The strangest things are happening...
Snorkeling
I will start from the beginning. I am still in Pee-Pee, as I wrote the last time, I did went snorkeling the next day, and to the near by island and of course the Maya beach (the beach from the movie "The beach":-)). It was beautiful, it's like being inside national geographic movie, but be able actually touch it and feel it, a peek to the under water world. Beautiful corals, fishes in different colors and sizes, amazing!
Please STOP for 10 minutes from your busy life and take a look at the pictures, I saw it life!!! I have been there!!!
http://www.phi-phi.com/gallery/211/gallery.htm
It was a beautiful sunny day as well, actually the last sunny day, now it is already third day of rain and wind.
Diving
After the snorkeling day out, I finally decided to try diving and go deeper. I enrolled to an open water diving course, got a big book and was asked to read the first chapter (67 pages) toward the first lesson which suppose to take place the next morning. I went to the room, and spent till the middle of the night reading the basics for diving and getting all excited toward the big day. I did the self quiz for the first chapter and went to sleep very pleased with myself.
I wake up to a windy and rainy morning, and despite the whether I went to the diving school, back in school again :-). I got there and the day started with watching a DVD, which mostly repeated what I already read in the book. Then I meet Val, my diving instructor for the day. We had about 1.5 hours theoretical studies, going over the basics and equipment, in the end of the theoretical part I took an exam and got 8 of 10 questions right (not the best, I know :-)). Anyway I got into a diving suit, really looked like a babe from a "Bay Watch" :-), and we went to the beach. We got into the water, I was doing fine with breathing and felt comfortable in the water, but could not equalize. The same as in Sinai all over again, bad pressure and ache in my right ear, pumping the nose doesn't helped. We got back up. I explained to Val that I get the same every time I fly, we rested for some time and gave it another try. The result was the same, my right ear was blowing up. This was the end of my 4 days diving course! I never made it to the open water :-(. I payed almost 400 nis, this was the original agreement for dropping out in any point during the course.
Very disappointed, I spent the rest of the day on the beach, under heavy gray clouds and bad wind. And in the evening I went out for one drink, and ended up going from one pub/dance bar to another, every time with different people.
Crazy night!
The following day, I wake up late into another cloudy & windy day in Phi-Phi. I read my book the all day, when it wasn't raining I sat on the beach, when it rained, got into one of the restaurants on the beach for a shake.
In the evening as was already early planed, me & Oli went out for a party night. Oli finished advanced diving course, 3 days of waking up really early, sleep early, etc', he needed a party. I wasn't really in a party mood, I already had a non planed party night. But eventually I decided to join Oli.
We started by drinking in the diving school bar. We meet two girls from Ireland, one of them dived with Oli, Gemma & Emy. And after a while we were sitting next to a big round table, full of people, instructors and students in the school. We had nice conversations, each shared stories about their travelling, we had several beers and in some point decided to move to Tiger bar. I have been in Tiger the previous night, nice dance bar. We all went there and had more drinks in Tiger. Then we moved to Apache and had more drinks (I know it sounds bad :-)). We stayed there till they close the doors, drinking and dancing, Oli, Me, Gemma, Emy, Lora ( from Germany, also dived with Oli), and others from the diving school. It was really a lot of fun!
From Apaches the only choose was to move on to Hippies, the only place which is open at 02:30 AM, off season, in Phi-Phi. From this point and on this was the strangest night of my life!
