Greetings Blog Fans!!

So sorry to have lept you all waiting for the next installment of our trip!

Since we last blogged we've left Koh Tao, that was VERY sad! During our last couple of days we were very nearly convinced to stay on and do our Dive Master Training. A number of factors decided the outcome though - cost, time and cost again!! Our last couple of nights we dined with our new friends Sarah and Craig (who we'd gradually been getting to know from my Open Water course!) Excitingly, we've been invited to spend Thanksgiving with them in Minneapolis!!! Berrrrilliant!! That's some of our US travels sorted then!

Anywho, we returned to Samui for a few days, where we stayed in the slightly more luxurious resort of Bo Phut. Our hotel had air-con, a hot shower AND a flush toilet!! We are living it up now!! While we have come to the conclusion that Samui is constantly under a storm cloud, we did at least get some sunshine on this occasion. Bo Phut was a nice stop-off following the basic accommodation on Koh Tao, but we were glad to move on after a couple of days.

We booked a morning 'boat and bus' ticket to Krabi - this turned out in fact to be a bus, boat, bus, minivan another minivan and finally here! We are staying in Ao Nang which has a nice beach and there's lots to do, so there'll hopefully be far more action to report on our next blog!

So far we've mostly been investigating the possibility of doing some more diving, but will definitely be doing some snorkelling from not only the local beach, but nearby resorts and islands that apparently shouldn't be missed!

It wouldn't be a good blog without some mention of food, so I'll just mention that although on offer everywhere, we finally got round to getting some BBQ fresh fish and last night dined on the very edible Pad Thai on offer from a street vendor! We also indulged in a 'bucket' - for those unaware of this custom, that is a small bucket (very suitable for sandcastle building in the future) filled with a small bottle of Thai whiskey, Red Bull a can of coke and two straws! Nice!

Resigned to posting home our diving textbooks, I've taken the opportunity to do some...ahem...'light' shopping to bulk out the parcel taking advantage of the many nick-nacks on offer to buy! So, we now have a nice photo frame, some coasters and a little Buddha statue to add to the Turban and Ganesh statue bought in India all bundled together (in the aforementioned turban!!) These plus the rug (also bought in India but already home) should make lovely furnishings in our hypothetical dream home of the future!

Well, I think that's all for now except to say that I think today we're planning a trip to the beach of Chicken Island for the rest of today, we'll probably get some Pad Thai to take with us for our lunch and then indulge in some snorkelling. It's amazing how beautiful it all is here, the beaches, the sea, the sun - all makes for amazing photos (which we recently updated!!) And yes...we did take the picture to go with this blog, we had to wait for the guy on the back to put his heart shaped sunglasses on!!

What's so incredible here though, is how it has only been just over four years since the Tsunami ravaged this Andaman coastline and how it has been rebuilt since then with hardly any reference to it. There are a few signs about pointing in the direction to head should one occur again, it hardly seems possible all the damage it must've caused. Quite peculiar!

Just finally then (should there be no blog beforehand) HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Grandpa Nixon and Neve Meek who will both be celebrating on the 25th!! By the looks of the photos we've seen, Neveys shared party with Alfie was a huge success with much fun had by all celebrating the arrival of "The Terrible Two's"!!

Love to all

Nick and Katie xxx