Paradise Found

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Sun. 9th. April.
We don't know what the Canadians saw when they recommended Koh Lanta to us, but we're not impressed. The beach is rocky and there's nowhere to go. The Tsunami date is picked out in shells by the new swimming pool, and 1/2 the complex is being rebuilt, so we wonder about the tragedy but obviously can't ask. We've been having power cuts and brown water coming out of the taps, but at least the food and weather are perfect.

Mon. 10th.
We are picked up and taken to the jetty hours before the boat to Krabi is due. Why do they do this? But at least we find a seat in the shade. It's easy to board this boat because, besides having a gang plank, it also has railings to hold on to! Our lucky day. It's a 2 hour crossing, past innumerable islands, and small boats packed to the gills with all kinds of produce. Then the bit I dread! A long tail boat pulls alongside and we manipulate ourselves on board, ignoring the the water slowly rising around our feet, and are taken into Railay Beach. Fear is a small price to pay to arrive at this beautiful place. How much better can it get? The hotel Jim finds is only 4 months old and is perfect. A walkway from the restaurant to our room leads over a huge pond, stocked with hundreds of gold fish, and the odd large reptile that looks remarkably like a crocodile! The swimming pool has a jacuzzi, and the temperature of the water is "snuggly". Even the spectacular rocks surrounding the resort were portayed in one of the James Bond films, so the whole package is picture perfect.

Tues. 11th.
It wasn't a dream, we wake up in our huge bed and open the curtains to a jungle garden, and wall to wall sunshine. If we were staying longer, we would explore the other coves and islands, but we're sure we couldn't find any better than here. A monkey came to pay us a visit and posed on a balcony long enough for a photo call. Everything is within walking distance, which is great because there aren't any cars, so we saunter down to the beach to sit on mats and watch the sunset. We've just seen postcards of Koh Lanta, and we were obviously in the wrong part because it did look stunning, so the Canadians were right!

Wed. 12th.
Just another day in paradise, nothing to report.

Thurs. 13th.
To celebrate the start of Thailand's New Year, we are given a garland of flowers when we go for breakfast, and then our hands are splashed with water while held over a bowl of flower heads and a smear of "yogurt" is put on our cheeks. All this palaver doesn't protect us from the 3 days of Water Festival (Song Kran), in which you get soaked at every corner. It's all done with a smile and they even take Jim's hat off before pouring a bucket-ful of water over his head. We decide to forgo a pre-dinner soaking, and eat at the hotel which is festooned with fairy lights and the obligatory picture of The King. While having a nighcap on our balcony, the sky is lit up with an electrical storm and then the sound of fireworks in the distance ends another magical day, sadly our last one here.

Fri. 14th.
After lunch, a porter pushes a trolley with our backpacks on, and we follow him down to the water taxis for the short trip to Ao Nan. Our resort was so peaceful that the level of noise here takes some getting used to. The Water Festival is still going on and the main road is grid locked with pick-ups filled to the brim with people soaking everyone within range. They have 25-gallon barrels of water in the back, and when that runs dry, the sea is handy for a refill. Unfortunately, our transport is an open-sided pick-up, so we were sitting targets. No respect for age at all! Only one hour late and we are deposited at a bus terminus of sorts, to be taken to our overnight bus to Bangkok. It should be April 1st. because the bus is a rust bucket with a 95-year old driver, who can't, or won't go any faster than a scooter. He toddles along shelling peanuts while watching the t.v. until he stops outside a cafe and shouts "Bangkok! Bangkok!". This means we lug our bags into a not too clean cafe, overrun with flying things, and wait until our VIP bus arrives. Then we follow a "Julian Cleary" type kid with dyed blonde hair and megaphone around the corner to the bus and start the 10 hour jouney to Bangkok. The roads are amzingly good and even at 3 a.m., the food stalls are open for business. A bad tempered taxi driver (well it is 5 a.m.) takes us to Sukumvit Road, where we eventually find a decent hotel and crash out till lunch time.

Sat. 15th.
The Sky Train wasn't completed the last time we were here so we marvel at the finished product, and wonder why we don't have something similar at home. In no time at all we are in Siam Square, where the most amazing malls - we think the best in the world- are built alongside squats, where people live and work. We normally don't like the tourists, the dirt and the noise of a big city, but Bangkok is the exception, we love it! More so, when we go into a travel agenet to book a day trip, and come out with our itinary sorted until we get to Laos! They have even taken our passports to arrange Chinese visas, and will deliver them back to us in Chang Mai, next week, fingers crossed. With all the planning completed, we feel like we're on holiday, so we take a tch tch back to our hotel. We'd forgotten about the Water Festival until the first bucket of water hit us. The hotel receptionist was all smiles when he asked if it had been raining. For dinner, we find the nearest restaurant and , thankfully, avoid another soaking.

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