Come in island no.8, your time is up!

We had to take a very early pick-up from Khao Sok to get to the pier on time. It was quite dramatic as we watched the sunrise, the dawn of the next leg of our adventure. We stopped in Khao Lak for supplies and were pleasantly surprised by the post tsunami clear-up and the amount of new housing - the kind of housing that everyday folk live in, rather than the mansions we saw being built in parts of Sri Lanka. Although, Khao Lak is also trying to re-invent itself as only a mid and upper range resort we were told, as in Phi-Phi.

We made it to the pier with minutes to spare, and as we eyed the speedboat that was to carry us out to Similan, we realised that we were an add on party with a snorkelling day trip. We were all feeling tired and the prospect that we now had to sail from island to island while very large Russians bobbed about in the water like big beluga whales was not appealing. We would not be reaching our destination of Ko Similan (aka island number 8 - for some reason all the islands are numbered and everyone refers to them by their numbers rather than names) until around 3pm. Now Roisin and I are not the best sailors in the world, and as it turns out neither is Jason - our sea legs are very unstable and despite obediantly taking our anti-sickness pills, Roisin was vomiting violently within minutes. Poor thing felt dreadful - but the kindly Thais supplied her with cold flannels, smelling vapours (for nausea and vertigo - which are really effective), water to sip and more anti-sickness pills (which she promptly vomited up again). Jason and I had to use all of our concentration (and the smelling vapour) not to join in with the vomit-fest!

The islands were amazing - crystal clear aquamarine sea teeming with hundreds of varieties of fish. Huge boulders perch precariously on the cliffs and jungly forest drapes down towards the sea. When we finally reached our port, we were pleased to find ourselves with a large comfortable tent for four pitched on the beach. We were out in the sea faster than you could say 'nemo' and it was just spectacular - despite obvious tsunami damage, it's still beautiful. Jason taught us to dive down and relieve the pressure by squeezing our noses. I felt like the 'Man from Atlantis' as I glided through shoals of big-eyed jacks and fusilier fish. Just fabulous!

Obviously being a National Park, the food was pants and you eat to satisfy hunger and for no other reason. I think we may have all lost a few more pounds. Lee is so light now he's nearing the 10 stone marker. So it's a good job I've lost so much or he'd have been lighter than me, and we can't have that. Fortunately, being familiar with the prison-like food at Tarutao, we came prepared and with our trusty MSR Dragonfly stove, we had cups of tea and noodles aplenty.

We spent a glorious 4 days on Similan, taking boat trips out to the good snorkel sites and just scooting about around the impressive coral close to the shore. The children's snorkelling lessons certainly paid off and they swim with a new found confidence now.

On our return to the mainline, we hopped a snorkelling day trip boat where the occupants clearly felt they had first priority on the boat and left us flailing and falling with four children and our backpacks. Once again, it is farangs who let us down. I nearly dropped the gorgeous Elina as I struggled to land her and a bag on the back of the boat (while the farangs stuffed their faces with fruit and watched). Roisin stumbled into the water as a young woman pushed her way past, to ensure she got her share of fruit perhaps. I started to lose face as the Thais would say, and in my anger, I lurched with the bags to the hull, dropping down to clear the low doorway that leads to the front. Not dropping enough, I struck my head hard sending me flying backwards and desperately trying not to vomit from the pain, I tried to get up but found my legs wouldn't work. The concerned thai boat man helped me to the front and immediately gave me an ice pack, some smelling vapours (damn that stuff is good) and applied Tiger Balm to my swelling head and my acupressure pain points. I woke up the next day feeling like I'd had a small car crash and seem to have a bit of a whiplash type pain in my neck - but fortunately it gets better each day and I'm just glad I don't have to spend more than a few hours with the inconsiderate farangs aboard that boat - ha, they probabaly have to go home after a few weeks!

So we went to Phuket (yes I know, we were equally surprised to find ourselves there). Phuket town was rather nice and Patong beach was rather horrid, but as a stopover to pick up a bus to Satun, we couldn't complain. We stayed in cheap rooms in town and we headed to Patong to say bon voyage to our Swiss friends who were flying up to Bangkok. We hope to see them in Laos, where Moni and I have made plans involving bikes, red wine, brie and baguettes.

So now for some more aquamarine paradise at Tarutao National Marine Park and the idyllic Ko Lipe - we're racing to stay ahead of the monsoon just now, so we plan to fly from Hat Yai to Bangkok to kickstart the northern leg of of journey.

Jungle Jackie Reports...

