Arab Performance at the Olympics

I'm not always an enthusiastic reader of newspapers here in the UAE, mainly due to what I regard as poor quality journalism here. Today however I was pleasantly surprised by this little piece in The National by Ayman Safadi.

He doesn't say much that many of us didn't already know, but what he does say he says very eloquently. Pretty much sums up the lone UAE sailors results and attitude. The incredible statistic that Arab countries grouped together won less medals than Michael Phelps is especially telling. Shame he doesn't play on the obese debate here either though.

A final word about The National. I can't seem to get my head round its layout in its tangible format, but the format seems to translate itself very well to the web. Easily the best online paper in Dubai now (and even The Khaleej Times has a better site than Gulf News now!).

Finally.

Finally. I had to get all the way back to Dubai to manage to upload it but I've finally done it. I'll try and post a few photo's of Jane and Arash's wedding later as well and update on my little trip to Koh Toa.

Actually, I'll say something about Koh Toa now. I decided to go as I've heard about the place and thought that as I was in Koh Samui and a couple of other guests from the wedding (Matt's sister being one) were going too, I'd have a look. I arrived to a packed island with no accomodation available. Not even the pricey places at 400dhs a night. So I had to book myself onto a Scuba diving course in order to get somewhere to stay. Not bad considering that the course only cost 900dhs. Here in Dubai your looking at around 3000dhs I think.

All in all I can't really decide if I liked it or not in Koh Toa. I think it was okay although I'm not sure I'd visit again. Give me Krabi anyday.

Managed to get on the plane last night although there was a little thought at the back of my mind about upgrading to business class. This after a spot of food posioning that I picked up on the bus from Chumpon to Bangkok. Which leads me to a little rant. How can airlines expect you to keep rehydrated (ala their flying fit videos) and then pass out measily little glasses of water. They look upon you like you have another head if you ask for a bottle. It miffs me.

More photo's later when I've unpacked the card reader.

3 Golds

Well done Ben Ainslie for winning his 3rd Gold medal just moments ago. Goodison back in first too so its looking like it could be 3 sailing Golds for GBR. Woop.

Uploading to youtube. Arrgghh

In what is now my second upload to youtube I am becoming increasingly frustrated with the length of time that it takes to upload a realtively small file for this day and age. At 50 meg, its hardly large anymore.

Moving on, I'm now writing from my own comuter sitting in a posh breakfast lounge where I'm staying on the beach in Koh Samui. Much different to where I've just flown in from in Krabi. I finished my last day of climbing the other day with a little climbing on a wall called Dum's Kitchen, so named because the huge overhang actually served as a kitchen and living area for a Ton Sai local who was called, surprisingly, Dum. Its located right on the beach (actually keeping the gear away from the sea as the tide started to come in was a challenge). Whipped out another 6a straight up and realised how tired I was from 3 days of climbing previously. Its also a pretty good area for bouldering which I did a little bit of.

A guy in mid fall on the DWS trip

After a long lunch of some insanely hot Thai food recommended by Tu, we moved on to The Nest, a wall bordered by jungle just 2 minutes walk from the school. I was particularly happy as here I managed to climb a 6b, my current highest grade. Woop Woop.

Woke up early yesterday and made my way to Krabi airport via boat and taxi which cost my a total of 50 dhs for an hour and a half journey. Winner. My plane from Krabi to Koh Samui was packed. It soon became clear that everyone was making there way to Koh Phra Nang, the island next to Koh Samui for the infamous Full Moon Party. I toyed with the idea of going but then decided that 10,000 pilled up muppets all pissing in the sea wasn't for me today so chilled with Jane's brother and other friends at Lucy's pool. Mike (Jane's bro) is quite well off with his own business in Dubai and a house in Pattaya; he invited me to come with him when they charter a Sunsail boat after the wedding as he is thinking of buying a boat although he has no experience. So it looks like I'll stay here and do a little relaxation instead of moving on to somewhere else in Thailand. He's a really nice chap and even offered me a job in Dubai. We'll see.

Off to get my trousers and shirt ironed for the wedding at 4.30pm this arvo.

Argh, the vid failed to upload again. Bugger.

