Ok i just foudn this in my drafts and i obviously wrote this a long time ago and haven't been on here since so i thought i would post it and then write an update on the rest of the stuff!
A few things before we begin.... it has come to my attention that when giving a Thai massage it is a fact that the massuse has to cause you pain in the strangest move ever in order to win the prize of the day. I believe they have a competition to see who can cause the client as much pain as possibly before they will a) cry out or b) try and remove thier foot/hand/arm etc from thier painful death grip! You have to look into the whites of the eyes of the massuse and ensure that they aren't going to try this one on you coz believe me, i have no idea what they were doing to the man in the other room but it did not sound nice! And then she pulled this grabbing and pulling motion on the back of my heel and i knew the game was on, so i didn't cry out and i'm guess the lady with the man won coz he was screaming for ages!! So there - an upadte on Thai massage for you!!
Now where was i? Oh yeah being brief!!! Glad to see i broke the habit of a lifetime and was brief! So after went to the Ice Bar with Guy and Sarah, which 9ncidentally was very cool but very cold! We came to the conclusion that they don't actually want you to stay in there for long as they don't give you anything for your feet, they give you gloves and a massive coat type thing but nothing for your feet! Your never going to stay long when you can't feel your toes. It was -7 for goodness sake! We had our drinks out of glasses made of ice which was vry cool and i got soem wicked photos which i shall have to upadate retrospectively when i'm back and trying to get a job! After that we went to the Ark Bar on the beach and had a few more cocktails and i tried to convince Guy and Sarah they they actually wanted to stay!
Tuesday, 25 March 2008
Saturday, 22 March 2008
I have realized today that I need to update you on nearly a week so am going to have to be brief for once! Hummm, not sure if that is going to happen but I shall do my best!
So I left you at Thursday 13th March, on Friday 14th March I had another lazy day – there seems to be a theme emerging here! I had breakfast and found myself a travel agent and booked myself on a few bits and pieces. The first was an Island Tour for the next day (Saturday) which takes to you all different places which are significant around the island! Hence the name I suppose! Man I’m good at stating the obvious! The second was a day Kayaking and Snorkeling at the National Marin Park Angthong (to give it is proper name) for Tuesday and finally a Visa run to Burma to get me extended (my visa that is not me I am quite tall enough!) as it runs out next Saturday. Then I got back to the apartment and booked two days cooking – I picked up a menu which told me what they were planning to cook on each day so I chose the two days which I liked the sound of the best and booked the morning sessions starting at 11am, so you basically cook your own lunch. After that I popped to the beach to do a little bit of frying and then came on the internet to try and upload some photos which I now believe is the biggest time waster ever if you don’t get a good computer and internet place. In some places the PC’s are so old you can’t upload to the internet and write in word at the same time so I ended up starting into space a lot which is actually quite boring!
So anyway while waiting for the photos to load I got a text from Danny and Carla who I met on a tour in Bangkok and they were staying in Lamai and invited me up for dinner. So I got a taxi to their hotel and we walked up the main Lamai strip which I can quite safely say is as tacky as Chaweng but does have a lot more nicer parts! We went into one of the first restaurants we saw as we were all starving and had a lovely meal of Western foods! Garlic Bread and Potato wedges, followed by a Greek salad and a tuna salad to share!! Brilliant! We then went for a bit of a wander but decided that we fancied an early night so I got a cab back and went to bed, ready for my adventure around the Island the next day.
So I got picked up at 11.00am from my hotel reception and got into the mini bus – which thankfully had good air-conditioning and luckily the few people in the car said hello in English! So first we went around the various hotels and picked everyone up and then went to our first stop which was a view point over the Chaweng beach next to a restaurant called Beverly Hills which was a very beautiful spot. It was at this point that everyone started talking to each other and we had two Australians, four Americans and me, not exactly the crowed I was hoping for but very nice all the same. The American’s were all on a two week fasting holiday, which basically involved starving yourself and eating only broth, water and these supplements they give you at their retreat! How awful did I feel when five mins before this I had been stuffing my face with a donut I brought from 7/11!! But they seemed ok with it, even suggested that I should try it! Very bloody funny! Go for a week with barely enough food to keep a snail alive??!! Likely, really likely!
But anyway they offered to take a few photos of me so it was ok! After the viewpoint we went to see the Grandmother and Grandfather rocks which are 2 famous Granite Stones which are shaped respectively like the female and male genitalia! Oh how I wish I could get a bloody photo onto this blog! This is said to be the origin of the Mui people – not sure if they are trying to say they are made of rock or what but that’s what is said!!
After that we go to what is very strangely named as a “monkey show” so basically I’m expecting jumping through hoops, maybe some tail dancing?? Nope – it’s a monkey that goes up a tree knocks down a coconut and then twirls in around and that’s it! Not really sure that warrants the title of “show” but hey its not the poor monkeys fault, he must be bored shitless! Lets face it if all you have to do all day is go up a tree and knock something down you’d be pretty bored! Mind you I suppose there are worse things to do! After this we got to drink some coconut milk from the coconuts he had knocked down! Word of advice – coconut milk from a coconut which has been sat in the sun for a very long time – almost so long it is probably boiling is not nice! In fact it kinda tastes like vomit! I am VERY glad I had water with me – yuck yuck yuck!
Anyway back into the mini-bus and on to the waterfalls, basically 3 waterfalls going up a mountain on Ko Samui. So you have the option of going on an elephant ride up to the waterfall or you can walk – its only a 10 min walk apparently so I decide to walk, after all I have been on elephants twice already and I’m feeling quite bad for the poor little things having to carry me about everywhere. Well what they should have told is that it will be very hot, there is only one sign and its not really a path more of a guideline (if you can find it!) So off I head in the infinite English wisdom that it will be well signposted and there will be a clear path! So I get to one point and there are Thai kids bathing the pool below and they motion to me to go up up – so I go up and keep climbing and the point which is past waterfall number 1 is actually jungle – I began to think I was pretty under equipped with my flip flop’s on and only a small amount of water left! But I keep going – I have people to meet at the waterfall after all. So after about what feels like 30 mins I get to the Waterfall number 2, and no one is there (I have to state at this point I didn’t know it was waterfall 2) so I think oh they must be up some more – I’ll keep going! So after another 30 mins or so I get to the top of this wonderful waterfall but seeing as I can barely breathe and I have blisters the size of a small army I don’t really fully appreciate it. Then I realize I have no idea how the hell I get back down so I start to call for help – and luckily a Thai guy popped out of nowhere and offered me assistance. But not before saying I should go in for a swim – now obviously I had been about to do this but now with a thai man and me, alone in the Jungle with me having no bloody idea where I was I decided I wasn’t all that hot and sweaty really and let him go ahead! I could just see the newspaper headline now – “English girl gets lost looking for Waterfall and tempts Thai Man by stripping off to go for a dip!” Ok so I wouldn’t make much of a journalist, but you know what I mean! Don’t get me wrong I would have had my bikini on but still, seeing as the Thai women are usually dressed head to toe I thought it best not to risk it!
So I make it down and find everyone waiting for me! Luckily their ride took longer than they thought and they were a bit late – I had a bit of a go at the Guide who said it was ok to go on my own. Saying it was dangerous and then I reminded myself of Stephanie so I shut up! After this we stopped for some lunch – well some of us did! Three to be exact! Me and the two Auzzie’s from Melbourne, Paul and Serina. They had just got engaged so I enjoyed hearing all about that and then they kinda adopted me for the rest of the day which was nice. We got dropped of on this road in Nathon Town, it was supposed to be a market but I’ve seen better markets in my back garden! So we had a wander anyway and then we were on our way to Khunaram Temple which is where the Mummified Monk is – basically there is a legend that said he was going to be perfectly preserved when he died and then it was a self fulfilling prophecy and he is still in a sitting position exactly as he died apparently! It’s a bit strange! I did get blessed by a monk which was nice – sprinkled with holy water and all that, feel all cleansed and protected. There were a few puppies hanging around and so I took some photos of them and played with them – ok so I was having more fun with the puppies than the monk but that is beside the point!!
Off again in the mini bus and onto the Big Buddha Temple which is a 12 meter golden image which sits at a northeast point on the Island. It was impressive! The onto Plai Laem Temple which is where we have the Lady monk with millions of arms – ok I think it 8 but lots anyway! Her proper name is Jao Mae Kuan Im – getting all this from memory you know! Ha ha! Ok from the little guide thing I got! That was our last stop and we were off back home – I had a very nutritious dinner of good old McDonalds! And then I went to bed! I’m loving all this sleeping!
The nest day I checked out of my little bungalow on the beach ( it had to end at somepoint!) and into Chaweng Centre Budget Hotel! They found me a room out the back which was even cheaper than the main hotel, it was ok, air conditioning, hot water and a TV which showed movies so I was happy!I went back to Will Wait for lunch which is a really nice restaurant Guy and Sarah introduced me to and i had a lovely lunch - watched our young man win the Grand Prix and then saw Guy and Sarah!! So arranged to meet them for some sunbathing back at the beach and then for dinner that night!
We went back ti Will Wait for dinner and had soem lovely Thai food and then decided to go to the new Ice Bar which had opened!
Got to dash now as Mum just phoned me, but will update again soon and promise will get up to date! Glad i kept to my deal of not describing things too much!!
S-J xx
So I left you at Thursday 13th March, on Friday 14th March I had another lazy day – there seems to be a theme emerging here! I had breakfast and found myself a travel agent and booked myself on a few bits and pieces. The first was an Island Tour for the next day (Saturday) which takes to you all different places which are significant around the island! Hence the name I suppose! Man I’m good at stating the obvious! The second was a day Kayaking and Snorkeling at the National Marin Park Angthong (to give it is proper name) for Tuesday and finally a Visa run to Burma to get me extended (my visa that is not me I am quite tall enough!) as it runs out next Saturday. Then I got back to the apartment and booked two days cooking – I picked up a menu which told me what they were planning to cook on each day so I chose the two days which I liked the sound of the best and booked the morning sessions starting at 11am, so you basically cook your own lunch. After that I popped to the beach to do a little bit of frying and then came on the internet to try and upload some photos which I now believe is the biggest time waster ever if you don’t get a good computer and internet place. In some places the PC’s are so old you can’t upload to the internet and write in word at the same time so I ended up starting into space a lot which is actually quite boring!
So anyway while waiting for the photos to load I got a text from Danny and Carla who I met on a tour in Bangkok and they were staying in Lamai and invited me up for dinner. So I got a taxi to their hotel and we walked up the main Lamai strip which I can quite safely say is as tacky as Chaweng but does have a lot more nicer parts! We went into one of the first restaurants we saw as we were all starving and had a lovely meal of Western foods! Garlic Bread and Potato wedges, followed by a Greek salad and a tuna salad to share!! Brilliant! We then went for a bit of a wander but decided that we fancied an early night so I got a cab back and went to bed, ready for my adventure around the Island the next day.
So I got picked up at 11.00am from my hotel reception and got into the mini bus – which thankfully had good air-conditioning and luckily the few people in the car said hello in English! So first we went around the various hotels and picked everyone up and then went to our first stop which was a view point over the Chaweng beach next to a restaurant called Beverly Hills which was a very beautiful spot. It was at this point that everyone started talking to each other and we had two Australians, four Americans and me, not exactly the crowed I was hoping for but very nice all the same. The American’s were all on a two week fasting holiday, which basically involved starving yourself and eating only broth, water and these supplements they give you at their retreat! How awful did I feel when five mins before this I had been stuffing my face with a donut I brought from 7/11!! But they seemed ok with it, even suggested that I should try it! Very bloody funny! Go for a week with barely enough food to keep a snail alive??!! Likely, really likely!
