A decent sleep, sensible length, naturally awake and wondering how early it was. Then I remembered the darkness was a lack of windows and checked my watch: 7.20am, a perfectly reasonable time to rise.

My glasses rejected attempts at further repair but seem to working ok so I haven’t switched to the other frames – which are themselves fairly new and very capable.

By the time I was showered and had retrieved coffee they were announcing tender numbers, a mix of the ship’s own boats and local ones, larger two deck affairs, their superstructures made from wood. The shore was some way distant, obscured in the morning haze, apparently a full half hour journey from the ship. Tender operations started early and the Captain announced he’s delayed departure for another two hours, so there’s no urgency to get on shore. The island is a ring round around a few hills, all trees and water, and I wanted to take a walk out of the town.

On shore I found a map that showed a Chinese temple a short distance away. Head that way, turn left.

I headed that way. I turned left. I found myself at the edge of town, no temple but a dirt pathway heading inland, away from the town. 100 yards later the traffic noise had faded, a bird skittered through the undergrowth, tiny flowers lined the path and butterflies scampered between them.

I had to step around coconuts, so plentiful they fell to the ground and rotted there, more growing overhead. A clearing, trees intentionally cut down, the stumps wrapped in rope with water buffalo at the other end. Their friends, the long beaked white birds, took flight, disappeared into the woods.

I found a road, followed a pickup truck, cut across a shortcut where the road had a sharp bend. That proved wrong, the truck heading down a dirt track, a moped showing me where the road had gone. Back onto it and I followed it through a poor residential area, although poor here means ‘three mopeds, no car’. More dogs lazily sleeping by the street, small children saying hello, the other locals mostly ignoring me. A laundry, clothes drying in the sun by the street, something I’d seen in Pattaya. Three different barbers, a curious number for so small a town but offering shaves or beard trims as well as hair cuts. The young Thai men with slim faces do suit a sharp narrow beard.

Just 4km after leaving the boat I was back at the pier, having seen far more of Thailand and the Thai way of life than two whole days in Pattaya. Or maybe a more rural life, living on a tropical island.

My shirt soaked – literally, no dry spot on it – I found a cafe, waved a US dollar at them, got a nod, ordered coffee. They have internet, I have time, after coffee I’ll get some food. I wondered if the man I’d seen knee deep in the sea by the pier had finished gathering his net, cast out in what he pulled into a circle 40m in diameter. He was circling back around inside it when I left the pier but already I could see a fish leaping from the water, unable to escape.

Just realised I haven’t even said where I am. Koh Samui (with Koh pronounced Goh, the Thai for Island), an island in the Gulf of Thailand. It’s a backpacker holiday destination, hiking and beaches.

I’ve been sat in this cafe now for well over an hour, a bottle of water, a coffee and half a local beer consumed so far. It’s taken me that long to go through the past few days updates, add the photographs. Everything is now up to date and I’ve also corrected the posting dates to match the day to which the posts refer – those ones all have a posting time of 23:23.

Catcam is dead again. It seemed to struggle docking on its charge station when I last took it for a drive, so it’s probably out of power. My primary telephony expense is contacting the lovely lady looking after the cats to ask her if she can put the robot on its charger. 50p a message. Sigh.

Although the bar I’m sat in is full of western tourists (including mainly backpackers not from the ship) it does have some locals and has the advantage of accepting payment in US dollars so I’ve taken a risk on some lunch. Stir fry chicken in chilli, garlic and onion. I have no idea what’ll arrive but will photograph it when it does..

I was asked if I wanted rice with it. I fear my ‘yes’ will cost me another 85 Baht. Oh well, that bumps the price of the meal to £5. Good value for money, this is a full meal and it’s rather tasty.

Anyway, time to found out how badly paying in US dollars for drinks/food priced in Baht is going to hurt me, then head back to the ship. Back online in Singapore in two days’ time.