Sunday 29th January 2006 Unfortunately our journey from Kanchanaburi to Koh Lanta begins the day before we are due to arrive. Fortunately we do get the morning to have a final dip in the pool and another great meal at the restaurant (we decided it would be rude to have pizza AGAIN and go for a tasty thai option instead!). We leave the wonderful Little Creek Hideaway on the 1pm shuttle into town. We manage to catch a bus to Nakhom Pathom without to much bother, or wait, which seemed pretty good until more and more people kept getting on until the aisle was completely full with people standing. At least we had seats though! This was perhaps the sweatiest bus journey we had ever taken and Stu felt for those rubbing against his back when we got off. We weren\'t entirely sure where we should be getting off, but since the ticket woman knew where we were headed we figured she would tell us when we got there. Fortunately she did and we were herded off at a bus stop on a busy street (not the big bus station we were expecting) and the ticket woman pointed at two men on motorcycles - we guessed that would be how we would be getting to the train station!! Amy decided that, since she was wearing a skirt, this would be the time to try the asian ladies\' way of travelling on the back of a bike and go side-saddle!!! Not easy with one backpack on your back and one on your lap! We were initially pleased that these drivers were at least wearing helmets, but this just turned out to mean that they were happy to drive a bit faster than those that don\'t have helmets - with no regard to whether or not we would fly off the back!! Whilst riding along we couldn\'t help thinking what our flesh would look like after if we fell off the bike at 40mph. Anyway, we made it safely to the train station which was the main thing. Our train wasn\'t due for another few hours so we managed to store our luggage in the office and go for an explore around the town. Lucky for us, it was the weekend of Chinese New Year and there was a big festival going on in town, so we got to see a traditional dragon dance and well as being stared at by the locals who obviously don\'t see many tourists! One woman even asked us to take her photo - bit strange! (we deleted that one, ahhh the joy of digital..) We eventually head back to the station and play scrabble while we wait for the train. Amy wins by 150 points having got two seven letter words. Stu is pissed off big time. Fortunately our train turned up on time and, although we didnt\' quite get the four bed bunk room we were expecting (more like a corridor with beds either side), it actually wasn\'t too bad as each bed had a curtain across it to give you a bit of privacy. We were hopeful we might actually get some sleep... Monday 30th January 2006 Well, we did get some sleep. But not loads. Unfortunately the air-con that we had paid extra for was a bit too efficient and the blanket not quite thick enough, so we spent most of the night being just a bit too cold - even more annoying when we knew we were likely to be too hot for most of the rest of the journey!! Anyway, we arrived in Tung Song only an hour late at 8.30am. Fortunately our connecting train was also delayed and we get on our next train - a 90 minute journey to Trang costing less than 50p each! No air-con on this one though - just lots of open windows! It\'s getting hotter... We arrive in Trang and are immediately recognised as tourists wanting a minibus to the islands and are quickly ushered into an office where we are sold tickets for an \"air-conditioned\" minibus to Koh Lanta and accommodation for the night - great! Well, it was until the \"air-con\" turned out to be a fan blowing not very cold air! At least we managed to steal the three backseats for just the two of us so at least we had some space! Stu still got a sweaty back again though. After a couple of hours of driving and a couple of short ferry rides we finally arrived at our accommodation. Not entirely what we were expecting, with no sea view, but it was otherwise pretty luxurious for us so, after a bit of argument, we were happy to stay for one night. We decide to head straight to the beach for a swim. The resort was right on the beach (and a beautiful beach it was too) so we didn\'t have far to go. The water was gorgeous and pretty warm. Unfortunately Amy started to feel funny tingly sensations and then a little sting on her arms. Stu thought she was making it up so that they could go back for a nap so insisted it was nothing and that they should stay, until suddenly Amy got a massive sting across the back of her legs and leapt up demanding that they leave immediately!! Stu still wasn\'t convinced, but followed anyway. As we got out of the water Stu realised that she really wasn\'t exagerrating as she had huge red stripes across the back of her legs - and it hurt!! (we\'re still not sure what it was - probably a jellyfish, though we didn\'t see anything and the people at our resort insisted they didn\'t get them!!) Note to reader-When we asked the guy at our accommodation what he thought caused the sting he said \'water mosquitos\'. Now I know that Amy is pretty tasty at the best of times but come on, the mozzies aren\'t learning to do backstroke just so they can attack her underwater!! Anyway, that was enough for us after a long journey and we decide that we will move to a different resort on a different beach in the morning. We decide we might as well investigate now so hire a motorbike and head off up the road to check our what else was on offer. We arrive at a really nice resort (with a pool) and check out the rooms. After showing us their really luxurious rooms they finally show us the cheap fan option - $12 a night and we were sold! We decide to stay there for a drink overlooking the beach, where we were impressed by the great service and look forward to coming back tomorrow. Despite all this we have a really great meal that evening at our original resort right on the beach while watching a guy flinging fire around! Stu wanted him to set his hair on fire but he was too good. Tuesday 31st January 2006 Have a great night\'s sleep and a tasty breakfast before checking out and heading to our new accommodation (free pickup) where we are greeted with a welcome drink - wow! We then head straight to the beach - Amy was feeling brave! The beach was a bit more rocky than the one we had left (but with great rockpools where we saw loads of crabs), but still really nice plus there wasn\'t another soul in sight! We have a lovely dip in the water with no more jellyfish incidents. Head back to the pool where we relax for the rest of the day. Had dinner on the terrace overlooking the beach - grilled Barracuda for Stu and Chicken and Cashew nuts for Amy - very tasty! We head back to the room, where we discover that it isn\'t as insect proof as we thought - hence the price tag! We decide to tape the curtain to the wall to prevent and insects getting in and stuff tissue into the holes in the mozzie grill in the bathroom. Still not content, we then erect, for the first time, the mozzie nets we have carried all the way around south east asia! Monday 1st February 2006 Manage to get up at a decent hour and have a walk along the beach before it gets too hot. Have another quick dip in the sea before heading back to our veranda to read our books. After a swim in the pool in the afternoon we decide to head towards the town to look for an ATM - we had been told it was \"just up the road\". After about a 4km walk along the coast road (great scenery) we finally make it to the town and find an ATM. Unfortunately Amy didn\'t anticipate such a long walk and wore the wrong shoes, getting blisters on her toes. The only option was for Stu to swap shoes with her - he looked like a complete idiot (and VERY GAY) wearing Amy\'s white birkenstocks!!!! But that\'s love for you. Decide that Stu looks too stupid to walk all the way back like that so we get a taxi (actually more like a bike with sidecar) Get back to our resort in time for dinner - a BBQ! We have a mixture of BBQ\'d shrimps and chicken, pork and beef kebabs - one of the best meals we\'d had in ages. Wednesday 2nd February Manage another earlyish rise and do our usual walk along the beach after breakfast. Have a very quick swim before grabbing one of the little shacks on stilts overlooking the beach (they have been full every other day, so Amy was determined to get one today!). Basically lie in our little shack for most of the day, reading and playing scrabble, only leaving for food, toilet and the odd dip in the pool! Later back in our room, while Amy is in the shower, Stu spots the most massive spider ever entering our room (about as big as your hand and I\'m NOT kidding). He warns Amy not to come out of the bathroom but she doesn\'t hear properly and thinks he is talking about a \"huge fly\"! Anyway, by the time she comes out of the bathroom, Stu has lost the spider somewhere near the window, but he knows it is still in the room somewhere... While Stu is searching high and low for the spider, Amy spots and huge shadow from the otherside of the insect grille and points it out to Stu. Unfortunately this is right by Stu\'s head, so when he see\'s it he leaps several metres backwards and begins hyperventilating - Amy realises just how big this thing is! (Still talking about the spider there folks) It has a big body as well as really really long hairy legs. We decide that we need a plan, which after a bit of jumping around, finally works and we get the beast out of our room. Feel glad that we are leaving tomorrow.. Anyway, we manage to enjoy our last meal overlooking the beach, which includes one or two beers. Tomorrow we are doing another massive journey to visit Sammy F in Penang, Malaysia.