Cambodia - Siem Riep and Angkhor Wat

After acquiring our 30 day entry stamp, we head for the shuttle buses which are free to the "International Tourist Terminal"... hmm.

The 4 of us (we are still with the Portuguese brothers) are practically adopted by one of the local fellows who works for the transport company.  We decline his offer of a minivan trip to the terminal, but somehow end up with our own private shuttle bus instead.  It's a bit strange but we do seem to end up in the same place as the other (full) shuttle so we're not too worried.  Our new Cambodian friend shadows us as we exchange some money and discuss our travel options to Siem Reap, and tries to encourage us to buy a ticket for the minibus which is "leaving right now".  This seems uncomfortably pushy, and also we're curious as to whether we could get a better price outside the terminal (where the prices are fixed - US$ 48 for a taxi, or US$ 9 each for the bus).  Sure enough, the minute we walk towards the exit of the terminal we are approached by taxi drivers offering US$ 35, 32, 30...  Finally we negotiate a price of 100,000 riels (approx US$ 26) and hop in.  This thinking in dollars is going to take some getting used to!

A Cambodian ´petrol station´

Our taxi travels about 1 km and then pulls over.  He says we're at the gas station but it doesn't look like one we've ever seen before. It appears to be a closed shop with a few large gas canisters, guarded by a metal grille. It takes several mobile phone calls by our driver to get an attendant to appear.  The car remains running the whole time, and our driver even lights up a cigarette near the gas tanks and the "No Smoke" sign.  Zoolander comes to mind....

Finally we are on the road and zipping along past green farmlands, small villages of houses on stilts (the living area seems to be under the house - neat), people on scooters & heavily laden bicycles - including one with 2 dead pigs in the rear basket.  Many people are working the fields or herding the cows.  There are elaborately decorated archways with dirt roads under them leading into the invisible distance, and there are also many political party signs and small offices, especially for the Cambodian People's Party.  It's overcast and periodically stormy, and the light is beautiful - Lisa is dying to get out and take some photos but it's just not viable.  We're all keen to get to Siem Reap and off our numb bottoms!

As we approach the city, the taxi connects with a pair of tuk-tuks.  We meet Pow, who says that his tuk-tuks are included in the price of the taxi, and will take us to our accommodation or help us find one.  He's very chatty and has a notebook full of positive references, so we decide to take this offer (it's not like we have much choice, since we don't know where we are!) and switch from taxi to tuk-tuk.  Of course, our taxi driver tries to up the price to 120,000, but we hold firm to the agreed price and we're soon on our way to the tourist center of town near the Night Market and Pub Street (oh dear).  Pow joins us in our tuk-tuk (which has a separate driver) and chats to us about English slang and how much he likes tourists, while we bounce over the potholed streets.

We stop at a hostel which has huge rooms, an ensuite with a bathtub (Lisa gets really excited - it's been months since she's had a bath) and oddly, 3 smallish beds.  It's $10 for the room which sounds great, but also makes us wonder what else is out there.  The Portuguese brothers strike out on their own to find some food and a place to sleep, and we go with Pow to our first choice (which Chris read about online), the Golden Temple Guest House.  It looks grand but unfortunately it's also full.  We return to Pow's tuk-tuk (which he is now driving himself) and have a chat, where we try to explain to him that we don't want to make a quick decision about where to stay.  Suddenly his demeanour changes for the worse and he gets very stroppy about "not working for free".  This is especially weird since he said several times that the tuk-tuk to town was free, and that he wasn't affiliated with any particular accommodation.  We're not sure if that was all a lie, or if he's just upset that he won't be able to show up outside our accommodation the next day to offer his tour guide services.  It's too bad, as we would have been happy to use his tuk-tuk over the next few days if we needed one, but now there is no chance.  We give him a bit of money for his time and make our escape to the restaurant of the Golden Temple.

Over a delicious plate of Khmer amok (vegetables & meat in a coconut-y sauce) and an Angkor beer, we look up a few accommodation options.  We find two places for $7-8 which are just north of the market area (better for cycling to Angkor Wat which is north of the city, and probably more peaceful for sleeping!) so we walk to the first one.  It's another big room, this time with 2 double beds and a bathtub, so we decide to take it.  Lisa immediately falls asleep while Chris arranges our bicycle hire and checks out an alternative guesthouse for the next night. Unfortunately, the other place is not quite as nice, this view being cemented by Chris stepping in cat poo courtesy of the guesthouse´s resident moggy!  Lisa does eventually wake up (at 1:30am!?) and makes use of the vaunted bathtub  =).

Our first task the next day (after devouring the free breakfast!) is to go to the post office. We take our “new” bikes for a spin and find it alongside the small river which divides the town. We get some prices for shipping our unneeded sleeping bags to Canada (way too much!) and decide just to send the beads Lisa bought in Thailand plus a few souvenirs...now we just need to package up the stuff & actually ship it.  We weren't sure which items would be going so we just brought a list of guesstimated weights. 

On our way out we meet an elderly man who was asleep on a bench by the river – he suddenly pops up & addresses us in French. We have a little chat with him en francais which seems to please him immensely. It's only really recently that Lisa realised that Cambodia is an ex-French colony...so, many of the older people speak French as their first language. This really ups our chances of being understood!

We decide that we have enough time to cycle to Angkor Wat, which is a couple of miles north of town. It's a pretty pleasant ride for the first part, along the river and through the forest, but then we join the main road which is really busy with tuk-tuks, motorcycles, cars, trucks, bicycles, pedestrians.... It's a bit intimidating but the road has a good shoulder in most places so we manage OK. Like much of the temple ruins we´ll see later, the main road is very long and very straight. 

We come to a ticket office where we buy a 2-day ticket. Happily they don't need to be consecutive days, since we aren't sure what our plans are for tomorrow...but we already know that one afternoon will not be enough for Angkor Wat! We continue on the road, now passing through a forest again, and eventually reach what looks like a large moat. The scale of this puts most European castles to shame. It's huge! It takes us a good 5 minutes to bike one quarter of the perimeter to get to the main entrance.  We weave amongst the tourist tuk-tuks to a large parking area. We can just see the towers of Angkor Wat over the trees to our right.

We realise that we're pretty hungry, but the options here are limited – a really expensive, air conditioned sandwich shop; a ridiculously expensive French restaurant; or one of a series of nondescript noodle places. We opt for the latter and have an edible but non-memorable meal. Now we're fuelled up and ready to explore! On our way through the parking lot, various people try to get us to buy their wares (which all seem to cost $1, oddly)....the funniest is a woman who tries to sell us water. When we show her our full bottle and say “maybe later” she insists we should buy it now – because we won't be near her stall when we need water “later”!  But it's not too pushy overall so it's easy to say no & carry on.

So that we don´t risk missing out on it, what with our famous laissez faire attitude to closing times, we decide to visit the main Angkor Wat complex first. Although the whole area is known as Angkor Wat this properly refers to the most complete temple complex, with the other ruins spread out over a very wide area, hence the bikes.


