Hmm. Not much to report, though it's been a while. Just been nursing the wounds - almost all healed now, apart from one gash on my arm that's taking it's own bloody time about healing up, though tis clean and doing alright. I'm still on antibiotics, so haven't been rioting by any means. In fact, have been going to bed at the unheardof early hour of 8-9 most evenings - mainly because I tend to wake at cockcrow, mainly because the cock crows almost next to my head. Noisy buggers.
So. After several days at Hat Rin - south eastern bottom corner of the island; neatly positioned with one bay on either side so one beach is good for sunset, and one for sunrise - went to the north western corner of the island, My Hat. Far more empty - just 1 or 2 sets of beach huts and not much else beside the restaurant. Spent a strenuous couple of days - umm - reading, lying on the beach, lying on hammocks. Still unable to swim because the wounds were too open at that point. Lovely place though: an isthmus (I think! - sandspit about 10 ft wide and 200 ft long) leading to a mountainous extra little island that consisted of one large forested hill and nothing else. Good place to chill.
After which, went to Thong Nai Pan - north western corner. Not as quiet as the My Hat, nor as busy as Had Rin; couple of shops, several restaurants, lovely long beach with the usual palmtrees, white sand and warm turquoise waters (yawn)(heh heh). Chilled further with another range of books (ranging from psycho tales to Persuasion, this time). Most almighty effort was walking across to the next beach, which was a rough steep path of maybe a kilometer. Yesterday, with the last of Dani's wounds finally covered, she went diving and I went along for the trip. Longtail boat to Chaoloklum - they're long narrow craft, 30 ft long and 5 ft wide, with the propellor attached by a 10 foot long tiller behind the boat. Then a proper boat to My Hat which was good snorkelling / diving area; I got a kayak across to the resort we'd been in and found my earrings - they'd discovered one; I searched the hut for the other and found it tangled in the mosquito net where it'd obviously got tangled the last morning and was hence missed in the packing. A couple we'd met a few times came with us for the snorkelling - a German girl in her late teens (I guess) and Australian in his early thirties - nice people, who seemed happy with no age gap problem. The water was good by all accounts - stingrays and seasnakes and vast quantities of nameless coloured fish all around.
And last night was our last night on the island: nature offered a fine storm, with massive coconuts hurling down on the roofs, almost broke throught the bathroom - shattered the cement underlying the upper corrugated plastic ceiling. Celebrated my birthday - 10 days early, but what the hell, Dani's going soon - at a local pizza place (excellent thin pizza) which was showing the Oz-Saffie rugby match, with the other couple and a group of English blokes. Unfortunately, they only showed the first half of the match and then - mysteriously - the channel showed replays of various bits of the first half, then changed to soccer. Fine by me, but the Oz & Saffie at the table were miffed. Had a pizza with sparkler as birthday cake (no chocolate cakes available on the island, according to Dani), and a present of the Lonely Planet Health Guide for the Far East (she's convinced I'm going to collapse with something horrenduous as soon as she's gone).
And now up to Bangkok tonight, arriving at 7am tomorrow; then across to Kabuchanarri - home of the River Kwai - for a couple of days; then Dani goes back to the UK and I decide where I'm going next.