It might have been a while since I've been in Asia but the bloody retarded roosters that crow at 3am instead of sunrise are still here.

I got into Sinbi camp ok last night despite the cab drivers best efforts. He had a wicked manover which he used at every intersection that rather than waiting for a traffic light to let him go straight through he'd take the left turn, proceed 50m down the road do a u-turn hoping that oncoming traffic would stop and let him through then turn left at the intersection to back in the direction that he was already going. He'd then turn to me smile, give a thumbs up and say "Very good, yes?". He was also an expert in Thai boxing and procceded to tell me his fight record, the number of big stadiums that he'd fought inand that he had a friend with a better training camp. All in broken Thai/English accompanied with hand gestures.

Back to the rooster which started my day so well...Being day one and keen I jumped out of bed got changed and charged out the door only to find darkness. . . . .Looking at a clock on the wall I then identified that it was 3am not 6, when back to bed and waited. Needless to say despite my love of animals I'm looking for a cok fighting ring where I can enter the offending rooste, hopefully to lose. Speaking of animals please don't send me anymore emails on my 'not letting the cat out comment.' I appreciate the offers to go and break the door down to rescue the cat but in actual fact I don't have a cat. This was a byproduct of an inventive imagination left sitting in a plastic airport too long. The comment on the rooster still stands.

I survived the first training session (barely). IT was a lot of punching and 'strange' kicking of focus pads and heavy bags. Two and a half hour after the start of the session was relieved when the head trainer called stop as I was half dead. It wasn't the kicking or punching or situps or pushups that hurt but my shoulders from keeping my hands up on guard for the whole session. Anyway looking forward (with trepidation) to this afternoon's session which will be harder in the heat. Oh and I do now have a leary pair of Sinbi boxing shorts which I'll get arrested for if I ever wear in Perth! I'll post a photo of them when technology here catches up.

The good news is that Sunday is a day of rest so I can fully recover from my first day here and explore some of the island.