I was a bit nervous when I landed in Singapore that I would have to fly straight back out again because of all the fuss the Australians made about me not having a printed ticket out of Singapore but there was no mention of it at all, all good. Next obsacle...train to hostel. Thankfully a nice man showed me how to work the ticket machine as I totally could not work it out!
The train was chocca so I had to stand with my massive bags then noticed these little 12 year olds grinning and waving at me and they excitedly offered me their seat. They were so cute I could've eaten them right there and then but instead I politely declined as for one I thought that might scare the hell out of them and two there was no way I'd be able to negotiate my way through to the seat!!

I got to the hostel without drama and it was really lovely. It was a 30 bed dorm but it didn't feel overcrowded and the staff were so friendly. I made myself at home and got chatting to a couple of Aussie guys in the kitchen. It crazily turned out that one of them was from Cape Tribulation and good friends with 'the boy', Jack, who took us sea kayaking!!! ARGH, we realised this AFTER I'd described our experience!! Doh. Luckily he found it very funny and took down the web address for our blog! haha

We went to China Town for dinner and found an offer of 3 longneck Tiger beers for 15sgd - bargain!!! So we had a few you could say and got into a political debate - yes, Debstar bright and shining who knows nothing of politics got into a political debate. Basically this meant that I agreed with what the older guy was saying so let him make a point and then I would continue to repeat the same thing a bit (lot) louder and then told the younger guy that his generation was just ignorant!!!!!! DOH!!! Dunno what brother Ben was doing when I needed him! lol. We all made our way back separately at about 5am and then at 10am were friends again and gonna go for brekkie but I was way too hungover!!
They left then to go back to Oz and I managed to get out of the hostel to explore Singapore.

I thought a good place to start would be the main high street - Orchard Road - maybe do a little bit of souvenir shopping.... or not!! Once there I didn't know where to start as it's not just a row of shops, it's a row of multistorey shopping centres!!!! I got lost in one of them! In the end I went to a place you can't go wrong with - KFC! Yum then it was time to seek out the infamous Raffles Hotel for a Singapore Sling/ Pink Gin on Mum's orders - nothing like hair of the dog!!

I decided that really was enough in my delecate condition but as I was stood trying to map read my way back, a Manc approached me asking for directions to the museum as it was free from 6pm. I decided to join her and promptly led her in the opposite direction for about 10 mins before realising it was the wrong way and handing the map over! Doh.
We got there eventually and had a look round. There were some really impressive costumes and puppet shows on display which was cool.
Sau was staying in a different area to me but wanted to see Chinatown so we walked back together stopping for a look around Clarke Quay on the way which was really beautiful - loads of fairy lights everywhere. A very random meeting but a really good evening!

Next day I was up early for a bus to Kuala Lumpur. I had to get a local bus to the long distance bus station and so there was no boot for big bags on the first one.
Unused to trying to get my big back pack plus 2 smaller bags down a bus aisle I ended up somehow having to walk backwards down it bumping around and finally swinging into a backward facing seat having a right good laugh at myself but turning to face a bus full of very unamused faces!! Doh, that shut me up!
The bus Singapore - K.L was great, they only had about 10 seats in so they were like reclining armchairs and then we were given blankets aswell - great! Not at all what I'd expected!

Arriving at K.L we were meant to get dropped off at the main bus station but instead got kicked out on some random side street next to an army of overly helpful taxi drivers. I was a bit worried at this point as obviously I hadn't booked a place to stay, hadn't looked into where would be best and why would anyone arrive in a country with the correct currency anyway??!!!! Thankfully, I was not alone in this so me and a lovely couple off the bus managed to shake off the taxis and find a cashpoint then I tagged along to the place they were planning to stay at which only had 3 beds left - meant to be!
I didn't do a whole lot in K.L as I only had the afternoon there so went for lunch with David and Sally then figured out how to get to the airport for the morning and then back to the hostel where I met Aussie Emma and we had some drinks and more food then bedtime.

Would you believe that I managed to get to K.L International airport on public transport without dramas?!!! I totally did and met up with Vickie and Laurence which was extremely exciting as we could properly get planning now.
We had a moment of panic where we had checked in, thought we had plenty of time so were just rocking round casually then checked the time and it was 1.30pm - our flight time!! We couldn't believe we hadn't heard our final call or anything as we ran to the gate to find a massive clock that showed an hour behind...Vickie had read her watch wrong!!! HAhahahaahahahahaa brill, it was all good after that.