But anyway they offered to take a few photos of me so it was ok! After the viewpoint we went to see the Grandmother and Grandfather rocks which are 2 famous Granite Stones which are shaped respectively like the female and male genitalia! Oh how I wish I could get a bloody photo onto this blog! This is said to be the origin of the Mui people – not sure if they are trying to say they are made of rock or what but that’s what is said!!
After that we go to what is very strangely named as a “monkey show” so basically I’m expecting jumping through hoops, maybe some tail dancing?? Nope – it’s a monkey that goes up a tree knocks down a coconut and then twirls in around and that’s it! Not really sure that warrants the title of “show” but hey its not the poor monkeys fault, he must be bored shitless! Lets face it if all you have to do all day is go up a tree and knock something down you’d be pretty bored! Mind you I suppose there are worse things to do! After this we got to drink some coconut milk from the coconuts he had knocked down! Word of advice – coconut milk from a coconut which has been sat in the sun for a very long time – almost so long it is probably boiling is not nice! In fact it kinda tastes like vomit! I am VERY glad I had water with me – yuck yuck yuck!
Anyway back into the mini-bus and on to the waterfalls, basically 3 waterfalls going up a mountain on Ko Samui. So you have the option of going on an elephant ride up to the waterfall or you can walk – its only a 10 min walk apparently so I decide to walk, after all I have been on elephants twice already and I’m feeling quite bad for the poor little things having to carry me about everywhere. Well what they should have told is that it will be very hot, there is only one sign and its not really a path more of a guideline (if you can find it!) So off I head in the infinite English wisdom that it will be well signposted and there will be a clear path! So I get to one point and there are Thai kids bathing the pool below and they motion to me to go up up – so I go up and keep climbing and the point which is past waterfall number 1 is actually jungle – I began to think I was pretty under equipped with my flip flop’s on and only a small amount of water left! But I keep going – I have people to meet at the waterfall after all. So after about what feels like 30 mins I get to the Waterfall number 2, and no one is there (I have to state at this point I didn’t know it was waterfall 2) so I think oh they must be up some more – I’ll keep going! So after another 30 mins or so I get to the top of this wonderful waterfall but seeing as I can barely breathe and I have blisters the size of a small army I don’t really fully appreciate it. Then I realize I have no idea how the hell I get back down so I start to call for help – and luckily a Thai guy popped out of nowhere and offered me assistance. But not before saying I should go in for a swim – now obviously I had been about to do this but now with a thai man and me, alone in the Jungle with me having no bloody idea where I was I decided I wasn’t all that hot and sweaty really and let him go ahead! I could just see the newspaper headline now – “English girl gets lost looking for Waterfall and tempts Thai Man by stripping off to go for a dip!” Ok so I wouldn’t make much of a journalist, but you know what I mean! Don’t get me wrong I would have had my bikini on but still, seeing as the Thai women are usually dressed head to toe I thought it best not to risk it!
So I make it down and find everyone waiting for me! Luckily their ride took longer than they thought and they were a bit late – I had a bit of a go at the Guide who said it was ok to go on my own. Saying it was dangerous and then I reminded myself of Stephanie so I shut up! After this we stopped for some lunch – well some of us did! Three to be exact! Me and the two Auzzie’s from Melbourne, Paul and Serina. They had just got engaged so I enjoyed hearing all about that and then they kinda adopted me for the rest of the day which was nice. We got dropped of on this road in Nathon Town, it was supposed to be a market but I’ve seen better markets in my back garden! So we had a wander anyway and then we were on our way to Khunaram Temple which is where the Mummified Monk is – basically there is a legend that said he was going to be perfectly preserved when he died and then it was a self fulfilling prophecy and he is still in a sitting position exactly as he died apparently! It’s a bit strange! I did get blessed by a monk which was nice – sprinkled with holy water and all that, feel all cleansed and protected. There were a few puppies hanging around and so I took some photos of them and played with them – ok so I was having more fun with the puppies than the monk but that is beside the point!!
Off again in the mini bus and onto the Big Buddha Temple which is a 12 meter golden image which sits at a northeast point on the Island. It was impressive! The onto Plai Laem Temple which is where we have the Lady monk with millions of arms – ok I think it 8 but lots anyway! Her proper name is Jao Mae Kuan Im – getting all this from memory you know! Ha ha! Ok from the little guide thing I got! That was our last stop and we were off back home – I had a very nutritious dinner of good old McDonalds! And then I went to bed! I’m loving all this sleeping!
The nest day I checked out of my little bungalow on the beach ( it had to end at somepoint!) and into Chaweng Centre Budget Hotel! They found me a room out the back which was even cheaper than the main hotel, it was ok, air conditioning, hot water and a TV which showed movies so I was happy!I went back to Will Wait for lunch which is a really nice restaurant Guy and Sarah introduced me to and i had a lovely lunch - watched our young man win the Grand Prix and then saw Guy and Sarah!! So arranged to meet them for some sunbathing back at the beach and then for dinner that night!
We went back ti Will Wait for dinner and had soem lovely Thai food and then decided to go to the new Ice Bar which had opened!
Got to dash now as Mum just phoned me, but will update again soon and promise will get up to date! Glad i kept to my deal of not describing things too much!!
S-J xx
Tuesday, 18 March 2008
So arrived in Ko Samui to no hot water, a fan and a single hard as rock bed! When you’ve had no sleep that is not the best thing in the world! So anyway after I had slept for most of the day we went for dinner and after deciding that we were both quite bored of Thai we stopped at a Spanish Tapas place and had a lovely but very expensive dinner! We nearly passed out and decided that maybe it would be best if we continued eating Thai from now on!! We then had a cocktail at a place called Embassy which was just a few doors up from our Guest house, cocktails were on special offer so it would have been rude not to. At this point I was still struggling to keep my eyes open so we decided to go back to the room and get an early ish night.
The next morning we were up nice and early, 11 ish!! And go to the beach with a stop off at 7/11 for some breakfast for me. So we get to the beach and it’s a bit overcast and joy of joys it starts to rain, so we give up and decide to go for a wander and grab some lunch. We walked along the main Chaweng strip and came to a English style bar which had quite a few people in which is usually a good sign that the food is good. They had Jacket potato on the Menu and I couldn’t resist getting one with cheese and beans. Well to say a 3 year old could have done better was probably an understatement. It was still rock hard in the middle, the beans were cold and the cheese had coagulated! Nice! Now I know I am a little bit fussy but seriously? And you try explaining this in Thai! Then luckily the English owner comes over to see what the problem is and she wasn’t the most eloquent of people, saying, “If you don’t like it you should have ordered it!” Needles to say they didn’t get a tip and I wont be going back!
Then we stopped at the travel agent so Kirsty could book her boat to Ko Tao and I could see what trips around the Island there were. Then we went back to the beach and got about 2 minutes of sun before more rain! So we went back to the hotel, in time for happy hour and had a couple of beers. Turns out I can drink about 3 beers and not get ill – all good in my book! Anyway we go back upstairs for our cold shower, which by this point is wearing very very thin!! And I proceed to fall asleep! Its obviously very tiring this doing nothing and wandering about. After about an hour I wake up and we get ready and we go to an Indian which was recommended in a guide we had picked up. It was really lovely and we were very full up.
We decided a few more drinks were in order and we wandered off in the direction of some bars we had seen. We found a busy one and started to play a game of pool. It wasn’t until we started playing that we realized there weren’t really any western girls in the bar, just us. It was in fact one of “those” bars and we hadn’t even realized! No matter the girls were very friendly to us as well, in fact after the third one had patted me on the bottom we drank up quite quickly and left! Ha ha! We wandered around and saw some very pretty and very ugly lady boys and went into a couple of other bars. By this point it was quite late and we got chatting to some squaddies who told us that there was an ok nightclub just around the corner so we decided it was worth a look. It had two separate areas with different which was very strange if you stood in the middle of both. We had a bit of a dance and I decided I had had enough and jumped on a motorbike taxi and Kirsty carried on partying and came home in the wee hours of the morning – she is very hardcore!
The next day Kirsty had to get up early for her ferry, which I must admit was quite funny coz I got to stay in bed, even if it was uncomfortable! After a while i couldn't get back to sleep anyway so decided i would go to Subway again -see if i could meet some new friends. Unfortunately there wasn't anyone else in the place so that plan was well and truly foiled! So i decided to find somewhere new to live, preferably somewhere with hot water and air conditioning. I found this place just along the road called Silver Sands and they basically have a little place which is right on the beach, they all have hot water and air con so we were in business. I went back the the Wave and checked out immediately. Then walked along the road and got myself into the beautiful hot shower and air conditioning afterwards - bliss! So then i decided as the sun was still very much shining i would head to the beach.
So i get on a sun lounger with a nice comfy mattress underneath me - this is the life! After a while i hear someone calling for help and it turns out someone is drowning! So i get chatting to this English couple next to me because apparently its the third person that day to need help in the same place. So my perfect beach is not all as it seems. Turns out there is this section of water which is actually really blood dangerous. i considered myself well and truly warned!
Anyway back to my new friends Guy and Sarah (good name!), Sarah comes from Auz - Tazmania to be specific and Guy comes from Windsor. They both live in the UK now in Wallingford (between Reading and Oxford for those of you who don't know) they are in the process of trying to move to Auz and are just trying to sell Guy's flat in Wallingford. Turns out (think i have already written this but i'll go again!) Guy had Plyloricstenosis as a kid as well and we have kinda matching scars - how cool! Never met anyone else with one. So after much More chatting and a few beers they invite me to join them for dinner, which is very cool seeing as i now have no friends!
So i meet them about 7,30 and we go for dinner at a lovely place called Will Wait which serves really good Thai food, all be it a little hot for my liking! After dinner they took me to a place called the Ark bar which is where the majority of "normal" bars are!! I knew they were around here somewhere i just wasn't sure where! So we walked to this place on the beach and there are loads of tables with basically beach loungers laid around them and mattresses and the triangle pillows placed so you can lie down and have drinks! This place just gets better! So we have a few drinks and watch the fire-show (sure there is a very technical name for this but i can't for the life of me think about what the hell it is!) Anyway we stay there for most of the night - even to the point where the tide is coning in around us and we are sitting on an island! It was great although i got a bit scared when the crabs started coming in! OK it was tiny but i thought some seaweed was one and it was huge! Me and my overactive imagination! So as they were shutting up the bar we thought we better go back to the bungalows! So ncie to get back to AC! I had a very good nights sleep!
So the next day i was up for breackfast - jut before 11! Lazy cow that i am becoming! Then i put on my sun cream and headed for my sunlounger. Guy and Sarah were already out and had saved me a lounger so i sat with them - it was nice to havce company during the day and had a good laugh at soem celebrities in the copy of OK i brought! Good old Cheryl Tweedy! After i had had a lot of sun i decided i had enough and went to have a nap before going out later that day. I went for a foot massage and then had dinner at a place called Captain Kirks! Classic!
What i didn't mention is that in a foot massage they poke your foot with a wooden stick and it hurts! Think careful before you let the big lady prod your foot with a wooden stick - i learnt the hard way! I then had an early nigth and watched a few more episodes of hero's i love it!
Thats me for today as i'm busting for the loo! Will update you on the last few days either later today or in a few days
S-J xx
The next morning we were up nice and early, 11 ish!! And go to the beach with a stop off at 7/11 for some breakfast for me. So we get to the beach and it’s a bit overcast and joy of joys it starts to rain, so we give up and decide to go for a wander and grab some lunch. We walked along the main Chaweng strip and came to a English style bar which had quite a few people in which is usually a good sign that the food is good. They had Jacket potato on the Menu and I couldn’t resist getting one with cheese and beans. Well to say a 3 year old could have done better was probably an understatement. It was still rock hard in the middle, the beans were cold and the cheese had coagulated! Nice! Now I know I am a little bit fussy but seriously? And you try explaining this in Thai! Then luckily the English owner comes over to see what the problem is and she wasn’t the most eloquent of people, saying, “If you don’t like it you should have ordered it!” Needles to say they didn’t get a tip and I wont be going back!
