Last Stop Bangkok

Sooo...we're back in Thailand AGAIN - must be love but it was damn hard to leave Australia. Life was easy, the folks were friendly and the sights were awesome. We ate too much, drank too much, spent too much but ya only live once. I liken Australia to China only in that everything there is big and spectacular and it's a long way between destinations if you want to travel the country. I reckon we will go back some day. Hey to Pat and Mike and Brett and Helen and Deb and Martin and Shawn and Phil and and Sandy and Glenn and all the great folks we got to spend time with, it's always the people who make the destination and you all made Australia an amazing experience for us! Our last days were spent running around getting India visa squared away, seeing sights we missed such as the view of the harbour from the top of the bridge pylons, walking around a lot, Pat and Mike took us on a walk around an area called Cronulla, and our last night we went to the Brass Monkey bar and saw a couple of amazing players and singers.

Lasting impressions of Australia...beetroot in hamburgers (yuk), Big John's caeser salads (yum), miles and miles of white sand beaches, the plasticized Chinese people (um..ask if you want to know), the Olmpic site (wow), the amazing harbour (WOW), the art museums, visiting wine country, the super hospitality, not winning the lottery (bummer), the shopping centre (only cause we spent so much time there), kebabs, boat trips and the zoo and the heat (different than anywhere else), the aquarium and watching a manta ray and school of dolphins on the sunshine coast, not seeing Russel Crowe, losing my sunglasses (ouch) and so much more..

So, on to misadventure, one night in Bangkok (hmm that could be a song) and then on to Phuket where we are now. First day here we rented motos again and in a moment of blinding stupidity (of which I seem to be having many on this trip) I SMASHED my ankle into the curb, short turn, miscalculation and whammo! And now I suffer...it's rather gruesome to look at but merely a flesh wound and bruised (as is my ego). Needless to say we are taking it very easy these next few days to heal up for India - can't imagine limping around there, could be mistaken for a local. We are back staying at our lovely Kata Villa with pool and restaurant directly (exactly) across the road from the beach but as finances would have it, we will move to the less centrally located Divers Inn where we have to walk 5 minutes to the beach...ah life is hard sometimes.

Things have changed here tremendously in the past 4 months since we've been gone. New buildings, in fact new building complexes, new bars; shops have changed hands and personnel have changed or moved on. It's amazing how much a place can change in 4 months! We had discussed buying a bar that was up for sale here but now think better of it as there is so much competition out there and the bars that attract are those that employ the "girls". Not our scene so that scheme is out. Who knows what else will pop up in the next 5 months though.

We are back to Bangkok next week and the next blog will be from there, that is if I don't sever a limb or some such other bloody thing.