Well, it's been a few days since we wrote and after my last installment you may have thought we'd been eaten by Sharks, but this is not true.

Shark Watch was great! Up at 0545hrs and in the sea by 0700hrs. The water was warm and the sea was clear and although we had to wait for our first sighting we were regarded for our patience in the end. As you will be able to see from the photo's, taken by Andy the Dive Instructor (Although I did take my own but they are on 35mm not digital) we saw some amazing sights and it was a thrill to see sharks so close.

I did get one shot that Andy didn't. He had anchored himself to the seabed to stay still and look out and we hung back slightly and a shark passed between us and Amanda & I got a real close up glimpse, and photo, whilst Andy missed it. It was So Cool! 3 ft from a Black Tip Shark.I thoroughly enjoyed the snorkeling although Amanda had had enough of the salt water by the end and was grateful to get out. I was proud of her of giving it a go but if something is not your bag, it's not your bag! Thank you baby for giving it a go! xxxx

As this was our last day in Phi Phi, we had to finish packing and get out of our rooms but we hung about most of the day as the ferry to Ao Nang did not leave till 1530. We chilled out and had some food and then caught the ferry for our 2 hours sail to our next destination.

Most towns have a Ferry Port, as this one did, but at low tide the ferry cannot reach Ao Nang port, this we did not know until we got close and there was stream of Long Tail boats waiting to transfer us to the beach. It was an experience to say the least. Disembarking from the ferry in mid ocean onto the Longtail Boals and then speeding towards the harbor, wondering if we were going to sink at all. Water nearly up to the edge of the boat. It was an experience to say the least.

We arrived safely, and took a Tuk Tuk to the hotel, which, turned out to be the worst hotel so far this trip. Based on price, it was noisy, uncomfortable and cheap. Says it all. The town was busy and didn't offer much and to be honest, we were disappointed immediately.

We persevered though and went for a walk looking at the town and checking the restaurants for a place to eat. We came across a place near the end of our trek and decided to eat there as we had walked a mile and were both starving.

After finishing off a nice Shrimp Pad Thai and Medium Rare Fillet Minion, we watched a thunder storm converge upon us and the unleash a torrid of rain upon us and other unsuspecting restaurateurs. We were the lucky ones, we had just finished.

As I waited at the bar I we met Mike and Rachael from Watford who had just turned up for dinner.The rain didn't let up, in fact, it got worse before it got better and we all ended up standing Inside the bar chatting.

As it happened, Mike and Rachael never did get their dinner because we carried on talking all night and several hours later, after moving back to the bar stools since the rain had stopped, we said our goodbyes and headed back to the hotel.

It was such a shame that they were on their last night of their trip as it would have been good to spend some more time with them but we wish them well and will meet up when we return. Thanks for a good night you 2.

We headed home to a terrible nights sleep, a very noisy hostel. Not recommended! The next day I was suffering from 'Man Flu' and spent most of the day in bed. Amanda chilled out on the beach and we arranged our new destination a night ahead of schedule as this place sucked.

On Mike and Rachael’s recommendation we headed to Ko Lanta and the Lanta Palace Hotel. It seemed a very good choice after the last one. Individual bungalows, short walk to the pool and beach. Nice food and it felt nice and was quiet which was the main thing.

The ferry took about 2 hours and was a much nicer way to travel than by road. 2 hours of sunbathing on the front deck whilst we made our way to our next destination. We found our Hotel Bus contact and crammed ourselves into the back of his, what I can only describe as, small cattle truck.

There we met Mark from Canada and his wife, son John and Girlfriend. Very pleasant people, who made our journey to the hotel fly-by with stories of John and his girlfriends travels to Vietnam and Mark living in Ecuador. We met them several times over the next 3 days and was nice to be able to talk to other people instead of just each other.

We were greeted very pleasantly with a tray of fresh watermelon juice with Ice, which, after the swift journey from the ferry, was a god send. I downed mine and asked for another. Our bungalow was fine, with the basic amenities, Bed, Satellite TV, AC and Bathroom. The shower sucked though and every time you flushed the toilet the pipes made a sound like a cow moooing. Very Comical! From then on, when either of us needed the loo, we acknowledged it as 'Giving the Cow a Moo'.

