A pox on thee, blasted eye of the heavens!

As I arrived in Koh Tao, I felt horrific. I felt weak and sickly. I hadn't felt well for a week or so. The constant sweating and humidity was taking its toll on me. I wanted nothing more in life than to get an Air Con room. I found one and slept for fourteen hours. I expected to be back on my feet after this Rip Van Winkle like slumber but no! The worst was yet to come. I was covered in heat rashes, I was more confused than usual and I couldn't even look at beer.

Joking aside that night I had a bad fever and suffered convulsions. It was a new low. I spoke to the medical staff at one of the island clinics and they thought I was suffering from severe Heat exhaustion and the next symptom up the convulsions I could expect was a coma.

Not being particularly happy about this and feeling quite trapped on the Island I bolted immediatly. I cancelled my diving trip and booked the first Ferry out. I got to Phuket by 10 that night and booked a flight to KL.

I was still pretty out of it on the plane and when I got to KL they were very conscious of illness due to the Swine Flu cases. No surprise that I got carted off and checked out by quarantine then!

When I finally got to KL I loved it. Feeling pretty sorry for myself I splashed out on a new lens for my Camera, a 70-300mm Sigma with a Macro feature (And some dope knock off Nike and Adidas gear). I took the lens out on the street and papped some portraits and visited the Towers and then deleted everything because I'm a spacker.


Still feeling very ill and still out of it I went to the hospital in KL. I was told to stay out of the sun completely and hearing on my travel plans the doctor told me to give India a miss as its within spitting distance of the surface of the Sun. So with little options open to me I booked my flight home.

It was disappointing, but has turned out to be the best thing I could of done. I've never been so happy to see the stone grey sky of Ireland. I got swifted over by the hospital here, tested for all manner of nasties and then the doc concuring with the clinic in Koa Toa that I had serious Heat Exhaustion and should of been on a drip.

The South Islands

Having departed Cambodia and gotten to Chiang Mai for Songkran with Jo to see Richie C I headed south to the south Islands to meet my friend Juliet.

The bus ride from Cambodia was the only bad experience I had in Cambodia. The bus was decrepit and the driver and total douche bag. There weren't enough seats for people and he didn't give a toss. Some idiot of a girl arguing with him tried to grab the bus keys and responded by punching her in the arm. It was a good solid dig too. It took 16 hours to get to Bangkok and our bags got soaked in the torrential rain. I reckon it could of been cut down by three hours had they not decided to stop every 40 yards at some cafe to get money out of us.

The following day I did some Koh san road shopping an picked myself up some fake ID's which, being a child, I was delighted with.

Well Songkran was alot of fun but I was knackered all the time as throwing water at people and getting soaked with Ice cold water for four days is surprisingly exhausting. Of course this had nothing to do with getting wasted every night with Richie. Jo showed a particular nasty streak and doused anything that moved with water. She was ruthless! It was quite impressive.

Post this I bolted to Phuket and then to Kho Phi Phi which was just incredible. I had arranged to meet Juliet and once there we decided to head down the coast to Long Beach and we found the most awesome spot, the Viking Beach resort. If the Flintstones lived on a tropical island this would of been their home.



Needless to say it was beautiful, staggeringly so. It was also staggeringly warm and the fan in my room did nothing to relieve the humidity. The barrier of the mossie net seemed impenetrable to the cool air. But as the Mossies where basically the size pigeons and I already had thirty or so, unbearably itchy bites on each ankle. I decided to try and deal with heat and stay inside the net.

Juliet and I spent a few days there and had trip to Maya bay where the Beach was filmed and around the Islands surrounding Phi Phi. Its simply beautiful, risings towers of Karst limestone jutting from the aquamarine sea.



Post that we headed to Koh Lanta just making the ferry by the skin of our teeth. Koh lanta was cool, alot less developed and less expensive than Phi Phi which was a welcome relief on the pocket.



We spent a few wonderful days there chilling out before Juliet sadly headed off to Hong Kong.


Post this I headed to Ton Sai in Krabi with Stuart, an English gent Juliet and I befriended in Koh Lanta. Ton Sai was fantastic and the sheltered beach proved a welcome respite from the relentless whipping wind of Koh Lanta. That is, apart from the constant posturing of rock climbers and bumbling Thai Rastas. I enjoyed Ton Sai immensely and had a great time getting drunk with Stuart and hanging with some nutbag Americans we met from San Fransico.


From here I traveled to Koh Tao, a horrific overnight trip on what can only be described as a converted slave ship. When I arrived I found my bags had been rifled. Thankfully I had all my valuables fastened to my person and had boobitraped my rucksack with my dirty undercrackers and socks. I hope I mentally scarred the would be thief.

Dancers at the Bayon temple

Water for blessings

Wat Jet Yod, Chiang Mai, Thailand