Global truths!

I have realised that there are certain things which are the same everywhere in the world (or at least everywhere in the world i have been so far!)

You can buy a coca cola anywhere - even in the deepest darkest depths of the smallest remotest country sell coke.

You have to buy your petrol from shell, esso or BP - local petrol stations are being taken over and cannot compete.

And that as soon as there is a McDonalds in the area it has lost the appeal and the charm that made the tourists want to go there in the first place.

And if Starbucks is there then it means there is money to be made by big corporations. Starbucks only goes to places they can seriously overcharge you for bad coffee.

A smile will always help any situation (and help you get a discount!)

And people who live in big cities are the same everywhere! In a hurry, less smiley and more concerned with their outward appearance.

And that when western tourists start to flock, things change quickly, local culture gets trampled and the thing everyone originally came to see gets lost in all the commotion surrounding it.
Like Ko Phi Phi in Thailand, this probably once was a beautiful peaceful island with amazing beaches and kind friendly locals. But now it is just an island - and international Ibiza - for tourists to party and sunbathe on. The Thais who live there all work in the tourist industry and very little seems to exist in what would have been the local way of life before the west came to visit. There are still some quiet secluded islands and beaches in thailand I'm told...

Saying that, Sal and I still managed to have a lovely time in Thailand for two weeks! We went to Phi Phi for a few days but managed to escape to a lovely little beach back on the mainland where we stayed in a little wooden hut just off the beach. We also went to Khao Sok national park where we went canoeing and elephant trekking!!! Lots of fun.

I was so overly excited when i first arrived in Thailand! They have proper paved roads!(which I now know extend to all over the country!)! And clean sheets on the guest house beds! And good coffee! And you can walk around the city!! Yes, that's right, you can walk, because they have pavements and traffic that obeys some sort of road rules and there aren't people everywhere and there aren't stalls along every road selling stuff!! It's amazing! And also, they have Ko San Road in Bangkok, which after 2 months of India seems amazing but gets ''same same'' very quickly. It is just built for tourists and caters for tourists in every way - it even has a starbucks!

And they smile at you! Wow!

I think India should be everyone's first stop when they go travelling because after India you can deal with anything. A toilet that doesn't reak is fab - and if it flushes too, well that's a bit of a luxury really! And when buses have seats that recline - wowee! And when they drive along roads which have been tarmaced and the journey seems smooth and comfortable... I can't describe how happy these things can make a girl.