DEliTOUR: Loose ends

Mr Ka has two daughters with Mrs Kim but only one 'My Son'. That is the name of his tiny - I mean miniscule - boat that bobs about on the water occaisionally and that he takes out for morning fishing. I wrote a song about it. 'My sun never sets'. It is always there you see even after the sun goes down. There have been lots of other songs too - to be discovered in good time.

In Penang we discovered Georgetown's wonderful Little India, great food, the local salon scene, and the volume of toursists that leave Thailand for as little time as possible before returning with their new visa. There were hostels with giant waiting rooms. As soon as the passports reappeared from the visa agency everyone was back on the bus.

We just went to see Ake, Laura, Ville and Kirsi on Koh Muk. It was wonderful to see friends. We went scootering around the island as Ville got his second flat tyre. And we took a daytrip to see the Emerald cave. We went with the Norwegian honeymooning couple and the 2nd German underwater camera couple. There was a massive red jellyfish at the cave entrance we had to swim nervously around. Then we had an 80m swim, some in darkness, through the cave until we came out into a hole in the ground; a 100m wide beach surrounded 360 degrees by 250m high limestone cliffs on the edge of Koh Muk island. It was marvellous, until we swam out looking for the jellyfish, only for me to find it 5cm from my left arm. I was OK as I was wearing a rash shirt and it wasn't the kind with a tail but I felt for Anna who, of course, has the fresh memory of a nasty sting back in Honduras. As part of the trip we got to snorkel at Ko Kradan island opposite Koh Muk. It was cool to see some fish again(Nemo was there and Koh Jum is really only missing decent snorkelling and street food) but I would love to go to a prime Thai site where we might see more big stuff.

Koh Muk was very small and relaxed and Charlie's was very understated for a package resort. There were plenty of Finns about and we enjoyed the excellent food and company. We found a large bamboo bungalow to stay in for 350 baht just 10m outside Charlie's back gate and we found it really easy to slip into the scene - well, we basically hitched onto our friends holiday for 4 days!

We said goodbye to them in Trang after a day's shopping and we headed to Krabi town, the gateway to plenty more beaches and islands - and coindidentally very close to Koh Jam again. In Krabi we found a cheap but very noisy hotel for 250 baht (5 euros - the cheapest of our whole trip) and we also found market food to die for. Anything on a stick, bowls of tiny fried eggs (are they quails'?), amazing juices served in bamboo sticks, noodles and rice with anything, pancakes, more stuff on sticks, sausages, sausages, sausages - and Krabi even has shops selling cheese and wine. OK we can't afford it but we have been cheese-window-shopping. We have also been to the outta town malls - I found some more guitar strings on a half day songtaew adventure, and we took a longtail to check the famous Krabi beaches.

Railay Bay is famous as a clmbing destination and for 4 picture postcard Thai beaches. We hated it. Big new expensive proper resorts dominated the beachfront and the beaches were packed - really packed. And there were dozens and dozens of very loud longtails clogging up the beaches. It was ghastly - actually what we expected to find on Koh Muk (Muk or Mook as it is known was charming and a different world).

The weirdest thing was that we were just 40km from Koh Jum, where there is tranquility, wonderful beach and inner peace! We are heading back there tomorrow (22.1). We have to keep a lid on the budget, and that means not moving. And, as we are going to spend a lot of time somewhere, we need to feel confident about it. We could head further North to Ko Phayam and Ko Chang but everything we have read suggests they may be fine but maybe not work out as well as Koh Jum. I am sure we will visit them in a few weeks - on or around the time when we will probably have to nip into Burma (27.2) to get our stamps to stay the last 15 days in the country.

That's it for now. We have until 12.3 to enjoy Thailand. Then we have 15-18.3 in Tahko. I (and possibly Anna) will then go to England and then at the start of April... we need jobs. The big J... O... B... The time is coming. I feel really good and enthusiastic about getting back to work... but to do that I will be needing a job. Fingers crossed eh readers?