KhaoLak

We've moved on to our second location - KhaoLak. If you're going to spend 9 months travelling you have to start slow!

Coincidently, we've landed in two of the most tsunami devastated places along this coast of Thailand. You wouldn't know it though - in 5 years they've completely repaired and revitalised the towns. All that remains is a tsunami museum, lots of signs about tsunami safe zones, and presumably some suffering hearts and minds of people. Amazingly, on one of the signs detailing where to run screaming/ ride/ drive to when escaping an incoming tsunami they had a 'tourist route' and a 'local route' of escape. The poor locals are second best even when it comes to escaping a tsunami! (I heard from a local that to reduce the massive road death count over the Thai new year (about 450 in a week), the government voted on a bill to stop the sale of liquor in the three days preceding, as drink-driving is a big cause of these deaths. It was voted down becasue it might irritate tourists to stop the sale of alcohol).

For those that have been to a tropical land before (or live there already - hello Brisbane at times), it's very hot! About 30-35 degrees here everyday. Sweating is a strange business. Usually I notice it when I sweat, i have to do something to earn that sweat. Now I have to sometimes ask Mel if I'm sweating or not. It just kind of seeps out of the skin unnoticed (unless you've been walking for a while and then you are about 100% sweat). That brings us neatly on to the subject of asian tourists. In the first resort we stayed at there were a lot of asian tourists from China, Singapore, Hong Kong etc. After a day or two we noticed their prediliction for wearing matching outfits. On the last day at breakfast 4 out of the 5 other couples eating were wearing matching clothes - some including matching shoes, shorts and t-shirts, often with silly Chinglish phrases. The best I saw were two pairs getting off a longtailed boat at Phi Phi island. The water was swirling around making them very ungainly which was even funnier. One pair had black swimmers with gold trim (a lot of gold trim), and the other pair were wearing only matching long pyjama pants (blue for him, pink for her) with love hearts! We now plan to wear only matching wardrobes from now on.

The view from our room at the moment

We both had splendid days yesterday. Mel went out diving in the Similan islands. She saw turtles, a shark and shoals of colourful fish. I'll let her tell you about that another day.

I hired a motorscooter for the day. It cost me, wait for it, AUS$12 including fuel for 24 hours. When I asked how much fuel I should return it with they told me that was 'up to me'. I rode to a couple of waterfalls during the day, including hours of riding through farmland and plantations and along the beachfront. It's the best way to get around! - with a nice soft breeze against your face as you ride. I did a couple of monster uphill bush-bashes past these waterfalls (basically up big slopes alongside them). Very sweaty but super fun, until the trails inexplicably disappeared in the middle of the jungle which all looks the same. Luckily I had rivers nearby to navigate by. Mostly it was hanging on to vines and little trees for support along the way, to stop from slipping down the leafy and clay covered slopes. I did manage to avoid grabbing any of the vines with inch long mega spikes on them though, or any snakes (like in the cartoons you know).

The spiky ones.

I also found a pretty amazing little shrine in one of the forests. And scared off a massive lace monitor-type creature getting there.

We found our favourite restaurant in town - because they have three kittens which are very cute and fun to play with and like climbing the tree outside.

The cocktails are cheap and the views scenic. You can buy banana pancakes along the side of the road. We have a complimentary thai massage for this afternoon. Now that's what I call paradise.