Then we stopped at the travel agent so Kirsty could book her boat to Ko Tao and I could see what trips around the Island there were. Then we went back to the beach and got about 2 minutes of sun before more rain! So we went back to the hotel, in time for happy hour and had a couple of beers. Turns out I can drink about 3 beers and not get ill – all good in my book! Anyway we go back upstairs for our cold shower, which by this point is wearing very very thin!! And I proceed to fall asleep! Its obviously very tiring this doing nothing and wandering about. After about an hour I wake up and we get ready and we go to an Indian which was recommended in a guide we had picked up. It was really lovely and we were very full up.
We decided a few more drinks were in order and we wandered off in the direction of some bars we had seen. We found a busy one and started to play a game of pool. It wasn’t until we started playing that we realized there weren’t really any western girls in the bar, just us. It was in fact one of “those” bars and we hadn’t even realized! No matter the girls were very friendly to us as well, in fact after the third one had patted me on the bottom we drank up quite quickly and left! Ha ha! We wandered around and saw some very pretty and very ugly lady boys and went into a couple of other bars. By this point it was quite late and we got chatting to some squaddies who told us that there was an ok nightclub just around the corner so we decided it was worth a look. It had two separate areas with different which was very strange if you stood in the middle of both. We had a bit of a dance and I decided I had had enough and jumped on a motorbike taxi and Kirsty carried on partying and came home in the wee hours of the morning – she is very hardcore!
The next day Kirsty had to get up early for her ferry, which I must admit was quite funny coz I got to stay in bed, even if it was uncomfortable! After a while i couldn't get back to sleep anyway so decided i would go to Subway again -see if i could meet some new friends. Unfortunately there wasn't anyone else in the place so that plan was well and truly foiled! So i decided to find somewhere new to live, preferably somewhere with hot water and air conditioning. I found this place just along the road called Silver Sands and they basically have a little place which is right on the beach, they all have hot water and air con so we were in business. I went back the the Wave and checked out immediately. Then walked along the road and got myself into the beautiful hot shower and air conditioning afterwards - bliss! So then i decided as the sun was still very much shining i would head to the beach.
So i get on a sun lounger with a nice comfy mattress underneath me - this is the life! After a while i hear someone calling for help and it turns out someone is drowning! So i get chatting to this English couple next to me because apparently its the third person that day to need help in the same place. So my perfect beach is not all as it seems. Turns out there is this section of water which is actually really blood dangerous. i considered myself well and truly warned!
Anyway back to my new friends Guy and Sarah (good name!), Sarah comes from Auz - Tazmania to be specific and Guy comes from Windsor. They both live in the UK now in Wallingford (between Reading and Oxford for those of you who don't know) they are in the process of trying to move to Auz and are just trying to sell Guy's flat in Wallingford. Turns out (think i have already written this but i'll go again!) Guy had Plyloricstenosis as a kid as well and we have kinda matching scars - how cool! Never met anyone else with one. So after much More chatting and a few beers they invite me to join them for dinner, which is very cool seeing as i now have no friends!
So i meet them about 7,30 and we go for dinner at a lovely place called Will Wait which serves really good Thai food, all be it a little hot for my liking! After dinner they took me to a place called the Ark bar which is where the majority of "normal" bars are!! I knew they were around here somewhere i just wasn't sure where! So we walked to this place on the beach and there are loads of tables with basically beach loungers laid around them and mattresses and the triangle pillows placed so you can lie down and have drinks! This place just gets better! So we have a few drinks and watch the fire-show (sure there is a very technical name for this but i can't for the life of me think about what the hell it is!) Anyway we stay there for most of the night - even to the point where the tide is coning in around us and we are sitting on an island! It was great although i got a bit scared when the crabs started coming in! OK it was tiny but i thought some seaweed was one and it was huge! Me and my overactive imagination! So as they were shutting up the bar we thought we better go back to the bungalows! So ncie to get back to AC! I had a very good nights sleep!
So the next day i was up for breackfast - jut before 11! Lazy cow that i am becoming! Then i put on my sun cream and headed for my sunlounger. Guy and Sarah were already out and had saved me a lounger so i sat with them - it was nice to havce company during the day and had a good laugh at soem celebrities in the copy of OK i brought! Good old Cheryl Tweedy! After i had had a lot of sun i decided i had enough and went to have a nap before going out later that day. I went for a foot massage and then had dinner at a place called Captain Kirks! Classic!
What i didn't mention is that in a foot massage they poke your foot with a wooden stick and it hurts! Think careful before you let the big lady prod your foot with a wooden stick - i learnt the hard way! I then had an early nigth and watched a few more episodes of hero's i love it!
Thats me for today as i'm busting for the loo! Will update you on the last few days either later today or in a few days
S-J xx
Sunday, 16 March 2008
Haven't forgotten about my blog - but the sun is shining!
Hey all,
Just wanted to say i haven't forgotten about writing my blog but it has been really good weather here so to be honest i have just been lying on the beach! Am just about to meet up with a really nice couple for dinner, they are here on holiday and go home tomorrow, i've been sunbathing with them and been out to dinner. Thier names are Guy and Sarah, Guy is from Windsor and Sarah is from Tazmania and they live in Wallingford. One piece of very uninteresting news for most of you but maybe Mum and soem of those who have seen my scar can appreciate. Guy had Plyloricstenosis (so can't remeber how to spell that) as a kid and we have matching scars! I have never met anyone else who had this and nor had he! Also his brother in law owns the London Street Brazzaire in Reading which serves very lush food, think we will be meeting up when we get back!
Will write on the Ko Samui adventures very soon,
Love xx
Just wanted to say i haven't forgotten about writing my blog but it has been really good weather here so to be honest i have just been lying on the beach! Am just about to meet up with a really nice couple for dinner, they are here on holiday and go home tomorrow, i've been sunbathing with them and been out to dinner. Thier names are Guy and Sarah, Guy is from Windsor and Sarah is from Tazmania and they live in Wallingford. One piece of very uninteresting news for most of you but maybe Mum and soem of those who have seen my scar can appreciate. Guy had Plyloricstenosis (so can't remeber how to spell that) as a kid and we have matching scars! I have never met anyone else who had this and nor had he! Also his brother in law owns the London Street Brazzaire in Reading which serves very lush food, think we will be meeting up when we get back!
Will write on the Ko Samui adventures very soon,
Love xx
Thursday, 13 March 2008
Ko Samui 13/03/08
Bet you've been on the edge of your seats wondering what happens when you cross Stephanie? Well they send me a text saying they wont be joining us. BUt all it says is "Not coming," that's it -no have a good night, nothing! So we thought that was quite amusing but decided to get back to task in hand which was currently attempting to paly pool againist two guys. Turns out you are supposed to have soemthing called winner stays on but we didn't want that so in true girly style made them play both of us. This bar had all drinks at 50bht each, which is bascially 80p!! So as you can imagine we decided to stay here for a couple and it turns out the more i drink the better i am at pool!! Managed to win quite a few games and you shoudl have seen soem of the shots - i couldn't have planned them if i had tried. So anyway when the shutters for this bar go down we realise its actually a lot later than we first thought! But decide to try and find a nightclub for a dance. The thorn in our side was that it was another bloody election day and so we were supposed to stop drinking at 12.00 as it was we had illegally been drinking for nearly 2 hours and not even known! I'be just read this book about the prisions here and believe me i don't mean to be a wimp but i would have ran for the toilet and fained innocence as fast as my legs could have carried me!! Anyway so everywhwere is closed but we have made friends with a group of guys who decide its a good idea to have a tuk tuk race, now usually this would be fine but seeing as Kirsty had to sit on the floor for us all to fit in it probably wasn't the safest place, but it certainly was a lot of fun. More fun than coffee, which i don't even drink, at Starbucks! After this we get taken to a truck which bascially comes open at the side and serves drinks, a very covert way to serve so we have a few at this place and then the police vans start going past so we had to go home asap! We grabbed the first tuk tuk who unfortunately had no idea hwere we were staying, at this point nor did we as we had been racing all over the place so we had a very interesting drive aropund Chang Mai at night trying to see soemthing we recognised. The problem is when yu don't know soemwhere how the hell are you supposed to recgonise soemthing!!?? Fianlly about 5am we got home and it was at this point i realised i am far too old to be staying out that late and after a quick cold shower to clean myself from the muck of Chang Mai i fell into bed. Luckily for me i didn't have anything on the next day and spent most of it in bed after getting up at 9am for a bowl of cornflakes i decided the best thing to do was buy munchies and water from 7/11 and hole myself up in the room with series 2 of Heros, thank the lord for my Ipod otherwise i think i would have been very bored!
I nearly forgot to tell you about the next intallment of Stephanie gate! When i got up at 9am i saw her and Sara and said Hello and they both ignored me, so i tried again and again, nothing. So Kirsty walked right up to them put her hand on Stephanie's back (at this point she had turned her back on us!!) and said Hello did you enjoy your coffee last night? To this Stephanie says a simple Yes and turns back around! Charming!! But we just laughed at them, we really didn't have much of a clue what we had doen that was so wrong but obviously to them it was inexcusable! Kirsty left for Ko Samui later in the evening so we didn't seem them again but i was supposed to be cooking with them tomorrow so i was very intreguied as to how they would deal with that!
So the next day i have my cooking course so i get up bright and early at 8am and have my breakfast. Go and sit with the other students to wait for my course to start. Then comes the roll call and me and another guy don't get our names called out, so they run through them again and me and this German guy get told that were not booked on!! I know i booked it 4 days ago but sureley not? I get told i was supposed to be on yesterdays, to which i was confused as to why no one came to ask me why i wasn't there when i paid for my room at 9am, but they said that they spoke to Stephanie and she said she didn't know where i was i wasn't in my room!! Bi-atch! Made me miss out on my cooking! Not happy, not happy at all! so i'm flying out that evening so not only do i have nothing to do but i have nothing to do with no friends until 9pm! Grrrr!
So i got back to the old favourites and go and get a Manicure, Pedicure and sit on the Internet for hours and write the blog previous to this one!! Then i got for some lunch, soem dinner, a cup of tea - get a new book from the book exchange. It worked out well in the end, obviously apart from the fact that the main reason i had coem to Chang Mai was to cook and now i was leaving with no cooking. Lucky for Stephanie they do cooking other places in Thailand otherwise we would have had S-J gate on our hands and i don't think it would have been pretty! As i was sat in one Cafe Sara walked past and came in to say Hello to me, she was obviously breaking the rules which had been set out as she seemed a bit nervous but anyway i acted normally and told her i was leaving and asked if she wanted to stay in touch to which she repiled i don't think thats a good idea. Stephanie doesn't think your a good influence on us!! Brilliant! I go for a drink instead of a Starbucks and i'm a bad influence, she really needs to never come across anyone who offers her a cigarette otherwise they will be in trouble!!
So anyway i got my flight out of Chang Mai to Bangkok and had an 8 hour stop over in Bagkok airport, if you ever have to do it, don't go with the masses and sleep on the floor on the 1st and 2nd floor, go up to the check in and inbetween there are comfy seats in rows of about 6, you might have to wait about to get one but basically keep out your sleeping bag and a pillow and you have yourself a bed -not a very comfy one but a bed after all!
