beginnings!

I'm sitting in an internet cafe, sweating away in 35+ heat at 8.45pm on Phi Phi Island after a day of snorkeling, kayaking and swimming. There's a lot of laughing and shouting going on, caged birds chirping, and bikes ringing as they squeeze through the streams of people behind me.

The air smells of fresh rice, fish sauce, and night flowers...and I've added to it the tourista smell of insect repellent. It's necessary, I was massacred two nights ago by an army of mosquito's, horrific, i look like i have pocks....Andy wasn't affected at all, damn him, as he has leather tough skin. So jealous!

We had a fleeting stopover in Hong Kong, we headed to town, had noodles and a nosey and like the true backpackers we are, slept over in the airport. Surprisingly bearable when you're jet lagged and exhausted!

We then moved onto Kata, in Phuket, which was, as always, very beautiful and chilled for the two days we had there....apart from the first day when we arrived on Songkran, Thai new years!! It was a full on, island wide, water fight! Everyone was out on the streets with hoses, water guns, buckets, anything they could soak you with... and boy they did! A welcome reprieve in the heat and all friendly fire, sometimes followed by a talcum powdering - sort of a like tar and feathering, but felt more like a cleansing ritual for the new year than medieval torture . The timing was eerily fitting for us with the start of our year of travel.

We're now on Phi Phi, Andy's first time, my second, the beautiful island most will know from The Beach movie. The main industry here's tourism so it's very comfortable. Went to the beach they filmed it at today, its different as its not closed in, but absolutely stunning. We're leaving the main town area tomorrow for a isolated beach oin the other side of the island, Ao To Koh. Looking forward to getting off the tourist trail. Its cool but too many spending temptations, hassling from the scuba divers, suitmakers, accomodation, taxi boat and well everyone with something to sell. I will however miss the little kittens and puppies everywhere, friendly as, seemingly surviving on tourists generosity, many without owners, independant and very tame.

In a few days we'll head to new places I haven't been to before, eastern islands and then northern Thailand. Woohoo!!

more soon and photo's on facebook - Here's a link http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=33386&l=28882&id=694561720 xx

ps - Rach and Vibol - just as you predicted the food is so fricken good, its really hard to resist. i am pretty much made out of pad thai now.

pps - Haines people - please excuse the spelling and bad grammar, I know you'll notice!