koh phi phi

As the boat pulled in to the harbour, I could tell straight away that Phi Phi had changed a lot in the 2 years since I had been there last. There were a lot more bulidings, guesthouses & restaurants crammed into the main town. The centre of the island was so developed you couldn't see across to the other side. And the accomodation was ridiculously overpriced! However, I was still really happy to be back (even though I am a whinger!). So, we were sitting eating some breakfast, feeling tired & seedy after the ferry trip. Then a (German) guy came over to our table out of nowhere, and said he was a photographer over here shooting some portfolio photos for 2 (German) models. And he said he wanted to take photos, of just my face (no sleazy shoots in a bikini or anything). I was VERY skeptical, beacuse it is just the type of story people use to con naive girls (i.e. me). The Swiss girls were a great help, asking him lots of questions in German. We looked at his website, which was very professional & had some really excellent photos on it. So, I thought I may as well take up the opportunity of getting pro photos taken, that I can keep, for free! The girls came with me, as my managers/bodyguards/stylists. We went out on a longtail boat to Bamboo Island, which was absolutely beautiful. The water was bright blue & crystal clear, with thick green forest right down to the sand. It was a perfect tropical paradise! So, we took some photos- some with a bag on my head (was actually a good effect), others with a leaf on my face, and more with hair flicked over my eyes. I felt pretty stupid most of the time, especially when people walked past while I had a bag on my head! But it was quite fun, and some of the photos turned out better than I expected. We headed back in the late afternoon, after our driver hurried us along, saying there was a storm coming in the distance. We saw a big pod of dolphins in the distnace which was exciting! The girls & I met the models & photographer for dinner, but it was all quite boring, as they all kept talking in German! Afterwards, we watched a really impressive fire twirling show at the Hippy Bar, shared a birthday bucket & danced for a bit. The next day we relaxed on the main beach, but the tides were all messed up because of the full moon, so the water was too low for swimming. We had to splash around in 2 inches of hot water, avoiding the rocks, in order to cool off. In the afternoon however, the tide returned, and we could see the water coming in right before our eyes (tsunami?). We met the Swedes for dinner, and went to the Reggae Bar. There was amateur Muay Thai, which was funny, because in every fight there was one guy who didn't even know how to punch, and would just get smashed. Although at one point, the good fighter's shoulder popped out & had to forfeit, so the lame fighter won! Then the pros got in the ring, however it was all staged (I think anyway). We stayed out for a while, but I had a very early boat to catch in the morning, so went to bed early by Phi Phi standards (I'm such a party animal).