Well guys, as the title implies, I have been over here in Thailand for one week now. The first couple of days I spent in the capital city, Bangkok. It was great to meet up with Duncan and Jib and I saw a fair slice of the city by walking around and then taking a long boat tour through the rivers and canals. You see, Bangkok used to be called the "Venice of the East".
The roads and traffic over here are just like what you have probably heard. It is chaos. The asphyxiation atmosphere in Bangkok, the result of a massive volume of traffic, means that no Thais choose to smoke - it would be just impossible. Duncan and I visited a snake farm on the long-boat tour and I was lucky to have him there to help me along with finding cheap, decent places to eat. However, Dunc's selection of accommodation for me left something to be desired... I will talk about the "Green Room" more when I have my photos developed!
We (Dunc, Jib and I) spent a couple of days at a resort island called Koh Samui, down in the sea of Thailand. It was there that we tried our hand at riding motorbikes. Really, that was thrilling - just to get back in one piece was a genuine relief! On our tour of the island, we visited the rainforest up in the mountains. There we saw elephants and monkeys. There was quite a tropical storm there to drench us, but we still managed to make it up high enough for a refreshing swim under the waterfalls.
Duncan accompanied me over to a nearby island, Koh Tao. We were diving an hour after we had alighted from the ferry. The Duncsta has since returned to Bangkok, but I have stayed and obtained my Advanced Diving card and taken part in some beach partying (with drinking whiskey, etc. From small buckets!) with Swedes and Britons. Funnily enough, it looks like I'm the only Aussie on the island.
Where to from here? It's pretty nice here so maybe I'll stay here for a couple more days. However, the ocean on the other side (the Andaman coast) has been highly recommended for diving so maybe I'll head over there for a few days. However, I don't want to miss out on the weekend shopping in Bangkok (seeing as I'm returning to Oz on Friday the 20th), so maybe I'll have to head there instead and then see what happens.
I'm trying to remember to take lots of photos! See you all soon, Aussies - I'll really appreciate VB, meat pies, chips and gravy, and dry weather when I get back!
Hooroo!
Because I have my film camera with me, posting of photographs will be delayed until the end of the month.
This is the means by which beer is served in Thailand. Shown next to me is the first of three towers (3L) each that the Duncsta and I shared in the course of the evening. The entertainment is great at these open-air beer gardens - live performances on a massive stage and huge screens and sound. Zen Central (the beer garden shown) is surrounded by food vendors and you can't sit your beer down half-full without it being graciously replenished by the beer maids. The towers even come to you! Now, if I ran the uni bar...
Taking in Ko Samui was much easier and scarier using motorbikes. For $6.50AU we had them for the day. In Thailand, there are road rules, but they are ignored. We were the only people wearing helmets. You give way to whoever has the most momentum and blast your horn at every oppurtunity to remind people that you are there. We saw GrandMother and GrandFather rock - the most photographed location on the island for their uncanny likeness to the relevant genitalia... Then we were off the bikes and heading up in to the rainforest.
A gruelling slow-boat/slow-bus combo back from Kao Tao was amply rewarded by an indulgence at the German Bier house recommended by Dunc and Jib. Of course there was the awesome service typical of all the beer gardens in Thailand and pretty good beer too. Funnily enough, the german snags that I ordered had to be cut by the waitress for me because it is traditional to eat with only a fork and spoon in Thailand - incompatible with sausages and don't even try asking for bread!
Big day shopping at the Chatuchak markets. The Lonely Planet describes these markets aptly: This is it, the big one you've heard about. The behemoth of Thai markets where everything imaginable is for sale - from handmade silks from the provinces, extra-small fashion for the art-school fashionistas, fighting cocks and fighting fish, fluffy puppies and every imaginable souvenir. 
On Sunday evening, the 15th, co-incidentally Dunc's last night in Bangkok, we indulged in karaoke. It was awesome - then, I always like karaoke. We had our own room to perform in, all you can eat and drinks delivered (much to the detriment of my singing). Jib and Dunc, by this stage engaged, are shown just prior to singing a love duet.
A swimming pool in a ute!
A shambolic game of poker was followed by experimentation with face-recognition software at Jojo's house on Tuesday night. Hello Pingu! 
Christmas Day was a relaxed affair shared with Jenny, shown left in her favourite seasonal attire. 
Xmas eve is traditionally a superb time to catch up with friends in Cowra. The evening is rivalled only by the Cowra Picnic Race day. The Imperial Hotel is an old favourite and was the first venue. The evening included a trip to the Lachlan Valley hotel. Coops and Garth are shown enjoying the evening in this photograph. Of course, the evening concluded at the Townhouse Hotel. It was a fun evening and I enjoyed catching up and chatting to lots of my old friends even if the conversations are now a little hazy... 
A trip to Merimbula and Tathra, and some fish and chips rounded out the trip to the Sapphire coast. Jenny and I swam until the beginnings of a storm were whipping up at Tathra then we were on our way home!
As well on Tuesday, we trekked through a national park for a bit over a kilometre to visit Bourna Island, shown here. The cold currents batter the island rather a bit, so we weren't able to do a lap around it. As well, some rather large jellyfish were visiting the area and my budgie-smugglers seemed a very chancy protection against them. Notably, I did see a tuna that must have followed the cool currents. As well, Jenny and I examined the small cave on the island, close to the isthmus that connects it to the mainland.
Snorkelling around Tathra point was awesome on Tuesday. The water was incredibly clear, probably because there was only a gentle breeze.
Camping was cozy in the swag at Tathra on Monday night. We opted to use the tent on Tuesday when we stayed at a national park further south. What was the name of that mountain again, Jenny?