The entrance is a long stone bridge with a couple of weathered Nagas acting as balustrades; we recognised these hydra-like serpents from temple architecture in Thailand.  There is a multitude of outer and inner courtyards and the buildings themselves often consist of long corridors on all four sides. The walls are covered in a profusion of carvings, telling stories from Hindu, later overtaken by Buddhist, mythology and lore. One of the most famous carvings is the 'Churning of the Ocean of Milk', which looks like a huge tug of war between gods and demons, using an enormous serpent as a rope! There are stories told on the other walls and a profusion of dancing women and yogis in the lotus position. As well as the 'story panels' most of the surfaces here are decorated in some way, making the many towers look almost neo-gothic.

We tromp through seemingly endless corridors, circling ever inwards and we are rewarded by sudden vistas over incised and vine-wrapped rooftops or turning a corner to discover a hidden shrine or statue. We finally find our way to the Bakan, the central and highest shrine, only to find it is closed for cleaning (hmm). We vow to return tomorrow.

It's getting late as we leave the temple but there is a lot more exploring to do. We pedal quickly over the river, through the huge stone Gate of Victory, and past a long line of more demons and gods taking part in a tug of war on either side of the road. We soon come to an intersection where the road to our right will take us to some ruined temples & other points of interest... but a policeman & a guard are positioned at this junction and tell us the road is already closed for the evening. We decide to insist and promise to cycle really quickly...amazingly, this is successful and we're allowed to pass.

This part of the cycle journey is the best – hardly any traffic and beautiful forest all around us. Every once in a while we whizz past a ruin or a tower, and as sunset is turning the sky coral & pink we pause to admire a particularly large, beautiful red ruined temple (we think it's the one where Tomb Raider was filmed), which is in the process of being restored.

There's one problem though – after the sunset dims, so does the light of course, and we have no idea where the end of this road is. It's taking much longer than we expected and we're worried about cycling back to town in the dark, especially since our pedal-powered lights are not very reliable. Chris straps on his headtorch and Lisa tries to hold a small flashlight alongside her handlebars, but it's still pretty hard to see at times. We are fortunate to notice a GIANT pothole just in time! Eventually we make it back to the main circuit (phew!) and stop to have some water and rearrange our lighting. A passing car stops to ask us if we are OK. Did we mention how NICE Cambodian people are?

The main roads through town are quieter at night so we manage to cycle almost all the way home without too many scary moments. We decide to lock up the bikes and hit the Night Market - Lisa needs a new watch, since the strap on her Breo broke recently, and we want to check out the “new” food market area. Unfortunately the latter turns out to be rather like a food court at a mall – ie. mostly fried, fast food – so after bartering for a fake Gucci watch (we know it's fake because we paid $5!), we head to Pub Street in search of food.

There is a great bakery there where we pick up a day-old loaf for a bargain price, but their regular fare is too expensive. Rather randomly, we end up in a Mexican restaurant where we have some soft and translucent spring rolls with fresh greens inside (delicious!) and some Mexican mains (nondescript). A mojito washes it all down nicely =) Then we stumble back home, exhausted; crush a few bugs that will keep Chris awake with worry; and collapse into bed.

The next day is soggy so we have a leisurely breakfast and get some planning done for the next leg of the trip.  We're considering taking the famous boat trip from Siem Riep to Battambang but we are told by some helpful online sources that it is not yet wet enough and the rivers will be of questionable depth. We end up watching ´Journey 2: the Mysterious Island´; not a great use of our time, but comforting. We belatedly try to get on a dinner cruise down to the floating village but it´s too late in the day. Well, we guess today was all about taking it easy after all. Tomorrow will be a different matter!

We get up before the birds (around 4am), mount our bikes and head for the temples in the dark. The aim is to see the sun rise over Angkor Wat, while at the same time not have the moment spoiled by hordes of other tourists. The ride up mirrors our recent night-time ride but at least the light was waxing this time.

We arrive at the main entrance and spot a very welcome sight, a coffee truck. Lisa is particularly impressed by his entrepreneurial spirit, and Chris by his really good coffee!  Refuelled and with a renewed sense of purpose we head across the moat. Needless to say, it's a little busy within. We manage to find a spot on what was once a library (it must be some kind of homing instinct on Chris's part) and are approached by ´Lady Gaga´, who in addition to her singing also runs a stall selling breakfast. Who knew?

Sunrise (ish)

Alone at the Bayon!

The sunrise is nice, if a little underwhelming (rainy season equals clouds). Memorable pictures are taken and then, in a clever wheeze to avoid the crowds, we scarper from the main temple in order to visit the Bayon, which had been closed the other evening. This works well as there's only one other couple there and we get to roam around unimpeded. Almost as famous as the main temple, the Bayon features square towers topped with large, enigmatically smiling stone faces on each side. Of course it also has many other carvings and story panels, one featuring an unfortunate man becoming a crocodile's lunch. The Bayon is less imposing but more atmospheric than the main complex, maybe because it is still in a somewhat disreputable state of reconstruction.

We take a quick spin to visit an atmospheric overgrown temple that we whizzed pass at twilight during day 1.  Then we overtake a train of elephants on our way back to Angkor Wat, hopeful that we will get a chance to enter the Bakan this time. They have finished whatever they were doing (full moon ceremonies, apparently) and we are told to conceal shoulders and legs as we ascend the steps with a line of other visitors. Being the highest part of the temple we get some great views over the rest of the buildings and surrounding jungle. The interior is like the larger temple in miniature; a little maze filled with sudden shrines and ancient vistas.  It's very hushed inside which makes a nice change from the usual tour group  chatter.

We speed back to our hotel in time to return the bikes, where Chris gets a chance to sample some fried bugs (they taste like soy sauce), then catch the bus to Phnom Penh.  More beautiful scenery speeding past on the other side of a bus window, argh!  And it's hard to believe that the rivers are too low for boat travel - the ditches are all flooded and a lot of the flat countryside distinctly resembles a swamp...

Bye Thai

After making friends with the monks Chris is recharged and ready for Bangkok. At the other end of yet another late train experience (this one about 15 hours mmm), he checks into Cherry's sister's guest house once again. Having checked on the Couchsurfing website earlier, Chris is primed for a Canada Day party taking place on another member's apartment roof. This roof turns out to be rather well appointed with a great view and a swimming pool. Beers are drunk, stories exchanged, the Canadian flag hung from a dangerous and inaccessible place. The evening ends with refused invitations to go to Soi Cowboy (see earlier posts about this den of iniquity) and a cab ride home to wait for Lisa's bus to arrive around 4am.

