mum hey Dear! it was soooooo good to see and speak to you and Miriam together this morning! Really glad you've had a few nice days with her. hope you manage to keep up your blog though, missing the updates and photos. wish you good, safe travel on in Oz, and fun with Vanessa in Cairns! love you lots!!!!!!!!!!!

mum hi my dear! tried to catch you by email (you said facebook's a no no there, right?)....want to wish you a safe, smooth journey to Oz. Hope you have plenty legroom and movies you've not seen yet ;-) lots of love and hugs (share with Miriam when you arrive :-) xxmumxx

Vincent Ho, Ho. Ho Chi Minh ! We shall fight and we shall win! Ho, Ho, Ho Chi Minh! When I was a very young stamp collector, my favourite stamps were from Cambodia. They had beautiful pictures of elephants on them. Glas you are enjoying your travels. Sean.

angela great that you are enjoying it so well .. enjoy angela

oliver im glad to hear you are meeting lots of people Sean -for me .hearing that beats any old blog, BUT ill certsinly be reading up on your past adventures when you write your "memoirs "-(maybe from Austalia ) ps !!! all these dfficult sums below !!!!

Seany Thank you for all your lovely comments! Yeh quite proud of myself on completion of the dive course, thought I might drown at one point so chuffed I survived. Your right about the ladyboys vincent, but its so strange to see that they have totally integrated in society over here and they work in your local bank/supermarket, anywhere not just the shows which is good. I have actually yet to meet a western person that has hired a motorbike and NOT had an accident, not worth it I say! Thanks for reading :-) xx Ps. Dont worry dad, I wont end up like some biker dude covered in tattoos but my favorite is the one I just got on my face.....jokes!! x

Vincent Hi Sean, Thanks for this great account of your further adventures. You're becoming an intrepid traveller! Thailand seems unique in having three genders - the ladyboys are the commercial outward expression of their acceptance that not all people are straight. A big Ladyboys Caberet comes to Brighton every year and is very popular. Perhaps the old Thai culture (Buddhism ?) creates the tolerance but it's the tourism that turns it into profit! I think you're very wise to be wary of hiring a motor bike (or scooter). The other of my dear god-daughters (apart from Miriam) who is called Camilla has a sister also called Miriam. This Miriam went to Thailand for a holiday and stayed on and then Camilla went out to join her. They rented a bike and had an accident when a tuk-tuk pulled out in front of them. Miriam, who was driving, flew over the handlebars and broke her jaw badly. There were all sorts of insurance problems as she could not prove it was not her fault. A cautionary tale! The twist was that Miriam went home (to Brighton) when she left hospital but Camilla, who had met a young man called Gap (no jokes, please, about her Gap year) stayed on and still lives in Thailand where she works as a kindergarten teacher (and trains in kick-boxing). Steiner education has a lot to answer for. Take Care and Enjoy Yourself x Vincent

oliver well done Sean surviving all that ! so a turtle on the back of your leg. do'nt cover yoursel now. actuall i got a tatoo today of che -(but it will only last 3 weeks .was spray painted on)