Living Off the Grid

A few of you know that I am a bit of a nut with an obsessive dream to build a house that generates it's own energy. Some call it self sufficient living, but I don't think that accurately described what I had in mind as most self sufficient people tend to have long hair, are vegans, smoke weed and live in the desert just outside of Tucson Arizona.
I'm too much of a tech addict to ever de-evolutionize (new word?) to that point.

Well, recently while reading some more about this (read: "feeding the obsession") I came across the term "Off the Grid" which I think more accurately describes the direction I'm interested in.
More importantly, I found a site outlining many of the ideas and concepts I have been thinking of.
It's put together by Glen Hunter, who with his partner started building an "Off the Grid" place in 2002. The house is made of straw, which in my opinion is a whole other issue to "off the grid" but after looking at the progress and final results I must admit I think straw houses are pretty interesting too.
The site Glen has put together outlines many many of the issues and details associated with off the grid living, for the point of view of an owner/builder who also has a 'normal' job (i.e. isn't living off the land and building full time)

Anyway, here is the link to the site. The house is in Canada, and you'll see from the pics they experience 'real' winters of -30deg with good dumpings of snow.
The major 'eco' design factor of the house is using the sun to heat a huge mass during the day, and radiating that heat back at night. On Glen's house this is achieved via a wall of windows, and a bare concrete floor. Even in the winter, the sun streams in and does it's thing. Along with this form of heating is underfloor radiant heating, and (just recently!) a very small log burner. Electrical power all comes from Solar and Wind....oh yeah.

They live over 800m from a possible grid power source, are not connected to it, and living a normal life - that's cool.

I found this site pretty inspirational. Often I feel most people don't quite get it when I mention "off the grid" - this is a great example of what I have been talking about.

The Straw House Blog
My page of interesting links for building a house

Make an iPod power pack for $7USD

You may have noticed my earlier post with a link to making your own iPod power pack.I can't help thinking it was pretty complex and while it is small, how long would it charge for?

I thought I would put my money where my mouth is and have a go and making one based on something I thought up myself and as I so willingly suggested to a poster on forumosa.com who was looking for an iPod power pack.

The basic theory was to get a Car accessory -USB adaptor, and rip it to bits, combine it with some batteries and presto, have a power pack to charge an iPod away from any usual power source.

So I went to Guang Hua Computer Market today and picked up some bits. As you will see in the photo, I got carried away with various shaped battery holders and cases, and different switches, just to make sure I had all options covered. Here is a photo of everything that I bought, including a soldering iron (80nt - and that wasn't the cheapest!)












Here is a photo of the bare minimum bits you'd need based on a 12v DC input (8 x 1.5 AAs - but you will see I used a different configuration to this)



The final parts list (that I used) is as follows:

1 x Car Accessory-USB adaptor = 90nt
2 x 8AA battery holders = 40nt
1 x rocker switch = 12nt
16 x AA heavy duty batteries = 79nt
1 x Black plastic project case = 80nt

total price = 301nt (including batteries)
total price = 222nt (unit only) About $7 USD!!


First step was to take the Car Adaptor to bits. A blade screwdriver in the seam and it was in bits.
A small sticker on the adaptor stated:
Input: DC 12V-24V Output: DC 5.0V +- 5% Max: 500mA
Wha,wha....what? This handles 24V input? So, after thinking about this for 2 seconds, I figured 16 AAs would be better than 8. Will last longer. :)
After a bit of jiggling around I found that I had to use the 2 long battery holders instead of the 2 flat ones.
I had bought a new LED so I could have a power indicator, as I presumed the one on the adaptor would be in the wrong position. After some testing, I discovered the adaptor LED was a hi-tech 2 color unit that indicated green for 'ready' (input ok) and red for 'charging'. I desperately wanted to keep this feature, so I carefully bent the LED around so it would sit in a hole beside the USB slot in the case.
Next step was to cut the holes for the USB slot, LED and the rock switch.
I positioned these all at one end, using the space not occupied by the battery holders
I used a drill to make some holes which I finished off with a craft knife and needle file. That took the longest time, about an hour for a decent job.
Then it was just a matter of assembling the switch and USB unit, with attached LED into the case. Due to precision hole making, these were a nice push fit.
Then it was a matter of soldering the wires from the battery holders to each other (+tve to -tve) and one to the USB unit, one to the switch, and one between the switch and the USB unit.
I should mention at this point that some web research outlined that the center pin part of those adaptors is +tve.
I melted a bit of excess plastic with the soldering iron to anchor the other end of the USB unit to the case.

