Koh Phi Phi (post-tsunami)

Desperately wanting to return to Koh Phi Phi after the tsunami, I finally was able to work it into my schedule. I wanted to survey the damage myself. Hearing various stories and seeing extensive footage didn't satisfy my curiosity on what Koh Phi Phi actually looked like. After taking a flight from Bangkok to Krabi, and then a ferry from Krabi to Koh Phi Phi, I came up on quite a surprising sight. The picture below is of Ton Sai Bay. Here you can see a before and after of virtually the same place. The trees are pretty much blown out and most of the isthmus is bare. Where lush palms and terraces of bouganvillier existed before, only sand and concrete ruin remain. I was a bit shocked.

before

after

After wandering a bit, I had to catch my longtail boat for the west side of the island - which I hear to be virtually untouched by the tsunami and well preserved - save the bridge that blew out making the Phi Phi Village only accessable by longtail boat - a bit of an inconvenience for a girl who loves to hike to and from "civilization" (a.k.a the main village). Taking the 30 minute longtail ride to the west side - passing the playful dolphins on the southern most point - I arrived to find the Phi Phi Village beautifully preserved and completely serene. It was a wonderful few days as I asked the locals the where's and how's of their personal tsunami experiences. The stories were sad, heartbreaking, frustrating and yet triumphant as they celebrated the island's rebirth and reconstruction. I remember one specific account in particular. One of the divers at the Phi Phi Village said he remembered the calamity and devastation concentrated around the tiny isthmus. As the helicopters started to arrive from Phuket, they soon realized they had no where to land. The water was just too unpredictable in the tiny little land mass. All they could do was to drop in supplies and aid, but landing and airlifting was out of the question. He said it was heartbreaking watching the helicopters turn around and fly away. I can only imagine.

(Bau, a longtail driver telling me what he did when the wave hit).

I found in every case, they were all ready to talk about it. They were anxious to tell me their story. I asked away as much as I could because a small part of me knew it was a good thing. I wanted to draw out as much conversation as I could and be a voice that a real experience and story could land. I felt really priviledged to get such first hand accounts.



All in all, as I continued to explore the island, I found that rebuilding is happening everywhere. Joint efforts abound. There is a volunteer salvage dive every morning. There are relief funds around every corner. There are concerted efforts by the locals as well as the Thai government to replan and rebuild Koh Phi Phi well and deliberately with sensitivity to the island and its beauty at the forefront.