We ordered a cab into town for a meal and ended up near the ferry port again for a seafood dinner. All the restaurants out here will sell fresh seafood but many seem a little ropey from the outset, but once you head through the gate and down into the restaurant area it is ok.

Despite the plastic patio furniture we enjoyed an exception spicy Thai Seafood soup and the Red and White snapper that was cooked superbly. A very enjoyable meal!

We headed back in a tuk tuk bus and the guy must have been eager to get back because he was flying. It was rather un-nerving to say the least. Anyway, we made it home and settled into our little bungalow room for a good nights sleep. After watching TV for a while and nearly dozing off, we succumbed to sleep and turned out the lights. Then I couldn’t sleep! Typical! Every itch I thought was a Mozzie, every noise I thought was a Mozzie. I got my iPod out and blocked out what I could and dozed on and off all night. Not a good night’s sleep.

The next day, Amanda and I hired a moped and whizzed around the Island looking like a couple of head bangers with our bandannas and sunglasses. Quite comical really! We were paying homage to Ewan Macgregor and Charlie Bowman and riding across the country, well, island really. But we felt great and as nearly everyone over here rides one, the cars are more accustomed to seeing them. We saw some great views and had a laugh. We were almost sad to hand back the keys.

The afternoon was spent lounging around the pool and lounge we did. We had a couple of cocktails from the bar but then succumbed to the backpackers way of thinking and collected our half bottle of vodka from our fridge and just ordered normal shakes and added our own vodka to save some cash. Lovely Jubly.

We sat in the sun for about 5 hours on and off. I slept for some of it and the lovely Amanda covered me over to protect my delicate skin from the sun. Ahhh! Thank you darling x

We then headed back to the hotel and decided to have dinner at the hotel restaurant that night. Although the service was very slow, and I know we were not in any rush but this was ridiculous, we eventually got our food of BBQ Jack Fish and 5 KING, and I mean KING Prawns, and it was the best food we have eaten in Thailand so far. Lovely! We sat and watched the local lads heading out to fish in the moonlight and then headed back and watch 'Taking Lives' with Angelina Jolie. A good thriller! Just the thing to watch at 2300hrs in a foreign country. It was a good film and we eventually got off to a very solid nights sleep.

Our alarm was set for 0645hrs as we had booked a days Sea Kayaking. We were told to be at reception for 0800hrs so we got ready and cursed the waiters for the terrible service at breakfast and then sat and waited for our driver, only to be told, when we asked, that we were not being picked up until 0830hrs.

I cursed the geezer cos I needed those extra 30 mins in bed. I was in a right grump this morning. Jimmy the Winge was well and truly on the war path and wasn't taking any s***. And it wasn't even 9am yet.

The guy turned up and we headed off to the port, or so I thought. We turned the wrong way out of the drive and then headed toward the other end of the island. Ok I thought, we are going to another port. We stopped. Picked up another guy who jumped in the back of the truck and we headed off. Ok, I thought, just picking up another person, off to the port. We turned round and then headed the wrong way again. I was getting miffed now. We stopped again. Jesus! Fruit stop. We continued heading the wrong way and then stopped yet again. Water stop! Will we every get there? We headed further away from where I thought we should and then turned off another direction. Deliverance Time I thought.

Amanda was already annoyed off with me and it was only 0930hrs. This was a record, even for the Winge! We turned down some make shift road and then the driver said we had to get out because the truck could not go down the road and we needed to walk. The Winges were piling on and I was feeling like an extra in Deliverance now. Walking towards my imminent shooting in the Thai jungle. We followed our man down the road and over rickety bridges until we found his mates and the boats. Jeeez I thought, this wasn't what I had in mind when I booked this.

This place was in the middle of what looked like a swamp. The tide was out and we had to drop down 15ft on a 6ft wide laddered pier to the boat, or should I saw Canoe.