Some tape tidied the only wire-to-wire soldering and it was ready for business. I packed out the battery to case void with some polystyrene wedges to stop it all rattling around.
As you can see, it works a treat and it actually looks quite professional too...
The rest of the Photos show: Before the lid goes on.
With the lid on, charging iPod.Red LED indlicates charging.
The complete unit is a reasonable size, but with 24V on board, I am hoping it would be good for a few charges.

Conclusion:
220nt for a battery pack for any USB charged device is pretty cheap.
A couple of hours to make it, and I am not into electronics (no kidding, I had to even buy an iron).
Well worth the effort I reckon.

If you were a real geek:
You could put in a external DC input, and a charging circuit. Then you could use rechargable batteries which would save money in the long run, but I figure I wont actually use this unit more than a few times a year MAX so I'll just stick with 80nt worth of once-use batteries.

Some things I'd like to know though....
What sort of safety features would be good to put in there (i.e. a fuse)?
How long will 24VDC for 16 x 1.5v AAs provide charge at 5VDC 500mA max?
What about heat?

Disclaimer: I just built this to see if it could be done, I haven't tested it in any way, so if you want to make one, do so bearing this in mind...

Holmes Jnr

My bro-in-law and best friend Marty and his wife Paula had a son last night.

Jordan Alexander Ritchie

Nice shot there Holmes and Holmes Jnr,

- from Holmes in Taiwan.

The Best Guitarist You've Never Heard Of

There's talent in them there hills. I'm not talking about Slash or Brian May, Clapton, SRV, Angus Young or The Chief. They are all show ponies, I am talking about these seemingly Joe Bloggs people that are better than them all.

Meet Rafael Moreira, he's the best guitarist you've never heard of.

Last year I watched every episode of Rockstar: INXS, which is a reality show of sorts created by Mark Burnett, the "Survivor" creator. I think I have cracked his secret formula: Elimination, I mean no one else has noticed that is the secret before have they?

Anyway, Rockstar: INXS was a show where they started with 15 Rocker wannabes who got to perform rock classics and INXS standards, and got eliminated one by one each week until INXS had a new lead singer. (For the record, I guessed JD from the outset, but that's another story)
After watching a few painful seasons of American Idol, I was beginning to think that I was the best undiscovered singer in the world.
I was expecting more of the same for Rockstar, but I was wrong - these contestants were really good.
Rockstar: Supernova is season two of the original, and is a new band formed by Tommy Lee (Most famously known as the self-camera-porn-dood of himself and Pamela Anderson, less famously as the drummer of Motley Crue), Gilby Clarke (GnR guitarist) and Jason Newsted (Bass, Metallica).
I've liked INXS since back in the days when "I send a message" was the first time I heard Michael Hutchence' voice. That was the 80's, and everyone was into 12" EP remixes. One of the most memorable EPs I heard was "Burn for you" which has a heap of distinctive but simple offbeat drumming by Farris.
I was pretty gutted when Michael went. Very talented guy who was always destined to die young I guess (that sounds really morbid, but can you imagine an 'Old' Michael Hutchence?)

So back to Rockstar. There is no doubt about it INXS is, or were, very good at their own genre and in hindsight were pretty innovative at the time. A lot of their songs only sound so normal because we have heard them so much, but in the 80s there was only one INXS sound.
I was a little disappointed when the format of the show relied heavily on the use of a House Band and INXS themselves just played a couple of times, but, I was quietly impressed more by the house band than anything else on that show. They are all really really good, and play all sorts of stuff seemingly with just a few rehearsals. Perfect covers or total rearrangements seem to be a cinch.

If you get the chance, watch this guy Raf on gat. Its been while since I've seen someone so relaxed play so brilliantly.

He's from Brazil of all places too.

Official Rockstar website (Lots of flash design)
Raf's Bio
Raf's own website
INXS.com
Wiki about Michael Hutchence
Official Gibson Les Paul site
...and as a very special treat to my loyal fans:
Google Earth placemarks for the Rockstar Mansion, and something else.

