On Christmas Eve we spent the day snorkelling around the nearby islands of Koh Phi Phi. The driver who took us to the marina drove like he was on a suicide mission and we kept finding ourselves swerving and ducking and/or stamping on imaginary brakes. After some time we realised it was easier if we just closed our eyes and prayed. We made it to the marina intact and with a new respect (fear?) for those brave enough to drive here. It's really not surprising that motorbike accidents are the most common cause of death in Phuket when the locals drive as they do!

Our first stop was Maya Bay, which is where 'The Beach' with Leonardo Di Caprio was filmed. It was very beautiful, with clear turquoise water, high limestone cliffs and lots of swaying trees lining the sand, but also absolutely packed with day-trippers. Before going ashore we piled off the side of the speedboat, clutching snorkel masks and bread, and waited for the fish to come to us. There were swarms of blue and yellow ones that ate the bread right out of our hands :-) Afterwards we stretched out on the beach for a quick sunbathe. Lunch was at another crowded beach on Koh Phi Phi Don. Our guide pointed out some cool sights on the way, such as Monkey Beach and Viking Cave. The last stop was at yet another tropical paradise island, this time much more secluded, that I forget the name of but that felt like bliss to stretch out on...

That night we went for a meal and a drink or two down the infamous Bangla Road. At midnight everyone passed around Santa hats, danced crazily to Christmas songs - you can't beat good old Mariah Carey and the Pogues - and, bizarrely, squirted silly string everywhere. We left with big smiles on our faces, feeling properly Christmassy. About time too.

On Christmas Day we went to the beach where we treated ourselves to massages. Sounds idyllic but Thai massages are actually pretty painful; they involve a great deal of pressure and crafty elbows in the spine/shoulder blades. Jak and I kept wincing and giggling but we did feel more relaxed afterwards (maybe because it was over?), and the crick Jak had had in his neck had completely vanished. My masseuse talked me into having a pedicure too and deftly painted little flowers onto my toes. I was then stuck in a chair for half an hour waiting for it to dry so that the sand wouldn't stick to the paint and ruin her hard work. Turns out the beach is quite possibly the worst place in the world that you could choose to have a pedicure.

In the evening we went to an Irish pub for Christmas dinner. It was immense - literally. We had creamy pumpkin soup to start, which was delicious but completely unnecessary as the plate for the main course was at least 12 inches across and heaped with roast turkey, roast pork, stuffing, roast potatoes, carrots, peas, yummy gravy and cranberry sauce. After eating as much as we feasibly could without exploding we sat there for about half an hour going 'ooh that was good', 'ooh that was soo good', 'mmhumm' over and over again, and casting jealous glances at people who were just starting their dinners and had the whole joyous experience to come. Eventually we mustered enough energy to move to the bar next door, where we met an Aussie who insisted on buying us lots of drinks. Before long the infamous Thai ladyboys were all around us; dancing on the bar, winking at all the gawking men, pulling their tops up to show what plastic surgery can do these days, and generally having a good time. Some of them were very feminine, more so than a lot of western women, so it seemed odd to hear men's voices coming out of their mouths! We had a bit of a dance before calling it a night. Not exactly a traditional Xmas but we had turkey and we both skyped with our families, which was lovely. Miss you guys! <3

Boxing day was a bit of a write off. We went for a fry up and to the beach briefly before retiring to our room to watch a DVD ('The Lakehouse' - dire) and have an early night. Oh and Jak skyped with his family again, managing to have a slightly more coherent conversation than the one he'd had at 1am the night before!

Today we were picked up at 7.15 and dumped in nearby Phuket Town where we had to wait almost another hour (we could have spent that in bed!) for a second minibus to take us to Krabi Town, on the mainland. We had curry for lunch and killed some time that evening at the night market, debating whether the 2p chicken sticks were safe to eat or not and wondering how long they'd been sitting there, before plumping for pizza instead. It was bloody good. Tomorrow we are doing a half day rock-climbing course at Railay Beach, which is meant to be one of the best places in the world to climb. Very excited!