No Row Boat SPEED BOAT!

Well, for any of you that read this blog previous to the SE Asia leg, when Mark and I were driving across Canada a month ago, I had a similar theme to my posts when referring to means of transportation.  I have developed a bit of a fear for others driving me places, as I have no control in these scenarios (a bit of a control freak you could say).  Also, two years ago my dad bought a boat and we have become a ‘boating family.’  Now we have always had a fishing boat, or my papa has, but this boat has quite a lot more kick than that of a fishing boat.  No trolling here. 

My dad at the wheel

My mom, not covering her face, actually cradling our little puppy.  

Blind Bay, Killbear- a little slice of heaven 

So the last two summers my family returned to Killbear Provincial Park, our home away from home near Parry Sound, but this time with the boat in tow.  My mom and I are quite similar in some ways…well probably many…we are pretty ‘frightened’ of boating, but you need to know a little back story as to why.  One day my dad convinced my mom and I (Brooke needed no convincing as she is a bit of a boat freak) to cross Georgian Bay from Blind Bay at Killbear, to the main dock at Parry Sound.  After some ‘commmmmmon, do it, you’re missin out’ comments, we finally gave in and boarded the boat.  We started the journey and boy was it a rocky one.  The boat bashed the HUGE waves, nose-diving into some, side crashing into others….OMMMMMG, my mom and I were not happy campers.  We thought we would experience a ‘leisurely jaunt across the bay.’ WRONG.  So after some words that I won’t repeat and some looks to kill we powered on to the dock.  LAND- HORRRRAH!  Half of the boat party were loving life out there, and the other were not.  But now we were in town; my mom heading straight for the chip wagon, my dad the liquor store (jks), we spent an afternoon looking around the town, all the while in the back of our minds we knew we still had a RETURN journey. 

So the return journey was much of the same….with some ‘friendly words’ my mom and I sat in the bottom of the boat with towels over our heads not wanting to see any of it….my dad loving life, maneuvering around the bay.  Now, you may think that we got back hassle free…..BUT what my dad didn’t tell my mom and I was that the boat has 2 gas tanks.  When one is empty the engine quits and you then switch it over to use the 2^nd tank of gas.  So imagine this….waves several feet high, a small boat with a motor my dad had spent the summer ‘tuning up,’ and the Island Queen, the largest passenger ferry in Canada on our tail (literally directly behind us).  THE ENGINE QUITS!  Shocking right.  More kind words and a tinge of panic crossed my dad’s face.  “It’s just the gas….i need to switch it to the second tank,” my dad said….the look on his face was hoping that was it.  The waves rocking the boat back and forth, and the large ferry still right behind us….THANKFULLY the engine restarts and we then make it back to shore.  So as you can see I have been somewhat traumatized by speed boats…I’ll stick to slow fishing boats thank you.  After all this, you may think that I would never get in another speed boat again…..well I did, and it was yesterday. 

Mark and I signed up for a day trip to Ko Phi Phi, Thailand’s most famous island, as well as various other surrounding islands with some snorkeling time.  It wasn’t really until after paying for this trip that I realized it was to these islands by SPEEDBOAT.  What had I signed up for?  Would I be in for another similar boating venture? 

I put on my bravest face, boarded the speedboat and sat nice and low so I couldn’t see the waves ahead.  I was finding it difficult to not think about the destructive Tsunami that went through the area several years ago.  I can’t even imagine what mayhem it must have been!  I knew I shouldn’t dwell on it, so I ‘tried’ to enjoy the wind in my hair—insert hesitating laugh. 

So the day brought us to Khai Nai, a small island where we were let off to do some snorkeling.  The fish were drawn to us, even biting at your fingers.  There were some pretty amazing colours and varieties of fish all that a good underwater camera could capture [we will be buying one of these before our next trip].  After that we went to Monkey Beach, which was at high tide so we watched the monkeys from the boat…the tour guide launching snacks at them to keep them ‘camera ready,’ and the paying customers happy. 

Next to the infamous Ko Phi Phi…pronounced pee pee, not with the fee fee I learned.  It was absolutely stunning scenery, and a pretty cool little spot to meander around, but the downfall Mark and I felt was the sheer over extortion.  There are tour groups at every which glance, there is a small swimming area amongst the 100 boats at the shore.  I think there are more pizza, and burgers stops than a typical Canadian hub.  Still the scenery was amazing, and I am glad that we went, but perhaps next time during the off-season? 

We got one more chance to do some snorkeling before our last stop on the trip.  They set the boat out from an island and we jumped off the back of the boat, flippers, mask and all.  Mark and I ventured out, all the while holding hands or keeping each other within a few arms lengths as the water was super choppy.  We saw more varieties of fish, and even a sea creature that looks like those evil eel things in the little mermaid…..it stared us down, and we retreated back to the boat. 

So the last stop.  Maya Beach….from ‘The Beach.’  This site is a National Park so the shores weren’t littered with much other than people.   We got some pics, swam some, and again savoured the beauty of the surroundings. 

SO, back to the Phuket shore we go….one last 60 minute or so ride on that god forsaken boat.  Hallelujah!!  In the end we did make it back safe and sound…a few extra heartbeats on this day, let me tell you!! Signing off, Meg.