Island Paradise...well almost!

We settled happily into Ko Pha Nga after lots of buses and ferry trips and were pleased to find a quiet little beach called Hat Yao with sleepy guesthouses on the beach and a lot of dogs! It had lovely white sand, palm trees and hot sun. The only downside was that the sea was about half a foot deep, boiling hot and murky, sealed in by an offshore coral reef, but if you could get past the coral reef without being ripped to shreds it did get deeper and cooler.

We sunbathed, we read books, we sipped cool drinks in the palm shade lounging on funny triangle Thai cushions, and we ate expensive delights in our guesthouse restaurant (there wasn't really anywhere else!). It was quiet - a far cry from the bouncing party beaches further down the island - but it was lovely, and we had some nice chats with fellow travellers chilling out there too.

We braved the rocks and coral one day with some borrowed snorkelling stuff and to our surprise and joy we saw an incredible amount of fish and coral of all different shapes and sizes - far more than we saw on the Great Barrier Reef! Amazing. It saddened us though that unlike the GBR no-one seemed to value this island's reefs much at all- you could trample it, break bits off, kill the fish, drive a boat over it and dig bits out of it without restriction.

One day we hired a little moped to explore the island, which involved no more formalities than flashing a passport- no driving licence, insurance, tutoring or safety equipment necessary! The lady even gave us a weary 'oh DO stop fussing' look when we asked for a helmet!

So, with both of us perched on it, we took off- with some caution. Despite passenger concerns, Matt did actually drive it rather responsibly and carefully. Well done dear. It was a lovely day, and although we witnessed one accident and had some VERY near misses our guardian angels managed to keep up with the put-putting and we emerged unscathed (well, Cal had a go on her own and ended up with a dent in her shoe to tell the tale, but we'll keep that just between me and you)!

We were rather surprised to come across some elephants on a country road, and stopped by to feed an old blind looking one some bananas for elevenses. When you're next to one and they're moving their heavy feet towards you, you realise they're BIG!

Further on we saw waterfalls and native jungle, the homes of some villagers, and then decided to head south to see what all the fuss was about on the big party beaches. Unfortunately to get to these beaches some formidable hills had to be scaled, and there was more than one occasion when the poor overstrained motor spluttered to a halt and one of us - well, Cal who wasn't driving - had to jump off so the bike would get up the hill! Not unlike her childhood nightmare of steep hills and cars rolling backwards!

The party beaches were busy and touristy and not unlike Ko Phi Phi - lots of rubbish. We were glad we'd picked our beach a bit further away. On the way home in the dark we stopped and had a lovely cheap tea surrounded by Thais in a place where you cooked your own food on a sort of mini BBQ stew pot thing on your table (like a meat fondue perhaps). Due to the language barrier it was all a bit trial and error but a lovely way to eat and be entertained all in one. They even had homemade coconut ice cream for pudding - mmm!

We did get slightly lost in the dark on the way home and arrived rather stiff and road weary, but that just added to the experience!

After a few days we decided we'd better get cracking, and made a move. Our taxi driver told us that this was a quiet time of year and everyone was glad as they had a chance to have a rest before the craziness of the high season - hence the sleepy feel! He told us about when the island was untouched, unvisited, just jungle and sea. He said it was beautiful and peaceful but the people lived a low quality life and often had to go hungry. There was no work and no way of making an income. Now he said the island has suffered from an environmental point of view as all the guesthouses and bars were built, but everyone could earn a decent living and live well. Looking up at the jungle covered hills, you got the impression the island was rather surprised to be so full of people and buildings.

As we took the 3 hour ferry back to the mainland, we noticed that a little dog who had taken a liking to us over breakfast had hopped on board too. When we disembarked it started down the steps and then got all confused and was lost in the crowds. We couldn't help wondering what would happen to it.

Later, as we boarded the overnight train to Bangkok, we were surprised to discover a large toad on board too, wreaking havoc- it must have been 'animals take to public transport day' or something!