Now that we are reunited, we decide we are well overdue a visit to the Grand Palace, Bangkok's premier tourist attraction (although some would say this is Soi Cowboy...).  We stroll through the city to the palace & it's resident temple (home of the Emerald Buddha) only to find out once we are there that Chris' shorts are not acceptable attire.  While he lines up to borrow some appropriate temple wear, Lisa chats to an Australian who's travelling companion has the same issue.  A few minutes later, both Lisa and her Australian friend discover that they are also unsuitably dressed and have to join the line as well.  Lisa's knees are covered, but apparently they must be covered by a skirt rather than pants, unless those pants also cover your ankles?!?  It's actually impossible to wear the right clothes, I think, because they want us all to dress in their ill-fitting, army green loaner clothes.

Anyways, the Emerald Buddha and his brightly painted home are amazing and well worth all the rules (including a careful way of sitting to ensure your feet aren't pointing at the Buddha, your neighbour, or anything sacred) - of course one of these rules is "no photos".  We also have time for a good wander around the palace grounds, which has a large number of closed buildings (argh), some amazingly detailed murals, a few weird statues, and (to Lisa's amusement) quite a few iPhone-wielding monks.  On our way out we manage to squeeze in a few minutes at the Royal Thai Decorations & Coins Pavilion, where you can admire the Emerald Buddha's off-season clothing (he has 4 different "outfits"; there is a ceremony at each change of season when his robes & accessories are swapped).

Having saved up things on his 'would like to do' list, Chris decides that, due to its reputation, Bangkok is probably the place to accessorize with a tattoo. But what to get? Nothing too pretentious that claims its wearer is some kind of tough biker or chaos cultist. Luckily, a beardy solution had struck him while he should have been meditating. While girlfriend's names may eventually become foolishly out of date, surely an imaginary language would be safer?  He's always loved Lord of the Rings and it'll be hidden under his anorak most of the time anyway!

The night before we head for Cambodia we meet up with Cherry, Suman (an old friend from the school in Nepal) and Snahya, a student friend of Suman's. The venue is the imaginitively named 'Cabbages and Condoms', (kudos to absent friend Lindsay for the recommendation!) which serves lovely Thai food, sells handicrafts made by rural villagers and proceeds go toward the promotion of family planning in rural areas, as well as school-operated vegetable farms. Also, rather than serve mints with the bill we all get a free condom. On the way out we all have a go spinning the 'wheel of fortune' style sexual health wheel: abstinence is worth the most points, with an icky sliding scale of STDs from there.

On the final day of our visa in Thailand, we drag ourselves out of bed to catch a crack-of-dawn train to the border with Cambodia. We have the pleasure of riding in the "monks only" carriage after Lisa is invited in by one of the monks.  Having women aboard this carriage makes for a logistical nightmare though, as the monks are not allowed to touch or be touched by women (or really anyone, but if they cared that much they'd have to stay in the monastery all the time!).  The trip passes quite uneventfully - and miraculously to schedule - and after a few hours we arrive in Aranyaprathet.  We team up with a couple of Portuguese brothers and attempt to find a bus to the border in order to avoid being fleeced by tuk-tuk or taxi drivers.  We have to then refuse the option of being fleeced by a "tour company" who offer to take us to Siem Riep by bus (we have been warned that this service actually just takes you to the border and then hightails it back into Thailand with your money in hand!).  Rather randomly, Lisa spots what might be the world's tackiest dress shop next to the tour office - perhaps there is a dress code for border crossings, as there's no other discernible reason why this tiny town would need such a shop.

Partywear suitable for a border

We are contemplating hitch-hiking (note to moms:  this was the Portuguese talking, we would never  ;-)  ) when a tuk-tuk who's clearly having a slow day stops to barter with us.  We manage to talk him down to an affordable price (helped by the fact that the brothers have very limited funds) and also to balance four packs and four people in the tiny space.

We've been told about the various border scams that exist but it's still amusing when our tuk-tuk driver pulls up to a house nowhere near the border and says we have to get a stamp there. It is an official-looking place but also deserted and all advice has told us that all the business takes place at the border itself so we politely ask him to "GO TO THE BORDER," in our best loud English. Once we get there we are dropped off at an office just before the border where we get our stamps etc. Afterward, we find that we were still mini-scammed as this was not 'the' office but they were nice, had a toilet and gave us some free tourist information.  We still had enough change in our pockets to buy a bag of chips, a handful of assorted sweets & a big bottle of water for our walk across the border....but none left over to visit the casinos that dotted "no man's land".

For posterity, the correct way to cross the border at Aranyprathet/Poipet is to IGNORE all offers of help/visa assistance (including the office with the official-looking signs) and instead, stroll casually past the row of snack stalls to the actual border.  You'll pass through a wide immigration office (which hilariously is covered in signs that say "don't stand here" that are hardly readable due to the number of people standing in front of them!) and get stamped out of Thailand (free, assuming you haven't overstayed).  Then you'll walk for a while past some casinos, and on your right side you'll see a small immigration office which is the CORRECT place to buy your Cambodian visa.  Note that the ones we purchased just prior to the Thai border crossing were perfectly valid, but cost about $5 more.  Walk a bit more, and again on the right is a long thin office with undoubtedly a line of people waiting to be stamped into Cambodia - a process that takes a mysteriously long time.  This gives you plenty of time to admire the large tree/shrine growing up one side of the (indoor) office, and also to reunite with people you met at the train station in Aranyaprathet (hello, Portuguese brothers - see you in the next blog post!).

So that was Thailand, and Lisa feels compelled to write a little about her personal impressions.  Although we enjoyed our time there and the majority of Thai people were smiling & friendly, we definitely felt like "farang".  In fact, it seems like you could live in Thailand for 20 years and still be farang.  It felt nearly impossible to actually get to know anyone (and not simply because of the language barrier).

Also, the prevalance of both scams and sex tourism were rather astonishing.  Especially in Bangkok there were many warning signs about different scams currently in operation, and we met a few people who'd been victims of one of the most well-known - theft from luggage during "tourist bus" journeys.  Apparently someone hides in the luggage area & rifles through all the bags while you travel.  Since this doesn't happen on government buses, it seems likely that the thieves are in cahoots with the drivers of the tourist buses....nice.   But if this (and many other) scams are recognised, then why is nothing being done to stop them?  There can't be much attempt at catching the culprits, or any significant punishment when you do get caught.

Sex tourism is obviously a money-maker for many people so it's understandable why it would be hard to bring it to a complete halt (not unlike the tobacco industry...?).  But the image of Thai women as sex objects is constantly perpetuated, not least by the beer companies who issue tiny, tight hostess dresses branded with their logos to any bar or restaurant who serves their products.  It was quite a shock to see family-oriented restaurants and hotels with these scantily-clad hostesses out front.  Not to mention the sad sight of pale, fat, middle-aged men with beautiful young Thai women on their arm.  Of course, some of these women may make a conscious choice to be in that situation, but the overall objectification of women in Thai society makes me wonder what other choices they feel they really have.

I must reiterate that we DID enjoy Thailand, and also that these are just my own impressions.  I'd be the first person to say that you can't judge without seeing it for yourself.  In our case, these factors make it a little less likely that we'd hurry to visit Thailand again, especially with so many countries yet unvisited, and others that just felt like a "better fit".

