Thailand....Done...Next!!!

Alright so it is finally here!
So whirlwind update of my month extravaganza in Thailand with Dee, Eugi, Billie, Hoges, Yogi and Benny - The thailand photos are up on http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/anthony.villante - i will get around to labelling them soon enough

Bangkok

You can view Bangkok in two ways 1. It’s a fucking dump or 2. It’s a fucking busy and dirty dump!

I actually liked Bangers, The tuk tuk drivers are seriously crazy and you scream like a girl in them especially when your friends play “corners” with you – the problem with “corners” in a tuk tuk is that there is no side door protecting you, just open air and if you push out just a little bit….you’re dead! Fun though.

Got introduced to the buckets on Kao Sahn Rd. Firstly Kao Sahn Rd is just a long street where all the young backpackers seem to be – its cool but not that big a deal …. Had more fun chasing this pommie guy down a side street as he walked off hand in hand with what was a lady boy! He didn’t realise it yet but as Leon Phelps the Ladies’ Man would say “Do it … “ Actually I cant finish that sentence sorta forgot that my family are reading this too! But basically Ladyboy = bad! Some of them can really make you question whether they are but some down south were just too obvious especially as in thai a woman says “kah” after they say hello (or most thigs right benny?) and a man says “kup” and down at the islands we walked past what seemed to be a woman and we said “kup kun kup” and she said in the throatiest, deepest Mr. T voice “kup kun kah” …. Almost knocked me off my feet as I walked past!!!

Kanchanaburi
This is the place where the bridge on the river kwai is and yep….its a bridge!

Did go to the waterfalls though which was awesome! Decided to slide down these massive rocks into a waterfall which was fun (you did it like a big waterslide so using your backside at all times and then making sure you tucked your head in on entry to ensure you didn’t smash your head!) but an even better idea was to have 3 of us go down at once! Now Jimbo, 3 people can’t fit going down a rock, who would you put your life savings on stuffing themselves up? That’s right ME! Flashbacks to so many primary school and high school moments … capsizing the canoe and falling in the river off the log in Year 7, deathdrop into an oncoming tree in Year 10….i could keep going…. but my luck had to change … right? F%^KING WRONG!!!! Ben to my left got no slippery part so he lets go of my arm by which time Yogi on my right is plummeting down which takes me off balance onto my back, which scrapes along the rock on the way down, finally turning me into a perfect headfirst backwards entry into the water just ontop of yogi!!! The movie is going to be uploaded onto YouTube soon and then I’ll post it onto here! You can laugh at me some more then …. Jimbo seriously stop you’re going to wet your pants!

Ahh and here are some pics of the ostrich! Yep no joke – that is a bar we are at drinking! I still look at those pics and wonder if its true or were we all that wasted! Anyway it was time to say goodbye to our new found friends (Hugh2 –looking fwd to catching up in London mate!) and head to the islands…..although not before we left our run so late to get our overnight train that we had to get motorbikes to the station….The driver was wearing a helmet …. We were never offered one….…I had a 20 kg backpack attached to my back….The driver didn’t care..….Ben also jumped on the same bike as me……did I go? Shit yes! With Ben in between me and the driver, my right foot on the muffler and left foot left dangling and scraping the pavement it was all systems go! Seriously thought I was going to come off because of the backpack but it was great fun so much in fact we did it again the next day!

Phi Phi Islands
Hands down one of my favourite places in the world! A perfect blend of magnificent beaches, clubs and bars, shops and restaurants but without feeling completely and utterly commercialised. And those thai pancakes and shakes ….
Went cliff-jumping and entered the water on my arse and immediately knew what it feels like to be gay! (no offence ☺ ) And then made it to Maya Beach which for the film buffs is where “The Beach” with Leonardo DiCaprio was filmed. The photos I have and the film can not do it justice – for me one of those jaw-dropping moments where you shut the hell up for a few minutes and realise how lucky you are to be able to experience a place like this. For me absolutely indescribable – if you are thinking of going to Thailand it’s a no-brainer you must go to the Phi Phi Islands (you stay on Phi Phi Don and head over to Phi Phi Ley for a day to see Maya Beach). Also when you are on those small long tail boats and you are out on the sea also makes you realise how incredibly scary a 10 metre wave coming at you must have been!
And if the poor bastards hadn’t had enough already on Phi Phi the day we left a strip of shops went up in flames while we had to walk along the rocks in the water to get around – pretty scary stuff but here was the aftermath!

Koh Phang Nan
I hear this name and I think of 3 other words … full moon party! In a word … Mental! It seemed like everyone we bumped into on our travels all headed here for this night and the beach was just packed with everyone dancing and going crazy – although it was a fairly docile crowd, didn’t see any trouble … but that could have had something to do with my spider-man mask that I was wearing all night! Yep…I don’t know why I did it either! I was still recovering from “the warm-up party” the night before which I turned into my own full-moon party!
We did meet our Swedish friends Nicklas and Andreas on the back of a jeep to our hotel that had 1. No seats 2. No cover and 3. No handles to hold onto! Nicklas just looked at me and said “this is dangerous yes??” As I’m making the sign of the cross on my chest “yep you could say that!” – Que some hills and cliffs and you had 5 grown men on the back of the jeep screaming like choir boys!

So that’s basically it! There are some more stories (especially about Michael from Koh Lanta – smoked way too much pot and has no idea where he is or what he is doing) but this update is massive! Post some comments or email me guys – hope everything is well at home – you start to realise how much you miss everyone once you stop travelling and you have to start to job and house hunting – its not fun! Miss you guys – Happy Birthday to the following people (sorry for being in Thailand), Mum, Ninny and Jessie.