After a large breakfast and a quick map check, we set off trekking into the park. Following the well marked trail, we comfortably made it to the first two waterfalls (more like rapids over some rocks really, but pretty all the same) and a rather nice swimming hole about 3km along the trail. The next part of the trek led us into the jungle proper, with dense forest and steep paths (and crazy tree roots that looked prehistoric). We made it to the 5km waterfall (some more rapids) and lazed about on the rocks eating biscuits. The scenery was incredibly dense with so many shades of green and as the wind picked up we felt the rain on its way, so headed back in the much needed cooling showers.

The next day we took a steep jungly climb with a guide, and a rather active dutch family, in search of the worlds largest flower, the rafflesia. It was very rewarding when we finally found it, exhausted and sweaty, we all skipped and slid our way back down the mountainous karste for a glorious roast dinner specially prepared by Shaun at Traveller's Rest (he made an ingenious veggie roast from our sosmix served with all the trimmings). A little taste of home goes a long way with two tired and hungry 7 year olds, and after five months on the road (can you believe it already!).

Despite our exhaustion, the next day we took a boat trip across the lake and went caving through the Namtaloo caves. A bit scary in places, and we all took a few tumbles but we made it through and the children were really proud of themselves, as were we. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the other farangs (foreigners/westerners). Despite being in a group of eleven, others were less than helpful when people fell in or got left behind (and thus in darkness after I dropped the torch down a deep watery cavern - I think it may still be glowing away at the bottom of the pool). You can tell alot about people by the way they treat the weakest members of a group. Ho hum...

On a friendlier note, we met a wonderful family from Switzerland and have been having a fine old time with them. It was a somewhat serendipitous meeting as I felt like going home at that point, having been pushed past the point of exhaustion by the children and wondering whether travel is really that good for their behaviour. Then we met Jason and Moni, travelling for five months with Niki (4) and Elina (3 and majorly cute). We shared our stories and stresses and top tips, and all felt much better for it I think. They invited us to come to the Similan Islands with them - one of the world's top 10 dive sites and since we are in possession of some fine new snorkelling gear, we decided it'll be something special, so Similan here we come!

Bangkok to Khao Sok National Park

After a fab few days in Bangkok - stuffing our faces with pad thai and shopping for snorkels, masks and fins, we departed for the south on an overnight train to Surat Thani (a kind of tropical Trafford Park). It's pretty hot in Thailand now and we decided we wanted to visit the islands in the Andaman Sea before weather stops play (usually around May). This does mean however, we will have to hightail it back to Bangkok in a few weeks, zipping up to Laos before it gets too hot there and their rainy season starts.

One of our Bangkok purchases was an acoustic guitar. After Simon's inspirational influence in Goa, we decided to relearn something we both used to enjoy in the past. We've downloaded lots of our favourite songs and both have incredibly blistered and sore fingers. When we were on the train, the Thai train attendant sat down and started playing for us. A guitar is such a brilliant way to bring people together and within minutes we had made new friends, both Thai and from home.

So now, we are chilling in our beloved Khao Sok National Park. It has changed a little bit since we last came but not so much that it's lost its charm. They have email now and for some reason appear to trying to redirect the river near Rainforest Resort resulting in much digging and disturbance. We headed up to Our Jungle Huts who were unfortunately fully occupied, so we had to settle for the rather expensive Art's Guesthouse for one night (still cheaper than Sri Lanka though). Now we have settled into Morning Mist Guesthouse and it is truly lovely, with a splendid restaurant and a bargain to boot (550 Bht per night - about 8 quid). We have a four bed sturdy treehouse with spectacular views, even while you're having a shower!

Yesterday we went tubing down the river with 3 stoned Israelis and an Aussie woman called Adie (who has been living here for a year working in a guesthouse). We were all exhausted afterwards and went for dinner at Travellers Rest. This is Shaun's new guesthouse and restaurant (he used to run Nirvana bar). He is originally from Cornwall and is a great cook so the children have not lacked any home comforts on the food front.

So far we have encountered rather alot of snakes. The first one was a rather aggressive Bornean Pit Viper that refused to take Shaun's warnings not to try and come in the restaurant and ended up being knocked unconscious and flung across the river. Then we saw a Streamside skink, which are snake-like lizards that are smooth and shiny and move like snakes but have little lizard-like legs - very cute and not at all dangerous (unlike the viper which is both venomous and dangerous according to the little photographic book of snakes). We also saw a harmless river snake. Then today, Roisin found a Red-necked Keelback which the book describes as "uneven-tempered" and dangerous (although not fatally so, except to buffalo). Obviously, we make sure our mossie nets are well tucked in at night and carry torches after dusk. We have also heard that the elephants have been a bit lairy of late and one has to be careful on the trails in the park. Anke (our German friend from the Black Forest) asked the guide "what should one do if encountering the elephant?" He said run away as fast as you can! Tomorrow we're off on a 10km hike into the park to seek out gorgeous waterfalls and if we're lucky, some gibbon calls and not too many dangerous snakes.

