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Asia » Thailand » South-West Thailand » Phuket
May 1st 2006
Published: June 17th 2006
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Sawat dii,

Well Hello from Thailand. Such a beautiful country. On my train trip over the River Kwai (Death Railway) I got to have a jant on an elephant. Even better, I got to bath one in the river, or should that read she bathed me 😊 Magnificent creatures. The group spend a night sleeping on a raft house, and then a boat trip up to the infamous bridge. You can see where the allies successfully bombed two sections, which are now rectangular in shape compared to the original oval sections. There were numerous WW II graves for the 20,000+ soldiers / POW's who died, plus the 100,000 enforced labourers who also died during its construction.

Got to check out the 'Tiger Temple', where some monks raise tiger orphans (hunters killed the parants for the skin). You may have seen the documentary on 'Animal Planet'. Its so cool getting up close and personal with fully grown tigers. You can rub their belly like you would with a pet kitten, except they weigh about a 1000 times more and you have to sign a wavier to get in ( just in case...) While back in Bangkok I attended a 'Monk Talk' on meditation. Its a great experience to learn from the 'masters'.

Went on a Jungle trek to a tribal village near the Burma ( Myanmar) border. The guide (a local tribesman) spotted a snake (lunch) and went into hunting mode. The snake double backed between a fellow trekker (Capt Kirk😉 and me. Thank God he escaped, being vegetarian I sooner the hunt was unsuccessful.

Phuket or 'Feck-it' as my Da would have called it, is a very beautiful island in the Andaman sea. The main resorts are a bit 'touristy' (Costa de sol etc...) but further afield are the most beautiful unspoiled beaches. I rented a moped and scoped out most of the island. On Phi Phi I obtained my Open Water Divers License after an intense 3 days of classes & diving ( up to 18 meters). Got to see a 6ft shark within the first 2 minutes! Seen some snakes and 'Nemo' (clown) fish among the coral reefs. The water was a delightful 30'C. Some of the other divers had a 4.5 meter diameter Mantra Ray glide gracefully over them (they can be up to 7 meters in Diameter!) Scuba diving in tropical waters opens up a whole new world.

Phi Phi took a pounding during the Dec 2004 tsunami. Over 1000 died on the small island. It was incredible hearing some of the survivors stories. My Scuba instructor was diving and the wave went right over her! Most of the resort has been rebuilt, but you don't have to look too far to see evidence of the destruction. Some buildings that didn't get pulverized have the Dec 26th water level marked some 2 meters high. But the island is very much open for business, so don't let it hold you back. The hotel TV had the first two stations with live CCTV of the horizon, so you can keep an eye on the situation from your room!

Traffic is still nuts. I must have witnessed millions of 'near misses', but miraculously only a handful of accidents.

At the moment I'm in Krabi, tomorrow I am on a kayaking tour out to James Bond Island (The man with the golden gun), and Wednesday night I fly to India for a month. I have heard mixed reports from fellow backpackers, some loved it, others were happy to be moving on. I think I'll love it ( I've wanted to see India for years), but we'll have to wait and see. On the 29th I reach Africa. I've met many who have worked in Africa, and most were very enthusiastic of their experiences there. A Dutch couple (on the jungle hike) have set up there own foundation which supports medical training throughout Africa, and an Irish / Swedish couple who worked with the UNDP in Nairobi.


La Kawn,

-Adrian,

"Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet gives to the heel that crushed it" - Mark Twain




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