I nearly forgot to tell you about the next intallment of Stephanie gate! When i got up at 9am i saw her and Sara and said Hello and they both ignored me, so i tried again and again, nothing. So Kirsty walked right up to them put her hand on Stephanie's back (at this point she had turned her back on us!!) and said Hello did you enjoy your coffee last night? To this Stephanie says a simple Yes and turns back around! Charming!! But we just laughed at them, we really didn't have much of a clue what we had doen that was so wrong but obviously to them it was inexcusable! Kirsty left for Ko Samui later in the evening so we didn't seem them again but i was supposed to be cooking with them tomorrow so i was very intreguied as to how they would deal with that!
So the next day i have my cooking course so i get up bright and early at 8am and have my breakfast. Go and sit with the other students to wait for my course to start. Then comes the roll call and me and another guy don't get our names called out, so they run through them again and me and this German guy get told that were not booked on!! I know i booked it 4 days ago but sureley not? I get told i was supposed to be on yesterdays, to which i was confused as to why no one came to ask me why i wasn't there when i paid for my room at 9am, but they said that they spoke to Stephanie and she said she didn't know where i was i wasn't in my room!! Bi-atch! Made me miss out on my cooking! Not happy, not happy at all! so i'm flying out that evening so not only do i have nothing to do but i have nothing to do with no friends until 9pm! Grrrr!
So i got back to the old favourites and go and get a Manicure, Pedicure and sit on the Internet for hours and write the blog previous to this one!! Then i got for some lunch, soem dinner, a cup of tea - get a new book from the book exchange. It worked out well in the end, obviously apart from the fact that the main reason i had coem to Chang Mai was to cook and now i was leaving with no cooking. Lucky for Stephanie they do cooking other places in Thailand otherwise we would have had S-J gate on our hands and i don't think it would have been pretty! As i was sat in one Cafe Sara walked past and came in to say Hello to me, she was obviously breaking the rules which had been set out as she seemed a bit nervous but anyway i acted normally and told her i was leaving and asked if she wanted to stay in touch to which she repiled i don't think thats a good idea. Stephanie doesn't think your a good influence on us!! Brilliant! I go for a drink instead of a Starbucks and i'm a bad influence, she really needs to never come across anyone who offers her a cigarette otherwise they will be in trouble!!
So anyway i got my flight out of Chang Mai to Bangkok and had an 8 hour stop over in Bagkok airport, if you ever have to do it, don't go with the masses and sleep on the floor on the 1st and 2nd floor, go up to the check in and inbetween there are comfy seats in rows of about 6, you might have to wait about to get one but basically keep out your sleeping bag and a pillow and you have yourself a bed -not a very comfy one but a bed after all!
Sunday, 9 March 2008
Chang Mai 09/03/08
Ok so just tried to upload some pictures and it still wont bloody let me! AHHHHHHH! So i've given up with that!
So where was i? Elephant ride and oh yes Bamboo rafting. THree hours of Bamboo rafting on no food, so we have a tired, cold, hungry S-J on our hands and as most of you know that is never a good thing! I was, lets face it not in a great mood!
Only things were abuot to get better, soon i would be wet and bleeding to add to the mix! I make it sounds really bad when infact it was my favourite part of the trek, it was so funny! Bascially you see this raft which is about 6 pieces of Bamboo tied together in three places with a triangle at the front with everyone's rucksac's and sleeping bags tied on. Then you have three separate bamboo poles with which you steer and generally move you along. We there are sseven of us on two rafts, one guide for each raft. We had Stuart an America 60 year old who is from America who works as a political advisor to Hilary Clinton (we had a very interesting debate about politics the night before, made even more interesting by the fact that i clearly had not idea what the hell i was talking about but a fancied an argument!! Take the girl out of sales but you can't take sales out of the girl!!!). He had the back location with the pole and he was in charge of bascially keeping the back moving in the right direction. We then had Kate and Caroline, two Irish girls who were as light as a feather and kept talking about food which was amusing to the point when we realised we really weren't getting any for 3 hours and then we tried to chnage the subject but it still kept coming back to the fact that even a piece of bread and butter would do just not another bloody banana!!. Then we had me with my pole, not really quite sure how the hell i ended up with the first pole shift but i did and i didn't do too badly - to be honest i was just glad to be using my arms and not my legs, my knee really couldn't have taken much more rocks, hills or tree roots! Infront of me we had Stephanie one of the Danish girls i had met on the train who i didn't realise was going to turn out to be a complete spoiled brat when she didn't get her own way! The we had Sara her friend who i also met on the train who had the best position at the front holding onto the sturdy bag holder and finally Motree our guide at the front with the final pole.
We didn't really start off that well and after about 5 mins both rafts were sinking, mostly to one side but definately sinking. I was quite looking forward to having a bit of a swim becuase at this point in the hot sun the river looked quite inviting. After all whats a bit of elephant poo twice in two days. i had survived it once! We had life jackets on, which i think spolied the fun a bit, the water wasn't really that deep at any point but then again soem of the people we were with would not have stood for that. Infact they were saying we should have helmets because of the rocks! I mean please! Where is your sense of adventure! So after about 15 mins we pulled into the side and managed to get some more bamboo and sort the raft out so it didn't sink anymore . The the slog really began, we had to negotiate through rapids with massive rocks on and half the time we were stting so low on the rocks we felt it shudder underneath us as we grazed the top of them. We had been going for about 1 hour and then one of the other girls Caroline took over. Stephanie and Sara said that they didn't want to do it and that was that - didn't go down with the rest of us that well seeing as you don't really get to see much scenery when your doing the poling and someone is shouting to you left left and raising thier right hand!! And seeing as i'm not the best person when it coems to left and right anyway it was all very amusing. I am pleased to say there were no crashes on my shift! Ha ha ha!
Back to Caroline's shift, i don't really know what happened but basically we crashed into some rocks and we all piled onto each other. Sara was ok as she was holding on but i piled onto of Stephanie, Kate on top of me and Caroline plus pole which hit about all of us on the head on top of her. OUr Guide Pino went into the water and Stuart lost one leg and the pole to the water. So anyway we all got up bleeding, me from my ankle and my hand, Kate from her leg, Caroline from her ankle and Stephanie from her ankle. To have hear her afterwards you would have thought her entire leg had been severed and that the guide had done it on purpose! We then had two Danes shouting at our guide to "Give clearer instructions" and "Be more careful" and "We should be wearing Helmets this isn't safe!" So anyway we all get back up and it happens again 5 minutes later, less injuries this time but more water!! I was completely covered on one side, Stuart fell in, Caroline lost a leg and Kate headbutted the Pole! Steph and Sara were fine. Oh and Pinot went in again, to be honest i wouldn't be surprised if he had done it on purpose! We are all cracking up at this point, well most of us apart from two, you can guess which ones! We carry on for another half or so without a hitch and then comes another crash with three people going in i lost my flip flops and had to go in after them (after this i tied them to my life jacket and went barefoot, very dangerous again apparently!!). It was great the sun was shining we were going through "White Water" rapids on a few pieces of Bamboo!! Talk about adrenilin rush! However the next set of rapids come along and we are told to crouch down - this worked out to be a much safer strategy when we crashed and to be honest me Kate and Caroline wanted to carry on standing up but we couldn't cope with the worry about the bloody Danger!!
After about the 5th crash the two had really had enough and our guide - probably worried that he was going to loose him job made us get off at the begginng of the next rapid at one side and climb over the rocks to meet him the other end. Well with my knee this was actually not my prefered option but id din't really have much choice! Anyway Kate took over from Caroline and we only crashed one more time again with no majhor consequences which was a bit of a shame really coz it would have been nice to go otu with a bang!! HA Ha! So then we finally got to shore at another Bamboo hut and had lunch - Pad Thai which is a very famous dish out here and is made on all the street corners. After lucnh we had a two hour truck ride back to our Guest house. With 12 people crammed in a truck made for 10 it was extremly uncomfortable and me in my infinate wisdom had consumed nearly a bottle of water at lunch becuase we didn't have any for 3 hours while rafting. So were about three quarters of an hour through and i start to need a wee! I mention it to a couple of people to try and find soem comrades so they aren't stopping just for me and luckily i foudn soem people so we ask to stop and seeing as we have seen a couple of places serving soft drinks and food along the roadside on the way out of the jungle we think oh we will stop at one of those it will be fine. We have our own toilet roll ( i carry one with me at all times now!!) all will be well..... Oh no we stop at the side of the road and have to go back into the f-ing jungle and pee!! I'm peeing in a jungle where i have seen a million spiders who want to kill me and you want me to crouch down and pee??? Seriously!!! Oh my god! So anyway one girl bring a towell and another watches for bugs and we pee, i tell you talk about stage fright. I thought they were going to just walk off and leave me at one point! Nightmare! So after the trauma of peeing we are back on our way (that dry wash thing you made me take was very handy - thanks Mum!!) We get back to the Guest house and me and Kisty, the Scottish girl who works as a massuse on Yaught's (I am at a complete loss at how to spell that even remotely! Hopefully you know what i mean!) decide to share a room to keep costs down - the 3quid was getting a bit too much! So we get a twin room which is actually really nice coz you do miss having someone to arrnage things with. At about 8.00 we meet up with all the other girls from the trip, the 4 irish and the 2 Danes and we go off to dinner -which was a nightmare in itself when you have everyone trying to be polite but no one wanting to make any decisions. Fnally we decide on soemwhere and Kirsty who is a Veggie doesn't actually have anything on the menue she can eat but she says its ok and eats some of my Chips and were ok. It was an amusing dinner with two of the Irish girls who i was on the raft with being very talkative and the other two sisters who weren't and then the Danes going on and on about how Dangerous the last few days were and how she might get poisoning from the river water and asking if any of us have AIDS and can you get it from River Water, lets just say Kirsty and I now have a running joke about how dangerous things are! So after this we are all pretty knackered and the Irish girls go to the Pharmacy to get soem more insect repellant as they were leaving to go to Laos the following day and had run out and the four of us head back to the Guest House. Kirsty went on the Internet for a bit and then came back and we both passed out, pleased to be in a comfy bed with minimal bugs!!
The following day, Friday was fairly uneventful i went on the Internet loads and had a bloody nightmare trying to upload photos which clearly didn't want to upload!! And then had a Thai massage then it was off to the famous "Night Bizzar" which is bascially another place to shop!! I managed to resist quite well and only brough a pair of short/trouser type things which i had seen one of the Irish girls wearing and had wanted them and it was ok coz i knew what i was going to chuck out so they could fit!! We ended up having dinner in one of the little places in the Night Bizzare which had loads of Thai people in and live Shell fish ready for you to choose and they cook for you, the smell was terrible as you can imagine. I had to ask if we could move coz there was no way i was going to be able to eat one little thing with the smell of a bloody Fish tank next to me, yuck! Anyway after a lot of negotiation Sara, Steph and me decided to order a few dishes and share them and Kirsty decided to grab soemthing later as again the Veggie menu was practically non existant! Anyway the food comes and it does not look appetising in any way so i pick a bit and eat the rice which i think was probaly the only safe thing with my weak stomach! After complaining that we had ordered too much Stephanie then complained that there wasn't enough and she was still hungry and why hadn't we ordered more! I think she is clearly very used to getting her own way and telling others how its going to be!! NOt that i don't so that a lot but i do know when to compromise!! So anywa after this we walk along a load mopre of the same stalls repeated again and again and again, they are the smae everywhere you go. The same T-Shirts, Shorts, trinkets when you have seen one part you have seen it all. So after a while Kirsty and I decide we are going to go for a drink in one of the bars we walked past on our way. This does not go down at all well! We should stick together, is it safe for us to be in 2's, Are you sure you want a drink? HOw about we go for a Starbucks - a hot chocolate would be good!! Hummm! We were thinkign of soemthing a little stronger! Anyway so we went on our merry way and madam was not happy with us one little bit!!
