22nd April 2007 - Ao Nang in Krabbi.

It is getting hot and sticky here now. Sue and I have come to an unspoken agreement that air conditioning has moved to the top of our list of priorities when looking for a room. (Sorry all you hardened backpackers but we are in our 50's you know!)

I had a shave the other day in a barbers, he hesitated when I asked him to do it and I should have taken that as a warning. I had visions of laying back in the chair, like they do in Saville Row and thinking about weighty matters of 'the city' whilst my personal barber prepared me for the day (a little something for the weekend sir?).

He laid me back applied the cream and then reached for his 'cut throat razor'. "Which way is the market going to move today?" I thought "Shall I invest more in my hedge fund? Maybe a new pair of clippers, or even a Black and Decker". It moved towards me and I noticed his hand was shaking violently and he looked very nervous. I instantly thought of the other scenario involving barbers and cut throat razors (no not Sweeney Todd), the Western where the hero is a notorious gun-slinger and the barber is ordered to carry on shaving him even though a posse of bandits is heading into town to kill him. My hand tightened on my six-gun (aka the arm of the chair) under the smock. He moved in under my nose and nicked me on his first pass. This did nothing to calm his (or my) nerves as he applied wads of cotton wool and other ointments to stem the flow. He reached for the cut throat and moved in again, do I try to help by pulling the same faces as when I am shaving myself (will this just frighten him?) or do I just let my face go loose and let him pull my skin about? Will I look good in the city with bits of cotton wool stuck all over my face? Amazingly we both survived the experience more or less intact and I could tick another experience off my list.

Thais have a real problem with r's. You take your dirty washing to the 'Laundly' and go and listen to music at 'Lockies' bar. (Actually they will often really try to get the 'r' so it is not uncommon to find yourself at the 'Rrraundly'). There is live music every night at 'Lockies' and we went there with our friends from England, Peter and Elaine, they recommended it as an 'experience' not to be missed. How can you play every night for goodness knows how long and be so awful? I don't think the lead guitarist would have known a beat if it hit him continuously in a rhythmic fashion. "You think that's bad" they said, "Try 'Countly Loads'" - a bar on Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok, quite near to 'Cabbages and Condoms' - watch this space!

Our daughter and her partner are running in the London marathon and we have just spent a fruitless hour or so trying to see it over the internet. We would be fine if we were in the UK, the USA or Canada - oh well. Apparently it is going to be the hottest marathon so far. We are both very proud - they get a medal if they do it in less than 8 hours!

They did it! We spoke to them on the phone afterwards and Kate said " I am never running anywhere ever again" I think she meant it too. Dan is a teacher and a great motivator (Come on Kate only another 20 miles to go!). It was a great effort, well done!

With 2 weeks to go we feel like we are on holiday. Staying in a hotel at greatly reduced rates and with 10% occupancy we have our own private pool. Sue is concentrating on her tan and I am reading and trying to sun-bathe but my heart's not in it. What am I going to do when I get home!? It's going to be freezing cold and I won't be able to live with the pace of life. Here I have all day to make a decision and I can concentrate on one thing at a time, at home I know I am going to have to make instant decisions. "Do you want tea or coffee?" "erm....." "Come on I haven't got all day!"