Return to Paradise Carnival
On June 24th 2005 Koh Phi Phi celebrated its 'Return to
Paradise' with a spectacular carnival on Loh Dalum beach. The area, which
once played host to over a hundred bungalows, was transformed into a party
setting by a myriad of festive banners and decorations along with the presence
of many restaurants, bars and clothing stalls from around the island providing
for the carnival guests.
The day kicked off with a variety of crazy beach games
including everything from a snorkel treasure hunt and sandcastle competition
to a three legged obstacle races and a giant tug of war. The soccer and
volleyball tournaments provided a more serious competitive edge and with
the spectacular ‘Return to Paradise’ trophies on offer, the
play was quite intense.
Thirty Phi Phi children who currently attend school on
the mainland came back for the day to join in the celebrations and their
smiles and energy was a wonderful boost to the day. More excitement came
from the presence of the Miss Hong Kong finalists who spent time talking
and interviewing volunteers and residents about the island and the work
that has taken place here.
The famous Thai band “Job to Do”, ushered
in the evening’s events with a funky fusion of Thai and reggae
music which enticed the crowd out to dance despite the late afternoon
downpour.
As night fell and the skies cleared, more and more people
returned to the beach. At 9pm the raffle was drawn and Kiya, currently our
youngest volunteer at 9 years was the lucky winner of our star prize, 3
nights accommodation at Phi Phi’s 4* Holiday Inn resort.
At this point the evening was far from over, and following
a great display of modern Thai dancing by three of the school children,
the crowd finally got what they’d all been waiting all day for; a
selection of our very finest male Hi Phi Phi workers, giving the performance
of their life…as ladies. They were a hit and the crowd went wild.
Returning to the stage for their final set of the evening
“Job to Do” calmed things down by performing a number of haunting
songs by candlelight. It was an emotionally charged moment, as for many
of the band members it was their first trip back to the island since December.
The final show of the evening took place at midnight when
Claire O’Meara completed her challenge of learning how to do a fireshow
in a week with a performance in front of a very large and very appreciative
audience. The rest of the fireshow was made up of over 15 of the island’s
most talented performers and provided a visually stunning end to the carnival.
The carnival, whilst primarily an opportunity for the island
to come together to celebrate, also worked as a great money-raiser. During
the day, donations, fireshow sponsorship, raffle tickets and the very popular
Return to Paradise t-shirts raised a combined total of 56,000 Baht, a record
breaking amount for any previous Hi Phi Phi island fundraiser.
