Thailand: Koh Phi Phi Don & Phuket

We sat on the front of the ferry and enjoyed the breeze off the ocean as we napped and read and watched the giant jellyfish float by on the way to Phi Phi island. Rookie mistake! The wind was misleadingly cool as we burnt to a crisp on the ferry!

Arriving at tonsai village on Phi Phi we were suddenly confronted with tourists, lots of them, and touts, and even westerners working there asking if we want to go diving, snorkeling, see Maya beach, every two steps up the road. This continued the whoooole way along (our hotel is right at the end of the beach) and even when the road finished and we had to walk along the beach there were Thai's sitting in little shelters saying 'taxi boat? taxi boat? where you going?' non stop. But the scenery, and the bungalow, is amazing. We splurged for phi phi and got a really nice bungalow with air con and hot shower and the most incredible postcard view out the window.

Pictures don't do it justice: we can see Phi Phi Ley (a small island, which has Maya beach where 'The Beach' was filmed) straight in front of us, and the end of Phi Phi Don stretching around to the right, obscured by palm trees and frangipanis. The ocean is sometimes silver, pink or dappled blue under cloud, but when there's a clear sky the water glows fluorescent turquoise. The islands and the water and the trees, the sand and the longtail boats bobbing quietly, noses pulled up and wrapped in bright scarves. It's such a quiet, hazy scene, flattened on my retina to look like a screensaver, it's hard to realise I'm actually in it even when I'm standing neck deep in the hot, quiet, salty sea.

We had a couple of fun nights out at the bars on phi phi, there was lots of fire-twirling to watch, and tourists boxing each other for free buckets, and fell in love with the tiniest new born kitten who didn't even have it's eyes open yet. There are millions of stray cats here, and one even camped out on our balcony for a night and a day. We had a news channel in english on our tv which was good to keep up to date with the situation in Bangkok!

We got the ferry to Phuket yesterday and Scott was frothing at the mouth to see Robin Hood, so we went and saw it last night! I've never been to the movies in another country and it was awesome, we got 'premium' seats which are massive and comfy and the seatbacks rock back for 110 baht which is under $4. There is a 5 minute song about the King where everyone stands up to show respect before the film!

Anyway today we're just doing some internet, laundry and buying bits and pieces for Laos. Heading to Bangkok tomorrow (the plan is just to get from the airport to the train station) to train into Laos, so hopefully it goes smoothly.

**Also I'm really happy about the olympus tough digital camera I got duty free at the airport because I was being a ninja on some slippery rocks at Phi Phi and smashed it down on a rock when I landed on it... and not even a scratch!