The ferry left for Phi Phi Island around 9 am. The ferry was a lot bigger than I was expecting!!!! It also had reclining chairs and AC! It felt luxurious compared to the other modes of transportation I have taken! It took about two hours to get to Phi Phi from Krabi and it was a nice smooth ride. When we arrived at the pier we had to pay a 20 baht clean island fee (I think to help with garbage removal costs to keep the island looking beautiful). We had someone from the hotel meet us and other guests at the pier to help carry our luggage. It was a hot 15 minute walk to the Andaman Hotel but once we got settled and cooled down we were ready for lunch! We headed to the Reggae bar for lunch and had some drinks. The DJ came over to our table and brought my a heart made out of straws haha. Then we went and lounged by the pool because the ocean was in low tide and it only came up to our knees, not even!! Phi Phi Island experiences 4 different tides throughout the day so you really have to time when you want to go swimming. While we were laying by the pool we came up with the crazy idea of getting tattoos!!! I had told Dad and Debby about a tattoo idea I had and they loved it so much we all got it!! Earlier we had passed by a couple tattoo shops and saw one that we remembered so we went there to go check it out some more. My palms started to get sweaty as we got closer because I had never gotten a bamboo tattoo before. I know tattoos are already painful but how would a bamboo tattoo feel! All the guys working in the tattoo shop were hilarious and soo nice making me feel a little less nervous and they began designing our tattoos. Dad and Debby started getting theirs first. We all got mai pen rai (no worries) in Thai writing on different places on our bodies. Dad got his on his upper arm, Debby's is on her lower arm and I got mine on my side rib. Dad didn't even flinch while he was getting his, Debby was making some faces that scared me and well.... I cried like a baby. It hurt so bad!!!!!!! I also got a plumeria flower with him, which are very common in Thailand and now my most favourite flower in the world! I think the flower hurt the most!! Once it was done we went for dinner on the beach and then to a fire show because you can't come to Thailand without seeing a fire show! The fire show was great except for the drunk girls skinny dipping right behind the show!!! So we tried to ignore them and got Dad and Debby their first bucket of booze and I got to be in the show! It was really cool and scary! They put a cigarette in my mouth and twisted fire balls together to create a spinning fire ball and put it close enough to light the cigarette! Then gave me a shot of the strongest alcohol ever blah! The next day Dad and I went scuba diving!! Yes scuba diving :) It was the best day ever. It started bright and early at 7:00am meeting at the scuba headquarters. We did some talking then headed to the boat! Our first stop was by an island in shallow waters to practice the signals we had talked about earlier. I was extremely nervous because I thought I would be practicing in a pool first but here we go! That first jump in had my heart racing but it was exhilarating! Being able to breath underwater, whatttt!! That feeling was amazing. Our guide Ruan was amazing and really helpful. I felt super safe and Dad was helping me the whole time too, giving me tips and telling me the rules of diving. The first dive I was more focused on watching Ruan and making sure I was keeping my breathing normal. I saw so many different kinds of fish and it was so cool to be swimming and breathing like them. A feeling I can't describe. Near the end of our dive Ruan kept making tis hand signal to me and I had forgotten what it meant and he kept doing it with the okay symbol so I finally just gave him the okay symbol back. When we came back up to the surface Dad asks if I saw the shark. I yelled noooo a shark where!! Ruan said well I asked if you saw it that was the symbol I was making.... well I felt like an idiot! Dad got to see a shark though! Then we stopped for lunch in Maya Bay where the movie 'The Beach' was filmed. It was a beautiful but busy spot. I did some snorkeling here. Then we went for our second dive. This time I felt more comfortable and was able to enjoy it more. This dive was even more amazing and we saw a turtle and it felt as if we were invisible to it. We just followed the turtle in its natural environment and it was so cool. Again we saw thousands of fish some of the most beautiful fish I was ever seen! It honestly felt like I was in the movie finding nemo. I know how silly that must sound but that's what it felt like!! It will be a day I remember forever. We got backed and relaxed by the pool had dinner and called in an early night to catch the ferry at 9. Our flight the next day had been switched to an earlier time and this became problematic because the earliest ferry was at 9 and to get another boat would have cost us an arm and a leg so we decided to risk it. Our flight left around 12:00, two hours on the ferry meant we arrived in Krabi at 11 then it was a 45min ish drive to the airport...11:45 yea we could make it, right? Well man did we feel like we were on the amazing race!! We had a guy help us get a taxi right away from the ferry and then our taxi driver said he would drive extra fast for us! We got there by 11:30 and was boarding at 11:40. Still can't believe we made it hah!
