I took my friend to the Muay Thai place on Phi Phi. The battles between the professionals are fierce, but their main sales-pitch is to get people from the crowd to volunteer. I thought I would never get this unique and scary opportunity again, so I asked a stranger if he might be keen. He was, and we raised our hands!
I got my arse handed to me… I’ve never boxed in my life and my opponent admitted that he has a lot of experience. He confessed this just before the match! He was quite beefy too. I’ve got a sore nose and a funky leg after being knocked down, but I got up again and have no regrets. I got a Muay Thai “participation” medal and a free booze bucket.
I was totally done with Phi Phi by that point. Torrential rain had been continuously falling, but the loud music played on… On land, it’s just cats, restaurants, Chinese imports, fire-shows, a billion tattoo and massage parlors, and partying. The water had been the absolute highlight. It’s also hard to escape from the higher island prices. I wonder if they’re preparing for high season, when they flip their menus and price lists around to show inflated costs.
Splish Splash
Three days of torrential rain had sunk a longtail boat. Just the head and pointy bit were sticking out. I’m sure it will be recovered during low tide. I could also feel a battle beginning to rage at the back of my throat and really hoped I wouldn’t get sick… I took some time to write a quick review of The Seaside Bungalows: Not Great. 3/10 stars:
“Those who have mentioned the beach party music are understating the issue. It is RELENTLESS on that side of the island! Pack earplugs. I visited a friend on the south-west side and that was much nicer. I would have paid extra to stay there. (The bungalows seemed overpriced for low season at the time of writing). They are also very small, so might be a bit too cozy for couples, with a tiny bathroom and little storage shelves behind the bed. The sunset view is great, but not worth the hike to get to and from the accommodation every day and/or night. There are viewpoints, bars and restaurants where you can enjoy the same views from.”
Four days on Phi Phi would have been enough in hindsight. There is also a feeling of being somewhat trapped when on a tiny island. You have to take what you can get, with limited options. I was mostly eating cheap noodle cups and multivitamins during my two days indoors to try and recover from some over-expenditure during the week. It was impossible to tell what flavour these were, but the yellow one nearly sent flames out my nose-holes!
I love my backpack. I forgot that it has a floppy-down waterproof rain-sheet thingy. Add my packed poncho and bucket hat to that and I managed to keep quite dry. My wallet and phone were also wrapped in plastic. The water was ankle-deep and a bit slippery in some places, so I took a very slow slosh to the pier. I had 3 hours to kill before the ferry back to Ao Nang. I got some work done and ate French fries at a little café while watching the new arrivals pour in.
I wondered which of them would be staying in the bungalows.
Next: Thailand #18 – Persian Dancing
Previously: Thailand #16 – Getting Inked!
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