Ban Lo Ba Ra

17:30
Phi Phi DENIED. Vicks has not had a good night’s sleep, and feels pretty sub-standard this morning. We’re not sure quite what’s causing her to feel like this - I feel fine (but with out any semblance of smugness), so suspect it’s not a bug. She’s been keeping really well hydrated throughout our trip, as she always does, but we can’t escape the feeling that it might somehow be heat related. She soldiers on, bless her. We get packed up in decent time, and wait in the reception area at Lanta Sands for our midday pick up.

Stunningly, our pick-up arrives on time. It’s a songthaew that already looks full to bursting. We’re a little sceptical as to whether we’ll fit into the flatbed of the truck, but happily the driver opens a secret door to a tiny compartment for two that we’d barely noticed was there. I can see Vicki is really struggling in the heat, so even 5 mins of A/C in the truck is a welcome gift. At the pier, the heat is oppressive. BBC reckons the heat index today is at 47C, which is just nuts.

We’ve 40 minutes until boarding for our speedboat to Phi Phi, so grab a cold drink for Vicks and a beer for me at a little café. Vicki is deteriorating rapidly. She can barely sit up without feeling like she’s going to pass out, and several times has to lie down on the bench to rest. I’ve already suggested we stay on Koh Lanta an extra couple of days, and head straight from here to Phuket, but she’s adamant we should continue. As our boat departure approaches, I think she’s getting worse. We again discuss changing our plans, and I’m pleased when she acquiesces. Definite hints of heat exhaustion - dizziness, nausea etc.

We spend another 30 minutes trying to cool her down, which is tricky in a sheltered, inland area. The girls working behind the counter in the café ask if she’s ok, and offer a bag of ice to help cool her, and this seems to do the trick - enough, at least, to enable us to complete a quick 5 minute tuk-tuk ride to the resort at which I’ve hastily booked us a couple of nights of accommodation. It really feels like this is for the best. It means missing out on Phi Phi, and the boat trip we’d planned tomorrow to the neighbouring islands, but health comes first.

We’re into our room, and Vicks is settled by 14:00. I leave her to rest/sleep, and head out to the resort’s beach bar for some food. OMG - they have Savanna Dry by the bottle. After what’s been a worrying and stressful morning, it’s an absolutely marvellous tonic. I’m conscious I’ve not eaten today, and suddenly am ravenous. I have an amazing dish of minced pork with fried aubergine, which is pretty high up on the chilli richter scale, but which I thoroughly enjoy. I tell myself the second and third bottles of Savanna are purely about chilli heat management.

Back at the room, Vicki’s dozing. I decide to join her. It’s been a tough old day…

23:30
Around 19:00, I head out in search of sustenance. Vicks has requested some water and a can of Sprite for dinner, which I’ll source and take back for her. I always go into this kind of hunter/gatherer mentality when she’s not feeling well.

I’m not feeling particularly energised or adventurous, so head back to our resort’s beach restaurant where I ate earlier. A couple of ice cold Savannas really hit the spot, and I have a chicken and cashew stir-fry which is tremendous.

At 20:30 and back at the bungalow, I receive the worst of news. My darling friend Mick has succumbed in his fight against cancer. Even though none of that circle of friends would have been local to me had I been in Brighton today, it somehow feels more of a gut-punch to hear this news from 6,000 miles away. I loved Micky in so many ways, but I think most of all for being the best example of a human that he could be - whether as a friend, a brother, a son, a dad or as a husband. I’m heart-broken, for myself - but so much moreso for his incredible wife, Em, and for his beautiful kids, Bertie and Elsie. The world is an unfair place, and is a much worse world tonight for no longer having him in it. Rest easy, lovely boy. x x xLäs mer