Hello Thailand!

And so the next part of our adventure begins! We left Dublin for Thailand last Thursday afternoon after what felt like a very short time back home. It was great to catch up with our families and friends. In fact, our time at home felt like a holiday unlike the usual coming back from a sports climbing trip and going straight back to work less than 12 hours later. We had time to chill out, relax and enjoy being home. It made me homesick being home ?!? (I suppose homesick at the prospect of being away for the next six months). 

So a flying visit to Bangkok, quiet literally. We landed in Bangkok's Survanabhumi Airport still unsure of what our plans were , even going through customs and collecting our bags we thought we'd take a bus into Khao San Road, find somewhere to stay an d figure out getting a bus the next day. We were both tired and felt we would be prolonging the jet lag if we stopped in Ban gkok for a day. So seeing the signs for buses to South Terminal Bus Station (for buses to the South of the country) we decid ed to keep going, spending our first night in Thailand on a bus and getting into Tonsai earley the next morning. We plan to see Bangkok on our way out of Thailand. Unlike Bus Eireann, the buses are surprisingly comfortable and as soon as we pulled out of the bus terminal I was out like a light, only to wake about 10 hours later about 60 miles from Krabi. After one flight, two buses, one taxi and one long tail boat ride we splashed into Tonsai and all the fond memories of the idyllic spot came back. We hauled our bags up the hill and found a cheap cabin for the night. Really cheap!. In fact, cheaper than I remembered - 200 Baht (approx 5 Euro) for a very very basic bamboo cabin - where we crashed out for the day. We (or maybe I) must be getting soft in my old age, because after two night in our little cabin I wanted to move - it really was basic - no flushing toilet, no sink, a low pressure shower almost in the toilet, no light in the bathroom, the cabin itself was very dark (even with the lights on you needed a headtorch to see things), and the window was missing a pane of glass. So we went on the hunt for a new home and found one at Dream Valley, a brightly light wooden bungalow with a sink in the bathroom :) for a whopping 500 Baht ( approx 12.50 Euro ) including a buffet breakfast ( AS MUCH AS WE CAN POSSIBLY EAT :) happy Andrew! ) , so not bad at all... and although it is still basic, it is a hundred times better than the previous. I actually burst into tears once we decided to move there, so tired and happy not going back to the other place. 

So now, here in Tonsai for our fifth night, we have not seen the sun yet. I think we are catching the tail end of the Monsoon sea son. Yesterday it must have rained heavily for about 12 hours solidly (and had been raining on and off before that since we arrived) but thank fully today it was dry (but overcast), positive thinking - tomorrow I'll see the sun!

Amongst the cabin hunt, recovering from jet lag, the rain and tummy troubles, we've had 2 days climbing, though it has to be said that neither of us are climbing well, still trying to come to terms with the humidity and jet lag. It is taking us time to find our feet again on the rock, but no doubt that will come.