Heading for the reunion!

(Lisa's journey from Ko Lanta to Bangkok.  For those of you who are tired of reading about transport adventures...you can skip this one  ;-)  But there are some nice photos of Ko Phi Phi!)

I've decided that there is just enough time to squeeze in a visit to Ko Phi Phi on my way back to Bangkok.  This is the area where "The Beach" was filmed - unfortunately many people think this is the worst thing that ever happened to the islands, since these tiny twins are now overrun with tourists!  But that doesn't stop them from being beautiful, and I'm particularly interested in getting a closer look at these islands because of their pointy limestone-ness (Krabi has a similar landscape, and was my 2nd choice in case I couldn't travel via Phi Phi).

The journey is pretty efficient - just one change in Krabi to the Phi Phi ferry.  When we arrive at Phi Phi Don (the main island), we find that there is a 20 baht "tourist charge", which a few people try to dispute.  It's a tiny amount, but I can understand the frustration of regular visitors - there's not much to indicate that the money is actually used for "beautifying the island" as the signs claim.  It's a bit of a culture shock to me to be in a crowd again!  Because of the mountains on the island, there are just a few narrow streets packed with people & shops.

It is tempting to take a boat trip to neighbouring island Phi Phi Le, but on the other hand I'd rather save money and have a chance to catch a ferry back to the mainland in the early afternoon.  A nice dive shop offers to hold my backpack while I climb to the viewpoint instead, so I repay them by booking my ferry ticket at their tour desk.

I slather myself in sunscreen, hide under my hat, and set out with an iced coffee in hand.  As I walk, I marvel at some new buildings which are appearing in the hillside- they seem out of scale with the town & the island, and I wonder how they ever got planning permission.  It is really nice that the whole island is pedestrianised though so I don't have to dodge scooters all the time - it would be a nightmare on these narrow streets!  I watch a funny exchange between a local woman with a yellow umbrella (sun protection) and her companion, a black cat.  The cat is following at her heels and keeping up a constant stream of conversation!  They stop on a bridge and share some breakfast from a packet that the woman is carrying.  It's so strange & cute!

Before long, the walk turns from lanes to staircases, and it's HOT and very steep.  I'm leapfrogging with two Australian girls, which gives us all an opportunity to pass around cameras for photos at stunning viewpoint #2!  (#1 was not half-bad either - but we never find #3, which someone on the way down told us was the best.)  It must be difficult for this predominantly Muslim area to enforce the "no alcohol" rule - it's prominently posted at the bottom of the steps and again by the entrance booth, but this is a perfect spot for sundowners....

I also notice that a few of the locals have what must be pretty steady work, carrying bags & suitcases over the hill from the other harbour.  I wonder if they share my happiness at the "no motorised vehicles" rule!

On my way back I walk along the beach.  It's beautiful - white sand and turquoise water, and so shallow that people are just sitting down in the water all the way out into the bay.  It's too hot to stop though, and by now I'm pretty hungry.  I try to find an internet cafe but it seems that food & computers don't go together on Phi Phi (sensible, but unusual!).  So I stop at the "Sports Bar" for breakfast and chat to my neighbours, a Norwegian man & his twenty-something daughter.  Dad in particular is tired of the party scene on Phi Phi, so I recommend that they try Lanta for a change of pace.  Then I have a quick internet session at one of the many internet/travel agencies to figure out my travel options from Krabi to Bangkok.  I jot down a few train times & prices - good to know that at least one sleeper train is still available - but I'm still favouring the bus since it seems a bit easier to get to, and also because in our experience, the Thai trains take a lot longer for their journeys than the schedule states!

On the ferry, I'm chatting with several guys about our onward travel plans (one guy has already booked a tourist bus, and two others are undecided).  A Thai man - who seems to have the green light to tout bus tickets & hotel bookings to all the passengers, nice for him - gets really angry and tries to get us to move away from the main entrance of the boat so we don't disrupt his business.  It's strange to see a Thai person get so publicly upset, it's really taboo here!  We refuse to move - after all, we paid for tickets like everyone else - but we do agree to change our topic of conversation.

In a little while I move outside anyways, it's less stuffy and has a better view!  I find a spot amongst the bags and join the others who are napping while leaning on luggage.  We are entertained (?) by two young Thai boys - brothers, I think - who spend most of the trip wrestling or chasing each other.

When we arrive in Krabi, I spot a couple of girls looking at a guidebook and ask if they want to come to the bus station with me, but they're not sure where they're going yet.  I meet up with them again a few minutes later while trying to negotiate a decent price for transport.  There is also a French couple who definitely want to go to the bus station.  We seem to be the only people who haven't already booked continuous journeys to Bangkok - me & the French couple prefer the "government bus" to the tourist bus, which is notorious for safety violations and luggage thieves.  Since there are now 5 of us, I manage to bargain the minivan price down to 50 baht/person (originally 70 baht each).

We arrive at 3:45pm, with just enough time to buy tickets & board the 4pm bus - good news because next bus (5:30) is full already.  It's a surprisingly nice double-decker bus, and somehow I've been assigned to the emergency exit (extra legroom!) seat.   Even better, my seatmate is the last to board (1 hour in) and the first person off (45 min before the end of our journey).  I'm so impressed with this bus service - we receive a pack which contains: a snack, a packet of instant coffee (there is a hot water urn downstairs, but in my opinion the journey is rather too bumpy to permit an open cup of hot coffee!), a juice box and a bottle of water - plus each passenger has a blanket & face wipe.  Amazingly, when we make our rest stop, the French couple explain that our ticket entitles us to a sandwich pack or a free Thai dinner in the "VIP restaurant"!  I join them for a very quick but quite tasty meal.

I watch the scenery for a while - lots of tree plantations (for forestry), fairly big posh houses in some areas compared to bamboo shacks in others, logging trucks, some small hills & lots of greenery.  But most of the journey is by night.  It would be a lot easier to sleep without the "entertainment" - primarily a TV show which looks like a cross between The Inbetweeners & The Office, but with LOTS of silly added sound effects (it reminds me of a "sound effects" wand that one of our friend's children has!).  This is sandwiched between some loud Thai pop music at the beginning & end of the journey.  Anyways, I can sleep anywhere so I get a pretty good rest!  Before dawn, we stop at a bus station where most people get off, but the conductor tells us to go to next stop where it will be easier to travel to Khao San Road.  When we disembark, the conductor tries to get us to take a taxi, but we tell him we want the public bus - so he recruits a passing old man to take us to the bus stop for route 511.  We are all nodding off on the journey, but luckily the ticket collector tells us when we are at our stop.  Another old man on the street corner directs us to Khao San Road.  It's amazing how many messy drunk people are still there at 5am!

