sa wat di kah everyone! (something like that anyway - we are trying with the language but can do hello, thankyou, cheers and count to 5 so not that great!)

Writing from Koh Tao, one of the smaller of the islands in the gulf of thailand having got here this morning (in pouring rain and I mean pouring = soaked!). We spent last night on Koh nuanyang, three tiny tiny isalnds just off the north of koh tao which are joined together by a sandbar. Its really good for diving which is why we went there as Hollie and Emily both wanted to a course but was such an expereince to see it. Sooooo idyllic! looked too good to be real! the most turquoise calm water and white sand bar. unfortunately most of the time its been going from a few minutes of sun to half an hour of pouring rain and then overcast for a bit before another biut of sun so attempting to lie on the beach there was interesting! Which is why Edith, Laura and myself have come to koh tao today as we can at least walk around and see stuff here whereas the other islands were so small they consisted of just one resort! (imagine tracey island from thunderbirds but better and you're there!)

I think last time I wrote it was the first day on Koh Phanghnan. We all really LOVED it there, we had a really nice place to stay still cheap (about five pounds a night for beach front bunglaows! - although it is far from luxury with no flush, hot water, abundant ants and the odd Massive gekko in th bathroom!). The people were all really nice there too (again, very friendly and a good laugh). In fact we liked it so much there we think we will head back there on about tuesday rather than head to the other side of thialand to see Koh Phi Phi and Krabi sd we dont have that much time. It seems a shame too miss them but also a shame to spend days travelling to and from places for just m,inimal amounts of time there when we could just relax and take it easy as everyone in thialand seems to do!

The second day in Koh Phangnan we went to a few different beachers around the island (the only fall down of where we stayed is it wasnt on the best beach - still beautiful but compared to ones we visited, not in the same league really). Hat Yao beach was stunning, looked exactly like the big beach posters everyone had at uni on their walls and thankfully we could actually spend most of the day lying on it as it was quite sunny! That evening we were going to the Black Moon party ( a big rave on a beach, neon paint, alcohol! etc...). I think I can safely say we all had a good time as none of us can really remember that much. We joined in the thai ritual of drinking sangsom buckets (a bucket with A LOT of thia whiskey/sangsom, coke and red bull) hence lack of memory of some parts. We were all safe though and were with some of the guys who worked at the resort and other people staying there at the time (some Canadians and two english girls from Basingstoke!!). The next day was spent largely sleeping but again it was pouring with rain so there was little else we could do anyway other than doze in the bar area and watch a film.

Its so hard to keep track of days here, looking back I cant believe how quickly time has passed. Thailand is definitely a unique place - from the countless 'girlie' bars with ladyboys outside trying to attract customers (some being a lot less obvious than others) and seeing so many western older men with pretty young thai girls (quite disturbing really!) to such beautiful beaches, extra friendly people and an absolute devotion to their king (everyone wears tops with the royal emblem on them and since their king coming out of hospital recently wearing a pink suit, it seems thailand has turned pink with them even respraying the taxis!).

Hopefully tomorro the sun will come out (although we have a suspicion we are going to take the rain with us wherever we go these 5 months!) and we can finally do some clothe washing (everything is damp and smelly now - the not so nice side of travelling. we might try to stay in a really nice place for just one night on koh tao tohave the luxury of a bath! and we should do it in thailand before we mi\ove onto more expensive places.

Hope eveyone is well and enjoying some better weather than we are! xxxxxx