I Gotta Phi Phi More!!

A sunrise, our bungalow, and half the island. I got up really early one morning(5:ooam) and fought my fear of the Great White Shark and did some kayaking on a really tippy kayak, I nicknamed, Undependable Blue(it was blue). For those who don't know, I fear Great White Sharks, all the time. Not, like, in towns, or on buses, or at the movies, but more like around any body of water that I'm swimming in or hanging out in. I know that they grow up to 25 feet long, can way 2 tons, and attack by surging up from 30 feet below and knocking their victim(me) five feet in the air unconscious. Then they come in for the kill. And they like to feed at dawn and dusk. And its dawn. And they can smell my fear.
Now, I was out real early, even before the sun, and at that time I could not even see through the clear clear water. But I know that the Great White is there, and I'm bothered, but I'm playing it off pretty well- just focusing on the paddle strokes. Not scared of no shark, nope not me. Then, I hit a pretty good swell, a little too broadside(seems like I WAS focusing on something besides paddling) and the tippy blue kayak dumped me. Dumped me right in the dark water with Great White. That kinda sucked.
So, then I'm on the bottom of the kayak, spread eagle, gripping the paddle like a Sumari Sword, barely floating above the surface of the water. I was just thinking of how the sun rose a little since I started but then immediately went behind this Bastard Cloud- not too much more light. I figured at some point I would have to fully enter the water and attempt to get the kayak right-side up and get back in the damn thing. That's when I glanced over toward shore and saw a Thai guy, shirtless, smoking a cigarette, just staring at me. He's probably about 75 yards away and I swear I can see the expression on his face. Well, its actually no expression. He's just staring. I thought that this was funny.

In talking with a dive-instructor a few days later I found out that the Great White is a strictly cold water shark; the ones around Phi Phi are strictly crustacean eaters. Still, this doesn't change my attitude around the water- I KNOW that one is out there just waiting to make the switch to warm water and its gonna be when I'm swimming or kayaking.