6-24 Railay Day 3

Today we planned to explore a new part of Railay called Phra Nang (Princess). The walk to Phra Nang is a 1/8 mile path along the base of a limestone tower which is like walking through a cave due to the overhangs at the base. Off to the side of the pathway are several short passages going in & out of the face of the rock. We were walking under a huge overhang that was covered in stalactites. Some hang so low into the path that they are marked in red cloth so you don't smash your face into them at night. We arrived at a gorgeous strip of beach facing South toward limestone islands jutting out of the sea. Off to the left was a sacred cave filled with a shrine with hundreds of wooden phallic symbols. Supposedly a Thai princess drowned on this beach long ago and now by paying tribute, you can receive a blessing of fertility. We swam 100 meters along a rocky shoreline and climbed up a razor sharp rock slope to a 10 meter cliff jump. If Matt Martin's speedo doesn't attract the attention of the myriad of beautiful ladies on the beach, maybe flirting with danger would help. On the beach sat 3 cute ladies with two hippie-type older guys. Judging by their tans, hair, and clothes, they've been on Railay for quite some time. We noticed them watching us from time to time. We would later learn that their smiling and giggles were not fueled by my boyish good looks, but rather a debate on whether we were gay or not. Special thanks should be given to Matt's speedo and Chris rubbing his furry chest while making his signature Chewbacca mating calls. This beach was by far the nicest of the 4 beaches at Railay. We were though, hounded by two sweet old Thai ladies wanting to sell us a massage and some of their street food. We gave in and got some cold Changs, egg rolls, and chicken skewers. With nothing but an improvised hibachi grill fueled by coconut shells, she reheated our lunch. After a good slathering in sweet chili sauce, we feasted. It was delicious but we all feared our stomachs would pay the price later. There were official signs posted with the image of the very street food vendor we bought our lunch from....with big red circle and cross through it! Was it trying to discourage beach vendors from annoying tourists, or was the food not safe to eat? We feared what it might mean. After the tasty meal, Chris and Matt gave into the ladies once again and agreed to a massage. I felt a bit left out and decided to get a tatoo. I reluctantly passed up the "NO FEAR" and Hello-Kitty tats and settled on the most machismo tat offered. I talked him down from $25 to $4. What a deal for a tatoo! Now on my back is the image of my Cinderella. One day she will be mine. It may take a few trips to some biker bars, but I'll find her.
As we were playing frisbee, a guy walked in front of me. He looked strangely familiar, but I didn't know where. Without thinking, I said hello. "Matt, is that you?", he replied. As it turns out, it was Mike Stitt. He was a sophmore Fiji when I was a freshman at college. We lived together for 2 years. He looks a bit different now so I didn't quite recognize him. He's been traveling 8 months now, working in Australia and wandering on his own. What a small world!

It had rained heavily for an hour early that morning so initially were weary of attempting the 90min trek to the "secret lagoon". After a beer and hearty lunch we felt like we could tackle anything, so off we went in search of the trail head. We laced up our shoes and Matt read aloud from an old faded wooden sign of caution. It basically said that the trail was very dangerous and there are "several vertical drops to traverse which could result in injury or death, especially after a rain". You know you're in for some adventure when you see a 'danger' sign in Thailand! The trail to the lagoon was no trail at all. It made the monkey trail to Tonsai beach feel like child's play. Many sections were a spider's web of roots and slippery rocks. Looking up the 65-85 degree trail, all you can see is a stair step of jagged rock. On the side of the trail was the occasional flip flop that had died a horrible death, shredded to pieces on the the razor sharp rocks. There was a small group of people following behind us but the path was otherwise deserted. This was no doubt due to the danger involved with the slick rocks and mud. Shoes were an absolute requirement and this was a flip flop town Where there wasn't a knotted rope available to pull yourself up the slick muddy slope, you were climbing up muddy boulders on your hands and feet. After 15min of slow going, we hit a ridge with a fork in the path. We headed left into thick jungle and within a minute we were at a small opening in the forest, which was the edge of a 200 foot tall cliff. From the edge, you could see all of Railay's Eastern shore, Western shore and surrounding cliffs to the North. We finally had a good perspective of the small size, yet incredible beauty of this place. Minutes later we were back to the fork and headed down a slippery mud slope, grasping at ropes and vines to slow our descent. Ahead we saw the group that had initially been behind us. They were scraped, muddied, and looking very serious. We had now descended into a very narrow crevasse between two limestone towers, reaching 200 feet above us. The crevasse measured just 5 meters across and we were not sure how far down it went. Thick jungle canopy above us blocked out most of the sun. All we could focus on was a multi-tiered trail of slick rock below. Over the course of 30min we traversed 3 vertical drops, ranging 3-5 meters with jagged rock below. It took all our strength and nerve to grip the rope, which was now caked in slimy mud. With a death-grip on the slimy rope, we lowered ourselves over the side of the cliffs and carefully climbed down to a series of lower levels. We were all relieved to make it to the lagoon uninjured. 50 meter high cliffs surrounded a small, shallow pool with muddy banks. Along the face of one wall was a series a natural shelves in the rock face. Dozens of heads made from the mud were on display. Some were funny, some spooky and evil looking. They were of all shapes and sizes. It was quite an unexpected site to see. The thought of making our own contribution to the wall of art arose, but everyone was just happy to rest and enjoy the view. After a short rest we made the perilous journey back to our rooms. We were tired and covered in mud, but our spirits were high.