Chris has texted me with the room number so I send him a quick text to tell him I'll be there soon, and bid good-bye to my helpful companions.  I stop to say hi to the front desk staff at the guesthouse - they're expecting me, so I can head upstairs to our room (security is pretty good here - the 24 hour front desk enforces the "no guests" rule which is a good idea in this neighbourhood!).  Poor Chris has only been home for a couple of hours (he was at a Couchsurfing Canada Day party the night before), so we catch a couple more hours of sleep before setting out to do all the things we didn't manage to do during our first stay in Bangkok!

Two weeks at Lanta Animal Welfare

I wake up early the next morning, which is good because work starts at 7am!  But unfortunately I'm not feeling much better and the day entails several visits to the loo.  Undeterred, I meet the others and am introduced to our "pack" of dogs, which includes gorgeous 3-legged monster Sam (who immediately jumps up to greet me - he's pretty much my height!); ditzy but strong Noodle; and leader of the pack Deng.  It seems I missed a fight yesterday - one of the dogs, Buddy, was injured and has been removed from the pack until he recovers; and the instigator, Flinky, will move to the main shelter for a week or so as punishment.

Scenes from walking the dogs

The day starts with letting the cats out (they stay in "cathouses" overnight for their safety), feeding them and emptying the litter trays.  Then we walk the dogs.  I quickly realise that I have never been around so many dogs at once, and it's a bit intimidating especially as I'm getting to know them...but it's a lovely walk along the beach, past the colourful boats of the sea gypsies and up to a small cove.  The tide comes in really quickly and we have to walk back along the sea wall, which is a bit of a challenge for the less mobile dogs (especially the chubby one who doesn't like to get her feet wet!) but we all make it back OK, although Shelley is a bit worried because she spotted some dengue mosquitoes on her shoulder (apparently they are green & yellow, and come out in mid-morning - strange).  Karl had dengue fever on an earlier trip and it wasn't pleasant!

We finish the walks with Red & Sugar, two dogs who aren't a part of our main pack so they stay in the restaurant area.  This is quite lonely for them since the restaurant is only open in the evening, and at this time of year it's rarely busy so they don't get enough pats.  We try to visit them as much as possible, and they move to someone's porch overnight so they can feel more like part of the family.  After walks, we feed the dogs (always at the end of the process in case someone runs away while we're out & about - they're much more likely to come home quickly if there's a meal involved).

Each day of the week has a task assigned to it - today's task is to scrub the dog bowls.  Time for Lime has been really short of volunteers lately so it's been a while since this was last done, and it takes a lot of elbow grease!  But we are satisfied that we've done a good job and it will be easier next week.

We finish the morning by refilling the cat trays with newspaper and stones that are collected from the beach.  Then we head to the restaurant to enjoy our free self-serve breakfast.  I have a bit of toast and marmalade with some sweet tea, and vow to get my stomach sorted out so I can enjoy the fresh fruit & yogurt.

We've got a few hours off in the middle of the day before another round of walking & feeding, so I set out to explore the local area.  I find a travel agency nearby which has computers set up for internet access - this will come in handy since Chris has the laptop, and several enquiries have not produced the option to rent or borrow a laptop here.  I catch up on a few things and then stop into 7-Eleven to stock up on Gatorade and potato chips.  It's great to have a fridge in my cabin so I can be self-catering, once I'm feeling better!

Time has flown by and I get back just in time to help with the afternoon tasks.  All the dogs get another walk, and they & the cats are fed and put to bed.  We finish just in time for sunset.  It's Monday which means the Time for Lime restaurant is closed, so I jump on the back of Elo's scooter to go to a local restaurant.  It's a great place with all the tables outside, and really cheap food!  I choose a safe option, pad thai, which is tasty no matter how I feel.  A few volunteers from the main clinic pass through to pick up a take-out, and tell us that one of the girls there has crashed her scooter and had several injuries to her face, as well as at least one tooth - but luckily she's not badly injured.  We drive back home - carefully! - and I try to drink a beer but a couple of sips are enough.  Tomorrow I think I'll head to the medical clinic which is down towards the main shelter.

Another restless night (feeling sick & being too hot are a bad combo), but I'm up early to help with the dogs & cats again.  Karl & I will start our maintenance work tomorrow after Junie sorts out a few tools & other items that we need.  Today's task is to rake the leaves & scoop the poo in the dog's area - another task which is well overdue, phew!  At least having all those leaves around makes it easy to scoop up the poo and drop it in the garbage.  We also tidy up some old tires and other junk which are making the approach to the restaurant look messy, and then go to a British cafe nearby for some breakfast.  The breakfast is huge, albeit a bit expensive, and I feel like I can't properly appreciate it.  The other volunteers are excited to discover that the cafe has a swimming pool that customers can use - at this time of year, the sea is very shallow and cloudy so it's not good for swimming.  It's depressing to see how much garbage washes up - a combination of the seasonal tides, and the fact that no beach-cleaners are employed in the off-season.

After breakfast I set out to walk to the medical clinic.  It seems like I can get there by walking along the beach, but in reality I see that the tide is too high so I wait in the shade along the shoreline for a while until I can be sure that the tide is receding.  I have to pick my way along quite carefully when I set out (especially since almost anything could be in that surf!) and at one point I am wading hip-deep through a tidal river, but eventually I get to the right beach (I think!) and head back towards the main road.  The first thing I spot is a pharmacy, so I decide to stop in and ask if I can just purchase the same stuff that Chris was "prescribed".  No problem, says the pharmacist - a 2 day dose costs just 28 baht!!!!  Armed with my remedy, I reward myself with an iced coffee concoction from the cafe next door.  

Then I continue the rest of the way to Lanta Animal Welfare's main shelter, where one of the girls gives me a tour and I realise just how many dogs & cats are being cared for (the cats here are especially confusing, since there are loads of black ones, and you also only see all of them at feeding time when it's a bit crazy!).  There are surgery rooms, a recovery area, and an isolation area for sick cats.  At the moment there are 3 vets - two friends from Poland (who are still studying, I think, and are volunteering here to gain some practical experience), and one from Malaysia, who spends his weekends working on opening his own clinic on the mainland.  

Generally, Thai people leave their dogs outside all the time, and don't really think of controlling them let alone getting them neutered - so the clinic has been really valuable in providing education to local people about how to take care of their pets, as well as neutering & vaccinating the strays that live around the island.  But there is a long way to go - some of the temporary residents or the resorts will take on "pet" cats or dogs during the high season (sometimes just to impress the tourists!) and then abandon them once it's off-season.  Other people are annoyed by the strays (or uncontrolled pet dogs!) and put out poison to reduce the population.  In fact, I hear that a local man brought his dog into the main clinic as an emergency (a couple of days after my arrival), but unfortunately it died from some poisoned food that it ate on the beach.  He was devastated.  Junie is careful to ensure that all the dogs are under control while they're out for walks as she doesn't want this fate for any of our dogs - but it's hard on them because they really love the opportunity to run free on the beach.  The poisoning seems crazy - there is a little girl on the island who has permanent organ damage after accidentally eating some - but as far as I can see the law enforcement here is not doing anything to stop this practice.

