'Normal service' resumes!

Well. I've not done this in a while.

I've left Asia, but I'm not home just yet. Instead I've made it to Australia for two weeks where I get to spend some time with my family (and lots of internet access!) So I shall begin afresh, with attempts at posting happiness day by day. But there'll (hopefully!) be a fair few with two in one as I recount stories or post pictures from my travels and all the things I should have said before. So if you're one of the five holding out for that ping-pong or skinny dipping story, fear not. It's coming. But I'm too lazy to do it tonight.

Today, this made me extremely happy:

That's right. That's me in a JACUZZI. With my very wonderful cousin, no less. But not naked, despite how it looks. Though I was very tired (and in Brisbane), which is rather how it does look. Pictures can be accurate and inaccurate at the same time, y'see.

(Also, totally check out my weird column and pictures at the sides thing going on! Ooooooooooooooh!)

And for my blast from the past, this is the dog I adopted on Koh Tao. I feel as though I should clarify that she sort of adopted me more than I adopted her by following me around right from the very first morning that I stroked her. We even had a hairy moment once when we went swimming and she was so keen to follow me that she swam a little too far out & had a bit of a panic. Bless her. Her name's Matilda. I miss her.

This is what she looks like fighting me for a giant piece of driftwood on a picturesque beach:

And this is a super hot picture of what she looks like when she's sniffing my armpit:

Isn't she lovely?

Island Life

So, I promised some jolly good stories.

To be honest, I'm not sure whether to start with the ping pong show, the ladyboys, the skinny dipping incident or the tale of the drunken-boy-in-my-bed-so-I-had-to-sleep-outside. Nor am I sure if I have the attention span to write about things in the past right now. But faites vos jeux, cast your votes, and if you're dying to hear any of the above then ask away. I may or may not write a blog post just for you. Or just amble along and wait for me to write in the present, and then recount them at a later date. Maybe. If I remember.

I've spent the last ages on Koh Tao and adopted about 5 stray dogs (which don't act like strays at all. They sit and are very polite and hardly have any fleas at all) and I think I've fallen in love with this place. It's a bugger about all the other tourists though.

I spend most days waking up early and strolling on the beach with my dogs, then hitting the beach for a swim and a snorkel before picking up some friends and finding something fun to do. This really is like a holiday from my holiday.

Most importantly though, I found a coconut on the beach, cracked it open all by myself (thank you pair of scissors!) and ate it all, and it wasn't rotten. I've now checked off another one of the things I have to do before I die. SCORE.

!

I really do have the best family and friends and Ed in the world.

By some amazing scrimping together and generosity, I can carry on travelling and it's working out, and I have leaking eyes because I just heard right this second and they are amazing.

I owe a lot of people some seriously large hugs.