Thailand tails so far...

Finally we're in stunning Thailand, Krabi was our first stop, then over to Koh Pa Ngan!

Saturday 26th May
We decided to have a chill day and head to the beach today. We wanted to go to Ferrenghi Beach which is just behind a load of posh hotels. Jem was meeting me in a bit, so I went to get a beach spot. I walked through the Park Royal Hotel, through the gardens... and saw just how lovely they were... so decided to get onto one of the spare sunbeds there and enjoy the more luxurious side of life!

Just as I was setting up camp a security guard came up to me and asked if I was a house guest... of course I said yes! Then he said I was meant to get a towel from the beach hut courtesy of the hotel! So I went to the hut, the guy asked my room number... I saw the list he had in front of him of different room numbers and quickly picked one off of there that had not been ticked.

So with our nice bathing towels we sunbathed for the day at the posh hotel, and used their lovely pool! It really was nice! Right on the beach too! The waitresses kept coming along asking if we wanted drinks... but they were sooooo expensive... so no to that!!

Late afternoon we decided to head up to Penang Hill. We got the buses... which took much longer than we thought they would!! So eventually we got there and got the Funicular Train up. The tracks were so steep and it took ages to get to the top, was really slow. But on the way we saw some really cute monkeys beside the tracks.

When we got to the top, the sun was just setting and the night lights were popping on all over the city so it was a really nice view. I'm pleased we got there at that time, it looks so much more beautiful at night. The view was so high that you could see over to the main land. We had some dinner up there... Penang Laska - noodles in a fish soup with veg. It doesn't sound all that nice, but was really yum!

We took the long slow ride back down the hill and just managed to catch the last buses back to the resort.You could tell it was the last bus as the driver had his rock tunes on loud and half way through we had to swap buses. The next driver drove so fast around the tight, hillside bends that we were flying around everywhere!!! I was sitting next to some older Egyptian guy that kept grabbing hold of my arm to save me from falling off my seat! It was quite an experience!!

Sunday 27th May
Woken up at 5.30am by the mosque prayer... NOT impressed. Luckily it didn't last as long as the other mornings... perhaps because it was a Sunday.

We had to be ready and checked out by 8am as we were being picked up to go on a journey to Krabi, Thailand!A little mini bus picked us up and some other people along the way. It wasn't a full bus so we had room. It took us over the border into Thailand.

We had to change buses at Hat Yai and had a short wait until the next one, so we went for a drink with a couple of guys we'd got chatting with on the bus, Mike and Craig. Mike was going to Bankok, and had 5 hours to wait for his next bus, Craig was going to Krabi, same as us.

We went back to the bus agents and had to be taken to the bus station about 15 mins away. The transport was a van... all open backed... bags packed up one end and us all trying to squeeze onto the other! It was hilarious!

Then we had to change buses at the bus station... to the most crammed, smallest and uncomfy minibus ever... our bags were in the back with a load of what looked like giant Pork Scratchings! Nice!

After a few hours we had to change again, to a nicer minibus, but we only had a little of the journey left by then.

Eventually we got there... 10 hours later!! Craig also checked into the same hotel as us. We got a twin room with TV and a/c oh and ensuite.

We went straight out for some food, food a Thai/Italian, I had Green Curry.. which was so nice and Jem had a pizza. Had my first glass of wine in 2 weeks... go me! Feel ready for it again now!

Monday 28th May
Woke up to a parade down the street next to ours... all a little surreal!! Not sure what it was for but they do celebrate their king every Monday and all wear yellow t-shirts. They have utmost respect here for the royal family, if you say a bad word about them you can get imprisoned!! There is a school opposite and all the children were clambering up the windows to see watch the parade, it was sweet.

I felt so tried when I woke this morning, so I had a lie in, Jem went to the internet. I was watching some crazy Thai music channel which did have some English songs, but the Asians do love their own boy bands!

I had a dragon fruit for brekkie, learned how to peel it myself! It was yum! Met with Jem and we went for a walk around the town. Theres not loads here, it really is just a stop off point between the islands and beaches. But we wondered around, looking at the shops and walked along the river side. There was a food market and we tried a Mangosteen, which is a little, round purple fruit with green leaves on top, recommended to us by Craig. It was really nice, sweet. Doesn't look very nice though!

Thailand really is beautiful, and we're not in a particularly beautiful part. We got a long boat down the river with a guy called Buddy, the boat was also called that! I was great, we went more into the forest areas and went to the caves. We actually got to go inside the caves, it was amazing! Outside on the beach were loads of little crabs, think they were hermit crabs as Jem found one with a shell and decided to bring it back on the boat... she soon put it back in though. Along the river were floating houses and houses on stilts. Great to see.

After we wondered back to the hotel to chill a bit. That evening we went and had dinner at a restaurant/guest house/tour booking place. I had sweet and sour vegetables with rice. It was so nice, not like our sweet and sour at home, less saucy and strong. Much better. Jem went for the Green Curry tonight. In the same place they put on the film Anchorman. It was so so funny, I loved it!

In the 30 second walk back to the hostel, I saw the scabby dog I'd seen the night before, just hanging on the street. I feel so sorry for it.

