Christmas on Ko Pha Ngan

sa-wat dee krahp! Thats hello in Thai, one of the many phrases we have been trying to remember. Its been a bit longer than I had wanted since our last update, however we are both well. Kim wants to say that she is fine though im sure everyone knows that after her very drunk phone call yesturday! We have decided to stay on the island longer until the 27th as we are having such a good time and have met so many cool people. It would also be nice to be round friends over xmas amd moving on just before christmas means we might not meet anyone for celebrate with. We are all doing a secret santa so we have some presents to open on Christmas day plus we are hoping to have a christmas dinner if the cook can manage to get hold of all the ingredients, though im sure it wont be half as good as a home cooked one mum (or Rachel)!

We have moved from Haadlad Resort (I made a mistake with the name in my last entry) and found very cheap accomodation above a new restaurant that has just opened. It works out at just over 1 pound a night for each of us, and the rooms and food are great, so we will be staying there over christmas, 3 of us to a room!

We are really enjoying the Thai food, I am hooked on the spring rolls here and the Patai which is different types of noodles with spices ( keeps you very regular) is also great. The local beer is not that great though, Singha and Chang beer, they taste rough though Chang is nearly 7% and its a pound for over a pint so it does the job, wouldnt mind a nice pint of John Smiths however! There is also a drink called Samsung that we have been drinking, its a type of Rum made from berries and its very very cheap, 2 pound a bottle! The Irish guys who were out with us live on it.

Sadly the big 'Full Moon' party we wanted to go on on the 16th was canceled due to strong sea currents and very high tides. Several tourists have died on the island becuase of the currents and several are critical in hospital. One morning the waves were so bad that the resort walls that face the beach started to fall down so John and I tried to help the locals repair the wall, however it fell down into the sea the next day anyway!

The other night instead of the 'full moon' party we went to some locals bars, after having more than my fill of drink I left Kim and the guys at the bar and walked to our room. On the way I back I saw a guy trying to walk up the stone steps to his room drunk, he slipped and banged his head badly on the way down and was unconcious on the floor. So I went over to help and then went back to the bar for help after checking to see how he was. He had a bump the size of an apple on his head, so we all took turns at checking him through the night to make sure he was ok. He cant actualy remember anything from the night but hes ok now and very thankful though, he has come out with us a few nights since then and keeps buying us drinks. Ive added a pic of him in here with bruises to show you how bad it was.

Yesturday Kim and some friends hired out some Mopeds and took a trip round the island they visited the Pang waterfall and the National waterfall and went for a bit of a trek. There are some pics included bellow.

Also we met some English girls one of which i've never seen before in my life but studied at the same University as me and graduated on the same day and sat just a few rows behind me, its a small world!!

Jacklyn one of the American girls also decided to get a tattoo, however due to the pain she was in getting it done its not even half finished, we think it may take weeks and at least another dozen trips before its done. The Irish guys also left, its probebly a good thing as they were drinking the island dry and somehow managing to spend more money on a night out here than they would of back home.

Last night we also got a taxi to a town called Haad Rin and met up with some friends, its the main town on the island and hs plenty of bars, so we were all rather tipsy. The Taxi's here consist of a truck in which you sit in the back and pray that the driver doesnt send you off a cliff or plough into a palm tree. Its also very painfull on the arse as the roads are terribble and the island very hilly, 40 mintues of pain to get to a town with a cash machine!


It doesnt feel very festive here and we are missing family and friends but we will cope! We are going to try and get a christmas tree or put some sort of decorations up and have the local bar play some festive music so hopefully it will start to feel like Christmas! Hope everyone is well make sure you send us some good messages and comments! Will update again soon.

You might get an update before Christmas but just incase we want to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy new year!!

Trev & Kim

P.S. I have also finished reading my first book called 'the Chancellor Manuscript' by Robert Ludlum. The same man who wrote the 'Bourne Identity & Supremacy'. Not bad for just over a pound, thank you Guru Jim!

---

---