In preparation to return to our landlubber status Loretta and I have tossed around a few ideas to fill our time, i.e., when we are not: sleeping, eating, reading, socializing, getting massaged, eating, shopping at local markets, drinking, etc. Some of the ideas suggested so far are: bike riding, beach combing, studying Thai, cleaning up litter in our community, kite surfing, looking for treasures with a metal detector, eating, traveling, running (Loretta) – I only take up running when I am being chased, etc.
However, when we recently met up with another cruising couple, Graham and Sue from Chandrika, we were invited to join them in their passion of rock climbing. Unbeknownst to us, rock climbing is huge in Thailand Marshall Islands
After our first encounter with them they invited us to Koh Yao Noi up in Phangna Bay
So off we sailed to Koh Yao Noi and after having a great evening with Graham and Sue, and Gerd and Sylvia from Daedalus, and a very peaceful night, we headed off on a rocky, slippery and wild path to reach the base camp where we would begin our rock climb. Not only are Graham and Sue very competent and experienced rockers, they are also the same age as our son. In other words, a bit younger than us.
Sue told us that she would do the first climb while Graham belayed her (held the other end of the rope that Sue was connected to so that in case of a fall he would be able to prevent her from demonstrating the effects of gravitational forces). So up she went as Loretta, Sylvia and I watched her technique and listened to Graham explain how Sue managed to climb straight up by clinging onto ½ inch finger and toe holds. Yikes we all thought, what have we got ourselves into. When Sue reached my expected elevation of 30 feet she just kept on going. Yikes what the $#*& have we got ourselves into. I believe it was at this point that Loretta quietly stated “I think I will give this a miss” then she started mumbling about some leg injury that she got when she was 4 or 5 years of age.
Upon Sue’s return to base camp, with only one fall, Graham said okay Darrel you're up. All I could think of was a leg injury that I received when I was 4 or 5 years of age, but that excuse was already taken.
So I put on the harness, took off my sandals since I did not have proper rock climbing shoes, and grabbed onto the first little ledge that my fingers could reach. After reaching the first stalactite which was about 12 feet up I looked down and said “okay that was fun, I think I will come down now”. There was an immediate reaction from my two rock climbing instructors as well as the peanut gallery who were saying that I should try to continue since I have done so well thus far. Yikes peer pressure is bad enough, but when my lovely soul mate is encouraging me to continue, I had no other choice but to continue.
So up and up I went and actually found it was quite enthralling and invigorating. As I was climbing I tried to recall how high the little people some 40 feet below me said I should go. I think I heard one little voice say just continue up until you fall. Yikes! Well I did not make it up as high as Sue did but I made it much higher than what I had planned on.
About two weeks later, Graham, Sue and Loretta and I were off on a bit of a trek that Sue and Graham had partially scouted out earlier. They said it was a fairly easy trek and the sight from the top was spectacular. So off we went grabbing trees and rocks pulling ourselves along this “fairly easy trek”. When we were almost at the top where we would reach the spectacular lookout we ran into a bit of an obstacle where there was a 12' high cliff with the top section protruding outwards making it a difficult climb – at least in Loretta's and my minds. Not to worry, says Graham, we have all our rock climbing gear and we can get you two up and over this little obstacle with no problem.
Loretta quickly said that she was quite content to stay put, and I quickly added that I too was quite happy to camp out here while Graham and Sue headed for the summit. They said that they were okay to turn around if we were not up for the climb. I was just getting ready to have a sigh of relief when Loretta says “okay, lets do it, we have come this far and we are so close to the top we may as well continue." My mind was racing to come up with an excuse but all I could come up with was that lame leg injury story.
So Loretta put on the harness and up she went. When we reached the lookout it was then that I realized how high up we were. I must have been about 300 feet up and we could look straight down to the sea and outward to take in the beauty of Phangna Bay
On the way back down, we reached the obstacle and I assumed it would be easier going down than up. But unfortunately because of the way the top of the cliff protruded out it made it difficult to get a toe grab for my feet dangling below my body which was being supported by my hands that were holding onto a rope. Without giving it a lot of thought (mistake) I thought I could swing out and while my body is swinging away from the protrusion I would quickly scramble down the rope so I would be below the protruding rock and be able to push my body off the under-hanging cliff with my feet. NOT. In theory it may have worked if was Spiderman, but since I am not, by the time the pendulum was swinging inward towards the cliff my arm was still at the point where it got squished between the rock and the weight of my swinging body. There were no broken bones but some mean looking gouges and bruises. I quickly recovered from my ungraceful decent and yelled up “the eagle has landed”. The other three came down without incident.
So the next time that I Rock and Roll it will be to the beat of a band. I think its time to go back and look at the other landlubber activities to choose from for when CanKata sells, for example eating.
