Sandcastles in the sky

As always I wake early which is not good when you've been out till 3 that morning but I'd rather go and sit in my little place by the sea than sit in my room. There are 3 young girls who are the family of the people who run where I'm staying and I go down with a wallet of stickers that I've been carrying around. When I give them to them their faces light up and I'm sure they will get more enjoyment out of them than I will. After you stay on the island for a while people recognise you and even know what you want to order before you do. The attentiveness is beyond belief. At the beach there is a young boy and while his mum is trying to get things done I make my way down and start building a sandcastle with him. At first he's wary, but even with the language barrier it's not long before he joins in and even though the moat doesn't work we collect shells and decorate it.
In the afternoon I go for a massage. I like a strong massage and I can honestly say I've not been pulled and pushed in so many directions but as she's got her elbow in my back I can feel the knots being released and can certainly feel the difference when she's finished. It takes an hour and costs me £6 so money we'll spent. The wages here are really low and a lot of people depend on tips to make a living. The bars generally pay about 300baht a day and provide a sleeping area and shared food so about £6 a day,
Dinner tonight is snapper and is delicious, a funny thing is at the dinner table they have alcohol gel and mosquitos spray which is welcome tonight as they are out in force, followed by a few drinks in the hippie bar where a guy that we met the night before called Ray is doing a set. When he see us as promised he plays beatles songs and we're treated to another fire show before heading for a couple on the beach. It's Jan's birthday at midnight and after staying to wish her many happy returns I bid everyone goodnight I'm getting too old for 3am finishes every night.Read more