Sawatdee Kaa!!

Before we start, Jim just wants to clear something up.....he is also writing this blog, it's just that if he were typing we'd still be on India. We can assure you that this is a joint effort!

So, the strike in Kathmandu was called off so luckily we didn't have any more delays and flew to Bangkok (no propellors this time!).

It's been 4 years since we were last here but Bangkok seemed to have changed alot. That distinctive smell that normally hits you as soon as you land must've been bottled up and sent to India. It was a pleasant surprise to see everything cleaner and cars now running on gas instead of petrol. After 2 months it was even a shock to see proper wide roads and no more cow-dodgeing!

Back on the famous Kaoh San Road, we indulged in shopping, street food and Jim's favourite pool-haunt 'Gullivers' for happy hour - another surprise being the lack of Lady-boys in there thrashing him at pool!

After a few days once our tummys were filled with spice and we'd had our aches and pains walked on by small Thail ladies, we decided to have some more well-deserved beach time and headed to Koh Chang, an island in the Gulf of Thailand 6 hours from Bangkok.

Hearing that they'd had rain for 2 months, luck must've been on our side as the first morning we awoke to bright blue skies and aqua clear waters. We've spent lazy days relaxing on the beach and unwinding, leaving behind the fatigue of trekking and travelling, and eating cheaply with the locals breakfast, lunch and dinner - green curry for breakfast beats porridge any day!

The last time we were in Thailand, as some of you will know, was the week after the Tsunami and left us feeling like we wanted to get out. We'd come to Koh Chang then as it was one of the only islands you could get to but it was heaving with people who'd been evacuated from other islands and we felt uneasy being so close to the water. We'd thought we'd give it another go, and as you'll see from the photos, we made the right choice....

Our first stop was 'White Sand' beach which speaks for itself. We found a cute hut facing the sea in amongst the 3-5 star resorts, the only down-side being 'Ze Germans' and their alcohol-fuelled 'Jenga' evenings that kept us awake until 4am. Before World War 3 broke out we decided to move to another quieter beach called Kai Bae. This was complete paradise with an even nicer beach and small islands dotted all around us.

Jim was eyeing-up one that looked within swimming distance, so rented a snorkel and set-out through the reef and clear blue waters. Because of his paranoia of sharks, thish was no mean feat, but he came back 2 hours later pufifng and panting (quit smoking!) with tales of giant clams, sea slugs and tropical fish.

Meanwhile....Caroline was taking it easy soaking up the sun and having massages on the beach!

Every evening Jim set out with his fishing rod to a nearby jetty in the hope of catching a big one. The workers in a nearby restaurant were in for a good laugh as Jim slipped on some moss and stacked it head-first into the water. A deal struck with the 'big boss lady' at the restaurant provided Jim with free bait and the best of an impressive catch was a good-eating red snapper. He's off out again tonight so watch this space!

So after a brilliant week on Koh Chang we head back to Bangkok tomorrow, then catch a flight to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia on Saturday, where we hook-up with Mick (Jim's twin brother), Bev (Mick's fiancee) and Stiffler (Good mate/3rd twin) who are out for a 2 week holiday. So we're very excited and can't wait to see some familiar faces!

We'll be heading with them to Taman Negara National Park and the Perhentian Islands off the east coast of Malaysia, so we'll tell you all about that in a couple of weeks......

Lots of love, Jim & Caroline xx

p.s. Just uploaded a few videos from Nepal, hope you can see them. It takes ages to upload so a few at a time!