Today we got up early and went on the Sea Tour with Island Safari (the same group that we took the Island City Tour with.. I didn’t realize it was the same bunch when we booked both or I would have chosen a different company just to get a different sampling of tour companies. Island Safari isn’t bad, pretty good in fact. This group was a little more laid back today with some lags in between events.)
We were picked up at our resort around 7:30 and loaded into a Jeep- like- thing. (The back is open with a roof and bars along the sides to keep you in.) The jeep took us to the pier in Fishermans Village where we met up with the rest of the group. They fed us coffee and crissonts for breakfast (Brian ate at the resort and I should have too, but I was worried a real breakfast and a boat ride would upset my tummy. I should have eaten with Bri. By the time they got everyone organized and moving I was starved and would have happily eaten more crissonts.)
We took a speed boat with three motors to a set of islands that are like a national park. It was about an hour ride over and we found some really great waves. (not everyone thought the waves were as much fun as I did!)
We snorkeled in a little cove for an hour or so. The fish seemed to love the tourists. This huge herd of blue and black striped fishes swarmed all around us. They would swim right up and look into our masks. There weren’t as many kinds of fish as we saw in Hawaii, but the coral was just amazing! There were anemonies (I think that’s what they are called) with wavy arms in magenta and lime green bodies. Little yellow fish swam through their hair? Arms? Whatever! So pretty! I held on to the strap on Brian’s lifevest and we floated along pointing to things. I liked these spikey black things with little white eyes… They looked like Pokemon! Ever so often I had to drag Brian back toward the boat. He is as bad as my Mom! He is happy just to chase the fish and wander off to sea.
Next we were loaded back into the boat for a short ride over to another island in the national park. Then we got to go kyacking. I chose a pink kyack/canoe for us. There was a pretty strong wind going and it was a lot harder to paddle than I had expected. We didn’t go very far, just out and around a little bend. Our group landed on a little beach and we were supposed to go explore. It was a pretty small beach and Brian and I went and swam instead. – Yes, Moms, we left the beach and actually got in the water. Three different times! After returning from kyacking we had a buffet lunch on the beach.
Again they loaded us into the boat and drove us to another island. This time we were supposed to take a little walk to a pretty look- out. Little walk my tush! It was a major hike with a killer climb up these crazy stairs and through rock formations. Now I am no mountain climber, but I am not a total weakling…. I was toasted by the time we made it to the bottom of the view point …. Yeah, bottom… Had to go down before we could go up. I was sweating (okay, it’s Thailand, you always sweat) so bad when we finally reached the top. The rest of our group had reached the top already (I didn’t want everybody behind me… Some of the steps were pretty high for my short legs) and we all sat around and whezed for a while. When we got our breath back we took turns taking photos of each other and the amazing view. Wow! Just wow! Hiking back down was killer, but Brian wouldn’t leave me behind to just die… So I had to climb back to the beach. The view was amazing… Totally worth the hike! Hell, the hike was an amazing part of the adventure. I wouldn’t reccomend it for anybody with ANY health issues…. Not that our tour guides thought to mention that to us.. Or go with us… Apparently they feel that tourists are a renewable resource!
Thank you Skye and Shani for the Thaiti Sweetie after sun lotion! We did use sun block! We just finally got toasted on the boat ride home. Just the tops of our legs and feet.
We were so tired when we got back to the resort! We ordered room service and ate dinner on the balcony. After some hunting, we found something in English on tv and decided to just laze.
This was such an amazing day! I am too tired to move.
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