Thailand Ahoy!

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Greetings!

Just time for a quick journal entry. I wanted to get this set up, to make sure it was easy to add to, when I get the opportunity. So far, all is well. We landed in Bangkok, some days ago (we have been losing track of time); stayed in a quaint guesthouse - our room had a panoramic window, looking out to the jungly garden. It was fantastic to wake up, seeing only green, from where I lay.

However, some days have passed since we arrived, and I feel it only right to fill you in on the main points. Bangkok - very noisy, polluted, and full of tw*tpackers... *ahem* BACKpackers. Sorry, it had been so long since I caught the sneering gaze of a holier-than-thou, dreadlocked, nose-pierced, individual... you can almost hear their disbelief that you are sharing the same ground as they - a weathered "traveller" (never call a backpacker, a backpacker - it is most offensive, and insinuates that they don't truly immerse themselves with the ethnics).

Well, I guess I didn't leave my cynicism behind! Which makes it good that I have Aleko along (other than the fact that he is, in fact, my husband, and it would be somewhat strange to have left for our honeymoon without him). Aleko is a very optimistic, enthusiastic, friendly person... however, seeing him be snubbed saying "hello" to other backpackers, is really p*ssing me off (let me please reassure you, that not all are this way - there have been some nice ones).

So... back to the story. Thailand. It's very humid! And hot. However, NOTHING compared to Vegas heat, even with the humidity, so I feel we're doing OK. Doesn't seem to be too much point in showering, as you're sweating again in no time... but please let me confirm that I am indeed still showering, and have not let my personal hygeine slide. Bangkok.... here we go. OK, so jetlag really didn't occur, which was fantastic. We've been going to bed early, and rising early, which has suited us well, and gives us the world to ourselves a little, in the morning. First day in Bangkok, and we get talking to a Thai woman, who was a local English teacher. She wrote down some sites for us to see, hailed a tuk-tuk (in India, known as an auto-rickshaw), and for just over the equivelent of a US dollar, we had our own personal driver for the day. Truly, I am not a fan of temples, shrines, etc. , having seen more than my fill in India, but the enjoyment really was zipping around the city, and staring at all the Thai people, just going about their business. We bought watches (mine was a Hello Kitty watch, and broke almost straight away), booked tickets to Koh Chang (having no idea where we wanted to go, we went on the suggestion of the tour operator) had dinner, after exploring the backpacker mecca of Khoa San Road, and then retired for the night.

Next morning, after an early rise, we boarded a bus for Koh Chang ("Koh" meaning Island, and "Chang" apparently meaning Elephant). Five and a half hours on a gawdy, double-decker coach, watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding (of all things - makes me very relieved Aleko didn't have a very involved extended family), followed by Air Force One (where I lost interest, and started reading my Nook, instead), we were finally at Trat.... the port for the ferry to Koh Chang. Now, I am not a boat person. Aleko, however, having grown up in a family who owned a boat, is a far better sailor. I always end up thinking of the Zebrugga (excuse the spelling) disaster, which makes every clank, and bang, something that almost drives me to hysteria.

Anyway... Koh Chang. Beautiful, with hills of thick jungle and a gorgeous coastline. We got an open taxi, with an Israeli couple, and a German speaking family (who looked Swiss). Through the windy roads, we passed elephants and monkeys, western-style cafes and bars, before reaching our destination of Lonely Beach. We only chose Lonely Beach as that's where the family were going - we hadn't read up on Koh Chang at all - Lonely Planet doesn't give much information in their books anymore - prefering instead to devote pages to local business-owners and tour operators, giving advice on where to go (which involves stopping by their pricey establishment, obviously). On first impressions, Lonely Beach is very similar to Arumbol, Goa... but then, so are many westernized backpacker places - all very imaginatively designed bars, and beach shack "resorts". Aleko, and I are currently staying in a hut, within the jungle, a couple of minutes from the beach. As of tomorrow, we will be staying in a guesthouse over the water, further down the coast, at Bang Bao. Today, we rented a scooter, and explored the western coastline of the island, taking in beautiful azure waters on one side, and dense jungle on the other. Aleko has been giggling like a schoolgirl, at the excitement of zipping along the winding roads, while I've been squealing and telling him to either "slow down!" or "beep!!" (when we go around the corner, to avoid colisions). We ate fantastic seafood green curry, at a restaurant built on stilts above the water, and booked our room at a guesthouse located nearby, for tomorrow. I have never slept in a guesthouse with the water underneath me, so this shall be an experience!

It truly feels like we landed on the island in LOST, and Jack Sheppard will come running through the jungle at any moment, asking if we've seen Kate. Either that, or come across the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park!

It's really beautiful, here, and ultimately, we're having a good time. Still trying to find ways to save money - even though the quaint little hut we're staying in at the moment is only 350 baht (it's around 36 baht to the US dollar), we're hoping to move into something cheaper, soon.

Well, I feel like I've updated you for now, albeit without any astounding descriptions - sorry! Must leave that for another time. We hope to stay on Koh Chang for perhaps a week, before moving upwards to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Pai (?!). We hopefully will have a Skype interview with the English teaching agency in China, sometime next week.

Our love to you all! xxx

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