Goodbye Thailand. Hello Malaysia

Some of the riders from the Charity ride

I have had such a wonderful time in Thailand. Meeting so many fellow bikers  (now good friends) along the way. People who have supported me, showed me great riding roads, put me up in their homes and generally showed their support in any way they can. The welcome has been overwhelming and I am honoured to have met you all. Thank you. Thailand is a beautiful country with a lot to offer any bikers wishing to travel it's roads. The riding is diverse, the people are pleasant and the food alone is worth a visit. Whether you want on road or off road action, there is certainly enough to keep you busy! I rode North to South and East to West but I still feel I have barely scratched to surface and I look forward to visiting again some day.

Live and Let Dive!

Arash and Matt join me back on the boat

 I imagined diving to be like flying. Gliding through the water in a state of weightlessness, exploring the hidden depth of a different world and finding creatures that you couldn't have imagined sharing the same planet as you.

For some this is exactly what it is like.

My Iranian friend, Arash, had joined me for this experience and I was a little nervous for him as he had been expressing some concerns all morning. He seemed genuinely nervous and I reassured him, telling him it was going to be easy once we got in the water. He said he would copy what I did. I giggled and suggested that if I looked like I was drowning then he should do his own thing.

RIP David Miller and Hanna Witheridge

The murder of the two British tourists on Koh Tao was a shock to everyone. Such a beautiful and generally trouble free island with thousands of tourists visiting every year.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of these young people who were in the prime of their lives.

The small community here is devastated by these attacks and is in a state of mourning. Last night a candlelight vigil was held on the beach and flowers were laid on the popular and beautiful Sairee Beach where this gruesome event took place.

There is much speculation and miss reporting surrounding the event and the events that followed. As usual there were many of us enjoying the entertainment on Sairee Beach that night and the police have their work cut out but it would appear they are doing all they can and eliminating as many as possible as quickly as possible. All we can do is let them do their job and hope they find the killer soon. Koh Tao is NOT on lock down and ferries are running to and from the island as normal.



Rest in Peace David and Hanna

The Koh Tao Welcome

This spider is for display purposes only!

I leapt backwards whilst a little yelp (not unlike a small puppy who had just learnt not to get under your feet) escaped my lips before I could collect myself enough to stop it! The site of the Huntsman spider who had decided to join me in the shower had not been enough to release this involuntary noise. However, as I tried to scare it off by spraying a bit of water next to it, I had not expected the sheer olympic speed at which it would react and dart around the walls of our shared confined space in a panic stricken dash to escape! "These spiders are fast" I thought as I hurled myself out of the nearest (and only) exit in not too dissimilar a fashion as the spider!

"Is that a spider?" shouted Kerry from the next room. Slightly embarrassed for my reaction I replied "Yes. ITS MASSIVE. AND ITS REALLY FAST!" feeling the need to justify my reaction! "Ha ha! That will be a Huntsman" came the helpful reply!