So, lots to add since leaving the North tour...
We got back to Bangkok, it didnt smell any better yet, and went for a group breaky-had cereal for the first time in ages!! whoo. we were suprisingly excited by this. then we just chilled in our hotel room afyer all that excitement. at the end of the day we said goodbye to Mr Dodi (we heart him, BIG BANANA! we love him long time) and met our new leader, Mai. we liked to call her Mai Thai, the reason is threefold- its funny, its rhymes, shes thai and its the name of a fabulous cocktail much favoured by our group! ok, four fold. most of our group was the same fom the north which was wicked (minus Eddy, Katie (englsih katie that is) and Jen and Bryant). and we met three new people- Kate, Matt and Henry. we went out for dinner then back to the hotel. here we started a quest to find some milk for our oreos! it was hard and were not going to sugar coat any of the details...first charly called reception and asked for a glass of milk and was brutally turned down saying she had the wrong number. when she called the right number there was somewhat of a language barrier... ''id like just a glass of milk'' ''milk and tea?'' ''no, just milk'' ''so milk and tea'' ''no, JUST milk'' ''so what room for your milk and tea?'' this went on. so she hung up. we then ventured shoeless downstairs and ended up paying the best part of three quid on milk! golden cow?! ...ok and a brownie as by this piont we had earnt it. it wasnt worth it.
next day we had a group breakfast and then chilled in bangkok for the day before getting back on the night train south. after this it was a two hour bus journeyt to Koh Sok national park. it was really pretty here, bit like the jungle and next to the restaurant was a river which we swam in, much warmer than the ones up north. there was also a rope swing over the river which provided lots of entertainment. here there were also wild monkeys all over the place! they were well cute. that night we had a meal then went to Freedom bar by our little jungle huts and the cocktails were flowing! by the end of the night, after drinking cocktails like water, Alison danced on and fell through a table and Mel broke a chair!! haha good times.
the next day we got up early to eat before all going on a tour to this lake/dam that we cant remember the name of. it was really nice here, really scenic and massive! we caught a boat to one of the islands on the lake and trekked 1km to the other side of it before having a swim. we then got in anopther boat to go to a coral cave which was cool. Gem and Mel licked a rock..i forget why, the tour guide jsut told us to! then back to trek back to the first boat. on the way back down Gem's knee went AGAIN! grr. but its ok coz we had the best lunch EVER after that! it was so tastey and we had fresh fish from the lake. Gem and Katie dared each other to eat the fish eyes! they're harder than you'd expect! then we were swimming in the lkae and Mel and Charly started to swim to a island in the middle whilst Gemma dived in and then swam into a metal bar underwater! *bruised face!* but that provied Gem and Katie with much laughter when she resurfaced. by this point charly and mel were miles away so Gem and Katie got a kayak to catch them up. when got to them Gem jumped off to tip katie and the boat but it backfired as we then sunk it trying to get back in!! we had to tow it back whilst trying not to drown laughing all the way back to the edge of the lake. the locals didnt find it that funny... later we got another 2 kayaks for the 4of us and actually kayaked rather than sinking them and we had a race- gem and katie won!
next day we had to be up at 4.30am to get a ferry to Koh Samui. we would like to take this opportunity to share Gemma's personal growth with you all as she honestly has not been cranky in the mornings like normal, has in fact been just chipper! even when getting up at 4.30!
hotel in Koh Samui was really nice right on the beach and with a nice pool. Mai Thai took us to restaurant where you ate on the beach which was cool. and there were entainers like fire throwing people and we held a little monkey! after this we went to a ladyboy show!! funniest thing ever! nothing has ever held charly's concentration longer! she was mesmerised! it was amazing though! some were really convincing! and some were really not! one looked massively like kerry katona. they sang all the classics...whitney, christina aguilara...magical! then Pregnant (aka Brendan) along with other men got calle dup on stage which was sooo funny! they had to dress as women and dance! hillarious, fair play Brendan. and one of them even called in Pregnant again when he got asked his name!
Next day we chilled on the beach most of the day. we thoughts we'd be active so bought a bat and ball but katie soon came along to ruin our fun!! she provoked Gemma with an act of violence (splashing) and forced Gemma to break her bat whilst trying to splash he back with it. that game was over. that evening we opted for a mexican meal in town, cocktails agian flowing anf then us, katie, henry and matt went to an english bar for a few drinks and watched a bit of football.
all in all good start to the southern trip, next onto Koh Tao