$1 = 38.5 bhat

Well after those glorious mountains of Nepal, we headed back to Bangkok. Actually, a very memorable flight in that we were able to get business class tickets for 25 US more than economy fare. That's my first time up with royalty. I've now returned to Koh Phangan to see some of my local, native friends Sapon and Sabina. I want to continue by train south to Trang hoping to explore the extreme southern part of Thailand before heading into Malaysia. Still unsure of what path to take down the country but I am looking for coral reef or wildlife preserves, while traveling by train.

Had that nightmare "jungle experience" last night while lying in the bungalow. It was brutally hot and very still lying under the mosquito net. I managed to be asleep somehow, when I felt a very large, multi-legged insect crawling up the back of my leg. I was lightning fast in getting it off of me, but not before it managed a good bite, startled no doubt by my effort to launch him to hell. I stumbled, confused, hardly awake, tied up in the mosquito net, towards the light switch. There the bastard was, about five inches long and half inch wide, scurrying across the bed. A zillion legs and too quick for my desperate efforts to kill it. It was three am and the pain soon begun. Sapon says its worse than a scorpion bite and should take two days to get the heat out. I need to get some "chicken salivia" to take the heat out he says, I say yea o.k. whatever...It hurts like hell. I suspects its bound to happen if you stay long enough in the tropics. At least its not too poisonous!