We landed in Krabi and got a longtail boat over to Railay beach on Laurence's recommendation and a good one it was too! It took a little while to find accommodation within our budget and we had to climb a million stairs but it was worth it for our first taste of the bunglows.
We went for a much needed swim in the beautiful sea before going on a hunt for food and cocktails - didn't take long to find these things! Vickie and I then booked a rock climbing course for next morning.

We had planned to get up nice and early so we could have breakfast before our climbing course but if anyone knows me, you can probably figure out that was never gonna happen and Vickie's not much better than me in a morning either!! It then wont come as a suprise that we were the last ones there! Doh. We got kitted up and thankfully headed to some nice shady cliffs to start off. We actually weren't that bad either and really enjoyed the course, even conquered a small overhang - woohoooo!!
After that extreme exertion we felt fully entitled to a good sunbathing session before meeting Laurence for food and cocktails at this really cool bar with tiny tables and cushions on the floor and a live band. We also tried our first yummy yummy Thail pancakes - Roti. mmmmmm

We had booked a ferry for next morning to go to Ko Lanta and again decided to get up early so we could go to the highly recommended lookout first. We actually did manage this time although it was touch and go for a while. We walked passed it first time as it never really occurred to us that a lookout would be marked by a rope on the wall that you had to climb up!!! We were pretty glad that we'd done the rock climbing the day before as now our newly found skills were really being put to the test. It was awesome, even better that the rock climb as there were no harness' or anything so it felt more exciting. The lookout was worth the climb aswell although the lagoon probably not so much if we hadn't enjoyed it.

Arriving in Ko Lanta we were met by millions of Thai taxi drivers and guesthouse hosts all just dying to help us out! We settled on the cheapest one (obviously) and were taken to a pretty far out place, very quiet! So, we decided motorbikes would be a great idea for seeing the Island. The woman didn't even show us how to start the things! Vickie had kind of ridden one before so she was ok but I did not have a tiny clue and started off very jerkily. There was a bit of a moment where I tried to start off on gravel and wouldn't move then skidded forward. I had to get off the thing whenever i needed to turn it around which was quite alot as we didn't have a map!! lol Then, as I was backing out of a parking space to head back to base, the crazy thing lurched forward at about 400mph towards the flashiest shop in town and nearly knocked over another bike that was definitely not a cheap rental!!!! Deary me, I thought to myself, dunno how that happened!!! Well, after gathering myself a little audience it was time to try again....the bike wouldn't start! A beautiful Thai Princess (an as it happened, biker chick) came to my aid and got it started... I stalled it!!!! So, she started it again and I had to rev to keep it going and the b***tard bike went hurtling towards this crowd of people, children included!!! DOH thankfully they moved very very quickly out the way so there were no physical injuries caused, just my pride!! Where was Vickie in all this you may ask....well, like the dear Lude and Bleeder when my kayak overturned, Vickie was practically on the floor in need of an ambulance from laughing hysterically!! Needless to say, I took the bike straight back and handed the keys over.

We went to our bungalow bar later on and met the barmen - Num (Thai) and Poppy (Cambodian). It was only us in the bar so they charged us for the first drinks and the rest were free. They then challenged us to a card game, Spoons, where if you're left without a spoon you have a letter written on you - the first to have 'spoons' is the loser. If the photos ever upload you'll see that several rounds were played and Vickie and I basically took it in turns losing! Of course then it's a good idea to go out for dinner covered in 'spoons', not wierd at all. This time, we went on the backs of their bikes to be a bit safer!! Also that night they decided they would reschedule our ferry so they could show us around the Island properly next day - who were we to argue!!

Our 8am meeting didn't happen due to what could only be out of date beer - no way was it a hangover!!!! They got us up at 9 and for some reason though chicken feet would be a good hangover cure!! I did actually manage to eat one but Vickie, being Veggie, passed it up. They took us to some really awesome lookouts and told us about the Tsunami and showed us repair work that's still going on. It was a brilliant day, great to see a place from a local's perspective.

Num and Poppy waved us off at the ferry as we left for Koh Phi Phi. We met up with the same girls who'd been on our ferry to Ko Lanta so we could swap tales.
The beach was really beautiful so we boiled there for a bit then went for a look around the markets before dinner. When it got dark, there was loads of fire dancing which was ace and people were doing fire limbo and skipping. We thought we'd probably be a bit of a liability trying it so just watched.

A bt of a scare that night when I heard noises and thought it was Vickie in the bathroom until she asked from the bed next to me what I was doing!! We shouted and the door slammed shut. Thankfully nothing was taken, turned out we'd left the key in the door - dufuss'!! We learned from that one.

