A hard rain is currently a-fallin

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Hi. As i write this i am currently enjoying my fourth consecutive day of monsoon rain. I am wandering around in a poncho and my james ellroy novel is nestling snugly in my back pocket..albeit wrapped up in an empty bread bag...serves me right for smugly chuckling to myself at the crap UK summer thinking it would all be sun and fun for me..

So, after a day of hanging around Bangkok i finally made it down to the gulf islands. The journeyt was a bitch, made worse by dodgy service station food and a five hour boatrip to Koh Pagh Nan where people were throwing up left right and centre. I was alright, but then some aussie guy on the bus gave me some valium so i could sleep..i think i was too drowsy to puke.

Ko Pagh Nan (not sure if this is how you spell it..you may want to look it up) was a quiet little island, of which i saw very little. I rented a cheap as you like beach shack..i really have been in garden sheds with more facilities..the sheets were filthy, there was no restaruant let alone a bar and i had to argue with the guy to even get a blanket. And the mossie net had massive holes in..but i think all the ants on my bed would have protected me from the mossies...It all started so well..the taxi that picked me up at the port had a 'Sylvester Stallone is Cobra' sticker on the rear mudgaurds..Still, it was nice and relaxing stopping for some hammock time in my shitty little shack on my nice quiet bit of beach...


So, ive spent a couple of rainsodden days in ko pagh nan. Most of the people i met there were basically waiting around for the big rave full moon party thing on friday night. Part of the reason i went there i suppose. But after a couple of nights i decided id give it a miss. Im sure the parties are great, but if i wanted to spend my holiday getting wrecked i would rather go to amsterdam, as im sure all those who went to STAGNUM would agree... i was going to meet the english lads from laos down here but i really feel the need for somewhere with a TV, and most places of any quality on Ko Pagh Nan are already full..


So, i had an epiphany at about 8am this morning..'could i make it to a nice hotel in Koh Samui by midday?'..well, not quite, but i was in a hot shower by 12.45 so that was good enough. Koh Samui is a much larger island in the same group and unfortuantely the part i seemd to have landed in is like benidorm on acid.But with lots of fucking rain...The place is full of what can best be described as 'wankers', all chomping chicken in a basket and getting pissed. Although i did enjoy my macdonalds this afternnoon, and this evening ive had a lovely thai curry followed by home made ice cream...yum yum..I think illl have a day ot two slobbing, sleeping late and watching telly...

Im hoping the weather will change soon because although it still warm, i dont really want to spend the rest of my time in thailand drenched or sitting in bars watching adam sandler films..unless of course its either 'happy gilmore' or 'little nicky'.. The beach here is supposed to be stunning so ill be exploring that and other parts of the island come rain or shine..preferably shine though...in the meantime i just hope god doesnt smite this place with another tsunami..beliver me, if he was still the old bush burning old terstament god hed be throwing all manner of plagues down...

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Comments

[Iain Brown]

Oh Phuket!
Jon, Glad to see you at least seem to be having a good time, makes a change from the I've lost the will to live face you occasionaly supported sat at your desk. Ironically the weather's been really nice in the UK since you left... oh well. Your blogs are very entertaining and I can see a book publishing deal if you keep your serialisation up at this rate as it seems you're spending more time at the computer keyboard than me at the moment!! Keep the reports coming and enjoy the rest of your trip. Iain