Life on the ocean wave !!

22nd July - up and at it, picked up for our snorkelling and kayaking trip out at 42 islands where the one we are visiting was a volcano and now its crater is a blue lagoon - for those remotely interested the film " the beach" was filmed here!! Brian was !!! Nice people on board - a few Irish , jocks and Indians .. Not red ones .. real ones on their honeymoon.. they looked knackered .... cos their wedding was 3 days long .. Jesus .

Anyway off we went and pulled up at this lovely deserted beach hopped in a kayak and hawaii 5 o ed it about in and out of caves etc.. then hiked up and up some sodding steps to see the blue lagoon which was pretty awesome ... apart from obviously the other 100 people coming down at the same time ... !!
It was back on the boat to go to another beach for snorkelling ... that is until the " perfect storm " rolled in.. OMG it was horrendous , we had to rescue two fishermen in a long tailed boat who were being whipped about.. they came on board looking very shaken and white.. as I wrapped my towel around one of them I noticed he had " lifeguard " written on his bright orange top.... The snorkelling was off and survival was on !!! a stugeron tablet later and a lay down across Brians' legs I was praying the trip would be over ... Boy was I pleased to see dry land and I could put my three words to rest - Zeebrugge, Titanic and Marchioness !!!
Went out for a post survival dinner that night and laid on cool loungers on the beach with candles lit around us , listening to cool sounds being spun by the DJ.... we are well buff !!
23rd July
So eating food here is like playing Russian roulette where the bullet is MSG ... woke with the most dreadful headache .... but new tabs worked a treat ... hooray...laid by pool listening to very funny pod casts I had downloaded and kept Brian awake all day laughing... looked for my kingfishers and saw them again.. Brian says he loves birdwatching - its the only thing that keeps me nice and quiet ....Leaving Koh Samui tomorrow... if I had booked this for two weeks or as a honeymoon would have been disappointed ... Still dont know what I am looking for but we have not found it in Koh Samui !!!!!
24th July

Arrived in Chang Mai.... hmmm.... very noisy , hot , markets selling same old tutt... English bars.. its a bit like being in Soho but in 90 degrees ....hoped in a tut tut and went to a beautiful temple called Doi Suthep ...

The story goes .... bear with me on this one !! A famous monk was looking for a place for a new temple , as you do , and said he would build one where his pet white elephant stopped !! imagine the size of his pooper scooper !!!  Unfortunately for the builders this was up a  1000m  jungle covered mountain ... honestly huh elephants !! who would have them !! so anyway the elephant trumpeted 3 times , turned around 3 times and fell down dead ... now without getting too personal ... that sounds similar to what was going on in our bathroom last night ... only I believe Brian wished he was dead... You certainly could have built a temple on top of it by all accounts... poor old Brian ...The temple was awesome, great views , lots of gold etc, lots of Buddha with huge long ears that  they could hear the grass grow .. or rice paddies at least ..Lots of lovely monks wandering around with shaven heads and saffron robes !! one on his mobile !!! wonder what his ring tone is - ohommmmmmmmmmm !!! hello - Harry Monk here !!!!  Anyway enough about me !!!! just writing this up before heading out and and early night ready for our cookery course tomorrow !! Have a lovely lovely holiday Jo , Nick , Daisy, Henry, Tilly and Mum ... Thanks Kate for having the dogs ...XXXXX Also Happy Birthday Ethan for tomorrow if I don't get to speak to you sweet cheeks XXXXXX