Deep Water Soloing

Went Deep Water Soloing today. Was great fun and learnt a lot. Apparently the move to get from the rope to the rock was in the region of 7a. It certainly required a lot of powerful pulling. I'm tryin to upload the caving vid from yesterday but obivouly the internet isn't very fast here and my patience may well run out before it finishes. I'm also slowing down everyone else's access to a crawl so I may well give up now.

I'm also stupid and messed up copying the pics to my flash drive. Last day of climbing tomorrow and then off to Jane's wedding on Koh Samui. Maybe I'll try and put the vid up then.

Knackered

So I had one too many beers last night. This did not help the 20 min trek from Ton Sai to Daimond Cave in Rai Leh this morning. The route was pretty steep. It also meant that I climbed my warm up climb like a complete dickhead and barely completed it. As a staight 5 I was pretty annoyed with myself at this (considering my new standard of 6a+!!!). So I bucked my ideas up and climbed my next two climbs like an absolute demon. Then a little leading on an easy little 5. Winner.

Felt deserved of lunch after my mornings expliots so went with Tu to some little backstreet Thai place where I was presented with half a ton of rice. Exactly what the doctor ordered.

From here we walked around the peninsular to Phra Nang beach which is pretty mcuh the most astonishing beach I have ever walked on. We walked from one end to another to climb at Escher Wall, where I top roped a couple of 5's and Tu set me off on a 4 - 5 lead climb. Somehow I managed to take a wrong turn and climbed 2/3 of the root on a 6a+ pitch. Shakey legs on that lead... Suitably shagged, Tu told us (us being the absolute beginner and his instructor who were also with us) that we were going through a cave to get back to Rai Ley West beach. Cave. ha. I thought as I imagined a large cavern where sunlight flooded into both ends. I was wrong. It was a PROPER cave. So armed with one CRAP torch the four of us began the long upwards scramble/bamboo ladder climb/climb in my danger flops (the ones with ZERO grip left). The beginner had one leg fall down a hole. Tu dropped the torch down a 10 metre ladder. It was worring. But...

It was worth every minute of the 15 sweaty cave minutes though. It brought us out in the cliff about 50 metres above Rai Leh Bay to an abseil down. Amazing. One of the coolest things ever. Ever. If you ever get a chance to come here just to do that.

I did manage to a lot of this on video and much of the scenerey on camera. I will upload them tomorrow. I couldn't be shagged with doing it this evening. Too tired. No beer tonight. Just bed.

Wow

What a great day out. After managing to get on the flight last night and getting into Krabi at about 8pm, I arrived into Ao Nang at about 10 and found a room for the night. Caught a longtail to Rai Leh at 8am and had a little wander around. I?d convinced myself before I got here that Ton Sai was where I wanted to go so I had a little breakfast Thai style and then caught another boat across the bay.

Ton Sai is a lot less commercialized than Rai Leh (which is comparatively sleepy compared to the other bigger islands anyway). I managed to book myself into a hotel (I splashed out on air con at an outrageous 10 quid a night) right next door to Wee?s Climbing School. Before I?d even managed to book myself a climbing course I was offered a ?special coffee? by Wee? I passed on that. Maybe later in the week.

My guide is called Tu. He weighs in at a massive 45 kg. Worrying on the belay front. He took me straight out to a wall which he told me he bolted himself. Although I can?t remember the name, I do know that it translates as ?Snake Wall?. He soon pointed out why.

"Snake Wall"

Had some amazing climbs straight up which Tu told me were 6a?s. That made me pretty happy. Climbed 3 different routes here, the first of which I climbed without a rest. After that we moved to a wall behind my hotel where I got bitten to death by mozzie's. I failed on both of the climbs here but I?m still really happy with the day so far.

"Hands off rest just before falling"

Right, off to go get some chow as I am hank marvin. Off to Rai Leh tomorrow which is round the corner. Might try and get some scenery pics tomorrow too.

edit* I wrote this up at the bunglow which doesn't have tinternet so I saved it as a text file and then headed down to the local internet cafe with it on a flash drive. Just got down here and have to say that the huge cliff right next to the main bar is amazing. They have lit it up at night. Amazing. (There were people belaying right next to the place during the day!)

Off for a Chang now. Later