Just spent a couple of days out on the peninsula/almost island of Hat Railay where I took my first trip out rock climbing (and discovered I have the gripping strength of a little girl). Rock-climbing was great and the beach on the nice side of Railay was beautiful and virtually deserted as it is low season.
I have now made my way out on longtail boat to the famous tropical paradise of Ko Phi Phi (the paradise island used as the filming site of that DiCaprio classic from a few years back, "The Beach.")
Ko Phi Phi, as opposed to Railay, is relatively teeming with people (though it is low season here as well)...the big difference though is that this is one of the places that the tsunami hit...and hit bad. Evidence of the terrible destruction that was wrought here by the waves is evident from the moment you step off the boat - a gutted 7-11 store now occupied by cats and a makeshift street hawker stall. Behind the 7-11 are stray palm trees with no tops and behind them, the opposite side of the island. Apparently, before the wave, the various trees, plants and buildings were so thick nothing of the other side could be seen.
(click on photos for more detailed explanations)
The place we found to stay is surrounded by buildings devastated by the tsunami. To see pictures is one thing, but to see the twisted metal, rooms with walls taken away, the rubble all around, and then turn around to see the sea dancing around behind you is something entirely different.
After dropping off our stuff at the guesthouse, we quickly changed into swimwear to head out into the water for a bit before nightfall. A storm was blowing in and the waters of the bay were frothy and tinged an odd sickly green color. It was perhaps just my overactive imagination, but walking out into the water I could feel something, as if the terror, confusion, anguish and suffering of those who had been here when the tsunami hit had left their residue in the water. For a few moments I felt almost ill.
People are working hard to rebuild and get things back to normal. Walking around through it all, one sees groups of foreigners working with Thai people, hammering, sawing, helping to rebuild. There is apparently an ongoing volunteer movement here to help with the reconstruction. Two young women from Britain we stopped to ask about good places to stay turned out to be survivors of the tsunami. One had been quite seriously injured and was only recently released from the hospital. She came straight back here to help with the rebuilding and invited myself and my two travel buddies to a meeting tonight at Carlito's bar if we are interested in doing some volunteer work.
Anyway, I've already spent enough time on the net now that I owe two meals worth of money in fees. This will be my last entry until I get back to Bangkok (and cheaper internet rates) in a couple of weeks.
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