The journey from Koh Tao to Railay was an incredibly long night trip. We took an overnight boat from Koh Tao back to the mainland which was an odd experience as there was approxiamately 50 people laid on what can only be described as two really long mattresses. We were allocated a spot and were laid shoulder to shoulder with the stranger next to you. Intimate is not the word!! The night was made all the more uncomfortable by the fact that all the windows were open and the lights on, so the boat was full of flying ants. I was under the night light for people going to the toilet once they turned out the main lights, so spent the night squashing and beating the ants off me.

We arrived at the mainland at 3am and shepherded onto a coach which drove us 10 minutes out of town and dumped us at a closed service station in the middle of nowhere and told us to wait. There was another couple that had been dumped with us who lived in Indonesia but were from Manchester (again what a small world!!). Over the next few hours more and more buses dumped 4/5 stragglers at a time until at 6am we were guided onto a bus to take us across the mainland. I don't know what it is about travelling in Thailand but when you are travelling at night they like to give you the worse sleep ever. If it wasn't bad enough that you are sat on a bus anyway. You always arrive at your destination absolutely shattered. The journey wasn't over yet though when we were put onto yet another bus to take us to a port (even though Railay is part of the mainland it is inaccessable by road). I say port but it was a hut on the beach with a few benches and 3 or boats in the sea. The boat we caught was a long boat and the only way into it is walking out into the sea and climbing in. The locals have got this down to a tee but for westerners like me and Sarah (Sarah is hilarious!!!!), the only way I can put it is a beached whale has more grace!

We finally arrived in Railay and booked into a beautiful resort with a swimming pool which looked out over the bay. This is where we spent most of our time, either in the pool or lounging around it. Our first night was a mixed affair, from watching a local playing acoustic songs (everything from the Eagles to Oasis, although he seemed to know every single Beatles song) who was amazing. To having a huge argument with Sarah.

The next day we went to the resort restaurant and had, what is fast becoming a habit in Thailand, some fresh barbequed fish which as usaul was delicious. Other than this our days in Railay were exactly the same; get up, breakfast, sit in/by the pool, dinner by the pool, sit in/by the pool, tea then a couple of drinks and bed. What a stressful time it was!!

On our last day we decided to explore and try and find a bar called the 'Jungle bar' which after a long walk up and down hills through the jungle it started raining so we turned back unsuccessful and cut our losses and went to a bar on the beach front. This is where we met a guy from Stockport (again what a small world) that had moved to Thailand 7/8 years ago and was telling us that he would have to leave Railay soon because he thought somebody was going to kill him, for stealing customers from there bar. He then preceded to inform us that he was banned from Malaysia (where foreigners go for a day to get a fresh Thai visa) for people trafficing! It's needless to say we left the bar and went back to watch our favorite acoustic musician.

I had a whole bucket of Sang Som, Red Bull and Coke and had yet again forgotten that Sang Som sends me crazy. The next thing I know Sarah and me dancing to 'Wonderwall' in front of a lot of bemused faces.