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Published: July 18th 2006
Greetings from Thailand...
Over a week into our travels now and time for an update...
We got into the city of ladyboys and ping pong shows sometime on the 9th after a fairly painless flight and about half of King Kong (i was confident I knew the ending). Sarah had checked us into a hostel come hotel for the first night - easing us in gently for sure, which was exactly what i thought as i had a dip in the pool! We had a little stroll that night and a couple of yuk, euw, arghs later we had definately found our first cockroaches of the trip!
Next day we headed out into the heat of Bangkok. After a ride on the Skytrain (worth going up and down on this all day with the air con) we got to the river and headed up on the ferry. We were reminded of Willy Wonka's river of chocolate, but declined to do an Augustus Gloop and didn't jump in - i would fear for my health if i did. From here we went to see the Royal Palace. In trousers at 35C it was interesting, but worrying (for the rest
of Asia) that our desire to see many more temples was already slipping away...
That night we stayed in backpackerville - Khao San road. We decided to head down to China town in a Tuk Tuk - dangerous hairdryers on wheels if you ask me but worth it for the
i take you long way no? you give me more money!
erm no. Well we were wondering why it was a little quiet, until some kind chap told us it was a public holiday, d'oh.
Next day it was off to Koh Tao via a stop in Chumphon. We got the public bus down and there were a lot of public on it! I think at one point we had about 15 people standing in the aisle as we meandered down the road stopping at least 50 times with some interesting Thai music to accompany the travel. I think the equivalent of London to Aberdeen with bus stops littered down the M1 and Phil Collins blaring out at 60db. Still a fairly tame bus journey i'm sure for what lies in store. Short night in Chumphon, we got dinner for 2 on the roadside for about 80p for the two of us (cheap date indeed and our insides
still aren't arguing with the decision).
And from there Koh Tao, where you still find us. And to be honest the most we've done is chill out (wind down in prepeartion for some serious travelling) and dive (today's the first day we haven't) - Sarah has completed her Open Water and Advanced courses and I have done my Rescue Diver. Without this and combined with the fact the weather has been a bit temperamental we may have got a little bored. Couple of things of note were Carlos the bumbling Dane who seemed keen to kick Sarah as many times as possible at 30 meters below and the Swedish couple on a dive yesterday who appeared to be doing the YMCA underwater with arms and legs everywhere - hilarious.
Overall a nice island - but in serious danger of becoming Zante or similar. Bars and building are really destroying some of the reasons you'd come here, that and 50 dive companies on a 20 km strip of land means it's getting full!
Hope all is well wherever you may be. Having a quick review of the news this morning and obviously seeing we'd missed nothing - apart from a few invasions, wars, famine, fires etc. Think we'll keep the head down.
So what next? We're heading north (to more rain i imagine) Sarah wants to ride on an elephant... don't ask me why but i'm starting to feel a bit inadequate, and then who knows.
Take care
Jonny and Sarah
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Jemima
non-member comment
Blazing sunshine outside...
... but we're all stuck inside at work! Your travels so far sound fantastic (apart from the 'roaches, which incidentally do exist in the UK because I've seen them on Walthamstow market!) Enjoy all the diving and trips to touristy places (and all the temples!) Have fun Jemima