After a good chat with the main shelter volunteers, I start walking back along the main road.  I am hurrying to get back before "walk time" at 4 but it's still really hot, and I'm tired now.  Luckily about halfway home, a very sweet tuk-tuk driver takes pity on me and gives me a free lift, so I make it in time to chug some Gatorade before taking the dogs out.

This evening it's busy in the restaurant - some cooking students, a family, the Swiss/Austrian couple I met on Sunday, and a big group of volunteers from the main shelter.  I spend most of the evening chatting with Carrie, a British girl who arrived a couple of days before me & already knows the rest of the Time for Lime gang (I think she stayed here for a night or two).  I manage to eat a proper meal, which is delicious - the food at Time for Lime is kind of a modern twist on Thai, along with some local favourites.  The regular customers get to try lots of different things because the usual format is a tasting menu with several courses, but volunteers can choose to have any of the dishes from that night's tasting menu in a double portion for a discounted price.

On Wednesday morning, Karl and I start a bit later as we'll need some supplies from the hardware store, which opens at 8am.  We spend our day taking some old, rusty wire mesh off the frame of one of the cathouses.  The roof, which is made from some sort of thin foam sheet, also needs replacing - and we find lots of rotten wood in the frame so there is plenty to keep us busy.  It's crazy hot but Karl persists with the project all day (and so do I, as a somewhat bumbling assistant!), and by the end of the day all the "removal" work is done and the new roof is in place.  There is still a lot of mesh to be replaced (this time, with a heavyweight plastic that won't become a hazard as it ages) but we'll tackle that over the rest of the week.  It's pretty slow work as we have limited supplies (our tools consist of a handsaw, a hammer, and a pair of scissors!) and no money to get any more.  Even the replacement wood for the frame has to be "found items" from the beach (luckily, Karl & Shelley have spotted an abandoned resort nearby which is a great source!).

Over dinner, I get a call from Junie.  Since Anne's scooter accident they are short one volunteer at the main clinic, and she's hoping I can take that place for the rest of my stay on the island.  I realise I am probably of more value there since my handyman skills are pretty rudimentary (hey, at least I have enthusiasm  ;-) ) so I agree to make the switch on Friday, with the compromise that I'd like to continue staying at Time for Lime - I love meeting the cooking school students, and my little cabin home covered in cats!

Stevie's new door
(just before the mesh is added)

The next day, Karl doesn't really need my help with the cathouse, so I set out to build a new door for my neighbour Stevie's cathouse.  Poor Stevie has to live on his own because he's allergic to fleas.  In fact, we soon find out that Stevie has a nerve disorder that causes loads of problems for him if he scratches himself - unfortunately, Shelley finds this out the hard way when he has a fit while she's scratching his back.  He ends up having some injections at the main clinic but he makes a full recovery, and seems to accept his new door without much difficulty (well, he spends the first night meowing at it, but after that it seems to be OK!).

The whole time we are working, we are stalked by our cutest kitten, Momo - the only black cat (and also the youngest) at Time for Lime, she has big green eyes and loves to hide in the grass around the cabins.  Many of the other cats also try to "help" by batting our nails around, climbing or jumping on the pieces of mesh while we put them in place, etc...  ;-)  One of the longest-term residents, a big white cat named Fatty, just loves to lie on the sidewalk watching the world go by - and accepting all back scratches, of course!  It's hard to fathom that someone knifed this lovely creature in the stomach and he nearly died - he's lucky to have met Junie just in time.

The next day is my first shift at the main shelter, from 1-7pm.  I head up to my favourite travel agency in the morning with plans to blog for a bit, and then take advantage of their bike rental service - but today they are mysteriously closed.  I find out from the neighbouring shop that the owner has gone to the mainland for the day and won't be back until late.

Undeterred, I set off on foot - I'm sure the other volunteers mentioned another bike rental place nearby. I see a small house (a shack, really, but it's clearly someone's home and a small business too!) with lots of bikes outside, stacked precariously in every corner and even hanging from the overhead trellis.  I hunt around for a business owner and finally find an old fellow in the back.  I try to communicate the fact that I'd like to rent a bicycle, but he seems really averse to the idea....so eventually I have to give up.  I cross the street to a sports shop and the man there confirms that the old man does rent bikes, but also that he's a bit moody so he's not surprised that I'm not having much success!  I continue on towards the shelter on foot....

Just after some bike returns - slightly clearer
that this is more than "just" an insurance cafe!

My next stop is a scooter/motorcycle rental stand.  He doesn't rent bicycles but he says there is a place over the road that does.  I'm confused - I can see an insurance shop (which also appears to be a cafe) but he seems firmly convinced that it's a bike rental place.  So I head over and ask at the small counter (between portions of curry & rice)...the woman tells me to take a seat, and a few minutes later a bicycle appears from somewhere in the back.  While I'm reviewing the contract (which has some suspicious blanks, including important facts such as my liability in case the bike is lost or stolen), a man pops it up on a stand and proceeds to tune the brakes, check the tires and generally ensure that it's OK.  I negotiate a discount for a weekly rental (450 instead of 500), and after the contract has been completed I jump on and head to the clinic in a much speedier fashion.  This is soooo much better than walking, since the roads are quite flat (in fact, they almost always seem to be running slightly downhill - regardless of which way I'm travelling...?) and the speed of the bicycle creates a nice breeze to cool me.

My wheels!

I have just enough time to stop into the tasty Faim de Loup French bakery for a cinnamon roll & a loaf of bread (tomorrow's breakfast!), and roll into the clinic in time for my 1pm shift.  There's a lot to learn as there are so many more animals & volunteers here.  The hardest thing is making sure that all the dogs get a walk at least once a day - this can be impossible to fit in amongst all the routine tasks that need to be done to keep over 60 animals fit, fed & happy!  I actually end up spending several hours of my first shift de-boning fish, since every little bone needs to be removed to prevent choking.  We are not so careful about this process for the Time for Lime animals, but all of ours are pretty healthy whereas some of the ones at the main clinic have long-term health problems or are recovering from surgery or injuries.  The main clinic also takes in people's pets for sterilisation so we need to be extra-careful!

