Entries about season

Day 246: Koh Lanta, Thailand 01/06/2012

A breakfast in the room – cereal from the fake 7-eleven store next door – then picked up for the journey to Koh Lanta, a nearby island two hours away by minibus. Arrive in Koh Lanta after a nice, easy journey incorporating some great scenery and views and two ferry crossings. We get dropped off in the Klong Dao beach area, a complete ghost town. There seems to be NOBODY here due to it being low season and as a result we are able to get a real bargain of a room on the beach.

We take a walk on the beach after lunch and there is a restaurant affiliated to the local animal sanctuary that is always on the look out for volunteers to walk their dogs. We choose to take Sugar for a walk – we are told to walk her all the way to the end of the beach - and it soon becomes apparent that this is possibly the laziest dog in the world. Sugar simply does not want to go any further than about a hundred yards and simply sits and refuses to budge. Try to make her come with us but she somehow gets her head through the collar and I am forced to run after her as she gives it some serious legs down the beach the way we came. Eventually catch her. Try again. This process is then repeated. Weird bitch.

Lazy evening and a spot of dinner before a night in front of the telly.

Day 247: Koh Lanta, Thailand 02/06/2012

We are up reasonably early, look out at the sea to see a steely grey, raging pool of surf, much wilder than any other coastline we have seen in Thailand up to now. I go for a run along the beach, which is lovely in the mid-morning sun, before heading for the pool.

A grey, damp afternoon follows and we stroll down the road in search of lunch. In such a small, quiet and out of season town Gemma obviously runs into somebody she knows from home. Crazy! We have a quiet afternoon – a swim in the sea and the pool. A quiet evening in the room, nobody on skype (too busy enjoying the Bank Holiday no doubt), have a nice dinner and watch a bit of TV. Kevin and Perry Go Large. In Thai!

Day 248: Koh Lanta, Thailand 03/06/2012

After a swift breakfast in the room we hire a bike from the hotel. We go for a quick ride around the island, which is very small but very beautiful on such a bright, sunny day. We follow (we think) the road that parallels the west coast of the island and encounter some great scenery, before lunch overlooking the coast and the smaller islands that are just off the east of the island. Somehow ended up on the complete other side of the island. Oh well.

See a bit more of the island – see a snake, which makes my day – and we are on the way back round the top of the island when…we…run…out of petrol. Join a family on their front porch, who kindly help us out by sending their twelve year old son out on his bike to the local Esso for some gasolina.

Eventually get back to ours, have a bit of afternoon sun by the pool and then skype. Tea, bed.

Day 249: Koh Lanta, Thailand 04/06/2012

A very quiet and uneventful day. A spot of breakfast, a spot of sun by the pool, a spot on my head and a spot of lunch before the weather changes and the rain starts to come down sideways. Head to an internet café and there is a skype first when Gonny appears on the webcam! Tea then bed after a spot of television.

Day 250: Koh Lanta, Thailand 05/06/2012

Another quiet day at the ranch and as the sun is out we head poolside baby for some sunnage. However, after a good takeaway lunch the weather changes again, the wind gets up and there is some serious precipitation. No wonder this is the low season here…
Out for some more skype (poor Ben Cribbo terrorised once again by his father) and a very good dinner. Back to the room.

Day 251: Koh Lanta, Thailand 06/06/2012

Well, the rainy season is well and truly here and after a sunny start the wind whips the rain into a frenzy and the bus tickets out of here are booked for the 8th. A very wet afternoon is spent in the room watching Universal channel and amid games of cards and Uno the rain starts to seep through the ceiling of the room and onto the edge of the bed.

With relatively little to do a takeaway dinner and some more telly makes for a successful evening.