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CHECKED OUT OF OUR HILLTOP SUITE IN BANS DIVE RESORT AND INTO A SLIGHTLY SMALLER ONE.WE LIKE BANS SO MUCH WE DECIDED TO STAY UNTIL WE HEAD BACK UP TO BANGKOK ON JUNE 9TH.THE RESORT (AS IS KOH TAO) DEFINATELY NOT FULL SO I GOT QUITE A GOOD REDUCTION FOR THE ROOM.THE POOL IS GREAT,IT HAS A JACUZZI,A BAR AND IS SURROUNDED BY TROPICAL GARDENS.THE BEST THING IS THAT AS SO MANY PEOPLE WHO STAY HERE DO SOME KIND OF DIVING COURSE -ITS NICE AND QUIET MOST OF THE DAY! THE WORST THING ABOUT BANS IS HOW STEEP IT IS TO GET TO THE ROOM-PLUS AVOIDING LIZARDS AND MASSIVE BULLFROGS UP THE UNLIT PATH.THE FROGS ARE SO BIG WE FIRST THOUGHT THEY WERE RATS!
WE HIRED A MOTORBIKE FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS TO EXPLORE THE ISLAND A BIT.THE ROADS ARE REALLY BAD,THEY MAKE UK AND EVEN BULGARIAN ROADS SEEM GOOD!
AFTER NEGOTIATING STEEP,RUTTY DIRT TRACKS,A DOWNHILL HIKE AND A TRICKY CLIMB OVER SOME ROCKS WE FOUND AN IDYLIC ISOLATED BAY WITH GREAT BEACH AND SUPERB CORAL,SHARK BAY.THE BAY IS GREAT FOR SNORKELLING AND SUPPOSED TO HAVE SMALL REEF SHARKS.DIDNT SEE ANY AS MOSTLY SUNBATHED AS HAD DONE A LOT OF DIVING.THERE WAS ALSO SOME SHADE FOR SNOWFLAKE.
THE WEATHER HAS BEEN SCORCHING WITH JUST ONE DAY WHERE IT RAINED ALL DAY.HAD ONE OR TWO BIG STORMS AT NIGHT WITH LOADS OF LIGHTNING.WHOLE MIX OF NATIONALITIES HERE,A LOT OF AMERICANS,CANADIANS AND IRISH AND JUST A FEW ENGLISH,GERMANS,SWEDES AND DUTCH.THE FOOD ON THE ISLAND IS GENERALLY VERY GOOD IF NOT A BIT PRICIER THAN BANGKOK.I HAVE GENERALLY STUCK TO EATING THAI FOOD WHEREAS MIMI HAS HAD THE ODD BURGER OR TWO!FOUND A NICE MEXICAN NEXT TO OUR RESORT.ONLY ONE BAD MEAL SO FAR AT A PLACE CALLED "CHOPPERS"-AN AUSSIE SPORTS BAR-GOOD FOR FOOTBALL THOUGH!
THINK WE MIGHT GO VEGETARIAN IN VIETNAM,CAMBODIA AND LAOS FROM THE STORIES WE HAVE HEARD-DONT FANCY EATING DOG OR CAT.
MIMI IS STILL VERY WHITE BUT SHE STILL CHECKS IN THE MIRROR EVERY TWO SECONDS-I SWEAR SHE IS WEARING THE MIRROR OUT! SHE SPENT A DAY AT A POSH SPA RESORT A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO AND HAD LOTS OF TREATMENTS AND PAMPERING-SHE LOVED IT.THIS WAS A TREAT FOR MIMI AS I HAVE BEEN OFF DOING MY ADVANCED OPEN WATER DIVING COURSE.AFTER FIVE MORE DIVES,INCLUDING A NIGHT DIVE,I AM NOW QUALIFIED TO DIVE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD TO A DEPTH OF 30 METRES/100FT.THE MARINE LIFE AND CORAL IS UNBELIEVABLE.I WILL PUT SOME PICS ON HERE ASAP -ALL OF WHICH I TOOK.THE DIVE GROUP BEFORE MINE SAW A WHALE SHARK ON ONLY THEIR SECOND EVER DIVE-HOW LUCKY IS THAT! THE NIGHT DIVE WAS A BIT SCARY BUT I MANAGED TO GET THROUGH IT IN ONE PIECE.SAW A SHOAL OF MASSIVE BARACCUDA WHICH SWAM RIGHT NEXT TO US-AND WERENT BOTHERED BY OUR PRESENCE.I AM DEFINATELY GOING TO GO FISHING NOW! WE CELEBRATED IN THE EVENING AT BANS WHERE THEY HAD LIVE MUSIC,DJS AND FIRE TWIRLING SHOWS ON THE BEACH.AAH YES...THE FIRE TWIRLING .NOT CONTENT AT DOING A SOLO DANCE ON THE DANCEFLOOR,MIMI DECIDED SHE WAS GOING TO HAVE A GO AT FIRE TWIRLING.AS THEY SAY IN FRIENDS...OH MY GOD...,HOW SHE DIDNT SET HERSELF ON FIRE I WILL NEVER KNOW.I COULD SEE HOW CLOSE TO BECOMING A HUMAN FIREBALL SHE WAS AND EVENTUALLY PURSUADED HER TO STOP.NO MORE "BUCKETS" FOR MIMI!
WE HAVE ONE OR TWO SMALL TRIPS LINED UP BUT FOR NOW INTEND TO CHILL BY THE POOL/BEACH.AU REVOIR........
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