When we got back to BKK we went to my apartment and packed smaller bags for Kanchanaburi the next day. Then we went to go check out one of the popular malls of Bangkok called Terminal 21. We window shopped, people watched and grabbed some dinner. Then I showed Dad and Debby the places I like to go to drink. We went to Cheap Charlie's and had a couple of drinks and then headed to Aussie Bar. It was so exciting to finally show family the places I go too! Now when I talk on the phone with my Dad when I say I'm going W District he knows exactly where I am going. It feels good :) We started the morning off a little later and headed to catch out van to Kanchanaburi. The van was late which they usually are, but as long as you get there it's all good. Once we got on the van it was full and Dad and I got the extra squishy seat at the back but we made it work. I slept on and off for most of the ride and we finally arrived around 2. The hotel we stayed at was so nice!!! The rooms were clean and the pool nice and great location! We had lunch by the river than napped by the pool. We headed to a market during the night but found no food there so as we were about to head back towards the hotel we heard a huge crash and turned around to see a motorcycle getting run over by a truck. Now I have never seen an accident yet in Thailand and of course it would happen when Dad is here because it made him more nervous about me and motorbikes! An ambulance did come and take the guy so it was good to see how quickly they responded. Then we got a late snack before bed. The next day was elephant day!!!!! I am so happy I got a chance to go back to Elephant World. I had the best experience last time and couldn't wait to see some of the same elephants as last time and some new ones! A van came and picked us up along with a couple of other people at our hotel. When we got to Elephant World it was very similar to the first time I went. We fed an elephant a basket of fruit! It was exciting to see Dad and Debby experiencing this! The rest of the day was amazing and we made sticky rice balls, cut bana grass, watched the elephants have a mud bath and then we got to bath them!! This was so much fun! Splashing around with the elephants was amazing!!!! Then I spent way to much money in the gift shop but all the money goes towards the elephants so how could I not! When we got back to the city we went to dinner at On's, my favourite restaurant in Kanchanaburi, and it was delicious as usual!! I got the banana leaf salad, yum!!! We ended the night with a 10 baht shot, because you just have too! It was another day that I am grateful I got to experience and will never forget. It was now my last full day with Dad and Debby and the past two weeks had gone by way too quickly. We got an early van and once we got back to Bangkok we headed straight for the Chatachuck market! I got to see some of the market I did not see before. I think you could go to this place a handful of times and still not see all of it! I did buy way to much but it was fun spending the morning shopping with D&D. Got some yummy wontons and sticky rice for lunch while I was at the market. Then back to my apartment we went to pack up all of our bags! Then we packed ourselves into the BTS to go to the airport. We were sardines with oversized luggage but hey that's how you travel in BKK. We dropped all the luggage at the airport so we would only have to catch one taxi in the morning for the flight. Then we headed to the hotel for the night. It was a very nice hotel and last night with D&D. We went to the mall next door for dinner and then hit the sheets early because we had a taxi coming for us at 6:00am. Saying goodbye to Dad and Debby was heartbreaking. Seeing them was great but it hurt a lot and made me more homesick than I thought I would get. Thailand has been amazing but with family here to share it with took it to the next level. I am so thankful they came and took the time to visit me and I will cherish the time I had with them seeing as they won't be home when I get there :(
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