Thailand

Today we hired a driver and went to some of Phuket's attractions. Tong, our driver, took us to the Phuket Zoo. We saw three different shows. First there was the monkey show - it was quite cute and really funny but at the same time was still sad to see animals in those conditions. Between the shows i fed a baby elephant bananas - it was so cute. Then we saw a crocodile wrestling show - the trainers worked the crocodiles into a frenzy then wreslte them - it actually seemed quite dangerous. Then we saw an elephant show - they were so well trained - they could even play soccer. After the show ended we visited the aquarium and avaiary but there was nothing really to write home about.

Our driver then took us to a 'really cheap' place for lunch - which of course was expensive and not very good. He then took us to a gem factory - nice but still wasn't going to buy any. Then we were taken to a local shopping mall which was cheap and quite fun.

We got back to the hotel and went out for dinner - mine was terible - a bad day for food. Later that night we went to Banana Disco - a local nightclub. It was so much fun - lots of dancing and an eclectic mix of dancers - stayed until closing time (2am) and then went back to the hotel for some well earned rest and relaxation.

Today we had a very busy day. After a quick breakfast we travlled around to all the tour companies and booked ourselves seats at a cabaret for tonight. We had lunch and spent the afternoon exploring by ourselves. I went shopping but held off on buying anything.

After a delicious dinner of Thai fried noodles and gravy we headed of in a bus to the famous Simon Cabaret. Simon Cabaret is a drag show but it is so much more than that. We had VIP seats and were so close to the stage. The show was a fantastic spectacle and parts of it made me burst out laughing. Some of the drag queens were completely feminine - couldn't tell them apart from real women, however some were still quite masculine. The show was great and i'm sure will prove to be a highlight of the trip.

When we got back from the show the festival was still going so we stayed out for a while longer. We were offered a chance to see a 'ping-pong' show but we had to decline! Finally we made our way back to the hotel for a well needed rest.

A busy day today. Spent the morning shopping - got a few bargains. We had a quick lunch and then headed off to the beach. Unlike Bail you have to pay to sit on the beach chairs - although it is not expensive. The water is nice but doesn't seem to be as warm as before.

After dinner we went out and to our luck there was a festival on that night. The Loy Krathong Festival -

Under the full moon, Thai's float way onto waterways, Krathongs, small lotus shaped banana leaf boats, containing a lighted candle, glowing incense, a flower and a small coin to honour water spirits and to wash away the past years sins.

We watching a dancing show - lots of 'ladyboys' and then we headed of for a drink at one of the bars. There are lots of bars but unfortunately most of them cater to men - sadly there seems to be an awfully large amount of prostitution in Phuket. Phuket doesn't come alive til after 11pm so it was our first real late night escapade.

Today we arrived in Phuket after leaving Phi Phi Island behind. Spent the morning sunbaking by the pool. Met a nice group of British tourists who had just come from Phuket and who were travelling to Australia after Thailand. We then said goodbye to our hotel and boarded the ferry back to Phuket pier. After another 2 and a half hour boat ride we caught a bus to our hotel which took another hour but we finally got there. The hotel is really nice (Comfort Resort)and our room is extremely spacious. We are basically right on the beach - only a road seperates us and we have a view of the beach from our balcony.

We went out to dinner and had some excellent thai food. Went to bed realtively early tonight as we were so tired from all the moving about. There a heaps of shops near us but we will try our bargaining skills out tomorrow. Tomorrow we will go exploring and hopefully find a few bargains!. Went out for a drink but we seemed to be the only ones under 30 there so our night ended pretty early.

Another hot day in Thailand. Woke up early this morning - body not yet used to Thai Time - 4 hours behind. Sepnt the morning sunbaking by the poolside - finished reading the Davinci Code - loved it. Had lunch at the restaurant - tried a Thai curry for the first time - have found a new favourite meal. We walked along the beach - the views are spectacular - lots of islands and not a cloud in the sky.

In the afternoon we hired snorkels and went snorkelling in the ocean outside the hotel. It was amazing - there were so many fish so close to the shore. There were ltos of different kinds - on that kept trying to attack me. The water is warm here - it felt like i was in a bath!

Spent the rest of the afternoon reading on the beach before trying the traditional dish of Pad Thai for dinner - it was delicious. Early to bed again - no TV to keep us entertained so we played cards. Tommorow we leave for phuket - really excited!