Joe Blogs - Krabi 8°3′N 98°55′E

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Krabi - South West Thailand.

We are met at the airport and driven to the coast. The only access to the hotel is via boat (or monkey trail!) and after 15 minutes or so we are dropped off at a secluded beach, the only buildings in sight belong to the hotel itself. The scenery is breathtaking. After checking in we get to our rooms, they’re like individual apartments in groups of three, and the maid tells us that we should always lock the balcony as the monkeys know how to open the doors and get in. I tell Moi I’m quite keen to leave the doors unlocked but for some reason she doesn’t seem as enthusiastic about it as I am.

For the first time on the trip, we are in tourist-land. Up until now, the trip has been all bespoke, private bookings in individual hotels with individual guides. We’ve slipped into package holiday mode here. People are arriving fresh-faced from the UK for their annual holiday in the sunshine, run for the bar and slap on the factor 30. The first thing we do on arrival is run to the bog and organise a load of laundry.

But, we don’t care. We need the break. We’ve only just realised we’ve been on the go for a month and, while its been one hell of a ride, we’re exhausted. A bit of lying around on the beach doing nothing is just what the doctor ordered (especially considering the recent botty weather, I’m not so bad now but Moi is a few days behind, me so to speak).

After a delightful (but light dinner) we walk on the beach under the stars. Given that we are only 8 degress North of the equator, the stars are getting interesting. Orion is directly overhead. I can see the Big Dog (constellation containing Sirius) and other constellations I’ve never seen before – Stern and Salis (part of the ancient Argo Navis – Ship of the Argonauts). In the distance, a line of about 20 or so Chinese Flying Lanterns float into the night sky, crabs scuttle across the beach and the hotel band is playing the Bee Gees.

We must be in Paradise (and I thought that was in Kathmandu).

It will probably be a few days before the next blog update as I don’t expect much to happen over the next few days. I mean, there are only so many times you can say “sitting by pool and lifted leg to pass wind again” before it gets repetitive (twice I would think) and we’re just going to flake out.

Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.

PostScript

Later that same evening, despite taking all appropriate precautions, one of the larger female monkeys, I assumed from the local troupe, managed to unlock the balcony doors and get in. Despite my original enthusiasm, my reacton was to hit her on the head with a spade when, fortunately, the last minute, I recognised it was Moi. How we laughed at how easy it is to make a simple faux pas.

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