Koh Phi Phi

This photo is a horrible picture from the internet and in no real way represents the actual beauty of where I currently am. Seriously, it is breathtaking. I wish I had represented it properly. Problem is, I couldn't really take out the camera on a beach that was filled primarily with girls in bikinis (Holder, you really have to figure out your vacation time and get over here). Really, it'd be way too weird. But, in sum, I'm on an island with a most lovely beach and, despite the Dave Mathews wanna-bes in their Billabong trunks, is rather quite nice (not too cranky, eh Ross?). No, in fact it is supremely lovely, and although that photo is a horrible representation, hopefully soon I'll get some decent shots of the bay as it merits so much more than anything to be found on a quick google search.

And, well, put it this way. My bed in a room with a couple girls from France that I met when leaving Phuket and who needed a place to stay is 200 baht (about 6 dollars) and food, sticking to cheap Pad Thai (only here is Pad Thai cheap, my gosh) and so forth and some bottles of water and beer, thus putting on, say, a generous 300 baht, heck let's make it a good time and for for another astounding 400 baht, takes us up to 600 baht.... or about $18 a day. Now, think about just basic rent, not including all the extras like cable TV and cell phone, cost ya. That means for about, say, $550 a month, all included, one could live rather well in such a context. Of course, i'm staying in a thatch hut up in the mountains away from all the drunk frat-boy hostels that want 1000 baht or so a night on this island, but, well, that's kind of a bonus, and I'm surrounded by palm trees and jungle and, well, free wi-fi (isn't technology stupidly wonderful sometimes?). It only takes about 10 minutes to walk down to the chaos that is Koh Phi Phi; yet a little bit of refuge amidst it all at a surprisingly good cost. Of course, we're entering busy season, so it's likely to get a bit more expensive.

Oh, and there are tons of little kittens running around here (Keren, I think of you each time I see one). Of course, it makes one wonder why there actually doesn't seem to be even one older cat... but fortunately I'm a vegetarian.

Okay peoples, that's about it for now, the computer is close to dying and in need of a recharge. I'll try to get more pics soon, and all that jazz. In the meantime, miss you all. As Steve so well puts it, 'peace in da middle east'.

Cheers, Ryan.