The All Blacks Haka

On Saturday, the mighty All Blacks crushed Australia. But what everyone was talking about was the 'new' haka, Kapa O Pango. For the benefit of those who didn't make it to the game, or those that missed the first half, here are a couple of Haka videos.
First the original, which Adidas did a nice job of overlaying Maori warriors...and second, the new haka. There is something really special about this unique part of NZ culture, which is taken to the world just a few times a year. (It'd be a shame to miss it eh?)
I've gotta tell ya, seeing Tana Umaga screaming like that at the opposition made me proud to be a New Zealander - and an All Blacks supporter....well I mean, who'd want to be the standing there on the field facing that?

Original Haka


Kapa O Pango


Allblacks.com

The myth of 20/20

I always thought 20/20 vision meant 'perfect vision', until I started this LASIK gig.

I got my eyes zapped just over a week ago and the doc said at my 1 week checkup that my vision is now 20/12. So what does that mean, am I now half blind or what?

I would appear not. According to this site the use of the term "20/20" refers to this complex calculation created by some Dutch dood called Snellen (1834-1908)

Someone with 20/20 (visual acuity) is just able to decipher a letter that subtends a visual angle of 5 minutes of arc (written 5') at the eye. (5' of arc is 5/60 of a degree, because there are 60' of arc in 1 degree.) What this means is that if you draw a line from the top of a 20/20 letter to the eye and another line from the bottom of the letter to the eye, the size of the angle at the intersection of these two lines at the eye is 5' of arc. (Also, the individual parts of the letter subtend a visual angle of 1' of arc at the eye.) It does not matter how far away something is from the eye; if it subtends an angle of 5' of arc at the eye, then a person with 20/20 visual acuity will just be able to determine what it is.

The bottom line is, 20/20 is considered to be what a person with "Normal" vision can see at 20ft. (I read a couple of sites that talked about being about to read a 20 size letter at 20 feet, but that sounds like bullshit to me). Everyone is probably familiar with Snellen's Artwork, which is known as "The Snellen Chart"

Trivia snippet:"Only the nine letters C, D, E, F, L, O, P, T, Z are used in the traditional Snellen chart"

Apparently 20/10 is extremely rare, it's almost freakish....so 20/12 is pretty damn good then. What this means is I can see an object that is 50ft away, while someone with 20/20 vision has to be 30ft away.
As you can imagine, 10 days ago I had reasonably thick glasses to correct Myopia (Nearsightedness), so I was expecting (hoping) to get 20/20 out of the LASIK zapping. To get 20/12 is beyond my wildest dreams. I am a lucky bastard, that is what.
Next time you can't quite see something, give me a call.

The most comprehensive thing about Vision Acuity I could find
A "Random Snellon" online eyetest
Buy your own Snellen chart from Amazon(you know you want to)

Traditional Wood Fired Pizza Oven

I think I have mentioned before that not having a garage in Taiwan is driving me crazy....but it's bigger than that. I mean, what do I want a garage for? To build shit, that's what.

Recently my Mum (That's Mom to those from North America) sent me a copy of a fine article out of a NZ magazine called "The Shed". The article is a step-by-step thing on how to build your own Traditional outdoor oven.
I could scan in in for you, but it's just too hard. Instead I found a pretty good site on it.

Here is one that I reckon looks cool:

More pics here

I'd actually forgotten about these things until recently, but when we were travelling around Italy in 2002, these ovens are actually the 'normal' way of cooking pizza, although usually they are built indoors. I found it fascinating to watch the doods making the dough, then turning it into Pizzas for cooking right there in the restaurant.
At the time I was thinking this would be a good addition to Truantville. I like the idea of (wait for it....the Binford idea) making a combo style, that includes a BBQ, or one that is built into a wall of the house and can be used from either inside or outside. I haven't seen that done yet, but I am sure that would be the best way to do it to avoid freezing yer ass off in the winter, or being forced to cook inside while yer mates are outside boozing on the deck in the sun. I reckon it would be great to invite people over and have them cook their own pizza, just the way they like it.

Anyway, I reckon this will be one of the FIRST things to be built on Truantville. Even if it's all there is, it gives food, warmth and a social focus....and let's face it, that's what a good home is all about right?

http://www.traditionaloven.com

Make your own battery powered iPod charger

I have seen 1 or 2 'powerbricks' around. They are basically a big battery pack that allow you to charge up or run another device, like an iPod, Pocket PC, digital camera or whatever in situations where you normally don't have easy access to 110/240v - such as a Camel Caravan in the Sahara or on a long-haul aircraft flight. The problem with these commercially available things is they are freakishly expensive.

