Just like home....

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.... cos it's been peeing down all day!

Spent a couple more days in Railay after Rob left, but now on my own so downgraded to standard bungalow with fan and cold shower! Cold showers are actually fine after a long hot day on the beach and the fan is absolutely fine for keeping cool a night. An added extra for the reduced price is your very own insect eating gheko (however you spell it!) in your bathroom at night - quite cute though!

Transferred to Ko Lanta by boat on Friday. Initally thought I'd made a mistake in my choice of location when I found that mine was the only resort on the beach. Not great for meeting other travellers, but was so tranquil and relaxing that it was bliss, so decided to stay there anyway (despite the all inclusive big black spider in my bathroom, thankfully safely behind the mozzie screen!) Had dinner with other guests on a couple of nights at a fantastic beach side shack type restaurant whilst sitting on the floor of bamboo sructures watching the sun set. Had a Thai massage by the beach (so fully clothed this time!), even more bizarre than the oil massage in Phi Phi with limbs pushed and pulled in all directions!

Went elephant trekking yesterday, although the poster wasn't quite an accurate description of what the trip involved. It was actually a twenty minute elephant trek followed by a 30 minute human trek through the jungle/forest to reach Tiger Cave. Another twenty minutes was then spent squeezing through the caves in the dark which was fine until the guide shone his torch on a nice big cave spider, guess who couldn't wait to get out of there after that?! Another 30 minute trek back to the elephants for the return journey to the camp and got back filthy and knackered! Was pretty precarious being balanced on the seat on top of the elephant particularly when my elephant would choose the steepest track to go down when there was a less steep option available, good fun though!

Left Ko Lanta this morning at 8am and have been travelling all day by bus and boat to get to Ko Samui. I originally intended to go straight to Ko Tao, getting the train from Trang to Chumphon, but then found out that the train only does that route overnight which I didn't fancy doing on my own, so have included a couple of days in Samui instead on route. The journey has been a good way of chatting to other travellers and we may as well have been sat on a bus as it hasn't stop raining all day. It has been torrential and so the transfer from the ferry to Buddha Beach was very interesting! Sat on bench seats in the back of an open ended truck/van navigating the flooded roads very slowly. Had to brake suddenly which the moped behind didn't notice and promptly went up the back of us! He only clipped the corner of the van and so thankfully he was fine. Had difficulty finding accommodation as there is a full moon party on Ko Pha Ngan (neighbouring island) tomorrow and so lots of people are staying at Buddha beach as it has a ferry link to the party. Luckily found a really cool room with a/c, tv and bathroom for only 600Baht and am sharing it with a dutch girl called Heidi as she was in the same trasnfer truck as me and is also travelling on her own.

Hope the weather improves tomorrow as the roads are going to be totally impassable if this rain keeps up for much longer.....

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