soloing, followed by 2 days rigging and walking a highline attached to a stalactite high over the bay (I spent one of those days yoga-ing, biking, and beaching). From our ledge up on the limestone wall, we could see giant jellyfish drifting in the water far below, and we looked down on Thailand's bald eagle circling for fish. 

And the food! I have never tasted such fresh, flavorful food in my life. And each meal costs between 1 and 3 US dollars. Noodles and curry for breakfast? Yes, please. Mango and sticky rice? Sure, why not. Coconut water straight from the coconut? Mmmm-mmm....

Today, we took a rest day and did "batik." It's an art craft where you drip wax in a design on cloth, then use ink to paint your design. After a day of drying, the wax is cleaned off, leaving white lines where the wax once was. About 6 of us made individual designs, and we collaborated on a pirate flag. Why a pirate flag, you ask? Yarr, because we're chartering a pirate ship of course! That's right, we are spending 5 days looting the bay and searching for treasure. Actually, we are going to ride around and explore islands for highlining and climbing potential, camping on beaches, kayaking, swimming, and generally acting like monkeys!

And with that, I am off to the beach! Until next time, mateys..........