Fish In The Sea

"Do you know what I like most about you, Simon? That I can get you a 40% discount on gems."

1 - Us & the gem sales girls

After an emotional departure from Hong Kong we have arrived in Bangkok. Got a dirt cheap flight with Ethiopian Airlines. Was actually really nice. All these Ethipoian guys were trying to check in the most massive bags I have ever seen. You could have fit about 4 people in to them. One guy even asked if we'd mind carrying some of his stuff for him as he had too much. Carrying someone else's gear in to Thailand? Yeh right.

Bangkok is 'same same'. Staying in the old reliable K.S. House which is good, but alot quieter without the Crazy Monkey crew.

2 - Us with Angela & her travel buddy

The first day we got here was the last day of the Thai new year, which is celebrated with a city wide Water Festival. All the streets were jammers with people throwing water and some kind of clay at each other. Totally mental. There's no welcome to Bangkok like that of a lady boy smearing an unknown substance on your face.

Needless to say within about 2 minutes of leaving our place we were drenched.

We're totally being stalked by these gem salesgirls, so we're afraid to hit khosan road anymore, which is probably for the best. Thai girls can be pretty overwhelming and aggressive...it's like being back in Equant (joking obviously).

Anyway, the big news is that we have now booked our flight to Oz. We arrive in Melbourne on the 11th May. We're no longer going to Cairns to meet up with our friends. That's fallen through. As I see it it's because women are 'uncontinuous', but I'm sure they'd see it differently. It's probably for the best.

3 - Mike & Our Travel Agent

In my [limited] experience I think if you go against what you really want to do and try to accommodate a girl it often turns out they:

(a) have been scoring some guy named Danny

(b) have been scoring some guy named Robert

(c) have been scoring some other guy

(d) want your soul

(e) are psycho

(f) all of the above

Because of the way our flights to Oz are working we have to spend a night and a day in 'Nam....all accommodation and meals paid for. How lucky is that? Pretty unexpected though...was like finding out I was getting drafted.

So that means we have about 3 weeks here in Thailand. So we're going down south to Koh Tao tomorrow and are doing a 4 day scuba diving course to earn our Open Water Certification (Ed, how jealous are you???). And then it'll be on to a beach to chill out. Life is tough, huh?

4 - Me & Our Travel Agent

5 - Fire Exit