Here is a nice DIY version to try:

http://www.hackaday.com/entry/1234000060073719/

18 Days of Reckless Computing

Here's a short article from a guy that deliberately broke all the rules to see what would happen.

http://wired.com/wired/archive/14.06/start.html?pg=6

The Digital Detectives

Check out this story about Cyber Sleuthing. Bloody interesting.

I believe the internet has become a double edged sword for pedophiles. Initially, it gave them the ability to freely share their information, but we are seeing more and more that the internet is a place that criminals do not want to be and one by one, justice is being served.

These guys are heros...

Frickin' Laser Beams

Dr. Evil: You know, I have one simple request. And that is to have sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads! Now evidently my cycloptic colleague informs me that that cannot be done. Ah, would you remind me what I pay you people for, honestly? Throw me a bone here! What do we have?
Number Two: Sea Bass.
Dr. Evil: [pause] Right.
Number Two: They're mutated sea bass.
Dr. Evil: Are they ill tempered?
Number Two: Absolutely.
Dr. Evil: Oh well, that's a start.

AustinPowers.com

Put another log on the fire

Several years ago I found a program online that contained a database of foods and exercise, and it allowed the accurate tracking of personal nutrition. It was an interesting exercise to do that for a month or so, as it really makes you think about what you are eating.
Yesterday, I did a search and found a 2006 online version called Nutridiary.

I am constantly blown away these days by what is available over the web for free. This online program is no exception. It contains a very respectable database of common foods, each with all the nutritional info. It allows the user to add custom foods (and enter the nutritional info if desired) and to build up meals of common eaten foods. The point being that there is a log feature that allows the user to add food and meals consumed, and track the amount of calories burned thru exercise.
I'm not a nutritional expert (obviously) but it's about as accurate a way of tracking this stuff as I can imagine. The graphs and reports on nutrition, exercise, weight goals etc is easy to use and slick.

A quick free registration, and you're in business.

www.nutridiary.com
Weight loss secrets

Parannoying

I'm paranoid about some things.

I hate it how when you pay for something with your credit card, they give you a receipt with the numbers ALL on it, including the expiry date. That is just dumb.
So I bought a small, cheap shredder a couple of years ago and I shred all that stuff.
I mean, think about. If you picked up some random credit card receipt with that info on it, you could go online and start buying stuff. 2 seconds of research on the web might give you a billing address and you're in 'business'. If it was in the trash with a bank statement, wow, hello PRADA.
So, I'm paranoid about that stuff.
What about digital data? Throwing out a back up CD or DVD that didn't burn correctly or it's out of date? Well, best you destroy that mutha first. I use a huge box cutter and cut the crap out of the surface, and break it up. Old hard drive? Drilling practice.
I see some shredders now have CD/DVD shredding to crunch it up into bits...that's cool.

Anyway, check out this story. It's quite funny, but it goes to show what can happen if an old hard drive gets into the wrong hands, and more importantly that a little privacy paranoia is not a bad thing.

http://www.amirtofangsazan.blogspot.com/

PC World article on wiping Hard Drives
The torn up credit card application on Cockeyed
Why you need a paper shredder

Sailing in the Z

I grew up sailing. My Dad built a Nolex 22 trailer sailer around 1977, and we took family holdays in it for years. It was a 4 berth glass over ply yacht, painted bright yellow and called "Kowhai Manu" which, in Maori, means yellow bird.
We sailed it around some of the beautiful lakes and coast of NZ.
When I was 9, he built me a racing dingy called a P-Class, which is a 7 foot wooden boat with a large sail. P-Class's are a NZ design since the 20's and really are a NZ institution - every significant kiwi sailer usually started in a P. Some of the more well known kiwi sailers are:
Peter Blake
Russell Coutts
Dean Barker
Chris Dickson
Peter Lester
Grant Dalton
Leslie Egnot
Digby Taylor

