I rejoined Connie and Rosemary yesterday afternoon at Karon, one of the beaches on the west coast of Phuket Island, down in the south where the tsunami had a great impact. Adrian and I used to travel there each day from Phuket city 30 years ago when we were teaching at the university here. We stayed in the town in a fine old Chinese hotel which is still going . In those days there wasn't really anywhere to stay at the beaches. Now!!! I am sorry to report that the various beach villages are something of a cross between Surfers Paradise and Kings Cross. Absolutely jam-packed with bars and bar girls. And this is the off season, so most places are empty. Rahter pathetic. Phuket might be nice in an isolated resort away from the main ... read more

This morning I set out early to walk to the National museum and Grand Palace. They are quite close to where we are staying on the riverside on the north western side of Bangkok. Unfortunately rhe museum is closed on Tuesdays as well as Mondays. The palace complex is quite magnificent. Whilst I was sitting reading my guide book a few young students approached and asked if they could interview me. They are nursing students and had a sheet with about 10 simple questions to ask including which did I think about global warming. I told them that I wished the government in Australian would be as responsible at the Thai government and build us a wonderful sky train network to encourage us to use public transport. It would appear that most uni students here wear ... read more

Sunday 13th Today we travelled in a minibus to the river Kwai. First of all we visited the war cemetry where many Australian, New Zealand and British servicemen are buried as well as a lot of Dutch civilians. We walked on the reconstructed bridge, built under the Japanese by the prisoners of war and destroyed by allied bombing. There was a "museum", vaguely reminiscent of countless rural museums in Australia. The hotch potch assemblage mover Eva to say ( as an earnest student of the World wars) that she, when she retire!!! will volunteer to go round and help improve such places at significant historical sites. I said that since she hasn't even started working yet that it might be too long a wait and that perhaps she should offer her services to the Australian War ... read more

Day 10- Tuesday This morning we were awakened at 3.50am by loud explosions which continued every few minutes for about twenty minutes. I personally, in a room alone was not worried. They actually reminded me of the dynamiting sounds we used to hear every day when living in Seoul...they were always building and expanding things. And on arrival yesterday I saw massive evidence of Korean development projects. Eventually, in my sarong I went out into the hall where some others were gathered and they said "Fireworks!"so I went back to bed. As a Kirribilli resident I have become rather blaze about those. We get them every couple of weeks. No one seemed to know what it was all about. But later in the day we were talking to a "tourist"policeman at the actual temple which is ... read more

Day 6 After our long bus journey yesterday we wanted to have a leisurely time today. We luckily had selected a new guest hostel opposite the Mekong near the bus stop after running the gauntlet of the inevitable touts. We seem to have selected the best place in town at $5 a night. U Hong II. New and clean. The host has been working in the tourism business in this relatively remote town for five years and built a wonderful service. It is only small, three double rooms, an elegant cafe and tourist information office and service. Delicious traditional and western food prepared with flair by two charming cooks in a pristine kitchen . Today, from the options offered we first went with him to the market and bought a fish and various other things. Then ... read more