I'm going to have to sign off now as i need to get a tuk tuk to the airport as i'm flying to Ko Samui tonight via Bangkok, if i can get internet at the airport i shall tell you more about the amazing story of what happens when you ignore Stephanie!!
Love S-J xx
So where was i? Elephant ride and oh yes Bamboo rafting. THree hours of Bamboo rafting on no food, so we have a tired, cold, hungry S-J on our hands and as most of you know that is never a good thing! I was, lets face it not in a great mood!
Only things were abuot to get better, soon i would be wet and bleeding to add to the mix! I make it sounds really bad when infact it was my favourite part of the trek, it was so funny! Bascially you see this raft which is about 6 pieces of Bamboo tied together in three places with a triangle at the front with everyone's rucksac's and sleeping bags tied on. Then you have three separate bamboo poles with which you steer and generally move you along. We there are sseven of us on two rafts, one guide for each raft. We had Stuart an America 60 year old who is from America who works as a political advisor to Hilary Clinton (we had a very interesting debate about politics the night before, made even more interesting by the fact that i clearly had not idea what the hell i was talking about but a fancied an argument!! Take the girl out of sales but you can't take sales out of the girl!!!). He had the back location with the pole and he was in charge of bascially keeping the back moving in the right direction. We then had Kate and Caroline, two Irish girls who were as light as a feather and kept talking about food which was amusing to the point when we realised we really weren't getting any for 3 hours and then we tried to chnage the subject but it still kept coming back to the fact that even a piece of bread and butter would do just not another bloody banana!!. Then we had me with my pole, not really quite sure how the hell i ended up with the first pole shift but i did and i didn't do too badly - to be honest i was just glad to be using my arms and not my legs, my knee really couldn't have taken much more rocks, hills or tree roots! Infront of me we had Stephanie one of the Danish girls i had met on the train who i didn't realise was going to turn out to be a complete spoiled brat when she didn't get her own way! The we had Sara her friend who i also met on the train who had the best position at the front holding onto the sturdy bag holder and finally Motree our guide at the front with the final pole.
We didn't really start off that well and after about 5 mins both rafts were sinking, mostly to one side but definately sinking. I was quite looking forward to having a bit of a swim becuase at this point in the hot sun the river looked quite inviting. After all whats a bit of elephant poo twice in two days. i had survived it once! We had life jackets on, which i think spolied the fun a bit, the water wasn't really that deep at any point but then again soem of the people we were with would not have stood for that. Infact they were saying we should have helmets because of the rocks! I mean please! Where is your sense of adventure! So after about 15 mins we pulled into the side and managed to get some more bamboo and sort the raft out so it didn't sink anymore . The the slog really began, we had to negotiate through rapids with massive rocks on and half the time we were stting so low on the rocks we felt it shudder underneath us as we grazed the top of them. We had been going for about 1 hour and then one of the other girls Caroline took over. Stephanie and Sara said that they didn't want to do it and that was that - didn't go down with the rest of us that well seeing as you don't really get to see much scenery when your doing the poling and someone is shouting to you left left and raising thier right hand!! And seeing as i'm not the best person when it coems to left and right anyway it was all very amusing. I am pleased to say there were no crashes on my shift! Ha ha ha!
Back to Caroline's shift, i don't really know what happened but basically we crashed into some rocks and we all piled onto each other. Sara was ok as she was holding on but i piled onto of Stephanie, Kate on top of me and Caroline plus pole which hit about all of us on the head on top of her. OUr Guide Pino went into the water and Stuart lost one leg and the pole to the water. So anyway we all got up bleeding, me from my ankle and my hand, Kate from her leg, Caroline from her ankle and Stephanie from her ankle. To have hear her afterwards you would have thought her entire leg had been severed and that the guide had done it on purpose! We then had two Danes shouting at our guide to "Give clearer instructions" and "Be more careful" and "We should be wearing Helmets this isn't safe!" So anyway we all get back up and it happens again 5 minutes later, less injuries this time but more water!! I was completely covered on one side, Stuart fell in, Caroline lost a leg and Kate headbutted the Pole! Steph and Sara were fine. Oh and Pinot went in again, to be honest i wouldn't be surprised if he had done it on purpose! We are all cracking up at this point, well most of us apart from two, you can guess which ones! We carry on for another half or so without a hitch and then comes another crash with three people going in i lost my flip flops and had to go in after them (after this i tied them to my life jacket and went barefoot, very dangerous again apparently!!). It was great the sun was shining we were going through "White Water" rapids on a few pieces of Bamboo!! Talk about adrenilin rush! However the next set of rapids come along and we are told to crouch down - this worked out to be a much safer strategy when we crashed and to be honest me Kate and Caroline wanted to carry on standing up but we couldn't cope with the worry about the bloody Danger!!
After about the 5th crash the two had really had enough and our guide - probably worried that he was going to loose him job made us get off at the begginng of the next rapid at one side and climb over the rocks to meet him the other end. Well with my knee this was actually not my prefered option but id din't really have much choice! Anyway Kate took over from Caroline and we only crashed one more time again with no majhor consequences which was a bit of a shame really coz it would have been nice to go otu with a bang!! HA Ha! So then we finally got to shore at another Bamboo hut and had lunch - Pad Thai which is a very famous dish out here and is made on all the street corners. After lucnh we had a two hour truck ride back to our Guest house. With 12 people crammed in a truck made for 10 it was extremly uncomfortable and me in my infinate wisdom had consumed nearly a bottle of water at lunch becuase we didn't have any for 3 hours while rafting. So were about three quarters of an hour through and i start to need a wee! I mention it to a couple of people to try and find soem comrades so they aren't stopping just for me and luckily i foudn soem people so we ask to stop and seeing as we have seen a couple of places serving soft drinks and food along the roadside on the way out of the jungle we think oh we will stop at one of those it will be fine. We have our own toilet roll ( i carry one with me at all times now!!) all will be well..... Oh no we stop at the side of the road and have to go back into the f-ing jungle and pee!! I'm peeing in a jungle where i have seen a million spiders who want to kill me and you want me to crouch down and pee??? Seriously!!! Oh my god! So anyway one girl bring a towell and another watches for bugs and we pee, i tell you talk about stage fright. I thought they were going to just walk off and leave me at one point! Nightmare! So after the trauma of peeing we are back on our way (that dry wash thing you made me take was very handy - thanks Mum!!) We get back to the Guest house and me and Kisty, the Scottish girl who works as a massuse on Yaught's (I am at a complete loss at how to spell that even remotely! Hopefully you know what i mean!) decide to share a room to keep costs down - the 3quid was getting a bit too much! So we get a twin room which is actually really nice coz you do miss having someone to arrnage things with. At about 8.00 we meet up with all the other girls from the trip, the 4 irish and the 2 Danes and we go off to dinner -which was a nightmare in itself when you have everyone trying to be polite but no one wanting to make any decisions. Fnally we decide on soemwhere and Kirsty who is a Veggie doesn't actually have anything on the menue she can eat but she says its ok and eats some of my Chips and were ok. It was an amusing dinner with two of the Irish girls who i was on the raft with being very talkative and the other two sisters who weren't and then the Danes going on and on about how Dangerous the last few days were and how she might get poisoning from the river water and asking if any of us have AIDS and can you get it from River Water, lets just say Kirsty and I now have a running joke about how dangerous things are! So after this we are all pretty knackered and the Irish girls go to the Pharmacy to get soem more insect repellant as they were leaving to go to Laos the following day and had run out and the four of us head back to the Guest House. Kirsty went on the Internet for a bit and then came back and we both passed out, pleased to be in a comfy bed with minimal bugs!!
The following day, Friday was fairly uneventful i went on the Internet loads and had a bloody nightmare trying to upload photos which clearly didn't want to upload!! And then had a Thai massage then it was off to the famous "Night Bizzar" which is bascially another place to shop!! I managed to resist quite well and only brough a pair of short/trouser type things which i had seen one of the Irish girls wearing and had wanted them and it was ok coz i knew what i was going to chuck out so they could fit!! We ended up having dinner in one of the little places in the Night Bizzare which had loads of Thai people in and live Shell fish ready for you to choose and they cook for you, the smell was terrible as you can imagine. I had to ask if we could move coz there was no way i was going to be able to eat one little thing with the smell of a bloody Fish tank next to me, yuck! Anyway after a lot of negotiation Sara, Steph and me decided to order a few dishes and share them and Kirsty decided to grab soemthing later as again the Veggie menu was practically non existant! Anyway the food comes and it does not look appetising in any way so i pick a bit and eat the rice which i think was probaly the only safe thing with my weak stomach! After complaining that we had ordered too much Stephanie then complained that there wasn't enough and she was still hungry and why hadn't we ordered more! I think she is clearly very used to getting her own way and telling others how its going to be!! NOt that i don't so that a lot but i do know when to compromise!! So anywa after this we walk along a load mopre of the same stalls repeated again and again and again, they are the smae everywhere you go. The same T-Shirts, Shorts, trinkets when you have seen one part you have seen it all. So after a while Kirsty and I decide we are going to go for a drink in one of the bars we walked past on our way. This does not go down at all well! We should stick together, is it safe for us to be in 2's, Are you sure you want a drink? HOw about we go for a Starbucks - a hot chocolate would be good!! Hummm! We were thinkign of soemthing a little stronger! Anyway so we went on our merry way and madam was not happy with us one little bit!!
I'm going to have to sign off now as i need to get a tuk tuk to the airport as i'm flying to Ko Samui tonight via Bangkok, if i can get internet at the airport i shall tell you more about the amazing story of what happens when you ignore Stephanie!!
Love S-J xx
Friday, 7 March 2008
Chang Mai 07/03/08
So i did go for a massage on Sunday - what a surprise!! It was great, again! I had dinner at the bar and did some sunbathing - although i don't think it has made a blind bit of difference!
Monday i again lazed by the pool, getting no tan whatsoever! Had dinenr at a little Italaian and went to the train station to catch my sleeper train to Chang Mai. I got on the train and though oh dear, i really couldn't see how the little seats were going to fold into a bed which i would actually fit into. BUt then as i was reminded they weren't made for big western women but small Thai people! My mistake! I met two girls from Holland - Stephanie and Sara, who funnily enough are going to Chang Mai! Took me a while to work that one out! Anyway we chatted about all the usualy stuff where have you been, how long for, what you doing in Change Mai. Turns out they didn't have anywhere to stay so i said they should grab a lift with me and see if my guest house had any spaces. Then a guy came and sat opposite me and turned out to be a bit strange! Away on holiday for 3 weeks and had bascially drunk his way around the Islands and was only cvoming to Chang Mai because he had booked the trip while drunk! As you can imagine i was not particularly impressed with the guy who stunk of booze and was slurring his eyes! DOn't you just love the English Larger Lout on holiday! I must admit he wasn't the usualy Larger lout when he sobered up a bit he actually turned about to be quite intelligent but saying that he may have been trying to impress us with his job working as a volunteer for Human Rights! Anyway needless to say he did my head in and i was very glad to have met Sara and Stephanie otherwise i may well have chucked him off the train.
So about 9.00pm a little Thai man coems around and makes your bed! Crazy stuff, he pulls down the top bunk and fixes it to the side of the wall and get shte bedding down, a little matress for both top and bottom, a pillow and a blanket. Genius! I loved it, the curtains get pulled and you bed down for the night. Not sure i could cope with the rocking motion for that much but other than that it was really comfy! Although i was paranoid that soemone was going to nick my bag so i kept waking up anytime anyone walked past. Anyway woke up about 7.00am and stayed in my comfy bed!! Problem was i finally needed the loo and i knew it wasn't going to be pretty but if you have to go then what can you do? Well i was interested to find a hole in the floor which actually pee into, or i suppose if you needed to, a number 2! So nice to think that it just goes onto the railway line, can you imagine if we did that in England? I suppose less children would play on the railway lines! Ha ha!