On our way to Hippies we lost Oli, he was going right behind us talking with some french guys and in some point we lost him. I felt responsible for this guy, I don't even know why, so I went back for him, when I saw Oli I first realize that he is really drunk, but you know we all have been drinking. We got to Hippies, the strangest place, fully packed with people, but no music is playing, people just sit, have a drink and talk to each other. We immediately meet more people, I remember, Amir, Harry .... Anyway Oli was hanging around with Shay a guy (I think a lady boy) from Lao who we meet in Tiger early. We went down to the beach, Me, Gemma, Emy, Amir, Harry and other's and suddenly I see Oli, completely wet. Apparently, he got into the water with Shay, with all his clothes on him, including camera, wallet and a key to his room. He was gone, I didn't realize how drunk he was. He didn't know where his things are, the only thing was left in his jeans pocket was camera, which was dead. No key, no wallet. It was really hard to communicate with him, he kept asking to take him to the room. It was really windy and he was completely wet. I decided that I should take him back home, since we anyway live in the same guest house. I really didn't want to end the night, I meet some really nice people and was chatting with them, but I felt really bad for Oli. I said Goodbye to everybody and we left. In some point Oli stoped and asked again, where are his things "Where is my wallet? Do you have my camera? Where is the key?", he kept on asking the same questions the all night and every time I explained the same. "You jump into the water with all your stuff on you, we couldn't find it on the beach...", etc'. He was really upset, so I suggested to take another look on the beach. I left him in one of the guest houses on the way and went back to check the beach again. Emy volunteered to go with me, but we couldn't find a thing. I picked up Oli, and we continued our way the guest house. Oli was really mess, he was angry at himself, repeating how stupid he is, I tried to calm him down, but had no success. He spoke in German, in some point stoped and said he cannot walk anymore. We mad it to the guest house eventually, the problem was that we had no key to Oli's room, and of course there is no reception in the middle of the night (I guess it was around 03:00, maybe 03:30). I took him to my room, forced him to a hot shower, and got him into bed. He kept on asking the same questions about his things, and kept on beating himself. In some point I gave up on the idea to comfort him, and fall asleep.
We wake up around 12:00, not sure what was for real and what was a dream. Oli was disappointed and I felt bad for him as well, I have told him what happened last night, he couldn't even remember we were in Hippies. He remembered some parts, while other where completely erased.
The Irish girls did found the key, but the wallet was still gone and the camera and the card with all his pictures was not working. Oli spent most of the day trying to find his wallet, he had around 250$, saving card, driving licence, etc' in. We went to the Hippies together, hope to find the wallet of the beach around Hippies, but couldn't. Then we took a walk on the beach, today as the previous days, it was cloudy and windy again. I suggested to rent a movie and use the fact we have TV and DVD in the room to see a movie. We watched Madagascar, I went for dinner with Lora, and Oli went back to Hippies again, try to ask the staff maybe they found something.
I am now after a dinner, Lora suggested to join her for a drink, but I decided to share some of the last days load with you instead, so I am spending my evening writing this long story for you.
H.C.Andersen weird guest house
And if you think this is not enough, I shell tell you a bit about Pee-Pee, specifically about the place I stay in. As you probably know Pee-Pee was seriously damaged by the Tsunami, so the all island is under constructions, they are building everywhere. The overall scenery on land (unlike the beach) is not very attractive, it is a big mess. My guest house is located inside the Island, between construction sites, shops, diving schools, massage shops, bars (Tiger is around a corner)), restaurant, etc'. The room has a window (it took me two days to find it) but it better stay closed since it takes into a really small and DIRTY alley and the wall of the next building is about 2 meters away. There is TV, DVD & a Fan in the room, even a minibar, but it is not a cozy room, it is more like lovers, cheap motel. The shower is smelly and the water doesn't go down, but I have hot water. The ceiling is very low, and having no window, the room is always dark and stuffy.
In addition to the romantic insides, the guest house located in an alley in which there are always lady boys, so on the way in and out at any time, day or night, we say hello to each other. First night I felt very uncomfortable, and a bit scared but now it became part of my dark stay in Pee-Pee.
I plan to move from Pee-Pee the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow me & Oli plan to go the Long beach for snorkeling and take a boat to Maya beach to spend several hours in there. It suppose to be the last sites scenery day in Pee-Pee, and the day after tomorrow I am moving on the Ko-Lanta and Oli to Puket to start the way home to Germany, after a very long time out.
Be well!
