Hello from Ko Lanta!

                             Arrived here yesterday via Krabi and the terrible Hat Yai.

Let us take you back to sunday morning. Up at 6am to get the bus from KL to Hat yai. Arrived at the bus station which was a complete nightmare as no-one could tell us where we got the bus from. So we followed everyone else and got on a bus to god knows where. Luckily it took us to another bus station where we managed to get a strangle-hold on someone and demanded they tell us where to go! We make onto the bus with plenty of time to spare and 8hrs later we arrive in Hat Yai.

Hat Yai is horrendous! A truely tinpot city/village with nothing there but shacks and travel agents. As we get off the bus we are bombarded with touts trying to get us to go various places with them. We pick one who looks a little bit more trustworthy than the rest and say we want to get the bus to Krabi. So we get into a tuk tuk and arrive about 10mins later in this run down travel agency. The travel agent lady says no bus till 8:30 and it'll cost us 600baht each. Looking in our trust lonely planet we know thats to much so we started to haggle abit. To cut a long story short we get the bus which is cramped cold and has flea bitten blankets on the back of all the seats. Not only that but they insist on playing a tape of these crazy Thai 'comedians' and everyone is laughing like idiots. We just wanted to get some sleep!

Arrive in Krabi at midnight local time which for us is 1am. Well I say Krabi but actually the bus dropped us 7km away in the middle of bloody nowhere. Two german girls also got off and started walking to the 7 eleven which was the only place open. After struggling with our backpacks (when will this get easier?!) we head over to the store to wait for the girls to get out so we could ask them where they're going. They have no idea either so we stand outside trying to decide what to do when this guy comes up to us and says "you want somewhere to stay?" We ended up at a guest house which was actually ok considering we had been travelling for about 19hrs straight.

Next morning we get up at 7 and head outside to see exactly where we are. The guy at the desk asks us where we want to go. We say Phi Phi and he starts shaking his head and saying something about there being a holiday and there will be no-where to stay and that Ko Lanta would be better. We are too tired to argue and think that any beach will do at this point.

The minibus arrivd at around 11 and our packs were thrown onto the roof. Kirst and I were first on so we grabbed the backseat by the windows-we knew it would take a couple of hours to even reach the ferry so we were determind to make ourselves as "comfortable" as possible. We picked up a few fellow backpackers and a couple of locals on the way and it wasn't long till we were packed in like sardines. There wasn't any aircon so with our knees up to our chins we thought we'd try and have a cheeky little nap since we hadn't slept much the night before, the poor little Thai guy stuck between the two of us must have loved these two strange girls either side of him, heads bobbing with Kirst touching up his thigh thinking it was her water bottle.

So, we reached the ferry and were able to get out and stretch our legs whilst the bus boarded. We got chatting to a couple of Swedes who we'd been travelling with and swapped stories about where we'd been and where we'd be going.

Once we'd arrived onto the island (took about half an hour) it was back onto the bus-we'd assumed it was Koh Lanta but apparently not since we'd driven right through it and were about to board another ferry. This time the driver instructed us to stay on the ferry. We were totally cramed in with cars and buses all around us. It was the first time I felt like I'd have a panic attack! I couldn't but imagine what would happen if the rickety old ferry began to sink-we'd all be desperately clambering on top of each other with no way of getting out. That probably sounds a bit over dramatic but there you go!

Anyway we obviously survived the crossing and we are here...in paradise! If you have a cheeky little nap in the afternoon when it chucks it down, it is absolutely perfect. Blue sea, blue sky and white beaches (you all jealous yet?). Today consisted off sunbathing, lunch, Thai massage (I had a little Thai lady running up and down my back and thighs...interesting and very relaxing) little nap (whilst it rained you understand), shower and dinner. I could get used to this!

Tomorrow its off to Ko Phi Phi as the holidays are over and we're gonna do yet more sunbathing and swimming. Can't wait.

Love and miss you all

Kirst and Jules

xxxxxx