We got to Chang Mai and there was a little an holding my name up - how cool! I've never had that! Felt very important! Well ok a little bit important. Stephanie and Sara came with me and we got a mini bus to our new home. We got to the guest house about 11.00 and checked in to our rooms, which were basic but ok. I had a double bed, which looked very comfy, a fan and a hot shower all for 3 pound 20 not bad hey!! So after a freshen up we met and went to grab soem lunch at the nearest place that served sarnies and then went in search of a pool. We grabbed a tuc tuc and ended up at the local swimming pool which was interesting to say the leat. We are certain they put the price up just for us, because the price they asked us for and the price on the window were two totally different things but apparently there was a price change!! Another strange thing we weren't allowed to take our bags into the pool area. There were already lots of poeple sunbathing around the pool with bags, we could see them, but they went mad when we tired to go in with them so we ended up taking out everything we had in them and taking it in with us wrapped in our towells - stupid really. We were convinced they were trying to steal our stuff so were glad we had folied thier plan!
We got back to the house nad after chatting about treking the girls had decided thye wanted to come with me on a two day treck in the jungle. We had a breifing with the guide at 6.30. His name was Montree and he spoke English fairly well, he explained what we would need, didn't make it very clear but hey i think that was half the fun! We met another girl called Kirsty who is Scottish and we all decided it was time for dinner so walked a little way along and got soemthing to eat. After our Night train we were all pretty tired and after my beer i was ready for bed so we went back fairly early about 10.00. I went straight to bed thinking about the early start and tomorrow's activities Lucky for us this is the time that the local band start up, so loud that you think it is actually in your room! This went on till 12.00 and then finally it was just the moped's and tuc tuc's to deal with - much quieter.
Woke up at 7.00 to get ready for the day's trek: sleeping bag, jumper, long trousers, flip flops, t-shirts, toiletries (including loo roll!) Towel, socks, Trainers, Bikini. Check! Ear Plugs - left them on the bloody bed!!! Ahhhhh! So we get picked up at 8.30am and are straight off to the tourist police who have to check your passport becuase we are going to the national park - they take a roll call and explain what they do. The we are joined halfways through by a girl with a really low voice, who i then realised was not a lady at all no no no. She/he was halarious! Really overly camp and giggly, it was very difficult to keep a straight face, as we drove away she turned to walk away and fell over in her heells! ONe thing you should always learn to do first is walk in heels coz if you can't do it you don't half look like a twat! Ha ha!
We stopped off at a market to grab soem water, fruit and snacks for the next few days and our guide brought all that we would eat over the next few days. Bread for our breakfast, fresh eggs, vegatables, noodles the whole lot. There was a very cute little puppy at the market and i so wanted to take him along with us, he was really podgy and excitable. I had strings hanging down from my trousers and that was all a bit much for him,, he was trying to get them with his paws and barking at them, its was very cute!
Then it was time to leave and we were off to Mork-Fa Waterfall, it was beautiful, green vegitation all around and old trees which you climb over to get to the water, the roots of the trees have made steps with the ground. There was no one else apart from our party of 12 and two guides there. It was so quiet all you could hear was the birds and the insects in the trees and the rush of water as it fasls offr the side of the mountain. The sun was shining and casting a really pretty light over the water, it took my breath away and unfotunately it was difficult to capture that in photos but i have tried! Now i just need the memory sticks to work! The water was freezing cold but there was no way i was going to leave without having a dip. It didn't diaaspoint - it was freezing and when you actually got under the the water it was so heavy i nearly lost my bikini! It was so refreshing after an hour in the back of a van all cramped together.
After this it was back in the Van and off to get soem lunch at a little random shack where we have rice and vegatables - it was yummy. We then went to another idillic spot where the hot springs cascade down the rocks. It was boiling, i coildn't put my feet in for long and as soon as i did i wanted to be back ta the waterfall it was so hot, being just after lunch and the water was boiling, it was so bizzare. Two of our party were Polish and the Polish guy we had already worked out was a bit loopy! He kept stripping off to his tiny tiny speedos and jumping into where ever we were. He had this little black moustache which twiched with excitement everytime he did soemthing - it was halarious! Him and his wife both jumped in and then ran back out again screaming, we knew we shouldn't laugh but what else can you do??!!
NOw the excitement really began - the 3 hour trek. I don't quite know what i was thinking when i agreed to do this and as we strap our sleeping bags, water and life jackets to our ruckscaks and are advised to put on insect repellant and suncreame i'm already realise the enormity of what i have agree to. The last time i did any exercise was the race for life a few years ago and that only lasted for half an hour! I can't even remeber the last time i walked to anywhere other than maybe to the train station and even then i usually get a lift!! So as we set off and make it to the top of a little hill i get a bit cocky and think i'll be ok! Nope i don't think so! We climb for a while and reach the top of the hot springd which reaks of Sulphur and bubbles everywhere. I'm glad when we move on but then having to travel up another huge mountain (it felt like it and you weren't there so you can't say different!) i thought it was just me that was about to collapse. Luckily someone ahead of me had shoyted that we needed to rest and the guide had said no, no need to rest. I seriously could have ripped off his head and stamped on it when he said that, if i had the energy which i didn't. So we had a few minute to catch our breath and then we were off again. It felt like torture, my legs were burning, i was breathing so hard i sounded so loud and my legs were starting to shake with the effort. I knew it was going to be hell from here on in and i questioned what i was thinking when i booked this! I think after 2 hours most of us hated our guide with a vengance! All of us had difficulty breathing as we got up higher and we kept throwing water over ourselves but it really wasn't helping! I realised quite how unfit i was on this trek and as soon as i can walk properly i will seriously think about never doing anything liek that again! No seriously i might have to actually do some exercise when i get back to the UK, or if i get to the pool do more than a dip! After 3 hours we got to our destination, a remote village of people called the "Karen" tribe we were lead into a bamboo hut and shown into our bed room, a thin matress and blankets - i was so glad i brought my own sleeping bag at this point as i had seen the ones the others got given and they weren't very thick.
The next job was to wash - with one "shower" which was bascially a tap and the River me and Kirsty decided to brave the river after being told if we were late for dinner it would get cold and it would be tough - there was no way i was having a cold dinner after that! So went down to the freezing cold river and plucked up the courage to get in and wash. I can't believe i actually did it looking back , now i have my hot shower to look forward to but i did and i'm glad i did coz everyone who had the shower moaned abuot it and the River wasn't actually that bad when you were under. The only problem came the next day when we saw the Elephants poo in it!! Oh well i'm sure it must have soem good qualities! So we had dinner and a beer and then it was off to bed. It was then i realised i didn't have my ear plugs! I'm a light sleeper at the best of times let alone in the middle of the jungle with 12 other people i knew it wasn't going to be a good night! In the bed next to me was an American who was overweight and snored to high heaven - i was not happy but i must have fallen asleep eventually coz i woke up at 7.00am with a crick in my neck and shivering - it gets really really really cold in the jungle in the morning.
We had eggy bread with honey for breakfast - yummy! Back to the Brownie days! Sorry we had French Toast for those of you who are wondering what the hell i'm on about! Then it was off for another hour's trek. NO what i haven't mentioned is that ont he 3 hour treck i twisted my knee and had a rather swollen leg which i had to keep applying deep heat to otherwise i wouldn't have been able to move it. Unfortunately no one had anything i could strap it up with so i was left to make do. We walked through the villages of Lamous Village, but were advuised not to take photos unless we wanted to pay 1000bht per picture, 16quid!! Expensive photos! So after walking on the flat i was in pain but not too bad. Then came the hill, the hill!
Halfway up i can't breathe through the pain anymore - its simply too much, but i don't have a choice and i know that so i get to the top and i'm nearly hiperventilating and close to tears when the guiide asks if i'm ok i shake my head unable to catch my breath and shortly collapse!! Great! So i then have two guides rubbing deep heat into my knee, taking my rucksac and cutting bamboo so i have two walking sticks - how bloody embarrasing. It had to be the bloody English girl didn't it. We have 4 Irish, 2 Scots, 2 Polise, 2 Danish, 1 American and it has to be the bloody English girl! Sorry guys! Anyway soemhow managed at a snails pace to get to the Elephant Park - i've never been so plesed to hear an elephant noice at the top of a hill - i knew it was close!!
So we went on a ride on the Elephants for abuot an hour along the river, it was very peaceful but three of us were wedged into a basket made for two so we weren't very impressed but apparently an Elephant wasn't very well so what can you do? Poor Nelly! Next we went on a Bamboo raft - we all thought we were getting lunch but no. Lunch was bananas! Not good for me!
But anyway i'll have to tell you abuot the rafting later or tomorow as i'm meeting people for dinner and i'm going to be late!
Signing off for now
S-J
P.S I know there are grammar and spelling mistakes all over this and all my other entries but i'm typing as quickly as possible and the spell check usually crashes the lot and i loose it so frankly i'm not doing it! Sorry if that offends you - Dad!! xx
Monday i again lazed by the pool, getting no tan whatsoever! Had dinenr at a little Italaian and went to the train station to catch my sleeper train to Chang Mai. I got on the train and though oh dear, i really couldn't see how the little seats were going to fold into a bed which i would actually fit into. BUt then as i was reminded they weren't made for big western women but small Thai people! My mistake! I met two girls from Holland - Stephanie and Sara, who funnily enough are going to Chang Mai! Took me a while to work that one out! Anyway we chatted about all the usualy stuff where have you been, how long for, what you doing in Change Mai. Turns out they didn't have anywhere to stay so i said they should grab a lift with me and see if my guest house had any spaces. Then a guy came and sat opposite me and turned out to be a bit strange! Away on holiday for 3 weeks and had bascially drunk his way around the Islands and was only cvoming to Chang Mai because he had booked the trip while drunk! As you can imagine i was not particularly impressed with the guy who stunk of booze and was slurring his eyes! DOn't you just love the English Larger Lout on holiday! I must admit he wasn't the usualy Larger lout when he sobered up a bit he actually turned about to be quite intelligent but saying that he may have been trying to impress us with his job working as a volunteer for Human Rights! Anyway needless to say he did my head in and i was very glad to have met Sara and Stephanie otherwise i may well have chucked him off the train.
So about 9.00pm a little Thai man coems around and makes your bed! Crazy stuff, he pulls down the top bunk and fixes it to the side of the wall and get shte bedding down, a little matress for both top and bottom, a pillow and a blanket. Genius! I loved it, the curtains get pulled and you bed down for the night. Not sure i could cope with the rocking motion for that much but other than that it was really comfy! Although i was paranoid that soemone was going to nick my bag so i kept waking up anytime anyone walked past. Anyway woke up about 7.00am and stayed in my comfy bed!! Problem was i finally needed the loo and i knew it wasn't going to be pretty but if you have to go then what can you do? Well i was interested to find a hole in the floor which actually pee into, or i suppose if you needed to, a number 2! So nice to think that it just goes onto the railway line, can you imagine if we did that in England? I suppose less children would play on the railway lines! Ha ha!
