Koh Chang with friends

After leaving Laos we headed back to Bangkok to meet up again with my good buddies Paul, Tracy and Josh. We had a day sorting out all our junk (and making great use of their washing machine - bliss!!). Me and Diane also braved the local hairdressers where the Thai lady hairdressers spoke no English. So, Paul was our interpreter for me to have a haircut and Diane to have a cut and colour. Paul did brilliantly at explaining 'short at the back and scruffy on top' and 'slightly darker with some highlights' in Thai which he's been learning for 2 years.

It was then time for loading everyone into Paul's motor, heading off to Koh Chang. It's a great island about 3 hours from Bangkok and a 40 minute ferry crossing to the island. After a bit of searching we checked into Buffalo Bills right in the middle of the action. Steak on the menu.... get in..... me and Diane tucked into the rib eyes, washed down with a few ales. Tracey took little Josh off to bed and Paul, Diane and myself headed to the beach for a few cocktails. It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that we realised we were opposite the only night club in town just across the street. The next day, Paul was looking like he hadn,t slept all night .... because actually he hadn,t. I had to laugh, Josh slept through all of it and was as fresh as a daisy ready to go. We spent the day messing around the island and visiting waterfalls; a beautiful island for sure.

Paul was keen to hop in the water for a scuba dive and I had promised him that. So after a bit of a brush up on his knowledge (8 years since he last dived ) the 3 of us booked onto a boat dive. Really great being back on a boat with Diane and Paul. We set the gear up and chilled, Paul was a little edgy on the first dive but once under the water he was like a little sea otter. Just great diving for fun and we all had a pukka time of it. Following day Paul, Tracy and Josh went for a trek on the elephants and Diane and myself hire a moped, zipping from beach to beach, fruit shakes, thai massage, cor blimey, like being on holiday :) We met up once again for a few cocktails and the following day we had to say goodbye. Really nice break with good friends; it was a well earned break from the road, cheers guys and see you soon ..... with more washing and more good food :)