Phuket 15 August

While we were on Phi Phi Island I noticed that the sand was white on top but just underneath black, volcanic sand I assumed, then I discovered it is actualy the silt left over after the tsunami. There are still pieces of brokrn tile everywhere and bungalows being rebuilt. Some areas are still abandoned and many of the post cards you buy still show the area pre tsunami with twice as many palm trees as currently reside in the shallow wedgew of land that lies between the two main beaches of Phi Phi Don.

It seems every weekend at the moment is a long one (yay) bring on the four day week, Last weekend was the Queens birthday, the weekend before Buddhist lent, this weekend they have a referendum (perhaps it will stop the rioting in Bangkok). It means no alcohol sales from midnight the day before, apparently Thai people can't be trusted to not kill each other in an alcohol fuelled frenzies if they have different political opinions (or if the prevailling party is not the one they desire). Weird but true some people take their politics that seriously, unfortunately a large proportion of voters are hopelessly under informed, ill informed or simply misinformed as the government tightens controls on media outlets, and restricts access to sites like you tube and other public forums. Perhaps a democracy will be voted on in October as promised but if this new constitution is not passed perhaps not. In the mean time we will have to buy our alcohol on non-election days and have pool parties on the long weekends while the citizens of this land are taking care of business.

Later N.J.

2 August

The long weekend started in the rain (but it is rainy season!) we caught the boat out to Koh Phi Phi the vessel featured a tour guide with princess leia hair buns, and they looked extremely odd on him, but he didn't seem to notice and I failed in my attempts to photograph him so your just going to have to take my word for it till the next time I go to Phi Phi.

Any way the weather cleared as we approached Phi Phi Don, we quickly found ourselves a beach bungalow (with swimming pool) and headed out to explore the surrounds. The town was bigger than I expected and totally orientated to tourism, in fact it seems hard to imagine there is employment of any other sort on the Island.

The weekend was fabulous, I got in that sea kayaking, took on a wild monkey (he wanted my cinnamon swirl and I wasn't prepared to give it up) I was armed with a kayak paddle, he was merely armed, (I guess that's why they call it an arms race).

There was lots of swimming, the food and cocktails on the beach at sunset were fabulous, the midnight banana and chocolate pancakes were great.

We went to the viking cave where there are rock paintings of viking ships (reported to be only 100 years old mind you, I wonder if people in a centuries time will go to visit my graffitii if I did it with ochre on a cave wall.

We went to visit Maya bay, made famous as the set for the hollywood movie "the beach" it is swarming with tourists (and this is low season!).

Even had time for my first rock climb since Australia, all good, but got back to school knackered. Just in time for a class field trip to the zoo, tried to feed some students to the crocodile but they simply weren't interested (too well fed) curses maybe next time.

Well it's the middle of the night (again) time to catch some zzz's promise to post some photos on the weekend.
Love N.J.