We got to Chang Mai and there was a little an holding my name up - how cool! I've never had that! Felt very important! Well ok a little bit important. Stephanie and Sara came with me and we got a mini bus to our new home. We got to the guest house about 11.00 and checked in to our rooms, which were basic but ok. I had a double bed, which looked very comfy, a fan and a hot shower all for 3 pound 20 not bad hey!! So after a freshen up we met and went to grab soem lunch at the nearest place that served sarnies and then went in search of a pool. We grabbed a tuc tuc and ended up at the local swimming pool which was interesting to say the leat. We are certain they put the price up just for us, because the price they asked us for and the price on the window were two totally different things but apparently there was a price change!! Another strange thing we weren't allowed to take our bags into the pool area. There were already lots of poeple sunbathing around the pool with bags, we could see them, but they went mad when we tired to go in with them so we ended up taking out everything we had in them and taking it in with us wrapped in our towells - stupid really. We were convinced they were trying to steal our stuff so were glad we had folied thier plan!
We got back to the house nad after chatting about treking the girls had decided thye wanted to come with me on a two day treck in the jungle. We had a breifing with the guide at 6.30. His name was Montree and he spoke English fairly well, he explained what we would need, didn't make it very clear but hey i think that was half the fun! We met another girl called Kirsty who is Scottish and we all decided it was time for dinner so walked a little way along and got soemthing to eat. After our Night train we were all pretty tired and after my beer i was ready for bed so we went back fairly early about 10.00. I went straight to bed thinking about the early start and tomorrow's activities Lucky for us this is the time that the local band start up, so loud that you think it is actually in your room! This went on till 12.00 and then finally it was just the moped's and tuc tuc's to deal with - much quieter.
Woke up at 7.00 to get ready for the day's trek: sleeping bag, jumper, long trousers, flip flops, t-shirts, toiletries (including loo roll!) Towel, socks, Trainers, Bikini. Check! Ear Plugs - left them on the bloody bed!!! Ahhhhh! So we get picked up at 8.30am and are straight off to the tourist police who have to check your passport becuase we are going to the national park - they take a roll call and explain what they do. The we are joined halfways through by a girl with a really low voice, who i then realised was not a lady at all no no no. She/he was halarious! Really overly camp and giggly, it was very difficult to keep a straight face, as we drove away she turned to walk away and fell over in her heells! ONe thing you should always learn to do first is walk in heels coz if you can't do it you don't half look like a twat! Ha ha!
We stopped off at a market to grab soem water, fruit and snacks for the next few days and our guide brought all that we would eat over the next few days. Bread for our breakfast, fresh eggs, vegatables, noodles the whole lot. There was a very cute little puppy at the market and i so wanted to take him along with us, he was really podgy and excitable. I had strings hanging down from my trousers and that was all a bit much for him,, he was trying to get them with his paws and barking at them, its was very cute!
Then it was time to leave and we were off to Mork-Fa Waterfall, it was beautiful, green vegitation all around and old trees which you climb over to get to the water, the roots of the trees have made steps with the ground. There was no one else apart from our party of 12 and two guides there. It was so quiet all you could hear was the birds and the insects in the trees and the rush of water as it fasls offr the side of the mountain. The sun was shining and casting a really pretty light over the water, it took my breath away and unfotunately it was difficult to capture that in photos but i have tried! Now i just need the memory sticks to work! The water was freezing cold but there was no way i was going to leave without having a dip. It didn't diaaspoint - it was freezing and when you actually got under the the water it was so heavy i nearly lost my bikini! It was so refreshing after an hour in the back of a van all cramped together.
After this it was back in the Van and off to get soem lunch at a little random shack where we have rice and vegatables - it was yummy. We then went to another idillic spot where the hot springs cascade down the rocks. It was boiling, i coildn't put my feet in for long and as soon as i did i wanted to be back ta the waterfall it was so hot, being just after lunch and the water was boiling, it was so bizzare. Two of our party were Polish and the Polish guy we had already worked out was a bit loopy! He kept stripping off to his tiny tiny speedos and jumping into where ever we were. He had this little black moustache which twiched with excitement everytime he did soemthing - it was halarious! Him and his wife both jumped in and then ran back out again screaming, we knew we shouldn't laugh but what else can you do??!!
NOw the excitement really began - the 3 hour trek. I don't quite know what i was thinking when i agreed to do this and as we strap our sleeping bags, water and life jackets to our ruckscaks and are advised to put on insect repellant and suncreame i'm already realise the enormity of what i have agree to. The last time i did any exercise was the race for life a few years ago and that only lasted for half an hour! I can't even remeber the last time i walked to anywhere other than maybe to the train station and even then i usually get a lift!! So as we set off and make it to the top of a little hill i get a bit cocky and think i'll be ok! Nope i don't think so! We climb for a while and reach the top of the hot springd which reaks of Sulphur and bubbles everywhere. I'm glad when we move on but then having to travel up another huge mountain (it felt like it and you weren't there so you can't say different!) i thought it was just me that was about to collapse. Luckily someone ahead of me had shoyted that we needed to rest and the guide had said no, no need to rest. I seriously could have ripped off his head and stamped on it when he said that, if i had the energy which i didn't. So we had a few minute to catch our breath and then we were off again. It felt like torture, my legs were burning, i was breathing so hard i sounded so loud and my legs were starting to shake with the effort. I knew it was going to be hell from here on in and i questioned what i was thinking when i booked this! I think after 2 hours most of us hated our guide with a vengance! All of us had difficulty breathing as we got up higher and we kept throwing water over ourselves but it really wasn't helping! I realised quite how unfit i was on this trek and as soon as i can walk properly i will seriously think about never doing anything liek that again! No seriously i might have to actually do some exercise when i get back to the UK, or if i get to the pool do more than a dip! After 3 hours we got to our destination, a remote village of people called the "Karen" tribe we were lead into a bamboo hut and shown into our bed room, a thin matress and blankets - i was so glad i brought my own sleeping bag at this point as i had seen the ones the others got given and they weren't very thick.
The next job was to wash - with one "shower" which was bascially a tap and the River me and Kirsty decided to brave the river after being told if we were late for dinner it would get cold and it would be tough - there was no way i was having a cold dinner after that! So went down to the freezing cold river and plucked up the courage to get in and wash. I can't believe i actually did it looking back , now i have my hot shower to look forward to but i did and i'm glad i did coz everyone who had the shower moaned abuot it and the River wasn't actually that bad when you were under. The only problem came the next day when we saw the Elephants poo in it!! Oh well i'm sure it must have soem good qualities! So we had dinner and a beer and then it was off to bed. It was then i realised i didn't have my ear plugs! I'm a light sleeper at the best of times let alone in the middle of the jungle with 12 other people i knew it wasn't going to be a good night! In the bed next to me was an American who was overweight and snored to high heaven - i was not happy but i must have fallen asleep eventually coz i woke up at 7.00am with a crick in my neck and shivering - it gets really really really cold in the jungle in the morning.
We had eggy bread with honey for breakfast - yummy! Back to the Brownie days! Sorry we had French Toast for those of you who are wondering what the hell i'm on about! Then it was off for another hour's trek. NO what i haven't mentioned is that ont he 3 hour treck i twisted my knee and had a rather swollen leg which i had to keep applying deep heat to otherwise i wouldn't have been able to move it. Unfortunately no one had anything i could strap it up with so i was left to make do. We walked through the villages of Lamous Village, but were advuised not to take photos unless we wanted to pay 1000bht per picture, 16quid!! Expensive photos! So after walking on the flat i was in pain but not too bad. Then came the hill, the hill!
Halfway up i can't breathe through the pain anymore - its simply too much, but i don't have a choice and i know that so i get to the top and i'm nearly hiperventilating and close to tears when the guiide asks if i'm ok i shake my head unable to catch my breath and shortly collapse!! Great! So i then have two guides rubbing deep heat into my knee, taking my rucksac and cutting bamboo so i have two walking sticks - how bloody embarrasing. It had to be the bloody English girl didn't it. We have 4 Irish, 2 Scots, 2 Polise, 2 Danish, 1 American and it has to be the bloody English girl! Sorry guys! Anyway soemhow managed at a snails pace to get to the Elephant Park - i've never been so plesed to hear an elephant noice at the top of a hill - i knew it was close!!
So we went on a ride on the Elephants for abuot an hour along the river, it was very peaceful but three of us were wedged into a basket made for two so we weren't very impressed but apparently an Elephant wasn't very well so what can you do? Poor Nelly! Next we went on a Bamboo raft - we all thought we were getting lunch but no. Lunch was bananas! Not good for me!
But anyway i'll have to tell you abuot the rafting later or tomorow as i'm meeting people for dinner and i'm going to be late!
Signing off for now
S-J
P.S I know there are grammar and spelling mistakes all over this and all my other entries but i'm typing as quickly as possible and the spell check usually crashes the lot and i loose it so frankly i'm not doing it! Sorry if that offends you - Dad!! xx
Sunday, 2 March 2008
Sunday 2nd March
So much to say so little time!! Where to start! Well after i left the internet cafe on Thursday i had dinner in my room, watched Talladega Nights and went to bed - what a geek! But hey i liked it so that's the main thing! I had to be up at 7.00am the next day for my trip to Kancharabari so i think it was a good plan.
Anyway so up at 6.00am and down at the reception for 7.00, its amazing how tiring it can be doing nothing! Anyway i wait in reception for about three quarters of an hour and then get picked up and taken along the road to wait for another hour for a mini bus! Apparently i am the only person doing this tour which is why they were having treouble! There is always one i suppose! Finally got in this Mini but with a crazy driver who nearly killed us like 100 times on the way there and the mini bus itself was an absolute joke, it squeeked and seriously felt like it was about to collapse! Anyway after about an hour, most of which i tried to sleep off we stopped at a service station so we could use the loo. i use the word loo very loosely as its more of a hole in the ground which you hover over and then pour water down with a bucket (which is very helpfully provided!!) We then get back in the now nicknamed "death bus!" and are on our way. Our first stop is the War meseum and the Death Railway. The meseum is not like ours where its all ordered and clear which way you have t go next. Oh no, you pay a little old lady who is sat in a little hut and thats it, not guide book, no map nothing, off you go! Well i tried to follow the crowed but to be honest no one really knew where they were going so i ended up wandering around looking at things and trying to guess what they were! Halarious! After the ever so exciting meseum (i don't recomend bothering to go!) i walked along the road to the Death Railway where WW2 prisoners were forced to build the railway and many were killed in the process! All very cheery!
After that back onto the Death Bus and off to a stop on the railway so we can get on it! It was a really good way to see the surrounding scenery but a bit annoying when you have the amourous Italian couple snogging next to you in the window seat and all i wanted to do was look at the view! So that was quite cool, again nothing special. We were then back on "death" and were taken to a floating barge for lunch which was a lovely Thai curry. It blew my head off to be honest but it tasted reall nice! After this i was off on my own, leaving my new German friends behind who were staying on the barge that evening and had suddenyl changed thier minds on seeing it and wanted to coem with me!
I went off in my private death mobile and went to do my Elephant trek. It was so amazing, once i had overcome my fear of heights. Just to get to the bloody things i had to walk across a bamboo bridge! I was taking it very slowly and they were trying to hurry me, but i was not having it! I was peeing my pants! Anyway got on this elephant which was the wierdest thing ever, two mins earlier i had been feeding him with bananas and then i was riding on the back of him. When i finally get the camera working on this i'll upload a photo or two. My guide was very funny and made me a crown to wear and called me a princess (He clearly knows me well! Sarah-Jane Princess Nightingale!!) So we want through the countryside, they advertise it as jungle trecking but to be honest there wasn't really much jungle. It was Brilliant though and even more brilliant when my guide started to laugh when we were on our way back to the main camp and we saw another elephant. Let me jsut say that the elephant in question was more than a little over excited and it was HUGE! Ha ha ha!