Vickie went on a scuba dive and I went snorkelling. The snorkelling was ok but not brilliant, I'd pick a different tour the next time but it was still a good day. We stopped at monkey beach so called as there were millions of monkeys!! One had a tiny tiny baby - so cute. We also went to Maya beach which is where a part of 'The Beach' was filmed so technically I've walked in Leonardo Dicaprio's footsteps!! yay me.
Vickie had an awesome time diving and even saw a shark. Later, as it was valentines day, we went for cocktails by the beach at sunset and and had our picture taken in a big balloon heart before deciding sensible was boring so fire skipped for free buckets and roses!! You had to jump in aswell as starting with the rope stationary would be way too easy of course. After that there was no stopping us, we were fire Queens!!! What else was there to do on Valentines day??.... Skinny dip of course! Yep, after buckets of cocktails and fire dancing we went back to get sarrongs and skinny dipped in the sea!! Haha (Yes we were drunk and no nothing happened!!!)

Next stop Phuket, we checked into a lovely lovely hostel where we met lots of lovely lovely people and they had movies!!! yay movies and scrabble.
We rented just one motorbike the next day so Vickie kindly Cheuffeured (Sp???) me around to the Giant Buddha - it was actually massive - and some viewpoints.

We, and some fellow hostel residents, went on a supermarket misson to find real cheese which was harder than it sounds! Then we all watch more movies. That night Vickie and I and our 2 roomies were chatting about ghosty and horror movie stuff, I warned them I'd get freaked out before bed especially as there were no lights on! They continued anyway and started on about how people appear in windows and mirror to which I said it really had to stop as I could practically see an outline on the door. At that exact moment the door opened suddenly and we all literally screamed til we realised it was the owner and then collapsed into nervous giggles. The poor guy had come up to ask us to be quiet and ended up looking like he'd witnessed a murder, appologised a hundred times then ran away!!! Haha

After a nice rest in Phuket we were ready to party it up in Ko Panghang, we were too late for the half moon party and too early for the full moon but it was no worry as they party every day anyway. We got a bit conned with our guesthouse in relation to location but it was flash enough for cheap that we didn't really care to much in the end. We met 3 Americans and taxi'd together over to Haad Rin where the action's at and had the best Phad Thai ever (at that point because I hadn't tasted my own attempt yet! lol) Then we walked along the beach where there were some really funny Thai people selling buckets with English phrases they'd learnt i.e F***ing Cheap' and 'love you long time'!! Very random, couldn't say no really! lol There was also a foam party on the beach and I fire skipped til the fire went out - so proud!! We then nearly got tattoos but didn't have enough cash - phew!!
We spent the next day recovering and exploring around the town we were in and booked our transport to Ko Tao.

We arrived early in Ko Tao so that Vickie could start her diving course that afternoon. It was great as they said I could go on the boat aswell and snorkel if I wanted - of course I did!! The snorkelling there was , in my opinion, better than Phi Phi and the Great Barrier Reef, it was brill. We had a bit of a 'treat' that night when the couple next door rocked the entire bungalow, it was like being on a train!!! haha had to share that!

Vickie had theory next morning so I had a lie in and wandered round the markets, had a roti and then met up with them at the boat for more snorkelling action which was just as good as the previous day. I also took my duty as Vickie's personal photographer very seriously filming her as she did the James Bond entrance - Front somersault, and dead mexican - falling backwards, very impressive!

I chilled out again next morning while Vickie did her final dive - It was too early for me!! Haha then when she got back we treated ourselves to footscrubs and massages before meeting up with the dive guys to celebrate the newly qualified open water divers. Finding ourselves on the backs of motorbikes again we then arrived at a ladyboy show on the otherside of the Island. It was wicked, we loved it and couldn't believe that they were all boys! We found another beach party to enjoy and then we walked back as we'd lost the boys - no idea how long it took us!!!

We had a slow morning before making our way to the pier to receive our Gold stickers - it was like a school trip this one, we had to line up for different coloured stickers - according to where we were going and how - then we had to repeat which bus we were going to catch after the ferry! I got 100% right, really good girl I am!
Arriving off the ferry in Chumpnon we had a 3 hour wait in darkness for the bus with the entertainment of 4 Thai kids moving around the groups playing.

The bus was fairly cramped but the journey went really quickly arriving in Bangkok at 5.15am. We pulled up in a taxi outside the Rembrant hotel and couldn't quite believe it was the right one as we strolled in through the massively posh lobby with our backpacks but sure enough Mr and Mrs Shaw were already checked in. Awesome!!
So mum and Dad came down for a reunion with their favourite Debstar and to meet my beautiful wife, Vickie of Kiwiland and then we got a couple hours kip in the most comfortable beds ever before properly catching up at breakfast next morning.

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