Main clinic kitchen/central space

Dinnertime for the dogs is hectic - we have about 30 (a couple of recent adoptees move to their new homes during my stay, which is great to see!) and they're arranged primarily into 4 "packs", which each have their own area to run in during the day.  In the evening, each dog needs to be moved into a kennel (there are a few kennel pairs too, with two dogs staying together) and to make this easier, their dinners are placed inside.  With the exception of one picky dog, Soda, they wolf down their meals in seconds, giving you just enough time to close the kennel door and head back to the area for the next dog.  EVERYONE barks as the dogs are moved in, and especially on the first day when I don't know which kennel belongs to who, it's hard to concentrate.  But in the end everyone gets to their kennel and (sort of) quiets down for the evening.  One volunteer sleeps in overnight to ensure that the dogs don't start barking like crazy and annoying the neighbours - the worst point is early in the morning when the Muslim call to prayer begins, because that really sets the pooches off (seems they never get used to it!). The best way to control the barking is apparently to spray them with a water gun  ;-)

My shift is finished at 7pm and I'm racing against the sunset to get home.  I don't have a light on my bike so this doesn't seem like the safest idea with all the scooters racing by...especially since drink-driving is sadly not uncommon here.  I'm on the morning shift tomorrow (7am) and I decide to ask Maya, the manager, if I can work all early shifts for the rest of my stay - hopefully most of the volunteers prefer to sleep in, as I don't want to cause any conflicts.

It's strange to be up before the rest of the Time for Lime gang, but I did feel a bit guilty yesterday when I wasn't helping them work in the early morning!  I've managed to pack some muesli in my travel mug, and with the addition of one of the small yogurts in our communal breakfast fridge I reckon I can avoid spending money on food.  I hop on the bike and cycle along the near-silent road to the clinic (I do pass another cyclist...we will see each other almost every morning and exchange waves & smiles; we're a rare breed in Thailand!).

The tasks for the early shift are a little different.  We feed all the dogs & cats (this takes longer than you'd think, because you have to stay with the cats & each pair of dogs to ensure they all get a fair share & there are no "food fights"!).  I am starting to remember a few of their dogs from their eating habits or rituals: Soda, who is fussy and must have water added to her food...but often she still won't eat it; Sara, who had a terrible infection in her bum and now has problems pooing, so she has a very special meal with LOTS of water, pumpkin, and something called Loevac (sp?); Sara's cagemate, Lucy, who leaps around when her food arrives, sometimes reaching amazing heights (I call her "kangaroo"); and Oscar, who has a special "food dance", standing on his hind legs and spinning in circles!

After breakfast, we start to move the dogs into their areas.  We start with area 4 (I think - I will never be 100% sure of which area is which, and always need to check the signs on the gates!).  We go in first and check the area for snakes, cats and any other hazards.  We also make sure all the gates are secured. Then we bring the dogs who "belong" in area 1 into this area one by one.  They stay there in their pack for a little while - maybe up to 30 minutes - doing their morning toilet rituals and getting reacquainted with their pack members!  Then, we check area 3 next door for hazards, and open the connecting gate.  We usher the dogs into the new area, close the gate, and then move the next pack of dogs into area 4.  This "rotation" continues until all the dog packs are out in their correct areas, and is designed to ensure that all the dogs get a chance to be in each area.  However, I'm sure you can do the math - the last pack to go out only visits area 4 - so in fact, the routine changes during my stay to include some additional rotations in the afternoon, to make things more fair for this pack.

Like Time for Lime, there are different daily tasks to be completed on each shift.  One of my days at the main clinic, this will be bathing & de-ticking all the dogs - but this one takes so long that even after both shifts have done their best, only half the dogs are washed.  Some days are easier to achieve such as scrubbing the dog's cages, which is the allotted task on my first morning shift.  Unfortunately I do it with such enthusiasm that I hurt my back and am unable to wield the scrubbing brush for the rest of my stay!

The shift passes quickly, and I decide to make the most of my new vehicle by cycling to the Old Town on the other side of the island.  Junie & the volunteers look at me like I'm a little bit crazy  =)  But it turns out to be a beautiful ride.  The center of the island is a ridge of hills, where I have to walk the bike up (but the coasting down part is great!), and there is hardly any traffic.  I pass a huge group of people who seem to be having a celebratory meal at a house...or maybe it's a cafe/restaurant, but it doesn't have any discernible signage and it is closed when I'm coming home, so I think it's just somewhere for special occasions!  When I reach the east side of the island I'm back on a main road, but there is plenty of space for everyone and even more to see.  The road doesn't run as close to the sea as it does on the other side (in fact, I think this side has mangrove forests with some rivers running through them - you can take a kayak tour there).  There are a lot of farms, and a couple of small villages which each have a gas station & corner store.  I even pass a logging crew who have a pair of elephants working with them!

I finally reach the old town, which is wonderfully wooden and looks like just the right home for Thai fishermen.  Many of the houses are built on stilts over the harbour.  There is a long pier with taxi & tour boats (not so many of the latter at this time of year!).  I'm thirsty so I pop into the very last bar in town (after that you're back in the forest!) which is run by a rather camp French fellow, who is chatting with a friend in a hammock.  He can only offer beer or Coke (well, there are no other customers, so why would he keep a lot of stock on site)...so I take a Coke and wander around the wraparound deck admiring the view.  We have a great chat about travelling and he encourages me to try cycling again when we get to Angkor Wat in Cambodia.  He's an interesting fellow but I'm keen to get home before dark, so I don't stay too long.  Even with the hills to cross, I manage to make it home just before sunset...and boy, is my bum sore, so I jump in the sea quickly to refresh (not really helpful, it's almost hot water in there argh).  But I am really impressed that I managed to do it, since this is my first proper bike ride since I was in university!  (no, we cannot count Serbia, I had to walk that bike up even the smallest incline - this is a MUCH better vehicle)

The days pass by quickly.  I have managed to get all early shifts at the clinic so I have my afternoons free to explore, or go swimming at some of the local hotels (although there are not many who extend this privilege to non-guests, even if you're buying food & drink!).  Big thanks to Blue Andaman and the stunning Relax Bay Resort for welcoming the shelter volunteers!  (and a special thanks to the sweet beach bartender at the latter, who remembers everyone's name and gave me a puzzle to solve while she made my drink!)

The island is very quiet at this time of year, which is great most of the time (lots of opportunity to see real Thai life) but a slight pain at others.  For example, it's impossible to watch rugby - there are 4 British pubs in a row! but they are all closed, and in fact at least 2 of them are for sale...and transport & tour options are severely limited.  But the roads are often empty, especially in the early morning, which is great news for me on my bicycle.  I can take my time to enjoy the views of the forested hills in the island's center, and the changing sea views which are available at almost every turn in the road.

Barra BBQ crew

All sorts of interesting people pass through the restaurant, including lots of cooking students, and a sweet young honeymoon couple from Bedfordshire (UK), Matt & Mandy.  They come to visit us often, and become really good friends with Shelley & Karl.  One day they take a fishing trip and catch a huge barracuda which we share on a Monday night - it's delicious, I'm sure in part since Shelley's family owns a restaurant in New Zealand, and Mandy is a keen & creative cook too (as well as a fireworks planner & operator - cool!).

