Happy New Year

Well not that anyone seems that concerned, but we're out of all the turmoil in Bangkok. Left there a day or two before it started. (Foss is very disappointed nobody called or emailed to check that we were ok!) We're in Phuket at the moment. There were plenty of guns and armed patrols here yesterday though - water guns and patrols armed with buckets of water and hoses that is. It's the Lunar New Year (Songkran) and they celebrate by soaking everybody. It's good fun and nobody seemed to get the least bit upset about being absolutely drenched. You literally couldn't go out the door without getting soaked. The people here just line the streets armed with buckets of water, hoses and water guns and they show no mercy to anybody, whether you're walking past, driving or on a mo-ped. Then there's groups who were driving around in pick-up trucks and drowning all the people on the streets. The fire-brigade even got involved going around hosing people. Foss joined one group of locals in the festivities for a while.


Other than that the beach here is great. We're staying near Karon beach, and the waves here are brilliant. Foss loves them but I get bashed around a bit more than him.

Before we arrived here we spent 3 days on Koh Chang. It's a really nice but quite island. We had the beach to ourselves almost all the time. It was really relaxing but 3 days was probably enough of doing nothing.

Then we headed to Khao Sok National Prak. Stayed in a lovely bungalow there with a fab view of the mountains and their garden. With did a half day 'trek' in the park. I used the word trek very lightly. Our guide was only 21 and we just strolled around the place. He was able to point out a lot to us though and after all his warning about leeches we were fine and he got two stuck to him!
There was some really lovely scenery and greenery there.


We did a cookery course in Khao Sok too. We learned how to make Tom Yam, Chicken Fried Rice, Sweet and Sour Fish, Pad Thai, Thai Omelette, and Thai Green Curry. Had great fun and the food turned out delicious.


So we reckon we'll probably go to Koh Phi Phi tomorrow and maybe do a PADI diving course there. We'll have to see.

Jan and Paul