Some thoughts on Sri Lanka....& moving on

After Yala, we headed to a busy stretch of beach just outside Galle, called Unawatuna. Now Johnny and Caroline might want to post their own comments about this as obviously everyone has their own opinion, but we weren't so keen.

We saw some of the devastation from the tsunami in Kirinda near Yala. We took an evening stroll down to the beach. I don't think we really though too much about what we were going to see. The first thing that strikes you are the broken boats still on the roadside, some over 1km inland. They appear like memorials. Then as you approach the coastline, it's really quite shocking. Entire houses ripped from foundations (the wave wiped out shanti villages and housing, but was powerful enough to take out well built houses too). Huge pieces of brick wall and concrete flung here there and everywhere; entire areas where all you can see are the floorplates where the houses used to be. The wave came into Yala park by 2km and 47 people died there. There's a memorial where the park office and cafe used to be. The land is now several feet lower than where the ground used to meet the steps of the floorplate of the old cafe. People were having their breakfast when it struck. The wave was over 40 ft here. Trees & shrubs ripped from their roots lie dead between phenomenal new growth (Sri lanka is so green and clearly gets plenty of rain and sun - judging by how bitten we all got too - but it means the forests are repairing themselves). Our Yala guide was in his groovy open top Landrover and he got swamped by the first smaller wave, managed to start the engine again (good old Landrover) and hit reverse as fast as possible - he survived by a matter of minutes. People looked genuinely surprised to see us in Kirinda, especially going down to the beach.

Now Unawatuna was a different story altogther. It's stunning scenery, with aquamarine seas and white sandy beaches all along the coast, but the road runs very close to the beach most of the way down, as does the railway line. In a lot of areas, they've not been allowed to build within 150m of the coast (as of last week the government have changed their mind). Anyway, despite the amount of work going on it's still looks very ropey in places - derelict buildings, big sand dumps, major culvert works that stink and people living still in tents. Unawatuna was also ridiculously expensive compared to what we had been paying, even in Sri Lanka. You seemed to get ripped off everywhere, with inflated prices (3 times what they were 18mths ago - what with all those NGO executives filling the hotels, it's a sellers market) and ridiculous overcharging ($1 for a single printed b&w sheet), constant short changing, dodgy billing (we were over charged about 4000 SL rupees at one guesthouse) and charity profiteering that leaves a VERY bad taste in your mouth. My advice would be don't visit the busy parts of the south coast for a few years yet. It's not just the damage, which is still very visible - it just seems so miserable (hardly surprising) and not a very chilled friendly atmosphere.

We reluctantly stayed in Colombo to try and get Indian visas but it was going to take at least a week and would cost an outrageous amount for us to return to India and travel up to Sikkim, so we decided to cut our losses and depart Sri Lanka as soon as possible.

We hopped a flight the next night and now we are in the glorious Bangkok - WE LOVE THAILAND. We haven't been hassled once - it's cleaner than any of us remember, although I think our frame of reference has been drastically altered by experiences in India. We've got a great place to stay in Banglampu with two fabulously clean rooms for under a tenner, the best food in the world (everywhere) and its cheaper than chips - hoorah!

So we're as happy as pigs in Pakistan and are really pleased we made the right decision to spend more time in SE Asia. Judging by the impact of the tsunami in Sri Lanka, we had our doubts about what it was going to be like in Tamil Nadu - it's not nice being emotionally manipulated by so much scamming, and I imagine the Indian government is even more corrupt with its distribution of charity money, than is evident in Sri Lanka (the government have yet to make their Dec '05 payment to refugees).

On a lighter note, we also realised we would hit the rainy seasons in Laos, Cambodia and Southern Vietnam, as well as the Andaman coast in Thailand, if we had arrived here much later. So it's off to Khao Sok and then Tarautao National Park in Southern Thailand. Then we're off to Northern Thailand and into Laos by March. We then plan to fly into south Vietnam at the end of March and fly out from the North back into Laos for the start of April. Finally we'll return via Cambodia and enter north-east Thailand. Jungle mayhem and we can't wait!