Been travelling lots so haven’t been able to write - soz! We left Pai and had to spend a night in Chang Mai, then took the night train back to Bangkok and had to spend an extra day there too unfortunately! Got my hair braided whilst we were there as the humidity was driving me mad, looked better than I expected but won’t be keeping it! Was really tempted by dreads but chickened out, probably for the best!

Left Bangkok for Cambodia and Ankor Wat. I’d heard the journey was bad, but jee wizz, this was a killer! We arrived with bruised knees from being crushed against the chairs in front for nearly 12 hours and I’m amazed my spine hasn’t shattered from the bumps! Swear it would have been smoother if we'd just ploughed across the countryside! Saw some incredible vehicles on the way though, dad - you'd be so proud of the Cambodians initiative! Parts of tractors tied to trailers filled with locals like a bizarre horse and cart thingy!

Also, at one of the loo stops on the way, we chose to risk the stinking holes of excretement they call toilets returning to find our bus pulling out onto the vast empty road with our passports! Fortunately the driver saw my flailing arms and heard my terrified screams, or that would have been the end of our adventure right there in the middle of nowhere! The rest of the journey was pretty eventful to say the least!

As for the reason for our Cambodian adventure, Ankor Wat, it was so much more impressive than I ever imagined. Even the smallest structural necessity had the most detailed intricate carvings into its stone, and the size of it was overwhelming! But the thing that surprised me the most was how little it had been preserved but how perfectly it still stood. As visitors we were allowed to scramble all over it, nowhere was restricted. We were able to scale the steep steps to the top where we could explore amongst the monks and weirdo locals who had seemed to have made a home within the pillars and alcoves.

There were several other ruins that were open to the public; we stopped at 2 more which were equally as impressive as Ankor Wat.

The first seemed to be constructed totally randomly, with many mounds of the four Buddha heads. This one was a lot more 'ruined' but was very 'tomb raidery' - we later found out that tomb raider was filmed here!

The second had been left just as it had been found. this meant that all the forest had just grown through it; huge trees had wrapped there roots around the walls and burst through the ceilings. we felt like we should be in an Indiana Jones film!

Cambodia as a country was far poorer than Thailand, and so different; and although I really liked it, I was extremely happy to return to Thailand where everything’s easy and civilised!

We passed through Bangkok again and had to waste yet another night there before heading to Chumphon for a short stay to catch the ferry to Koh Tao. The ferry was an open deck, 6 hour nightmare through the worst thunder storm yet, but we have arrived on a beautiful beach and I’m sun burnt already, so it was worth it!

We are doing our PADI dives tomorrow, and although I love water and the sea, I am terrified! Hopefully still be around in a few days to update you on any encounters with whale sharks! ahhh!

Lots of love, lani and ants xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx