Rock Climbing...

Got to hotel breakfast early this morning and was finishing up my coffee, reading an autobiographical account of the 2004 tsunami (book #5) when 2 German guys asked if they could join me...apparently all the tables at the guesthouse were full. Of course we started talking. Turns out the one guy lives in Phuket and has been there for 10 years. Nevertheless he didn't have much good to say about Thailand...or America for that matter. I resisted my urge to challenge him and just let him go on with his ranting. In the end, they told me about a viewpoint just a little up the hill from my hotel where you can see the whole of the island. Who knew? So that's on the agenda for tomorrow morning, they said the vista is best early morning.

After running into them, I ran into the 2 Dutch couples that we cooked with all the way up in Chiang Mai. Such a small world!

As I walked down to the tour agency to meet my group...I couldn't help but notice a woman cradling what looked like a really hairy baby...? Turns out it was a freakin monkey! She was holding a monkey with a t-shirt and bonnet on. #1, what is up with the Thai people dressing their pets?? (In Chiang Mai there were stalls selling only pet clothing and I saw a dog wearing jeans)...and #2, who keeps pet monkeys??I felt sorry for the monkey, all dressed up looking so silly when all his friends are having a blast doing their own thing just a little ways down the island on Monkey Island...

Shortly thereafter, I climbed this rock: http://img6.travelblog.org/Photos/19888/281744/t/2379441-Blick-auf-die-rechte-Seite-der-Ton-Sai-Bay-0.jpg

I joined up with the group, many also first time rock climbers, and we walked to the other side of the island, Ton Sai Bay with equipment in hand. We hiked up a steep and rocky pathway to get to the base of the rock that we were about to climb...flip flops weren't the best choice this morning! I watched our guides practically run up this vertical wall with ease to set up our ropes...the highest point was 25 meters (82 feet)!

It must have been 100 degrees today and the humidity was ridiculous. Before we even started climbing we were all dripping with sweat...The owner of the rock climbing school was there...this thin, pleasant Thai man seemingly in his late 30s. Apparently he hurt his shoulder recently so while he wasn't doing any climbing or belaying, he served as an excellent coach.

They helped me put on my harness and clipped the back of it with a bag of chalk dust. Then my guide helped me tie a figure 8 knot through the center loop of my harness. We pulled on it to ensure it was tight enough...my rope went all the way up the rock to the highest point, looped through ropes at the top and then ended back down beside me with my Australian guide who was belaying. She holds onto the other end of the rope to support me as I climb, and then will let me down slowly...The first climb was supposed to be the "easy" one, but it was tough! The rock jutted out such that I had to lean backwards and hang on by my fingers...using the last reserves of my upper body strength to pull me up. Once over this one rocky protrusion the rest was pretty simple...my guide was really helpful in coaching me on where to put my feet and hands when I didn't think I could get any higher...Before I knew it I was at the top! I couldn't believe I did it or how high up I was! I was too distracted to even notice the stunning views of the island in the background...

I waited patiently for the next climb...it was a group of 8-10 people so it took a while between, which was good b/c my hands were pretty shaky! The second one was pretty easy...mostly because the owner's brother, Tome, was belaying me and was pulling me so tight that I barely had to use my arm strength this time. Also the owner, whose name is escaping me, coached me through this one. It was the highest and got difficult about halfway through when I had to manuver myself around a rock that protruded out more than 2 feet. This climb was much higher than the first...approximately 82 feet! I did take a moment once at the top to look around...it was amazing! I could see both sides of this island! Now I know where the postcard shots are taken!

Coming down was even more fun than going up! Basically you just bounce off the wall the whole way down...

Moving right along, I got to the toughest climb...approximately the same height, but wasn't a straight shot up...you had to clip your harness a couple times on the way up and move to the right and left. I didn't make it all the way up this one...just about 5 feet shy from the top I could not find a place to put my feet and my hands were shaking so bad I just couldn't hold on any longer :( I carried my camera this time though and fortunately was able to snap a few shots before the Swedish guy who was belaying me let me down...

I climbed once more with Tome and then back to the Australian girl...they had re-arranged the ropes and although it was in the same spot as my first climb, it was a different route up and much higher. I was the last one to climb this and she asked if I could pull off the clips on my way down...I was having a tough time getting up there as this rock jutted out so far that I was leaning backwards once again relying completely on my upper body strength to pull me up. I just kept thinking that someone else was going to have to follow me to get the clips off cause I wasn't even going to make it up to them! But I rested for a moment and regained my strength. She helped direct my feet and hands into secret crevices in the rocks and I made it! This one was definitely the most challenging, but also the most fun...

This rock seems like it was there specifically for people to climb it! There are flat plates all the way up that made it really easy to slip your hands and feet into...of course there were some tricky spots, but it surprised me how easy it was. Are there any rocks to climb in PA??? I think I discovered a new hobby :)

Afterwards, I felt really gross. Covered in sweat and dirt and chalk dust. Yuck. I could not wait to jump in the pool back at the hotel! I walked back with the Swedish guy and helped him carry the ropes...then picked up my laundry, grabbed a yogurt and some rambutans for lunch and hiked back up the hill to the Bamboo Mountain resort. Even the pool at the hotel wasn't exactly refreshing in today's heat. I finished book #5 and fell asleep...was woken up by a sudden rainfall...decided to shower and change and head out for dinner...

I had dinner at Ciao Bella, an Italian restaurant on the beach that was completely demolished during the tsunami and has since been rebuilt. The book I finished today was written by the owner, an Italian man who fell in love with this island after losing the love of his life...a story of his survival and how he had to start all over again from scratch. I had buffalo mozzarella salad...very atypical food for Thailand. But it was delicious, if not overpriced. I did catch a glance at the owner sitting in an office off to the side of the bar...I recognized him from the back of his book. All the proceeds from the book are supposed to support the rebuilding process here on Koh Phi Phi...

After dinner I just wandered through the village once again. I've just about had my fill of Koh Phi Phi. Stopped in a few book stores where they're trying to sell crusty old used books for $10 each. I'm reading "Lovely Bones" right now, but it's kinda depressing and not really my kinda book. But I just can't bring myself to buy a dirty, tattered used book for more than what I would pay on Amazon! I had a coffee and browsed through a few titles...laughed to myself at the sections of the bookstore..."CHICK LIT" was one of them and was an entire wall of "Bridget Jones' Diary" type books.

At least the storm earlier cleared the air and now there's a slight breeze...despite this, the air temperature---even at this hour still feels balmy and pretty close to body temperature. I'm enjoying it though, I'll take this over winter any day!

Tomorrow morning I'll be boarding a ferry bound for Ko Lanta...which I've heard is a really relaxing but boring island. I'll take boring after being here for 4 days!