Buckets of Fun: Maya Bay

I spent my first 2 days of Thailand in Phuket. I traveled alone for the first few days of my trip, mostly because I just didn't want my sadness to rub off on anyone, and also because my hostel was empty and I was too lazy to put forth an effort.

I woke up on Tuesday ready to get out of Phuket, and with a new attitude for my trip. I got in a van which seemed to be full of couples. I tried to get a convo started but everyone was still sleepy and angry at having to ride in a packed van. A random dude got in last, eating his breakfast as he went. When we all piled out of the van I noticed he had some interesting instrument hanging from his pack so I took my cue and asked him about it. The rest of the boat ride was spent sharing our travels. He then informed me the following day would be his birthday, so we made plans to party together (which I later backed out of...) and he told me about this amazing tour he would be  taking to the beach where Leonardo Dicaprio filmed "The Beach." I mentioned I had zero things planned and he suggested I at least go with him and see if there is room, to which I agreed. And there was room! Thank goodness because this trip defined the rest of my time in Thailand.

We spent the next few hours wandering around Phi Phi and I already knew I would probably hate it, so I was happy to be leaving and spending the night on a boat. In the office of the tour company we were introduced to a very odd, what would turn out to be Australian dude, who claimed he was from some country that didn't actually exist.

Later on the boat the Australian dude blew his cover, and we were introduced to a few more people, some of whom I ended up traveling with for the rest of the trip. Once we arrived in Maya Bay we were taken to the island on a small speed boat and of course we all immediately started drinking beers. We walked around the island a bit and explored leisurely. Mostly, we watched the rest of the people leave for the day in their longboats as we were the only ones allowed to stay on the island for the night (there were only about 15 of us in total.)

A bit before sunset we swam over to another small strip of sand to watch the sunset. The swim over was rough, probably because we all decided to take full beers with us and attempted, for a little while, to keep them cool and out of the water. We explored the island looking at the stones piled up neatly all around the cliffs. I learned in Cambodia, that monks and Buddhists do this to represent their devotion to nature and the beauty surrounding them. So, of course, we all decided to make our own pile.

Then we sat down for one amazing sunset. I'll let the pictures do the talking....

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After the sun had set they sent a boat to pick us up (thank god we didn't have to do that swim again) and we ate a dinner of Penang curry, vegetables, and buckets. Basically a bucket is a like a sand bucket filled with liquor, redbull, and another mixer. I had a delicious vodka, red bull, sprite, and 3 plates of amazing curry. 

Then we spend the night partying on the beach,having deep conversations, and  followed it by a night of sleeping on the boat with thin mats and hard pillows.

The morning was a bit rough. We wandered around the beach and enjoyed taking pictures of the emptiness. The trip back to Phi Phi was filled with smiles as I remembered the amazingness of travelling solo, and meeting random people, who somehow, just seem like they were always a part of you life.