From here we walked around this hill, completing a few circles to finally find the descend. We came

On our Railay to do list we included kayaking-check, visit to Koh Phi Phi-tomorrow and a visit to the the lagoon, southwest airlines vacations Sa Phra Nang (holy princess pool). Now LP advised us the trek would be difficult and to wear proper shoes, but it no where near prepared us for what was about to befall.
We sought information at a travel info centre and off we went. First to a resort we were suppose to walk through but was denied access southwest airlines vacations by a security guard. Then we walked across southwest airlines vacations the beach to yet another trail, it soon became thick and just as we were turning back we bumped into Fioy. Our new friend from Indonesia.
With Fioy in tow we continued. But we ended up in a big circle and found ourselves at the path where our hotel is located. So we were lost again, southwest airlines vacations a common occurrence for us. We again inquired about the whereabouts of this lost lagoon.
We were now on the right path, the 3 of us on a mission. Passing East Beach, going a bit too far to Hat Phra Nang, where the Princess cave (Tham Phra Nang) lies (we will discuss later), southwest airlines vacations and back again to the tall, red mudded, viny, hill which we had passed. This was the entry point to the lagoon.
This climb was not equivalent to the grouse grind. This couldn't even be considered a hike, it was pure rock climbing with crawling involved southwest airlines vacations and the sporadic interval of walking. And we had no equipment.
From here we walked around this hill, completing a few circles to finally find the descend. We came across walls of sharp, pointy, porous rocks intermingled with red mud and man made ropes declining down the mountain side. Picture this- we were actually on an island, climbed up a rocky cliff to now descend down into the middle, the core of the rocky hill. We were essentially climbing down into the middle of the mountain, searching for a lost lagoon. Sounds romantic...it wasn't.
That climb was probably one of the most physically and at times mentally hardest thing I have ever attempted. There were times when I felt so stuck, 15 feet in the air with only jagged rocks below, I couldn't go up or down, I just wanted to cry. But I didn't.
So down we went, one at a time, slowly, scaling the walls. Fioy first and then me. That little Indonesian southwest airlines vacations man was an angel in disguise guiding us to the Lagoon. Without him I never would have made it. Once I touched ground I directed Mike to security.
And then we saw it, the lagoon. Only from a far at first. It was down, far down. We would have to scale down 3 even more challenging and dangerous walls, at one point having to tuck in between southwest airlines vacations the walls to duck down below, crawl out and scale down. Mentally I was panicked but I knew that was the worst possible thing to feel at this moment.
The lagoon was secluded, no one else occupied it. You could hear our voices bouncing southwest airlines vacations off the walls. The enormously high ceilings around the lagoon opened to the sky, the sun shone in and the water was crystal southwest airlines vacations blue. It was unreal. We were so small surrounded by limestone southwest airlines vacations walls that towered above us.
But we made it and it was worth it. I've never been so relieved, fulfilled, happy, refreshed in my life. We danced in the water, cave walls encapsulating us, clay figurines made by visitors sat on the shores, mini fishies southwest airlines vacations gathered around, we looked up into the sky while the sun shone down, down into the centre of the mountain. It's crazy how you can climb up so high, down so low and be at sea level within such a massive southwest airlines vacations piece of earth.
And then it was over. Time to say goodbye. Although the hike out was almost equally as tough due to our fatigue and now lack of motivation, going up turns out much easier than climbing down with no support or tools. And then we were out.
We carried southwest airlines vacations our tired and limp bodies to Hat Phra Nang beach where we collapsed and napped. When I mustered southwest airlines vacations up enough energy, i walked over to Princess Cave (Tham Phra Nang) to join the other tourists observing the sights. Legend has it that in 3rd century BC a princess drowned and her spirit still resides here. The spirit is known to provide favors to who repays.This is an important shrine for fisherman. Fisherman decorate the cave with multi colored scarfs and wooden phalluses to show appreciation after a plentiful catch or good season to give back and encourage future sea fertility. This tradition is not Thai or religious.
Back at the bungalow preparing for a shower we all of sudden heard banging on our roof. Walking outside we found monkeys jumping all over the surrounding bungalows, hanging from wires and walking on top of them. The Monkey Mafia was back. Our neighbor warned us to bring our drying southwest airlines vacations beach attire inside as he had made a complaint to the staff of missing shoes, towel and shirt...but no staff or tourists stole his garments, it was the monkey mafia. Up the limestone cliffs lies a cave, I'm sure, filled with stolen food, electronics, tobacco, and clothes all belonging now to the monkeys.