Krabi

I knew after seeing the frayed fabric on the artificial flowers that this place wouldn't be as nice as where we'd been staying in Bangkok; the rooms are that much older and the breakfast that much greasier. But it's not bad - plenty of geckos running up and down the coconut trees outside our balcony. Yeah, some of the scenery is not too bad at all.. Not having taken resort holidays before, I'm not used to poolside areas with scandinavian kids screaming and people getting the best poolside chairs, or running the gauntlet of Indian tailors that line the journey from the hotel and its run down surroundings, to the beach side strip of shops and restaurants (and guy ambushing everyone with a monkey in his arm) that is Ao Nang. Hello saaa, How you, wheh you from? 'Merica? Engla? Krabi province is of full beaches with views of small craggy islands which can only be reached by long tail boat. So when we didn't stay put at the hotel we bought return tickets on these rickety boats, hiding from the scorching rays under the tarpaulin roof, and then bought lunch off similar boards moored on the islands themselves - phad thai cooked there and then on a floating kitchen for pennies; but so many other tourists, especially around Phi Phi island. There were of course day tours and trips to everywhere. A big one was the chance to go to James Bond Island (but seeing as that was from the really dodgy Man with a Golden Gun I gave it a miss). Instead we went for a tour if the islands, including that one from the Beach, Phi Phi. As part of our the tour I was glad to get the chance to get another go at snorkelling and vowed I'd swallow less seawater in the attempt. I didn't improve much, and where the coral wasn't as spectacular as in Queensland, the water was full of fish centimeters from my snorkel. It's been such a long time since I've swam in the ocean - I never realised that the sea could be as calm and warm as a swimming pool (warmer in fact)