So we've just got back from our day out. It was really good. We started the day by getting picked up by a safari jeep looking thing. We were taken to a rural looking place just on the outside of Phuket where we waited a short while for everyone to turn up. First part of the day was a trek on the back of an elephant. We started by going upstream through a shallow brook and then up a steep bank (gem was very scared!) to a large field / wood - there was a track we followed, the ride lasted a good 25 mins. Unfortunatly it was quit cruel. the guide had a stick with a hook on the end which he kept jabbing into poor old nelly to make her go where he wanted her to! - you could see the frustration and pain within the group! - it was upsetting but we just ignored it and try to get on with the day...

after that we took an ox trip (horse and cart style) watched a monkey show, watched how rice is farmed and sown, watched how a thai spicy prawn salad is made (it was supposed to be mild, the cook said she would make it mild for us westerners! it was still really really hot!... then we jumped back in the jeep and went out to see how rubber trees are harvested. it was really strange, the slightest nick of the bark and pure white latex poored out!

We left the rubber behind to go on some canoes, we paddled up stream and boarded a thai long boat to take a short trip back the way we came. Then it was lunch time!

We headed to a place near the beach, surprisingly they served the majority of sea food. We where given crab, squid, chicken and a bit of veg in a few diferent styles. I was hungry so tried a few things... the 'chicken' was nice - the squid was chewy and i bottled out of the crab! - gem managed to pick at the veg, rice and an omlette, so we were both happy. Then we were taken to a jewellery shop! random i know... me and gem flew through that and got a taxi back to the hostel, whcih brings me to where we are now...

things are looking up... not that they were bad before, but i think we are getting more "travel savie" ...it's strange how quickly you learn to carry yourself and arrange things. When we first arived here from Bangkok, pale, holding a map, looking bewildered we must have seemed like easy prey... but now we are getting to grips with things it's becoming easier and in turn more enjoyable...

we just going to chill out for the remainder of the day... perhaps have an afternoon kip?? - it's a hard life here in thailand!..

Wes and Gem xx