Welcome to paradise

We arrived in Koh Tao yesterday morning after another long and sleepless journey. Paradise is the only way to describe it, if you ignore all of the dogs and the odd motorcycle that gets in your way. The beaches are made of fine white sand, the sea is so clear and blue and palm trees jut out every few metres along the coast. We're living in a cute little house on stilts which is really nice, especially as we're not paying for it, although the flush consists of us throwing water down the toilet which took some getting used to. Candi and Ryan have started their scuba diving course so I'm amusing myself by the pool, on the beach and in the little bars of which there are plenty. You sit on the floor on a thai cushion with your legs swinging under the deck through the hole under your low table and listen to the waves as they crash beneath you - it doesn't get much better than this!

We're going on a snorkel trip around the island on Thursday which I'm quite looking forward to...when I forget that there might be sharks. It involves 5 stops so we should get to see quite a lot. I might even find Nemo!

Tuk-Tuk...No no!!!

Today has been disastrous but fun! First we thought candi was stuck in thailand with no yellow fever certificate, and then we got scammed by a tuk-tuk man. It turns out they don't go to the Grand Palace direct, you have to go via a suit shop and a dodgy side street first! The first one (that's right, we didn't learn our lesson!) even dumped us in the middle of nowhere. But a few strong words with the second got us to the King's house in the end. It was really stunning, the buildings are made of millions of tiny mirrors and tiles and there are funny looking buddhas and chicken men everywhere. Candi struck a very canny pose! Now we are going to take a coach down to the south where the beaches are waiting for us. And the sharks!

The city where we never sleep

Hello from Bangkok! While the first impressions of the city were not great (there are so many cars and the sky is full of smog) it is certainy growing on us. We're staying just around the corner from a really busy street where we hang out in the evenings, playing thumb wars with the children selling flowers and sampling the thai beers, and the hotel is really nice - it even has a roof top pool! You are constantly harrassed to buy all kinds of junk but we're getting comfortable with ignoring people now. We just bought trousers from a stall so we're ready to discover the Grand Palace etc tomorrow. We were supposed to go today but I am already ill with food poisoning! Off to play some pool now. Know that I miss you all loads!!!

Welcome

Apologies to those who have been logging in to find an empty blog. I have had serious issues trying to remember my sign in details and while I haven't done anything different today it seems to be working...so far.

It's the day before I leave Somerset to stay with Candi and Ryan, and the excitement is starting to creep in as I write this - my first ever post on my first ever blog! Since leaving Clarks I have been restless and bored but I think excitement and fear will take over when I catch the 375 to my train tomorrow. Let's hope I can manoeuvre with my 65 litre on my back without falling over or bashing into any passers by!