Now, my idea of Sea Kayaking was to get a nice boat out to an Idyllic island, transfer on to Canoes on the beach and then kayak round the island. Stop for lunch and then head back on the boat.That was the plan. This was not going to plan however. Amanda and I offloaded our things onto the main boat and we got into the 2 man Kayak and followed 'Sunny' out along the tributary towards the sea.....we hoped.

 Everything was ok but tiring and we ended up out on the calm ocean before we knew it. Our friend in the boat followed up soon after and we scored some water and continued heading out towards the Island.

Now, we had already been paddling for 30 minutes, and if any of you have ever been on a rowing machine for 30 mins will understand that your arms are already like lead, when Sonny said we were heading towards the island in the distance. It was at least 2 hours paddling away. This was madness.

As it turned out, Dea in the boat had already anchored up, waiting for us to catch up and we didn't have to head toward the island any further. We hoped on board and headed toward another island and it took us 1 hour in a powered boat to reach this island so god knows how long it would have taking rowing.

Once we arrived at our destination we beached and the got into the kayak again. We caught a glimpse of some sought of Salamander Lizard or something heading into a cove, couldn't tell how big as we only saw the tail and that was 2ft long so god knows how big this thing was but thankfully it was heading away from us.

We continued our navigation of one of the islands and after venturing through the gap between them we found the open ocean current. This proved the toughest test and the waves were high and although it was never dangerous, it was tiring. We headed roundthe corner and found a few caves and then met up with Dea again for fruit lunch on the beach. We made the best conversation we could with the guys, trying to gather info about their lives etc.

Sonny was 23 and Dea 20, young lads. We thought that Sonny was married with 3 kids, the oldest 6, making him a father at 17 but as it turned out, he had 2 brothers and 2 sisters and no girlfriend. Great understanding of the Thai language lol.

After our fruit we headed out towards Boo Boo Island and this place was lovely. Remote with only an few huts and showers etc. We had lunch there and chilled for and hour or so. The beach was lovely and with only a few people here, was empty. Did a bit of snorkeling but the visibility was quite bad, only a metre. I came back and after a while we headed back home.

It had been a long day and after so much sun we relaxed and closed our eyes on the way back. The other boat caught us up and we slowed as we approached the wetlands and stopped to distribute the finished watermelon and pineapple onto the shore for the monkeys. We couldn't see any at first but one came through the trees for lunch and then another and then a third. It was so cool to watch, wild monkeys eating our watermelon and parading around for us to see. It was a wonderful moment.

We headed off and soon arrived back where we had started from at the pier. We said our thanks and goodbyes and as we walked off, reminisced at the grumpy and scared feelings that we had had that morning and vowed to try to be more trusting of a culture so far removed from our own. Our man escorted us back to the van and we stopped halfway and chatted with a family in a hut at the side of the unmade road.

Their 2 little girls started messing around and we smiled and waved and you could see the barriers break down before our eyes. It was a magical moment. We waved goodbye and headed to the car and our man dropped us back at the hotel.

After a scary and frustrating start, the day turned out to be very magical and very rewarding. A lesson to be gained about trust and to break down our western barriers to allow the less fortunate to make an impact upon ours lives. I was great.

The rest of the day was spent in a very up market coffee shop just on the corner of our hotel road. Chrome and glass and coffee. Beer and Wine and cake. We stayed for several hours. Writing, reading and watching movies on the big screen. Great!

So, with tonight being our last evening, we splashed out on a bottle of wine and contemplated the next stage of our trip. Up to now we have been kind of flying by the seat of pants but we realise that if we want to see the things we want to see then we need to get organised and sorted. We hope to head back to Phi Phi tomorrow so that I can dive with the same company as before and then maybe head to Borneo for the Orangutans before heading to Chiang Mai for Tai Chi and Thai cooking classes before heading to Ko Pan Gnang for New Years. That’s one possible trip anyway.

So, that’s it for now, Sunday 26th November. Thanks for being patient and please check out the pics, loads to see now!

Love you all - James & Amanda x

PS. As I am now adding this the following morning, we are staying in Koh Lanta for 2 more nights to plan our trip. Leaving on the 29th