I spend a lot of time walking various dogs, and learning their little quirks.  Sanchez & Pooey are not part of a pack, so they spend their days in the "puppy area", a separate area with a patch of lawn & 4 cages.  We try to let each of the "puppy area" dogs or pairs out of their cages to run on the grass throughout the day.  Flinky (the bad boy from Time for Lime) is also in this area and at first, he rams the gate or fence every time he's allowed out of his cage (so of course, he doesn't stay out for long!)...but by the end of my stay, he's calmed down & become friends with sweet oldie 3-Legs so they can share a cage, which is great news for her.  I hope that some of Flinky's energy rubs off as she is often just too tired to get up, and taking her for a walk is hilarious - you might get across the road if you're lucky, and you'll probably have to carry her back!

Noodle - fishing as usual!

3-Legs

Sanchez

Some of the dogs are notorious fighters, or will attack the cats, so they have to wear lots of gear on walks.  Sanchez is one of these and it's sad but kind of funny to see him trussed up in muzzle, choke chain and harness.  On our first walk together, we encounter a pack of wild dogs on the beach and he goes crazy trying to get loose & fight with them...so much so that he bashes into my leg and gives me what seems to be a permanent bruise (we have dubbed it "the contusion").  I am proud that I manage to hold onto him; he's a very strong dog!  He's on the list of dogs that are not allowed to be walked by visitors.  However, there are so many dogs that there's one to suit everyone, and we're really grateful to the many tourists and locals who stop by to walk dogs during the daytime; without these visitors, there is no way that all the dogs could get their daily walk.  An Australian woman & her 9-year-old daughter come by one afternoon and end up staying for a couple of hours - they walk 6 dogs and also cuddle and play with lots of our cats!

There are many kinds of crab on the beaches here, including a daytime, sand-coloured type that scurries quickly across the surface of the sand, driving the dogs crazy during their walks; & a tall spindly type that runs towards the receding waterline after darkness falls.  I also love listening to the birds, who are probably enjoying this peaceful & wet season.  One night as I'm leaving the shelter I hear a strange honking, and turn to find a huge goose staring at me!  Weirdly, even though this is the "wet season", there is no rain during my stay and consequently I can see the swampy areas drying out day by day.  In fact I will leave just in time to miss a HUGE rainstorm which floods everything.

Towards the end of my stay, I notice that I've developed a dog-walkers tan - ie. all along the inside edge of my forearms!  I'm very grateful for my giant folding hat though, which has kept my head, face & shoulders nicely shaded throughout the day.  I only get sunburnt once, on a day that I cycle around various hotels looking for a swimming pool and forget to put on sunscreen before I set out.

Before I know it, my time on Ko Lanta is nearly up, so I take one more long cycle ride - this time, heading for the national park (& waterfall!) at the southern tip of the island.  I pass so many beautiful beaches and coves, but after a while the road starts to get quite steep and I am getting tired.  I have to admit defeat, but at least I can do this at the amazing Diamond Cliff restaurant & viewpoint.  I have a cup of tea and a rest while admiring the view, then hop back on the bike & coast towards home.  This is definitely the fun part of the ride  =)

On my second last day, I stop at the internet cafe on my way home to have a Skype chat with Graham (my father-in-law) and am surprised to find Chris is online - it seems that the monastery offered a "get out of jail card" ha ha, and he's left there one day earlier than planned.  We make a plan to meet at Lamphu House on 1 July to celebrate Canada Day!  Then I have to rush back to Time for Lime for my Thai cooking class with Mai & a young couple (whose names I have sadly forgotten  =(  ).

The class is fantastic.  I've found the flavours in Thai food to be confusing and more complex than I anticipated (certainly very different from what we've had in the UK and elsewhere); Mai patiently explains the need to include sweet, sour, salty and spicy in each dish, and what ingredients can be used to achieve this.  We taste several ingredients, smell some others, and learn the all-important way to cut each item in the special Thai "eat me" or "don't eat me" way!  We learn how to make:

• red curry paste (involves a great deal of pounding with a large mortar, very hard on the shoulders but definitely better than the pre-made stuff)
• papaya salad (one of my favourite Thai dishes, and now I understand the balance of flavours!)
• pad thai (another favourite), and 
• a fish dish with deep-fried Thai basil and stir-fried morning glory (see fiery photo)

Everything turns out deliciously, although I have a bit of work to do on presentation (maybe my next class?)!  It's a really fun way to spend the evening, and I am already contemplating whether maple sugar can be substituted for palm sugar when we're in Canada.

My last shift at the clinic is an afternoon one (my request, since the bike is due back that day before 11am), and I manage to finish a project I've been picking away at since my arrival - a new version of the "dog board" (an invaluable resource, especially for new volunteers).  The lines are not perfectly parallel, but there is enough space for the details of each dog so it'll do the job  ;-)

I give a big hug & a pat to some of my favourite dogs, and also of course to the other volunteers - although I don't feel like I know anyone as well as the Time for Lime crew - it's just a different vibe at the main clinic, and since I don't live with them there's not so much opportunity for socialising.  I did get invited to a couple of social events like a beach BBQ but since I'm still not up for a lot of alcohol-drinking, it didn't seem like I'd fit in very well!.  New arrival Kate comes back to Time for Lime with me after my shift. lured by the promise of cheap food & karaoke (it's Matt & Mandy's last night on Lanta also, so we're going to hit the town!).  We are wondering how we're going to manage to travel the 3km or so up to Time for Lime in the dark, on foot, but a "knight in shining tuk-tuk" comes to our rescue - a fellow who was reclining on a hammock near the road, but leaps up & drives over when he spots us walking.  When I ask how much he'll charge us, he asks us what we'd like to pay - a clever ploy, as I offer 100 baht which he accepts immediately (clearly much more than it should cost  ;-)  ).  That's fine with me, I'm grateful for his timely appearance and it's only a little more than 3 USD.

We join the others for dinner and have a drink at the bar while we chat with the staff.  I've spent the morning scrubbing my bathroom & sweeping my cabin in preparation for check-out; I'm leaving early tomorrow so I return all the cleaning supplies and settle my bill (which is wonderfully small, even though it includes almost 2 weeks accommodation, some food & drink and the cooking class - less than 3000 baht.  Thanks Junie for the generous discounts!).  Then we all head out to paint the town red!  It's a fun evening in the local bars that we've passed by so many times; how they all stay in business is impossible to guess, since many of them have just a couple of other customers (or in one case, none at all!).  This ensures a warm welcome for our group, at least.  And what you hear about Thai ladyboys appears to be true - even on this smallish island, in the off season, pretty much all of the bar staff are definitely men dressed as women!  We drink some cocktails, sing some karaoke (I even sing a song in Thai, since the English selection is limited to 2 disks - one of which is just a list of artists in the booklet!), and eventually stumble home at about 2:30am.  Kate stays in my cabin since her hotel would be impossible to reach at this hour...although this means that she has the dubious pleasure of waking up at 6:30am when my alarm goes off!  My transfer to town is due at about 7:30, but actually arrives 20 min early - oh well, for once I am packed and ready to go.  There are hugs all around, although I'm a bit sad that I don't have time to get some photos of "our" dogs before I go.  It's been a great experience, and nice to feel helpful for a while!