After finding out that some nice Italian chap had decided to max out my debit card in Italy I decided that the cheaper and more scenic way to see Thailand would be to get the bus and the boat rather than flying to the Islands........and so I went to see the travel agent. Honestly, she must have seen me coming!! You go by Bus and Boat she told me, ''it cheaper and quicker'' - yeah right!! And so a 6 hour journey ended exactly 12 hours later in the middle of night in a tropical storm. Fortunately for me I had arranged to meet up with a couple of lads I met in Bangkok and who were in a local bar. The next few days were, with the exception of a boat trip to the Isalnds spent lounging around the beach and taking it easy in preparation for the trip to Ko Phangnan.