iain goes bananas

So, a quick update on my progress then.
Nathalie arrived in Bangkok on Wednesday. Of course she gets to fly business class, sleep in the cockpit crew rest and stay at the 5 star crew hotel. Must be nice to have friends in high places (get it? high places?, oh well). We had a few drinks and a bite to eat - it was great to see her.
The next morning I got on a plane to Phuket. On the plane I decided that I'd try to get on the ferry to Phi Phi the same day, so I spent exactly 40 minutes on Phuket. Hopped on the ferry and here I am!
The ferry ride was great. Beautiful scenery, gorgeous weather. Of course I hadn't bought any sunscreen yet, so the hour and a half on the boat was enough to turn me bright red ;-).

When we turned into the bay to dock I got a little sad, remembering December 26, 2004 and the friend I lost here. But mostly I just gazed around in awe. Completely gobsmacked by the sheer beauty of the island. Wow!

Of course the village is a construction site, so not very attractive in itself, but the views from it are to die for.
Compared to Bangkok, it's very expensive, but that was to be expected. Yesterday upon arrival I marched straight towards a diveshop that gets good reviews, Viking Divers. Parked my backpack and asked them to recommend somewhere to stay. Worked out fine!
Then of course I overslept this morning. Just forgot to set the alarm. So woke up at 8. Too late for the dive trip I had arranged. Absolutely gutted, but will make up for it tomorrow. Had a relaxing day eating, drinking and reading 'the beach', which seems like the appropriate reading material here.

I've worked out how to upload pictures too! Finally! So have fun with those.

cheers,
i

Well, I survived 'one night in Bangkok' - - and yes, i get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine. Khao San Rd gets very interesting after midnight: everyone still standing is invariably staggering drunk and surprisingly, usually British! That is, except for this Brit, of course. Sad thing about that is that it's true. I blame jetlag. That, and the fact that the Thai girls are beyond scary, they're absolutely petrifying ;-).

Had my first banana pancake of 2007 this morning - felt tremendously good about that ;-). Almost a traveller now. Of course, I enjoyed it in the comfort of a very nice cafe on Rambuttri Rd, instead of sitting on the pavement in Khao San Rd. But I'm getting there, slowly but surely.

In another area of progress - you have no idea how having no agenda opens up possibilities - as I slowly enter the 21st century, I have armed myself with a digital camera. Now all I need to do is learn how to get the amazing pictures I'll undoubtedly be taking uploaded to this blog, and I'll be able to dazzle you with the sights of Thailand.
Just arranged travel to my next port of call: Phuket. Following in the footsteps of Leonardo, I'll be heading for Koh Phi Phi, most likely.

That's all for now. Off for another night in Bangkok ;-)

And so it begins. Left Amsterdam yesterday evening in a haze of apprehension, devastation and excitement, but with a vague sense that everything will be alright again soon. And let's face it, there are worse places to recuperate and reflect - okay, there are better ones too...
Landed in Bangkok a few hours ago. Avoided getting ripped off by the taxi driver on my way to the guest house on Khao San Rd (one point for me!). Did get absolutely drenched as soon as I got out of the taxi. Turns out it's the last day of the Thai New Year festivities, which apparently involves chucking water on everything that moves.

Got my single room in the guesthouse. Very cheap, very clean, I was promised. And it turned out to be true! Okay, I confess, I chickened out and got the aircon. Sue me. I'm new to this. Of course it wasn't turned on, so I showered and by the time I had got changed I was drenched again. I've missed this so much! ;-)

Next, I did the right thing and ordered myself a Chang beer and pad thai. Yummy. Well, not half bad, anyway.

So, no real adventures yet, but just wanted to let everyone know that I've arrived safely (just in case anyone was wondering). Watch this space for more action packed stories!

recent events have caused nathalie and I to rethink our plans. in short, i'll be travelling alone. but never fear, i shall start a new blog in this space - i plan to leave early next week for thailand, so you'll all still be able to keep up (or not) with my antics in the orient.

cheers,
iain

The last days in Amsterdam. Getting ready for the big plunge.
We've got our hiking boots, our shots, and our tickets to Kathmandu. Saying goodbye to all our friends is fairly unreal, but this time next week we should be on a plane zooming towards the rising sun.

This being the first entry into this blog and all (actually the first entry I've ever made in any kind of blog), I'm not quite sure where this is going. So, I'll get back to you later when I have something slightly more intelligent to offer.

cheers,
i