the near side of heaven

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I can not quite believe that it is the 2nd of July already, that means that i am well into my 3rd months of traveling, and more importantly that it is my Big Sister's 30th Birthday in 2 days time, so i will have to do some hunting of an internation phone card and track her down to send my best.

Having had a wonderful time in the city of Bangkok, we got the night train, that was mad, and very bumpy, once it got to 10pm, the guards coem round and make up your beds, with sheets and pillows and blankets!!! then you draw the curtains and try to sleep, which is amazingly diffcult as the track is so bumpy, at one point i was lifted a few feet into the air!!! i tried sleeping on my side but that was a foolish mistake and found being on my back and holding on with my hands and legs to the sides was the safest option. We still had to get 2 buses and a boat ride to get here but we are at Koh Tao and love it. It is mainly for people who are escaping the full moon parties, and package holiday places on the other islands, and it is great for Diving, lots of amazing coral reefs to check out. Yesterday we did a boat trip all round the Island and stopped off at many places, to snorkle and check out the amazing world down there. I saw lots of rainbow Gay fish and even a Turtle, which i hung out with for a while, no reef sharks which i was happy about. Though i know they can not do anything serious, i am still happy not to see them. The whole day was great, and it has got Sarah thinking about now doing a dive course, i on the other hand, think that taking up a very expersive hobbie, while i am traveling and have no real imcome, seems well slightly silly. So i was happy just to snorkle around, i started thinking about all the cartoon films that are set under the water, and spent a large part of the day, singing song from the little mermaid, and Bednobs and Broomsticks..."its lovely bobbing along, bobbing along, along the bottom of the sea...something about creatures of the deep"

We took a Canoo out for an afternoon, and went off to soem other Beaches, saw some more Gay Fish and got saw arms from all the rowing, but was still fun to be out on the south china sea in a canoo, just moncing around. We have also rented mopeds and found other amzing beaches, which have one cafe on them, the guys are really laid back and place Jack Johnson and Bob Marley, no one hassels you on the beach, you can just sit under a palm tree, well i have to hide under the tree with my Celtic skin, and just relax and then sorkel out and see some cool under water stuff...tiss a hard knock life.

The evenings we spend along the beach front, where there a a few cafes, and a few more bars, but not too much, just enough to keep you occupied, not like Sairee which is parties till 6am...i am just too old for all of that now. There are a few places that show movies, and last night i watch a Piarted copy of the 3rd chapter of Piarets of the carribean...bloody long but happy i did not see it in the cinema...not that there is one over here, i think back on the main land...maybe.

I am heading off to Koh Phangan tomorrow and i guess Sarah will stay here to dive, so i will be on my own again and will just have to see how many more Sarah's i can meet, who work for STA Travel!!!!

Will try and attach some photos....fingers crossed xoxoxoxo

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Photos

local beaches
tiss a hard knock life...

local flowers
the Frangapani...also available in Australia...smells wonderful

local women doing all the work...
in the morning the tide goes out and the mussel pickers arrive...

Nangyuan Island
The most beautiful Island in the world...so we were told

A sun-kissed traveler
going local

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[Anna]

:)
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