NZ is famous these days as the only nation to ever successfully defend a challenge for the America's Cup outside US waters. NZ's fixation with the America's cup started when Australia won it in 1983, and NZ decided to challenge Australia for it in 1987 in a boat called "KZ7". It was a classic story, including a "BandAid" type celebrity song called "Sailing Away" that all kiwis bought a copy of to help find the challenge. We didn't win, but we learnt a shit load about 12m yacht racing, including the biggest wanker of them all, Dennis Conner. After that were a couple of challenges for the cup in San Diego, much of in in court rather than on the water as rules were bent, broken and ignored.
1995, NZ got really serious, and built a black boat, NZL32, or "Black Magic" which totally kicked ass and finally lifted the cup off the Americans. The same competition saw the Australian boat sink in the opening round, which absolutely delighted kiwis the world over.
1999 saw the first NZ based Challenge, and that injected billions into NZ as global fat cats came down to eat fresh NZ lobster with NZ wine while watching the races just outside of Auckland, and left with titles to coastal property all over NZ. Some would say this was the beginning of the property boom in NZ (subsequently fuelled by Lord of the Rings, and 9/11)
NZ defended the cup and soon prepared for another onslaught in 2003. Russell Coutts, the man who helmed both the win in San Diego and the defense in NZ, was bought by a Swiss team called "Alinghi" much to the horror of the nation. I have never seen such passionate anger over a sport as happened when Russell went to the Swiss. The 2003 campaign Team NZ logo was called "Loyal".
Russell took with him some key players of the previous NZ team, so the writing was on the wall for NZ in the 2003 series, which saw the cup lifted from NZ by Alingli, crewed mostly by Kiwis who were paid millions.

I was lucky enough to meet and talk sailing with Peter Blake around 1982 when I was 12, and it was a tradgedy when he was murdered in 2001 while on a Environmental Awareness expedition in the Amazon.

100% Pure NZ Sailing website
The America's Cup wiki
Sir Peter Blake
Red Socks

Taking on the world

I read a good book about once a year. I mean a paperback type book. Maybe twice a year if I am lucky, but generally I don't have enough regular spare time to have a good book on the go.
So, usually when I have the chance to have a vacation(a relaxing type, not a visit-the-family type), it is time to buy a good book.
On our recent trip to Phuket, I didn't have anyidea what I was looking for, but I spotted "Taking on the world" by Ellen MacArthur.
I've watched a documentary on this remarkable woman a while ago, and the book is an autobiography of her journey up to and including her first solo yacht race around the world.
Ellen's book is a great read, and I couldn't put in down til it was done. Very inspiring, and really got me thinking about buying or building a yacht at some stage in the future. (I'll just add it to the list shall I?)

Ellen MacArthur's Site

Video killed the Jpeg star

Everyone's got broadband now it seems, and gone are the days of waiting for pictures to load on webpages.
Videos are all the rage now, with several video hosting communities now very popular.
One I see coming up more and more is youtube.com
You can search for whatever you like, and there are home-made movies, funny clips, favourite moments, you name it.

Here's a great clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn6MvtomrsA

Check it out, it's a awesome clip of MotoGP highlights. Even if you're not into bike racing, this is really worth a watch. Check out these guy's wheeling and 2 wheel drifting like they do it aaaaall day. You'll see Valentino Rossi feature quite a bit (number 46)Rossi is to MotoGP what Ayrton Senna was to F1. He is the man.

Youtube.com

Sonicrave

I have been reading a website for about 3 years now, by a guy Rob Cockerham. The site is www.cockeyed.com. It's an interesting site full of pranks, weird experiments and lost of interesting trivia type stuff.
One of my favorite stories is the one when he tried to win a Chevy Trailblazer. Especially the Epilogue on page 3.
Anyway, he has just done a blurb on 4 awesome products and the second one he chose, was the Sonicare Toothbrush. Recently, Joyce was raving about the orgasmic Sonicare also. Both these people are semi-insane, so I take them seriously.
I had to go get one of these Sonicare toothbrushes for myself.
Firstly, I have already got a Braun Electric toothbrush and 2 days ago, I thought to myself why would I possibly need another electric toothbrush?
Rob said "If you don't have a Sonicare right now, get one when you get paid, or ask for one on your birthday. They will change your life, and probably save you money at your dentist."
Joyce said "oh,oh,ohhhhhhhhhhh.......It's the best money I've ever spent"

So that was it, I went to the 3C and got one. They had three models, but the guy subtlely pointed out the NEW model, the e7300 elite. (like I was ever going to buy any other model)

