Day 10, Thursday 31 October 2013 - Koh Lipe

Anniversary..... On a day when I find myself in one of the most idyllic locations on the planet, there is significance in this date. Of course, it's Halloween, but this date is poignant for me personally. It's exactly 5 years since my mother died and far from celebrating Halloween, I will dedicate this day to her memory.
French connection..... Today there are plans to do absolutely nothing, but I have to eat. I had plenty of time to stock up yesterday with snacks but what I need most is hot water for my flask. I realized yesterday that the resort was foreign owned. That turns out to be French and the owner is happy to fill my flask and add some cake too. Now how do I do nothing till lunchtime?
Orientation..... When I first saw a map of Koh Lipe it reminded me of a pork chop, but other version suggest it's more like a boomerang. Either way it's small. Relative to the total area of Taratao National Park it's miniscule, but the authorities here seem to have got it right, realizing there is a huge tourist demand that has to be balanced against the need to protect this precious natural resource. They are prepared to sacrifice this small island for developers to concentrate on the bigger picture.
There are three beaches. Sunrise Beach on the East Coast services boats arriving from Pakbara and is relatively quiet. Pattaya Beach facing west is smaller, but this beach explodes into life after dark with beach bars and restaurants using all available beach space. I'm inclined to avoid it. To give you some idea of the island's size, there is a concrete road barely five feet wide connecting the two beaches. It's a ten-minute walk along Walking Street. Private cars are not allowed on the island, motorbikes and sidecars providing the only transport for tourists. They aren't generally needed except for moving luggage and other supplies. There is one more beach to the north known as Sunset Beach, but it is small, much less developed and certainly harder to get to over rutted tracks.
Busy doing nothing..... With clear blue skies today it brings home the sheer beauty of Koh Lipe. I'm dazzled by the clear blue/green waters containing patches of darker blue revealing the presence of coral below. My beach hut is practically on the shoreline. It's hard to wish for anything better than this. I'm itching to plunge into that crystal clear water. I'm only restricted by the cluster of long-tailed boats moored on the shoreline. I decide to take a walk north along the beach stopping for a swim as the mood takes me. Certainly, the northeast corner of Lipe appears the most beautiful overlooking as it does the much larger island, Koh Adang. Here, I observe a few souls swimming and snorkeling in these magical waters. I soon join in. Curiously, I make my way around the headland and into the interior. Here there is still space on the island but in stark contrast it is literally a building site also housing the islands refuse, water storage tanks and a battery of solar panels. The matrix of dirt tracks eventually takes me to Pattaya Beach now almost deserted at midday. It's hot and time for lunch. It will be my only cooked meal today.
A change of plan..... I head back to Wapi Resort with one thought on my mind. This location has grabbed my attention in a big way. It's been a long time since I've experienced anything like this and it will get even better. Worried that I need to confirm my ferry ticket for the morning I take an instant decision to extend my stay here for a further night. That will leave just 2 nights left on this tour. I'm prepared to compromise the fourth and final location which takes me into the next province of Trang. Trang also has its fair share of tropical islands, but I'm running out of time to do it any sort of justice. With excellent air, road and rail links compared with Satun it could easily form a tour of its own or perhaps combined with Krabi. I confirm the extra night with the owner of Wapi and acquire a snorkel and mask.
Underwater paradise..... I haven't tried snorkeling since I jumped off a boat out of Mombasa which scared me to death but here in the shallow lagoon at Lipe I hope to kill that demon. It would be a shame if I failed. Fortunately the coral starts with water at chest height and offers a great chance to practice. My perseverance pays off. I'm absolutely bewildered by the variety of tropical fish species I noted so close to the shoreline. Clown fish, angel fish and a host of other species swim amongst the coral which accommodate sea anemones of various types in bewildering colour. It's 4pm before I make this discovery. I'm itching to try this again tomorrow. Fantastic! It gets dark here just after 6 pm and time to walk up into the town to get a snack. It will be enough for today on this odd anniversary.
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