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| A Woman's Directory For Travel and Life. WAVE Journey is your one stop online resource for women oriented businesses and services around the world. WAVE Journey is for every woman to enjoy. If you love to travel, cook, read or revel in outdoor activities this website is for you. If you are looking to connect with other like-minded women or if you are interested in finding businesses or services that cater to women, WAVE Journey is your number one online resource. |
| WAVE Journey |
| Women's Adventures, Vacations, Experiences ~ Your Journey Starts Here! |
Phang Nga Bay Sea Safari ~ continued
By Simon Ramsden
By Simon Ramsden
I am surprised to hear that this bouldering
wall is actually judged to be a relatively
easy one, as it looks really difficult to me.
Bouldering is a rope-free variation of rock
climbing, where the climber sheds his gear
and keeps only his rubber shoes and chalk-
bag (and his shorts unless he really wants
to show off). When the climber falls off the
soft beach cushions his fall – unless the
climber ascends too high, bouldering is as
safe as a walk in a park. It is also an
extreme work-out for the upper body in
which it is easy to damage tendons and
sinews.
My climbing partner Fon manoeuvres left to
right and up and down with yogic bodily
contortions, body held nearly parallel to
the ground.
wall is actually judged to be a relatively
easy one, as it looks really difficult to me.
Bouldering is a rope-free variation of rock
climbing, where the climber sheds his gear
and keeps only his rubber shoes and chalk-
bag (and his shorts unless he really wants
to show off). When the climber falls off the
soft beach cushions his fall – unless the
climber ascends too high, bouldering is as
safe as a walk in a park. It is also an
extreme work-out for the upper body in
which it is easy to damage tendons and
sinews.
My climbing partner Fon manoeuvres left to
right and up and down with yogic bodily
contortions, body held nearly parallel to
the ground.
A handful of day-trippers relaxing on the beach watch, in puzzled but idle amusement, no
doubt wondering why anybody would bother to exert themselves in such an extreme
fashion in such a relaxing place. Fon moves with feminine agility and poise and is made to
look even more graceful by comparison with me, her slightly superannuated Western male
climbing companion. I seem to be not so much rock climbing as rock-falling-offing - this
thankfully doesn’t hurt, due to Thailand's soft sand cushioning my frequent falls. After a
while Fon is glowing with perspiration, whilst I have virtually turned into a human waterfall.
Thankfully the welcomingly cool sea is just a step away.
doubt wondering why anybody would bother to exert themselves in such an extreme
fashion in such a relaxing place. Fon moves with feminine agility and poise and is made to
look even more graceful by comparison with me, her slightly superannuated Western male
climbing companion. I seem to be not so much rock climbing as rock-falling-offing - this
thankfully doesn’t hurt, due to Thailand's soft sand cushioning my frequent falls. After a
while Fon is glowing with perspiration, whilst I have virtually turned into a human waterfall.
Thankfully the welcomingly cool sea is just a step away.
Wary of the sea urchins nesting on the reef’s floor we float on life jackets to the other side
of the bay and find ourselves peering through windows of rocks out onto the myriad islands
rearing sheer out of the shallow but deep blue water of Thailand's Andaman Sea. Back in
the boat, our boatman is unsure if the tide is too low for us to be able to get into the Hong
lagoon. As the long-tail boat’s engine fades to a stop we creep around the corner and see
the opening to the lagoon, seemingly guarded by a solitary bird standing in the water. The
boat drifts until it rests in the sand and there we are, standing in the middle of an enormous
lagoon encompassed by rock buttresses on all sides, like worshippers in the nave of a vast
karst cathedral. One massive stalactite is suspended overhead, dripping with pure mineral
water and donating a sweet afternoon drink and shower. The Hong archipelago, the second
stop on our island-hopping Andaman Sea safari, is an archetypical tropical paradise.
We leave the lagoon in search of a clandestine beach to melt into for a while before
travelling on to Koh Yao Noi. It doesn’t take long to find a completely deserted bay, where
we collapse and take naps in the shade of the trees – there are no suitable rocks around
for us to play on. In the shallows a large monitor lizard takes the plunge and swims past our
boat, its family of three concealed by the rocks and waiting for it across the bay, revealing
themselves as it approaches.
of the bay and find ourselves peering through windows of rocks out onto the myriad islands
rearing sheer out of the shallow but deep blue water of Thailand's Andaman Sea. Back in
the boat, our boatman is unsure if the tide is too low for us to be able to get into the Hong
lagoon. As the long-tail boat’s engine fades to a stop we creep around the corner and see
the opening to the lagoon, seemingly guarded by a solitary bird standing in the water. The
boat drifts until it rests in the sand and there we are, standing in the middle of an enormous
lagoon encompassed by rock buttresses on all sides, like worshippers in the nave of a vast
karst cathedral. One massive stalactite is suspended overhead, dripping with pure mineral
water and donating a sweet afternoon drink and shower. The Hong archipelago, the second
stop on our island-hopping Andaman Sea safari, is an archetypical tropical paradise.
We leave the lagoon in search of a clandestine beach to melt into for a while before
travelling on to Koh Yao Noi. It doesn’t take long to find a completely deserted bay, where
we collapse and take naps in the shade of the trees – there are no suitable rocks around
for us to play on. In the shallows a large monitor lizard takes the plunge and swims past our
boat, its family of three concealed by the rocks and waiting for it across the bay, revealing
themselves as it approaches.
