Okay, now on to paradise. Peter and I took a night train out of Bangkok to Surat Thani. Neither of us slept particularly well on the train ride--we could only get seats that partially inclined, instead of a sleeper car. But it only cost about $15, so I can't complain. Surat Thani was just the first leg of our journey. From there, we were met by a dozen touts, offering us buses out of town to various locations in southern Thailand. This is a difficult situation to negotiate because it is easy to be overcharged by a tour company. These touts were the most frustrating part of traveling in Thailand because they are so aggressive, and you feel at their mercy to get you to your destination. We boarded a bus to Krabi, which took far too long and made a hundred stops along the road. By the time we reached Krabi at mid-day, we were utter zombies. The town of Krabi is nothing extraordinary, but Peter and I found it's worn storefronts to be quite charming. From here, we boarded a long-tail boat to Rai Leh (or Railey), which is a totally isolated Ao, a 45 minute ride from Krabi town. From my handy guidebook, I had read that Rai Leh was far less developed than some of the more expensive resort islands in the area, and even more beautiful. This was certainly true. We made it to Rai Leh by 5pm and found a bungalow with no air-con, a mattress on the floor, and no hot water for $10 total. By 6pm, we were on the beach, enjoying this extraordinary sunset. I went swimming, and the water was the temperature of bathwater. By this time, I was deliriously tired, and I couldn't stop giggling as I lay on my back in the water staring up at the limestone cliffs. It was the most beautiful setting I had ever been to in my life.