Well, firstly....it is friggen amazing....and orgasmic. They were not lying to me. I used it 6 times the first night.
So why is it so good? Let me explain. My last braun toothbrush died about 6 months ago, and when I got a new one I took the old one to bits. There wasn't much to it, just a ni-cad AA battery core and a 50 cent electric motor in it, like slotcar motor, only cheaper. They was a plastic cam arrangement (and egg shaped thing) that coverted the rotary motion into a back-and-forth jiggle. That's it. Oh yeah, and a clickclack switch to make it all happen. This is 1910 technology, people.
I haven't take the Sonicare apart (yet) but my observations indicate a few things. It has a signal type activation button, no click clack. It has beeps, it had multicolored status LEDs and programmable timer. This in DIGITAL baby - A friggen computer.
(Philips is the company that invented the CD, so it's hardly surprising)
Apart from that, it uses a classy induction charger and they say it lasts for 2 weeks between chargers, so they include a nice travel case with it - for your up-to-2-week holiday.
I have no idea what the technology is that makes the sonic head do it's digital-sonic thing, but it's amazing. I have never had teeth so clean, so easily.

So there you go. Rush out and buy one of these. It's really expensive, but if it saves one trip to the dentist, it's paid for itself like that, and I am convinced it will.

Sonicare e7300 Elite website
Cockeyed.com

Go to Phuket and Phi-Phi!!

We just got back from a short visit to Phuket and Phi-Phi Islands, in Thailand. These places both featured prominantly on the world news Dec 26, 2004 when the Tsunami hit.
Although human casulties were high, there was surprising little damage in Phuket. Most of the beach front properties are still there, but there is a huge amount of rebuilding going on - I suspect the tourist towns are taking the opportunity to use their aid money to build new and build better. The beachfront area at Phuket has been totally re-done and looks great.
The numbers of tourists have yet to return, apparently caused by a common myth that the place was completely wiped out. The people are hurting economically and are wonderful hosts, they just need more business, then Phuket will be stronger than ever.
Travelling there over May to Oct has one distinct advantage: It's low season, so the people are few and the prices are rock bottom.
We stayed in a couple of really nice resorts for a fraction of the normal price, and the staff were wonderful in looking after us. (Resorts booked thru www.latestays.com , and flights to Phuket using www.airasia.com)
Firstly, in Phuket at the North end of Patong Beach was the Novotel Coralia Resort. Great Thai themed room and even better sunset views right of the attached balcony.
Patong beach is a peaceful place now, where groups of Thai friends and familys gather to eat and talk, swim or place beach football. There are a bunch of friendly dogs there too, one dog who like to sit by me was the spitting image of Jack.
After 2 nights in Patong, it was onto a boat for a 2 hr trip to Phi-Phi Island, stopping briefly in Maya Bay on Phi-Phi Ley, where "The Beach" was filmed.
Then a transfer to a smaller boat for the journey to the Holiday Inn resort on Phi-Phi Don.
The resort's longtail boat took us over the reef through the crystal clear warm waters to the white sands of the resort.
Once again the resort was deserted, and the staff gave us a wonderful waterfront bungalow, just meters from the sand and hammocks hanging in shady trees.
One of the reasons we chose this resort was the snorkelling is excellent right of the beach, so we did a fair bit of that while we were there. One morning, we took a long tail boat a couple of miles out to a reef off Bamboo Island where the snorkelling was slightly better, while the boatman slept for an hour or so while we checked out the underworld.
The food and drinks were great and there was a small island style 3 piece band who sang their hearts out during happy hours.
5 min walk up some steps was a rugged clifftop bar for watching the Sunset (notice a common theme here) which we enjoyed a couple of times over some Singha beers and satay sticks.

That short stay in paradise was over too soon, and we were back on the boat to Patong. We decided to go back to the Novotel.
Patong town itself has a fair bit of the shopping, glitz and glam(!) that Thailand is famous for, and also some fantastic restaurants. Our last night's meal was in an very authentic Italian Pizzeria, complete with wood fired oven, and several cigar smoking mafia type italians enjoying a good bite.
A great holiday to a great place. Of course it was too short, but this one really was too short. Definitely high on the list of places to return to, who knows next time we might check out a bit of sailing in the islands....
The best thing you can do to contribute to the rebuilding of Thailand's southern beaches is to go for a visit!!

Sawadee.com - Thailand Travel info
Novotel Coralia Resort, Patong
Holiday Inn Resort, Phi-Phi
Latestays.com Thailand hotel bookings
Airasia.com Budget carrier
Tsunami wiki
Tsunami photo timeline