We had originally abandoned the idea of travelling around by scooter after Koh Samui where Jon, having had a practice in the car park and despite telling the rental guy he'd ridden before, nearly ended up in a bush we decided it probably wasn't the best idea. However.....on arriving in Koh Lanta and doing a budget check we realised that if we were going to see any of the Island, at roughly £3a day it was our only option, so on day 4 we went next door and selected the oldest and most battered looking bike we could see, in the hope that any further damage wouldn't be so obvious. We decided that Jon should practice without his passenger before we set off and after waiting for about an hour he returned looking like something off CHIPS in his helmet and aviators. This meant it was time for me to join him!? Now of all the terrifying things I'd braved since landing in Thailand from walking through fish markets in Bangkok, scorpions on Lolly sticks, jumping off a boat into 10 ft waves with whale sharks, scuba diving down to 18 meters and having to take off my mask, figure out how to put it back, empty all the water and still be able to see... This was on a whole new level. Now that Jon was 'confident' I was fully aware that any miss hap would undoubtedly be MY fault, I'd also JUST learnt that when Jon said "I've ridden a bike before" he meant a bicycle..!!?? As he wobbled the bike across the main road using his feet as breaks I feared the worse for my very knobbly, very unstable and prone to popping out joints. And knowing Jon's tolerance levels of me being ill for a week I had visions of any accident resulting in me being left at the roadside for the street cats and dogs to feast on ("That'll learn me for wishing I could feed them all.") As we set off down the road I clung on for dear life only opening my eyes every few minutes grateful we were still intact. It was literally one straight road and despite Tuc tucs, taxi trucks, chickens and a few bumpy patches we seemed to be doing well but when we passed the entrance for the beach we were headed to, turning round was NOT an option so we just carried on until we reached the next beach.. We parked up and just like finding cheese baguettes in Koh Tao the joy of arriving in one piece was overwhelming!