Finding Nemo!

We are quite simply in Paradise at the moment!!! But before I make you all jealous with that...

Unfortunately on our first night in Thailand the gorgeous food we raved about ended up giving me (Susy) a very bad stomach - ironic considering we'd managed to survive our entire trip in India without an illness!!! After 2 days of illness I ended up having to visit a very nice Thai doc who gave me tablets to get rid of the agonizing cramps and antibiotics to kill all the nasty bugs - have no fear Mother I really am ok and it wasn't too serious really, plus thanks to a change of plans I'm recovering on the most gorgeous beaches you've ever seen!!! And don't worry my parents i've been fine (geth)

As a result of not feeling too great we decided to change our plans around and instead of experiencing the neon lights and ping pong shows of Bangkok (which we are sooooo looking forward too!!) for the first week we headed down South to Andaman Coast. So, on Sunday night we took a bus down to Phuket and then hopped on a ferry to a nearby Island, 20 hours after leaving Bangkok in a VIP bus..... the film choices were a little strange! Walking Tall(the rock) and John Rambo (worst and most graphic film ever). Finally after getting very lost we arrived on THE island in Thailand - Ko Phi Phi! (for those of you who don't know Ko Phi Phi's little sister, Ko Phi Phi Leh, was were the film The Beach was filmed but is not inhabited hence everyone stays on Ko Phi Phi Don which is of the same standard - ahhh yeah!!!) We were not disappointed with our decision to head South for a bit of R&R! The ferry over was a pleasure in itself, the views of all the islands and cruising through deep green sea with the sun on your back was perfect after sitting on a bus for sooooo long!! When we arrived at Ko Phi Phi, whilst staring up at the magnificent limestone cliffs all around us, we hunted around for some budget accommodation - not easy on the island where all the honeymooners hang out! But we managed to find a room in our price range that we could (just about) live in for a night. Then we headed out to explore our new surroundings and gawp at the fact we were in such a stunning place! And the more time we spent out of our 'room' the better! wish we could do this with all the money in the world!

The next day we got up early, rented out some scuba gear and jumped on a long tailboat over to Long Beach. A very surreal experience... as soon as you put your head under the water you're greeted by fish staring right back at you!! Swim a few more feet and your above the reef and into a whole new world! I never actually thought I would experience this kind of thing without being at an aquarium, so many different types of fish, so many different, vivid colours, all swimming about in front of your face! It felt unreal. After swimming about in amazement for an hour and a half we got out and grabbed some food then headed straight back in again! It was on our second swim we found Nemo!! He was going about his business with his Dad in their anenomy home just like in the film!!! Unfortunately after another hour we had to drag ourselves back to a boat in order to get our stuff and catch the ferry to Railay...

Another 2 hours later and we're wading through yet more turquoise sea up to the beach of Railay. We're a staying in some really cute, really basic and really cheap bamboo bungalows on Railay East called Rampalla Bungalows!. Just a 5 minute walk across and your on Railey West Beach which is, once again, heart stoppingly stunning!! White soft sand, clear turquoise sea, walled in by soring limestone cliffs and views of the nearby islands - life really doesn't get much better than this!! We've spent today chilling out on the beach and floating about in the sea and plan to do pretty much the same again tomorrow! There are a couple of coves nearby which may explore tomorrow but it will only be to lie on a different white sandy beach!

We're in Railay for tonight and tomorrow night and then we head to Ko Pha-Ngan where the relaxation takes on a slightly different form - it is THE island for Full Moon parties and pretty much any other party down this end of Thailand, the 12th April is Thai New Year...we'll be staying there from the 11th to the 14th...anymore explaination needed???