7.49N 98.21E

23^rd March 2012

We’ve had a very productive 3.5 weeks in Boat Lagoon, Phuket which is not terribly newsworthy but extremely useful. New canvas, new alternator, replaced by even newer alternator which is more powerful but doesn’t chew up the belts as much (or, I hope, at all). Motored down to Ao Chalong to clear out; the officials are really nice here and even lent us their biros (you wouldn’t get that in Antigua). The food here is very good (real lobster tanks) and not all that expensive. C made a big fuss because they’d charged for 2 crabs instead of 1; the boss said he’d make up the difference himself just to keep us quiet. In the event they agreed it was their fault and the boss didn’t have to lose his day’s bonus! I will not comment on breakages since the last time I did, disaster struck.

K

Whilst in Boat Lagoon we discovered the local buses which are rickety open air vehicles but delightful. One of the passengers always seems to speak English and is happy to direct us to Tesco and other exciting places.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when walking back from the laundry I was passed by a bloke on a bicycle who looked like Keith.  I didn’t know he could still ride one! He had hired it for £4 a week from a girl in the office. I discovered I can still ride one too.

The swimming pools were lovely and all the restaurants were excellent. We had fun going to a floating restaurant in a longtail. The restaurant was on a rickety raft with nets full of fish in the floor.

The only down side was discovering the growth of barnacles on the dinghy and outboard. I hope the new antifouling on the big boat is doing its job.

Setting off tomorrow for Ko Phi Phi Don where The Beach was filmed (not that either us have seen it, K).

C