Tuesday 29th May
Had to check out this morning. Last minute we managed to sort accommodation for Koh Pan Ngan so we could meet Leonie, Neil and Rob from Fraser there for the infamous Full Moon Party!

Just had another wonder around the town and lunch at the same place as the night before as we really like the atmosphere and the food was nice.

Later we got picked up by the mini bus, taken 5 mins down the road and dropped off at another bus stop! We waited here for another minibus that took us nearly all the way to the ferry, but then had to get a tuctuc to the ferry. Well it wasn't exactly what you would call a "ferry"!!!! When we saw it we both burst our laughing... it was more like a prehistoric Thai cargo boat, and the upstairs deck was covered in double mattresses and pillows!! We were first on and selected a mattress each by the door.

We were there for a while and only 2 other people got on. So we asked what time it was leaving... 11pm... we had a couple of hours yet! So we got off and had a quick look around the food market and nearby shop, picked up a few snacks and went back on board. Gradually more people started getting on, a mix of locals and other backpackers. I just read my book and went to sleep.

Wednesday 30th May
About 5.15am the lights went on on the boat and an alarm sounded. They were nearly at the ferry port. When we got off we got our bags and got a taxi straight away to our accommodation. We were so impressed at our resort, it contains beach huts, but ours is high up on stilts and overlooks the resort and the beach/sea. The view is stunning! We went asleep for a few hours and when I woke I went and sat out on the porch in the hammock and enjoyed the view that is truly beautiful. Before I knew it, it was lunch time, so we went down to the resort restaurant, went and had a late brekkie.

We went for a little explore, walked to the nearest town, Thon Sala, which is about 30 mins walk away (where the ferry port is). There's not much to it really, a little martket area and few shops.

We thought it was time to treat ourselves, so we went for a relaxing Thai Massage! It was only 200THB, which is about 3 pounds... yay!! I'm pleased I didn't have the normal Thai massage, as parts of this one were fairly painful, as they push and pull your limbs in all directions!! But after I felt so relaxed, it was great!!

After we walked back to the resort, sat down for dinner just as sun was setting which was stunning. The restaurant is on the edge overlooking the sea, and you sit with little mats on the floor, with a small table. I had Vegetable Pat Thai for dinner. It was really nice, but a tad greasy for my liking. We had a few drinks and just chilled out for the night. On the way back up to our hut, a black dog followed us and just went to sleep on the porch. Not sure if she belongs to the people that own the resort or shes a stay, but shes so friendly and sweet.

Had a shower before bed, when I was drying I felt a tickle on my arm, when I looked it was a giant beetle or cockroch. I screamed the place down! Jem came bursting in thinking I was being attacked!! She managed to wash it down the drain with the hose!

Thursday 31st May
Didn't have a very good sleep last night...was too busy fighting with the mozzy net that just wanted to be on my face!! Also the neighbours (some English chav idiots) were being really noisy.. we will get our revenge. When I went outside, our doggie, Meg (as we named her) was still there, she was so happy to see me, wagging her little tail and everything. I sat in the hammock for a bit and chilled, then Jem got up too.

We got a taxi into Haad Rin, which is the main party part of the island... where the infamous Full Moon Party is held. The first taxi we got was on the back of a Ute (they have the weirdest taxi system here!) then we were dropped off in Thon Sala where we completed the rest of the journey in a tuctuc.

Haad Rin is much more touristy and this is catered for. The Sunrise beach is aligned with bars, that all look very run down and grotty by day.. but are probably wicked at night. The beach isn't very clean either. Its a shame they've ruined that part of the island, but the tourists must bring in a lot of money.

We looked around the shops, they have a Boots chemist here! Crazy!! We noticed that a lot of the moisturisers have whitening cream in, as in this culture the whiter you are, the more beautiful.

Later we met Leonie, it was nice seeing her after being apart since Oz. We met her travel buddy Derick, who was just plain rude and seemed so quite and only answered questions with one word answers. Don't know how she puts up with him! Also met another friend she'd made in Malaysia, Helen, who seemed nice. We just caught up over dinner and planned the Full Moon Party! I had a jacket potato with Tuna, Veg and Garlic for dinner, it made a nice change. Although with the garlic I stunk to high heaven! Poor Jem... sharing a room with me!

On the way back to the taxi we saw someone getting a tradition Bamboo tattoo done... gross! We got a taxi back and just chilled at the resort for the evening. Meg came running up to the porch when she saw we weer home. Later that night there was fireworks, she ran off as she must of got scared, but some of the other dogs went for her and she ran off crying. We were worried sick, hoping she was ok. We checked a few times for her, even calling her, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Friday 1st June
We were woken up again by the chavs across the way... we are currently plotting revenge... any ideas will be welcomed! Although slept better last night. Went out on the porch... but meg was nowhere to be seen still. Gutted. I sat in the hammock for a bit and read, suddenly I heard a tapping up the stairs..it was Meg!! All happy to see us again, Jem came rushing out. She was covered in leaves, so we assume she'd been hiding in a bush to get away from the fireworks. So she was just sleeping on our porch again when we left her to go for brekkie.

Today we are just going to chill before the big party tonight... can't wait!! Woop woop!!! Miss ya all xxxx