Day 13: One Day in Paradise (Koh Phi Phi)

While in Koh Samui, the Heckermachers made an executive decision. Rather than spend their final day in Thailand in Bangkok (which, despite being lovely, was also a big smelly city much like the one to which they'd return), they pushed their return flight to Bangkok back and booked an extra night on Koh Phi Phi.

They decided to spend this extra day taking advantage of Zeavola's One Day in Paradise package, which promised the very best the island had to offer in a single day.

Their day of paradise began in their own private longboat, which ferried them to a reef-y cove for snorkeling. 

Cliffs on the way to the snorkeling destination. 

Tim looks majestic on the longboat.

A snorkel-eye view of Anna. 

They saw some amazing coral and sea creatures, including a big fish rave where all the attendees came sporting their most colorful costumes.

A fish. 

Hungry coral.

A parrotfish on its way to the Fish Rave.

Tim goes deep.

Then their private longtail boat headed to a bucolic beach for a picnic lunch. 

Anna basks like a lizard in the sun on the way to lunch.

Their longtail boat chauffeur helped them set everything up, including beanbag chairs from the resort. 

Anna prepares to dine. 

The view was so wonderful that after lunch, the Heckermachers decided to take a short hike around the beach. 

Koh Phi Phi does not mess around when it comes to beaches. 

They climbed a short sand path and snapped a few photos.

While they were gone, an Italian family landed on the beach and discovered their beanbag chairs. Delighted at their discovery, they settled in to enjoy a lunch in exquisite comfort.

"It was so nice of them to leave these for us!"

The Heckermachers hated to displace them. But unfortunately, it had to be done. Their longtail boat awaited, and there was more snorkeling to be done. 

The next leg of their snorkel-venture involved dangerous sea creatures, like these vicious barracuda:

Dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun BARRACUDAAAAA!

And also a moray eel that spent a long time slithering around the reef, not seeming to mind the Heckermachers' gawking (from a respectful distance, of course - those guys'll mess you up).

That's a-moray. 

After snorkeling their way to some pretty intense sunburns (yes, after two weeks of religiously applying sunscreen at even the slightest hint of redness, they got seriously burnt on their last day), they headed to Monkey Beach. 

The monkeys at Monkey Beach were pretty used to having people around.

"How nice of you to bring treats for the monkey. I will take that now."

They were also playful and curious. 

Beware WHAT monkeys?

The mothers carried their babies close to their bellies.

"Don't monkey with my monkey!"

But they weren't always crazy about sharing. 

"No, these are MY corn nuts!"

The trip home was as lovely as the trip out. 

Leaving Monkey Beach.

When they returned home, the Heckermachers took a walk on the beach and then headed to the spa for massages. Because of their newly acquired sunburns, these involved a lot of aloe.

They emerged relaxed nearly to the point of jelly - but not so relaxed they couldn't down a couple of beachfront cocktails. They snuggled up together on one of Zeavola's beanbag-topped double-wide loungers and sipped pina coladas as the sun dipped behind the horizon. They also may or may not have stalked some chickens home to their roost. 

Whassup, chickens?

The One Day in Paradise package culminated with a "private, romantic beachfront dinner." This turned out to be not actually so private, as they were only ten feet or so from the restaurant, and had a constant stream of large Chinese families gawk at them as they paraded back and forth from the resort at the end of the beach that catered to large Chinese families.

But the Heckermachers, being the Heckermachers, made the best of it. They gazed lovingly into each other's eyes, whispered sweet nothings in each other's ears, and snuck bites of seafood to the suddenly adoring cats who decided to join them for their meal. 

The Heckermachers do romance like proper honeymooners. 

Midway through their meal, the tinkling smooth jazz that seems to pervade resort life was suddenly replaced by a sound system down the beach blasting Gangam Style. A flash of light illuminated the sky, and the Heckermachers turned to see a young shirtless fellow outside of the resort down the beach, spinning fire poi. A fire staff artist and young man spinning meteors (poi tipped with steel wool that creates brilliant showers of sparks) joined him, and the Heckermachers found themselves with front-row seats to yet another fire show.

It seemed a perfectly thematic end to their day of paradise indeed.