Tuesday, June 16, 2009

I survived a monsoon at sea!!!

Okay, so it might not have been quite a monsoon. But, in the words of Lucy, our flamboyant lady-man tour guide who refused to swim because it was his “time of the month,” our boat was in the middle of “vely vely stwong lain” that resulted in massive waves and a very turbulent ride home. As one of the world’s biggest poor weather wimps, I can safely say that it was a big storm.

The day started out sunny and nice. Along with about 20 others, I took a speed boat from Phuket to Phi Phi Island. For the hour long trip, I sat on the front of the boat and laughed with the others when we hit occasional big surf that sent us bouncing in our seats. Once we arrived at the island, I stood amidst some of the most spectacular cliffs I have ever seen, strolled pristine white sand and waded in turquoise tides, swam in the cove where one of the James Bond movies was filmed, shoved other tourists aside to feed monkeys bananas on the beach, and ate a decent buffet lunch by some touristy marina.

However, after lunch the tone shifted. About 5 minutes into our ride from the main island to our next destination (an island about 45 minutes away), the wind picked up, the rain started to fall, and the waves echoed the increasingly tumultuous elements. It didn’t take long before I decided to move back into the main part of the boat, but the last remaining seat was one that was only partially protected from the now vicious elements. For the next 45 minutes our boat leapt its way through massive swells as ripping winds tore through the boat and heavy rain pelted the decks and slammed through the doorways to punch lowered faces. With two hands I clung to the bar beside me and shivered in the rain as we roller coastered our way across the sea. With each pounding impact, I promised myself a thai massage when and if we made it to Phuket.

When we finally made it to the island for a brief respite, I happily shivered on solid ground while my stomach and head grasped for equilibrium. Despite the fact that the rain lapsed for a few minutes, I held my ground. I was a bit baffled by the nonchalant way that some of my fellow boat-mates were laughing off the storm and parading the tiny island (and when I say tiny, I mean you could walk the whole thing in about 5 minutes at a leisurely pace). However, when we re-boarded for our last 25 minutes of the trip, I suddenly understood their laughter.

This time when we boarded, I made sure to situate myself snuggly between two people near the center of the ship in a real seat (oh, did I mention that the first time I was sitting on a crate on the floor?). I ensured that I was both under the cover and blocked by the front windshield (again, my first seat was neither of these things). As though God was laughing at our adventures, the moment we stepped back on to the boat the storm recommenced in full force. This time lightning and thunder added some special effects to our quest. However, as we rolled out, I realized how much more manageable the swells were without storm winds ripping my clothes or rain attacking my arms. I could actually raise my face without feeling like my skin was about to rip off! And what the difference that made! As a unit we gasped at the big drops and laughed as we rose up again. I suddenly saw the adventure in the trip and found myself actually enjoying the end of our memorable ride.

When we landed in Phuket, we clapped, laughed, and fled the ocean with happy dreams of dry clothes (and in my case, massage).

Quite the adventure.

Unfortunately, the rains have persisted. My last day in Phuket, I am eyeing the palm trees from rain-streaked window panes. I guess that’s what I get for visiting Thailand during the monsoon season!

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