Monks and massages

I completely forgot to write about these things....

Monks:
There were a fair few monks around Bangkok,not in the delightful maroon cloaks of the monks I saw in northern India, but a variety of bright orange sari type designs. Fetching in their own way... What I also noticed about the monks is that they didn't seem as happy as the Tibetan monks in Macleod ganj, I can only presume this is because they don't have the dalai lama to party with... I also noticed one monk swaggering down the street with a bag thrown over one shoulder, sunglasses and a fag hanging out his mouth. He was like a monk version of johnny Depp(playing hunter s Thompson) in fear and loathing in las Vegas... Wasn't expecting to see slightly threatening looking smoking monks around...Another monk, later that same day, did smile at me in traditional monk like fashion; it occurred to me how delightfully contagious smiling is, one does forget these things. Let's all smile to strangers more often and make the world a happier place!

Massages:
I met a guy called Tom when I first arrived in Thailand and he raved about the massages... After my slightly traumatic massage in Nepal I was thinking I probably wouldn't go for any more, especially one where they 'stretch you in all sorts of ways' as Tom put it... On my second day there I thought as it was only about four quid and a typical Thai experience I should probably try the Thai massage. I was shown upstairs by this man who seemed very nice, he washed my feet and took me to a room where there were thankfully other people already being massaged so I was less worried about being molested. I don't think words can really adequately express how good the massage was... It was without a doubt the best massage I've ever had, I want more, but I'm worried they won't be as good and I don't want to ruin my good opinion of Thai massages. I was stretched in all sorts of ways, and there were some very questionable positions, and bizarre slow thrusting actions, but I think it was all normal cos he was chatting to the other masseuses as he massaged away... I went back for a foot massage yesterday, it was almost as good as the full Thai massage. My decadent lifestyle continues.


Anyway, I'm on koh Tao now. First impressions are:
Doesn't beat the adaman islands,
The sea is less scary
It's possibly hotter
I do like it
The chocolate cake is good. (my nose just seems to sniff the stuff out!)
I don't think I'll go to any more islands after this, seen one tropical island seen them all, unless one is significantly different in some way, which it won't be, unless I ever start my vegan communist island with lots of rabbits on...