sun, sea, sand and sangsom

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last days in KL

Well i am now in Thailand and have made it to the beaches finally!! My last few days in KL were great, Hazel and I went to the Bird Park and an Elephant Sanctuary on the weekend and another Christmas party.

The Bird Park was nice, they cover an area of forest in huge netting so most of the birds get to fly around quite freely, but there are still a few locked up in cages that are way too small, I don't really like that at all. But we saw some amazing birds and some very big ones as you can see from the pictures. The elephant sanctuary was great, we went with Hazels friends Chris and Rahem, there were 5 elephants there and they have a big area to roam around in, I think the ones they keep their were orphaned or something and so were taken in to be looked after. You watch a video about the conservation work they are doing to re-home elephants that are having their jungle home destroyed by development across the country, it looks like a pretty tough job. Then you get to feed the elephants and stuff, they are chained up for this bit and didn't seem overly happy about that but I guess it's only for an hour or so of the day that this happens and the rest of the time they are free. You also get the chance to go for a ride (which was surprisingly comfortable may I say) and then the brave few go in the murky looking river and get on the elephants back, he wades out a little way and then goes to roll over, throwing you off his back. I (and I think understandably) was a little reticent to partake in this particular activity, what with the muddy water, talk of leeches and the threat of being squished by a massive lumbering elephant didn't really appeal to me. But Hazel had done it before and Chris and Rahem both had a go so I stopped being a wuss and hopped on. I started to slip off his back even before he'd started to go on his side and so dragging Rahem with me it was more of a dive off his back then a gentle roll, but it was great fun and I came out unharmed and leech free.

I went into Hazels school on the last night, I sat there and thought about what I was doing and it felt very surreal all of a sudden. Sat in a high school watching Hazel Balls GCSE students performing scenes from 'Blood Brothers' and 'Too much punch for Judy' in the middle of Kuala Lumpa........ not exactly somewhere I'd pictured myself being a few months ago! I had a great time in KL and was looked after very well. It was really good of Hazel to put me up, especially as, a few hours after I left on Wednesday morning, her folks flew in to stay for 3 weeks, so she had a quick turnover of guests to entertain and what with the troubles with Margaret it was really good of her to spend the time with me.

sun and sunshine, there's enough for everyone.....

Anyway, onwards and upwards, Wednesday I set off for my third destination - Thailand. I had to go via Singapore airport again, I had a bit longer this time and had a look around. It is an incredible airport, Tom Hanks should have got himself stuck there instead. Honestly you could have a two week holiday at this place. It has swimming pool, roof gardens, big comfy chairs, free internet and bars and cafes that actually look like you might want to eat in them. If you had to go via an airport 5 times in about 4 months you'd want it to be one like that really, very handy.

I flew into phuket and went down to the town to stay for the night in order to get the early boat the next morning to Koh Lanta. Phuket town is not much to write home about, but I had a nice dinner with a girl I met on the bus and a few beers and my room was OK and I was pleased to see the mice had arrived beforehand and put on a small welcome party for me........

Anyway I am now in Koh Lanta, been here nearly 5 days and no idea when I'm leaving, there are some smaller Islands nearby that sounds lovely and people keep recommending them but when I wake up and think about packing my bag it all seems like too much effort really..... There are some really nice people around, a couple called Steve and Lou who have been around for a few weeks and may be staying indefinitely, lucky things, they know a lot of people now and everyone is just so friendly, you can roll up at any bar or restaurant and there's someone to eat with and drink the night away. We went out for Lou's birthday the other night and I've finally been able to do some dancing and drinking - dodgy rum and cheap cocktails - fantastic! Steve even got the chef to make a birthday cake, it was delicious. I am loving the food (as I inevitably always do....) and keep asking for it to be spicier and spicier, I can't get enough of it. It is not a really busy island, but there are lots of people around and parties if you want them, or peace and quiet if you want that. The weather has not been great so far, with clouds and rain in the afternoons but warm, still marginally nicer than back home I imagine...... and it's starting to pick up now and getting much hotter.

I went out on a boat trip on Sunday for some snorkling and exploring a few little islands, it wasn't great though as the weather was cloudy and it rained in the afternoon, so it was hard to see much when snorkeling, oh and the beautiful sandy beach we stopped at for lunch was slightly noisy what with the tractor digger loading stuff onto the boat 50 meters up the beach.....but it was good fun and all worth the cost when we got to the Emerald Cave bit. There's what looks like a huge island rock sticking up in the water but then you all get off into the water and go into a little cave and swim through, they take a few torches with them as it is pitch black once you get a little way in so there's lots of shouting and whooping to make echoes and some vaguely maniacal laughter coming from me as I try and pretend that swimming in a pitch black cave into the middle of a rock doesn't bother me at all..... When you come out the other side though its a lovely little beach with high walls of rock and greenery all around in the middle of the tiny island, well worth it. You can just imagine what it must have been like to discover this place for the first time, without the tourists, just this amazing little place hidden in the middle of a huge rock.

i want to ride my bycicle

I have been walking around a lot, but the roads are very dusty and everyone thinks I'm a bit mad when I say I've walked up to the town, everyone is on motorbikes or gets the cheap taxis everywhere. So yesterday I decided to hire a bike for the afternoon. I decided it would be a good idea to hire a pedal bike instead though, and set off down the road at 1pm in the afternoon as the sun was high in the sky and not a cloud insight. Hot and sweaty are not the words for it. I had to get off after 5 minutes and have a drink and a swim in the sea, but a bit later I did manage to do some more exploring and found some other beaches and nice places to sit, take in the view, read, drink gallons of water, snooze and all the other taxing things that are taking up my days here. I am yet to see one single other person on a pedal bike though, and I've been here 5 days, it seems most people can resist the lure of pummelling your bum on the bumpy roads and eating the dust from passing cars as the sweat drips in your eyes....funny that.

Lots of people I've met here said they were coming for a few days and then just ended up staying a week, then another week....it's a hard place to leave. Gis, who runs a bar next to where I'm staying said that its such a good place, because it's developed enough to make it easy to stay, but its not become too overrun with tourists and you can easily find a quiet spot no problem. The beaches are not as good as some other Islands, which I think helps keep it from becoming too busy. Saying that there are some little Islands, as I said before, that are nearby and they have one small village and a few little bungalows to stay on and that's about it, they are meant to be beautiful and give you an insight into how all the islands used to be before they became so popular, so I should make a move one day soon and take a look.....maybe tomorrow, or the day after........

reach for the stars (these just get cheesier and cheesier I'm sorry!)

Last night I was at the bar with Chris, a girl from Melbourne who's offered to take me out to some national parks when I get to that part of world, and Paul who works behind the bar and his mate Martin, we went along to the party up the road but decided to head off in search of some late night/early morning noodles and headed off on the motorbikes. (Not as dangerous as it sounds as Martin had only had 1 beer and is a professional motorbike rider back home so I was in fairly safe hands) and we drove around on the bikes, it was fantastic, I am very tempted to hire one now, the guy at the restaurant said he'd teach me on his and see if I feel that I can do it before I hire one, they are only small, but still.....I am a little nervous - and fear not, they do have helmets if you ask for them. It was just so good riding along the empty roads at night, we didn't manage to find noodles but we did find chocolate at the 7 eleven shop in the village - how quaint. After the drive we went for a swim in the sea, it was so clear, even in the dark, and full of the little glowing organisms that I can't spell - phosphorescent or something like that...... It was beautiful, it was like swimming in the stars and then a sky full of them over your head as well.

So it is all going well and I am having a great time, no real exciting stories to tell at the moment, I am far too busy relaxing to get up to any adventures at the moment, but I am sure I have more in store around the next corner. And so far fairly bug free thankfully, I had one very very large cockroach in my bathroom but he soon went and as long as I drink enough Sangsom (a curious drink, is it whisky? is it rum? no one seems to know) before I go to bed the endless noises of the chickens next door and all the various creatures of the night don't seem to bother me too much, he other night I did have some large creature scurrying around on top of the flimsy tiles on my roof, but it was probably just a huge lizzard or small monkey or giant cockroach or monster from the sea (situated but a few meters away may I add), so nothing to lie in bed with my torch clutched in my hand and my ears pinned back and worry about then.....ahem.

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