Quick (well ok…I'll admit blogs are never quick with me!) update to keep you guys in the loop with what we have been upto! Writing this from our (well Sean's really) swanky new laptop, which has completely destroyed our budget, but is very useful as it means we can back up photos and make use of the free wifi around!

We're in Bangkok at the moment - last time I wrote we were in Ko Lanta - a little island and a bit strange - touristy, but not enough to have everything you need, but too touristy to be peaceful - but as ever, beautiful sunsets with beer on the beach and lovely local food! I also learnt how to make coconut oil which is great for intestines! We then had another roller-coaster journey to the ferry (I love the lack of safety in these countries - open top jeeps going at motorway speeds with us just shoved on top with the bags!) We then took the ferry to Ko Phi Phi - very famous and touristy small islands, but popular for a reason…they are gorgeous. Beautiful bays, but you pay the price - its an expensive island that turns into an Ibiza-style resort at night!

There is still some destruction evident from the Tsunami in the interior, but on the sand planes (which fill with moored boats at night as the tides leaves about 1km of sand dunes!) are pretty much rebuilt like crazy! It was too hot to sunbathe - lucky as we were both already a bit burnt and suffering with heat rashes (!!) so we chilled, watched the locals play some weird volley-ball game with their feet (way way skillfull!) and blew our budget again going out for a night out! All good laughs - lots of roof top bars, a weird bar with a Muay Thai boxing ring in (apparently westerners can fight local thais and get free alcohol if they win…Sean was tempted but decided he couldn't defend the kicks!)…and lots of free buckets (lethal mixtures of whiskey and not much else) which is always fun!

We also went on an amazing boat trip around the bays, to 'monkey beach' (self-explanatory - managed to jump off the boat and swim to a beach where monkeys live!) and over to the smaller Phi Phi Island. Snorkelled around the bays, and kayaked into some beautiful caves. We also climbed through a hole in the rock and walked over to Maya Bay, where the film 'The Beach' was filmed - was a little let down (itsa beuaitful but so so busy, and not unlike many of the other beaches on the islands) but good to see. Although I saw it alone…the second we landed Sean had set-up a game of football (English, American and Belgians on the boat against the local Thais), looked very entertaining and meant I was left to enjoy the Bay at peace!! Just kidding…Beautifdul sunset on boat home with free fried rice…again, always good when you're on a budget!

We then did a wacky journey to an Island on the other coast of Thailand - ferry, bus overland and then a wacky overnight ferry the other side. Me and Sean got a little screwed over - paid the same as other tourists, who were all on the top deck with fans and pillows and me and Sean landed on the bottom floor (you had to crawl through crates of cans and stock to get there!) with all the locals sleeping on the floor with no pillows and the windows wide open letting in all the ocean spray! Refreshing - but a bit of a nightmare!! We then also stupidly decided to walk the 4km to the beach from the jetty, uphill, with heavy bags, at 6am with no sleep overnight! Had a bit of an adventure on the way - a guy on a motorbike tuk-tuk flipped it upside down (he seemed VERY drunk when we got to help him!). We went and turned his car the right way round, but he was bleeding from the head and a little crazy - found his tuk tuk thing abandoned about 1km down the road! Nuts Thais…

Ko Tao was a pretty chilled island - nice to have before heading to Bangkok. It's a diving mecca and some beautiful reefs right up close to the shore, so lots of fish around! Found some amazing local food again with cheeky local kids to entertain us. Since then - we headed (overnight again…) to Bangkok. Arriving at 3am is an experience in itself - you get dropped off in the middle of nowhere and walk to the infamous Khao San road amongst all the drunks, transvestites, and other interesting characters of the night!! Luckily we managed to hook up with a Canadian on her way home, Joey, who hooked us up with a good place to stay (I say 'good' - that means we haven't seen any cockroaches - only a couple of mice yet = so im thinking that's not too bad for a Bangkok hostel!!) and we have been sharing a room (and useful tips) with her which has been nice. Done all the cultural walking around today - Grand Palace, temples, China town - and managed to get completely drenched in the equally nuts storms. Bangkok is one of those love-it-or-hate-it cities, Sean's not sure but i absolutely love it. Its full of life, even if most of it is insane, you can get everything for cheap (including AMAZING street food), and amidst all the sleaze and infamous fun, there are some seriously beautiful sites and interesting things to check out...a good mixture in my book!

Off to Kanchanaburi tomorrow (where Bridge over river Kwai is…) and then off up North to Chiang Mai for Thai New Year which should be absolutely insane…a one week long water fight which I know Sean is pretty excited about!!