Rakhi: For various reasons, we've had a bit of a departure from our blog...but now we're back...

Since we have some time off school (some of the students are sitting a military exam so school's closed) Joel and I have come to Krabi, a province on the south-west coast of Thailand. It's absolutely stunning here and thankfully the heavy rain which greeted us last Sunday has calmed down enough for us to be able to enjoy the spectacular coastline beaches as well as some of the surrounding 132 islands off the mainland.

We've based ourselves in the town of Ao Nang which is considered to be the centre of the tourist scene. Thankfully though, as it's the low season at the moment it's nice and peaceful with a good amount of amenities close by, not too many people and a laid back, relaxing atmosphere.

Krabi was one of the most affected areas by the 2004 tsunami. The region which is completely tourism-dependent found it difficult to get back on it's feet. Even now, people are reluctant to travel to this area of Thailand but it's the best thing you can do to help people rebuild their livelihoods. The Phi Phi islands (a group of 6) which lie south of Krabi are regarded as the "Jewels of the Andaman Sea." Only one of the islands Phi Phi Don is inhabited and it was this island which was worst affected by the tsunami which destroyed most of the island at the height of the tourist season.

The Phi Phi islands are said to be among the world's most beautiful and "The Beach" was even filmed on one of these islands. Since it's so easy to get to there from Ao Nang Joel and I realised we couldn't miss the opportunity to visit a slice of paradise. So, on Tuesday morning we woke early to get a 1 and 1/2 hour boat under moody skies and choppy seas to Phi Phi Don where we planned to stay for a week or so. As soon as we stepped off the boat, we were harassed by people hawking accommodation and the heavens opened.

If other places in Thailand suffer during the low season and other places along the Andaman Coast are quiet because of fearful tourists after the tsunami, Koh Phi Phi Don is not one of them. Joel and I searched for an available room but prices, of even the most basic toilet free rooms were a complete rip off. Eventually, we managed to find a place that was just about okay to lay our heads. The guesthouses, resorts, cafes and restaurants in the built up Ton Sai area of the island are so numerous that they're practically on top of one another and you have to weave through each of them to get anywhere. All this coupled with the number of tourists and extortionate prices made me feel like I was at a Butlins Resort not the idyllic island I was hoping for.

The next day, the sun finally came out and I caught a glimpse of the beauty of the island; clear turqoise waters and white sandy beaches. Plus, left over fag butts, beer bottles and noisy long tail boats ferrying people around the island and disturbing the peace. I'm sure this place was once amazing and there must be little nooks and crannies of beauty away from the main tourist area but in my opinion, tourism (whilst being great for the local economy) has turned this place into a Paradise Lost and I was wholly disappointed. After just one night on the island, Joel and I headed back to Ao Nang.

In and around Ao Nang, there is so much to do. Krabi is famous for snorkelling, diving and rock climbing one of the many karst formations that jut out of the sea. Feeling adventurous, Joel and I went sea kayaking and snorkelling around Ko Hong, a group of islands blessed with white sandy bays and crystal clear water. We actually only went kayaking around the bigger of the collection of islands where you can paddle through gaps in the cliffs and into a lagoon in the interior. In the middle of the lagoon there is a sandy bank where the bed is covered with star fish and you can see beautiful birds in their natural environment. It was breathtaking.

After kayaking, we stopped for lunch before heading to another three tiny islands where we relaxed and read for a bit. Our last stop was 'Paradise Island,' top of the list for snorkelling. Both of us donned our gear and headed underwater for a swim through schools of stripey tropical fish. Joel, braver than me went further out where he saw more beautiful and brightly coloured fish and some coral.

We've taken lots of photos but they don't do this stunning area justice. I'll upload them when we get home.

Joel: There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a double bank holiday, and last week we made good use of our four day weekend by making a trip out to Kanchanaburi near the border with Myanmar, the location of the bridge on the river Kwai. It was a bit of a trek having to go into Bangkok and out again but we arrived at a little guest house on the river late on Friday evening, just in time for last orders in the restaurant. Rakhi’s just finished reading the famous novel named after the bridge and although I’m aware of the significance of the place, I’ve not even seen the film, so it was great that after breakfast on Saturday we could check out the nearby Thailand-Burma Railway Centre, a fantastic museum detailing the history of the construction of the Death Railway from all perspectives. I kind of thought that after leaving Korea I might have heard enough stories about the brutal Japanese but not to be. It seems as pressure began to be placed on the officers to get the thing finished, the conditions in which the Allied POWs were kept became utterly hellish. There were plenty of first-hand accounts from those who’d suffered and survived as well as those who hadn’t and plenty of artifacts to give observers an idea of the torment and agony suffered. Next to the centre and visible from the windows is the huge Allied War Cemetery. We gave that a miss.

In the evening, we took bikes from our guest house and peddled up to the bridge in anticipation of a nine o’clock light show. There was no light show, but instead at one end of the bridge the local Thais were having a huge knees-up with a stage, a band and plenty of energetic dancing. We made our way along the sleepers to the centre of the unlit bridge (imagine the restrictions in the U.K. on walking along such a famous railway bridge at night. I love living in a place where I’m not always treated like an infant!) and couldn’t quite take it all in. “We’re on the bridge on the river Kwai! Woo-hoo” I’ll just have to read the book now.

The next day, we took an early bus up to Erawan National Park, home of a seven tier super-spectacular waterfall. It was a gorgeous day and although plenty of Thais had had same idea as us for enjoying the bank holiday, it wasn’t too busy and everyone we did see was having a great time. The waterfall was stunning. It was a bit of a hike up to the top tier and we worked up a bit of a sweat in the heat but it was well worth it. We took a swim in one of the plunge pools, had our feet nibbled by foot long fish and sat for a while on the rocks underneath the waterfall itself. Absolutely breath-taking.

It’s now Monday morning and I’m back at school after what amounted to something of a working weekend (which is fine every so often). On Saturday, Rakhi and I travelled to a different school to give some lectures on Phonology to a group of Thai teachers. We’d worked pretty hard preparing it (Rakhi particularly) and when the day came, it all seemed to go really well. We’d made it quite interactive with lots of games and exercises and, despite having to be at school on a Saturday, I think the teachers really enjoyed the classes. They gave us pretty good evaluations anyway. A credit to Rakhi I’d say.

And yesterday we both came in to school for a final big rehearsal day for the English play. The six students were more than happy to come in on a Sunday, which kind of shows me how much they want to win, and we spent four hours going through the script in terms of pronunciation and stressing and moved on to tweaking some of the action. After four hours we ran the whole thing and I’d say it was in pretty good shape. We’ll have a final dress rehearsal on Wednesday and if they can remember the two most important things, “Loud and clear, loud and clear…” I’ll be quite happy. On Thursday, we’ll be getting up early to make the three hour trip to Phitsanulok for what I’m now told is the final of the competition. If we win, we’ll be invited with the other three regional winners to perform at a festival in Bangkok in September. Anyway, I’m not counting my chickens. I’ll try to get a video camera this week to film it and, come Thursday, I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed .