We are going to an island called Poda tomorrow to stay for a few days. We found it today while out on a snorkling trip. We stopped there for about 45 minutes to go swimming. We saw some bungalows so we thought we would ask how much and it's pretty cheap so we thought we would try and go tomorrow (6th) and stay some days. There isn't anything there. No roads, no stores, no nothing. It didn't look more than a half mile long. We wanted to try and find a place like that that wasn't very popular and luckily we did! I don't think it's in our travel book. The very popular places to visit here are where The Beach and James Bond were filmed. The tour offices say things like... take the James Bond Adventure. Those places are completely built up with resorts and not very attractive, and all because of Hollywood. We hear that they really are beautiful but a little spoiled now with their popularity. Where the film The Beach took place there was a lot of damage left from their filming, so we have heard. We have not gone to see it (Ko Phi Phi), we don't want to. The beauty of the area has been taken away by huge crowds and huge resorts. Plus it's way too expensive for us. So even better we are going where no one wants to go. We stocked up on peanuts, cookies, sun lotion and bug spray. So don't worry if you don't hear from us for a few days it's because they don't have internet on the island.

Andrea, the picture of the ant on Jose's site is real. Yes, he has a great camera but also has great patience. I think it took him about an hour to get that photo. I was off on the beach someplace and when I got back to where he was, he was covered in sand. Face and all. I should have taken a picture of him. He was on his stomach with the book on the sand trying to get the perfect shot. Holding the ant in one hand with a stick and his camera in the other. I wouldn't go near those ants!!! They bite, and it hurts!

Sorry, I tried to post some pictures and it didn't work today.