M-whY

My last day in Ko Phi Phi was spent under gray clouds and intermittent showers. I reported to the dive shop when I woke up, but inclement weather had forced them to call off the cleanup. People sat around mending nets and staring at each other. I didn't stick around very long. I have better things to do with my time.

Like eat green curry. And masamun curry. And... uhh... okay, maybe I didn't have better things to do. Contrary to what travel agents may say, Ko Phi Phi is alive and operating. But just barely. Diving and snorkelling trips are still available. Shops are open, selling tshirts and other souvenirs. Masseuses and tattoo artists await customers. But the main draw, the beaches, are not yet what they used to be. Previously the site of a bikini show, the sand now lay bare and desolate. Broken glass and the possibility of buried metal makes a stroll along the beach dangerous. I almost felt sorry for the package tourists that came all the way out here to this crippled paradise.

If there's one thing that has a healthy pulse, it's the bar scene. That evening, I joined Dave and Ruth for a bit of bar hopping.

Dave is one of the most colorful (euphemism for crazy) characters I've met so far. But in a good way. He had a fascination with sharks, monkeys, and sharks with monkey bites. When I told the 'novice' traveller (he'd only been on the road a couple weeks) that there'd be so many monkey sightings that he'd get tired of them, he looked at me like I had committed blasphemy. We discussed our travel plans, and Ruth provided some valuable information, since she'd already completed most of the southeast asia circuit.

Dave and I shared a common interest in food. "I think I'm gonna get something to eat," I said as bottles were cleared away at the last bar. Drinking had given me a case of the munchies.

"It feels bad saying goodbye," said Dave. I totally agree. One of the best parts of travelling is all the new friends you make, but when it comes time to move on... well, that's one of the worst parts. "What kind of food are you going to get?"

"I'll probably just get one of those Thai pancakes."

"Let me buy you a pancake."

The three of us walked to the nearest pancake stand for our late night snack. We all were headed in the same general direction, so we ate as we walked. A fork in the road was where we'd go our separate ways. Dave pointed out some graffiti on the wall, still visible in the the faint light. It read:

Cowboy has been here
but will leave
because of the
butterfly effect

"So the Thai believe that when a flower dies, it turns into a butterfly. I have no idea how it relates to this, but it seems like a good place to say goodbye," he grinned.

To leave this crazy guy in front of such an obscure message... you know, for a moment, it almost made sense!

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