Sharks and Allners

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Saturday 28^thNovember we were up at 6.30am to swim round to the Long beach to try and find the black tip reef sharks ourselves. The sea front was gorgeous early in the morning light and so peaceful. We expected the tide to be low but unfortunately this was coupled with an emulsion of sand in the water. We couldn't see our hands if our arm were stretched out before us! We made slow progress from our bay round to the next but eventually arrived. All the beach resorts only offered buffet breakfasts and we only had taken small change (about £1). All we could afford were three rather expensive bananas!

As the tide turned we headed into the water about 8am and to our delight quickly encountered the sharks. When one little one started encircling me it was a bit intimidating particularly when two others joined it. However, they really are very timid and a few kicks of our fins and they swam away. After a couple of hours, the tour boats began to arrive and our time was over so we swam back to collect our bicycles. After a final massaman curry at the The Orange Place we caught our ferry to Phuket.

On arrival in Phuket a very helpful taxi man offered to draw us a map to Cape Panwa. We set off out of Phuket town to a rather hilly peninsula at the southern tip of Phuket. We hurried along as Laura had kindly booked me into the spa for a massage, what an incentive! With half an hour to spare I suffered a puncture and we found that Laura & Tom's hotel was over a very steep hill! I ran ahead leaving George half way up the hill with our bikes!

Poor Tom greeted a rather sticky and flustered me! We found the one guesthouse on the Cape, it turned out to be the most modern, stylish and our most expensive yet! Whilst Laura and I indulged in our spa treatments the boys enjoyed a few beers! Then we went out for dinner to celebrate Laura's birthday. Thankfully, the hotel ran a shuttle bus over the steep hill saving our legs this time! It was a lovely meal and Tom succeeded in rustling up a birthday cake, which the waitress was very enthusiastic about presenting! It was great be in the company of good friends from home.

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