Gees, we are REALLY bad at this blog thing aren't we!? I guess the time that has lapsed since the last entry just goes to show we're keeping occupied having fun and less inclined to spend too much time in an internet joint. However, today on Koh Tao (a wee island in the south of Thailand) we just happen to be experiencing monsoonal rain; so I'm taking some shelter.
It seems I have a lot to cover since the last entry six or so weeks ago. Best to start from the here and now and, for your sanity, keep it brief...
If you don't dive in Koh Tao, you may as well not bother coming here. There's 42 dive shops here on this 21sqkm island. Against my cousin, JJ's, advice I signed up for an open water dive course with Scuba Junction. Glad I did. The tropical fish, coral and other marine wild life are awesome. I've seen a couple of moray eels (creepy), sting ray and an octupus which changed colours as it moved. There's a whole other world down there that I'm just finding out about. Don't worry, I won't become a scuba nerd. It's too much faff and expense to get into seriously, but it's great to have the skills for future holidays or trips away with other diving fiends. Not much else happening on Koh Tao except lots of yummy tropical fruit, seafood and Thai cooking being consumed at a rate of knots.
Prior to this, we had a couple of days in Bangkok checking out the markets, eating yummy Thai food from the stalls, riding the commuter ferries, and getting scammed (Ben was on a high for hours after we worked out we were in the middle of a scam. The effort and number of people involved - a 'helpful local', a 'government' tuk-tuk driver, two travel agents, and a 'friendly temple worshiper' - needless to say we didn't buy the latest Armani suits or go to any special shops). We also met up with my 'host sister' from an exchange program, Lekky, and took her out for dinner (for a Japanese meal of course). Great to catch up since my last visit to Thailand about 11 years ago.
Had a rather mad shopping week in Hong Kong and bought our wedding rings and even my wedding dress! (A Chinese style silk number with long slits to dance the night away). Poor ole Ben caught my tummy bug from India, so was out for the count for two days. He made up for it later. We caught up with his brother's sister-in-law, Claudia, who showed us the nightlife and gave us the use of her other apartment in Bangkok. Brilliant.
And then there's India... OK, we need a breather. I'll come back to this. More from us soon. Next stop is Cambodia on 17/7/06. Stay tuned. Love Kel
Then there's India