h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Back home from Thailand. Nice and refreshed, sun-tanned and depressed at having to go back to work.

Most of my time was spent close to or in water, both of the salty kind, the slightly chlorinated kind, the sweet and fizzy kind, and the mildly alcoholic kind. I was quite determined to do scuba-diving and my determination paid off. I visited two of the best diving spots near Phuket - Anemone Reef and Koh Doc Mai. There were loads of lion fish to be seen as well as stone-fish, moray eels, box-fish, shrimps, and even the odd sea-horse or two. After a while, you almost forget about the myriads of other tropical fish that surround you while diving.

The snorkelling was excellent also, although the reefs close to shore tend to be quite badly damaged. I swam close to a black-tipped reef shark during one of my snorkelling forays, so I reckon that had to be one of the high-points of the trip. Another memorable incident happened when my wife swam into a mass-gathering of sea-urchins, and proceded to get a little "uneasy". I couldn't blame her really, imagine swimming over hundreds of very large and sharp pin-cushions when it's your first time snorkelling in months! Also while snorkelling I damaged one of my new fins, drenched most of my cash, and lost the key of our hotel-room. (For future reference : never go swimming with your pockets full).

Would I go again? Definitely. Thai people are very friendly and the food and drink is very cheap. The food is delicious. The weather this time of the year is extremely bearable, even if thunder storms are common during the evening. The sea-water is nicely warm, and there are plenty of opportunities to relax and start acting like a little kid again.