So then i get my private bus!! Except this time its a ruck - much safer! And i'm off to Tiger Temple! The highlight of the day! You have to stand in line for about half an hour or so but for the price of entry which was about 5 quid you get to pet the Tigers!! It was sooo cool. Strange though cos you think that they would be soft but thier fur is really course and rough not soft and fluffy like its supposed to be! Anyway so had loads of photos taken with the tigers, mostly the small ones but then one with a large on i just touched his back legs - you don't want to get too close!! It was getting late though, about 3.30pm and you can't pet them after 4.00 as they get too restless. When i was having my photos done there were two massive ones who had obviously had enough and were pasing around - time to get out when you see that! Apparently the reason they are so tame is because they are raised by hand and during the day in the wild they usually sleep anyway. There are rumours about them being drugged but i think it would be quite dangerous if thats what they are doing!
Then it was back in the mini bus and back to Bangkok, with a quick change and a shower i was on my way to meet Marrianna and Kurt for dinner at Bed Supper Club. I was told Smart casual - not open shoes or shorts (which i must admit limited me quite a lot!! but i managed it!). Then they check your passport as you go in - i'm not sure why but obviously security reasons. You walk through this cream leather padded sliding door into this sea of white. there is a bar to your right and a hostess area on your left, straight ahead is a dnace floor with a couple of tables, covered in white table cloths with retro white seats. To the left and right are beds, well one long bed really with plush white cushions and mini tables with candles on in little sections. We get taken to one of these tables remove our shoes and get into bed. I seriously could have fallen asleep there and then, the cushions were so swishy and soft and the bed was just the right amount of soft and hard - lush!
We then ordered some cocktails and relaxed! Soon enough our first course of soup came out and it was heavenly, sooo good! Next we had a shellfish dish (we did get told what each disdh was but couldn't remember it!) which i didn't actually like but then i'm not a massive fan of Fish so i suppose that was to be expected. Then came the main course which was steak, YUMMY! It was cooked to perfection with a gorgeous sauce on it with spinch and sweet potatoe, i could eat it again now, infact its making me hungry just thinking about it!
While our courses are coming out we get given a handout (like being back at school!) saying that if you choose to you can approach the model, get the scissors and cut part of her dress being careful to avoid her underwear and obviously her! Tehn you get to keep the piece of material as a souvenier then at the bottom it says discuss the meaning of this!!! Well we couldn't really work it out but it was certainly strange and i have a piece of red dress as a souvenier!!
So then we had soem entertainment which was two girls dancing, both very pretty Thai women we aren't really sure what they were depicting but it was very good!! Then we had a sorbet which was ginger and passion fruit - not to my taste but each to thier own!! Then finally (what i had been waiting for, my favourite course!) Dessert! It didn't dissapoint, we had a small lemon cheesecake, a chocolate mouse and a strawberry sorbet. topped with a chocolate disc with the face of a Thai woman on it, i ate that one clean! I was going to lick the plate but i remembered where i was! The best meal i have had in ages and since i've been here, if you come to BK then you should make a reservation because although it was expensive in comparison to everywhere else it was well worth it.
After Supper Club we decided we wanted another drink so went to the Sky Bar at a famous hotel which has the best view of all of BK. To be honest, not the best plan for soemone with a fear of heights but worth it for the view. It was truly amazing and after being up there for a while i gradually got used to it. (No this does not mean i now want to do a bungee jump or a sky dive!!)
After that i said goodbye to M and K and was on my way back to my place!
On Saturday i met M and K and we went to the Weekend Market which is crazy! First of all to get there i had to get a tuc tuc to the Sky train and then get the Sky Train to Mo Chit and walk there. Nearly had another bust up with a tuc tuc driver who stopped outside a tailor and wanted me to get out, i was a stubborn cow and refused to get out!! When we finally got to our destination he wanted to charge me more because i hadn't gone into the tailor - bloody cheek of him! Needless to say he didn't get any more money! So then i had to navigate the Sky train which actually is a darn site easier than the tube as there is only 2 lines!! Met 2 girls from the UK on the train and helped them get there - check me out! Traveller extrodinare! Spent a few hours at the market, seriously this place is just shopping central! You need to come here with a big bag with nothing in it and you would have all your summer clothes for ever!! Well ok for a year or so!
In the evening i met up with Danny and Carla who i met on my trek on Friday and we went for dinner and a couple of drinks although they stopped serving at 10.00 so it was another early night but they were funa nd we had a laugh. They are off to Chang Mai for a treck as well so are going to let me know what its like!
This morning i missed breakfast - due to my late night! Although i found a little place that does tea and toast so i was ok!! Today was really sunny so i decided to go to the pool but so it turned out did everyone else! I went up to the top area and sat there for a bit but it was very hot so i ordered a sandwhich in the shade and went back one it was a little less hot! Its Sunday today so not sure what i'm going to do, i think it might be time for another massage!! There is not drinking here again because of the election. It keeps happening to be honest its a bit rude!! Only joking but they must be loosing a lot of money.
Right that's me for another few days, not sure if they will have an internet cafe in Chang Mai so i will be sure to keep a journal and keep you all updated!
Love S-J xx
Anyway so up at 6.00am and down at the reception for 7.00, its amazing how tiring it can be doing nothing! Anyway i wait in reception for about three quarters of an hour and then get picked up and taken along the road to wait for another hour for a mini bus! Apparently i am the only person doing this tour which is why they were having treouble! There is always one i suppose! Finally got in this Mini but with a crazy driver who nearly killed us like 100 times on the way there and the mini bus itself was an absolute joke, it squeeked and seriously felt like it was about to collapse! Anyway after about an hour, most of which i tried to sleep off we stopped at a service station so we could use the loo. i use the word loo very loosely as its more of a hole in the ground which you hover over and then pour water down with a bucket (which is very helpfully provided!!) We then get back in the now nicknamed "death bus!" and are on our way. Our first stop is the War meseum and the Death Railway. The meseum is not like ours where its all ordered and clear which way you have t go next. Oh no, you pay a little old lady who is sat in a little hut and thats it, not guide book, no map nothing, off you go! Well i tried to follow the crowed but to be honest no one really knew where they were going so i ended up wandering around looking at things and trying to guess what they were! Halarious! After the ever so exciting meseum (i don't recomend bothering to go!) i walked along the road to the Death Railway where WW2 prisoners were forced to build the railway and many were killed in the process! All very cheery!
After that back onto the Death Bus and off to a stop on the railway so we can get on it! It was a really good way to see the surrounding scenery but a bit annoying when you have the amourous Italian couple snogging next to you in the window seat and all i wanted to do was look at the view! So that was quite cool, again nothing special. We were then back on "death" and were taken to a floating barge for lunch which was a lovely Thai curry. It blew my head off to be honest but it tasted reall nice! After this i was off on my own, leaving my new German friends behind who were staying on the barge that evening and had suddenyl changed thier minds on seeing it and wanted to coem with me!
I went off in my private death mobile and went to do my Elephant trek. It was so amazing, once i had overcome my fear of heights. Just to get to the bloody things i had to walk across a bamboo bridge! I was taking it very slowly and they were trying to hurry me, but i was not having it! I was peeing my pants! Anyway got on this elephant which was the wierdest thing ever, two mins earlier i had been feeding him with bananas and then i was riding on the back of him. When i finally get the camera working on this i'll upload a photo or two. My guide was very funny and made me a crown to wear and called me a princess (He clearly knows me well! Sarah-Jane Princess Nightingale!!) So we want through the countryside, they advertise it as jungle trecking but to be honest there wasn't really much jungle. It was Brilliant though and even more brilliant when my guide started to laugh when we were on our way back to the main camp and we saw another elephant. Let me jsut say that the elephant in question was more than a little over excited and it was HUGE! Ha ha ha!
So then i get my private bus!! Except this time its a ruck - much safer! And i'm off to Tiger Temple! The highlight of the day! You have to stand in line for about half an hour or so but for the price of entry which was about 5 quid you get to pet the Tigers!! It was sooo cool. Strange though cos you think that they would be soft but thier fur is really course and rough not soft and fluffy like its supposed to be! Anyway so had loads of photos taken with the tigers, mostly the small ones but then one with a large on i just touched his back legs - you don't want to get too close!! It was getting late though, about 3.30pm and you can't pet them after 4.00 as they get too restless. When i was having my photos done there were two massive ones who had obviously had enough and were pasing around - time to get out when you see that! Apparently the reason they are so tame is because they are raised by hand and during the day in the wild they usually sleep anyway. There are rumours about them being drugged but i think it would be quite dangerous if thats what they are doing!
Then it was back in the mini bus and back to Bangkok, with a quick change and a shower i was on my way to meet Marrianna and Kurt for dinner at Bed Supper Club. I was told Smart casual - not open shoes or shorts (which i must admit limited me quite a lot!! but i managed it!). Then they check your passport as you go in - i'm not sure why but obviously security reasons. You walk through this cream leather padded sliding door into this sea of white. there is a bar to your right and a hostess area on your left, straight ahead is a dnace floor with a couple of tables, covered in white table cloths with retro white seats. To the left and right are beds, well one long bed really with plush white cushions and mini tables with candles on in little sections. We get taken to one of these tables remove our shoes and get into bed. I seriously could have fallen asleep there and then, the cushions were so swishy and soft and the bed was just the right amount of soft and hard - lush!
We then ordered some cocktails and relaxed! Soon enough our first course of soup came out and it was heavenly, sooo good! Next we had a shellfish dish (we did get told what each disdh was but couldn't remember it!) which i didn't actually like but then i'm not a massive fan of Fish so i suppose that was to be expected. Then came the main course which was steak, YUMMY! It was cooked to perfection with a gorgeous sauce on it with spinch and sweet potatoe, i could eat it again now, infact its making me hungry just thinking about it!
While our courses are coming out we get given a handout (like being back at school!) saying that if you choose to you can approach the model, get the scissors and cut part of her dress being careful to avoid her underwear and obviously her! Tehn you get to keep the piece of material as a souvenier then at the bottom it says discuss the meaning of this!!! Well we couldn't really work it out but it was certainly strange and i have a piece of red dress as a souvenier!!
So then we had soem entertainment which was two girls dancing, both very pretty Thai women we aren't really sure what they were depicting but it was very good!! Then we had a sorbet which was ginger and passion fruit - not to my taste but each to thier own!! Then finally (what i had been waiting for, my favourite course!) Dessert! It didn't dissapoint, we had a small lemon cheesecake, a chocolate mouse and a strawberry sorbet. topped with a chocolate disc with the face of a Thai woman on it, i ate that one clean! I was going to lick the plate but i remembered where i was! The best meal i have had in ages and since i've been here, if you come to BK then you should make a reservation because although it was expensive in comparison to everywhere else it was well worth it.
After Supper Club we decided we wanted another drink so went to the Sky Bar at a famous hotel which has the best view of all of BK. To be honest, not the best plan for soemone with a fear of heights but worth it for the view. It was truly amazing and after being up there for a while i gradually got used to it. (No this does not mean i now want to do a bungee jump or a sky dive!!)
After that i said goodbye to M and K and was on my way back to my place!
On Saturday i met M and K and we went to the Weekend Market which is crazy! First of all to get there i had to get a tuc tuc to the Sky train and then get the Sky Train to Mo Chit and walk there. Nearly had another bust up with a tuc tuc driver who stopped outside a tailor and wanted me to get out, i was a stubborn cow and refused to get out!! When we finally got to our destination he wanted to charge me more because i hadn't gone into the tailor - bloody cheek of him! Needless to say he didn't get any more money! So then i had to navigate the Sky train which actually is a darn site easier than the tube as there is only 2 lines!! Met 2 girls from the UK on the train and helped them get there - check me out! Traveller extrodinare! Spent a few hours at the market, seriously this place is just shopping central! You need to come here with a big bag with nothing in it and you would have all your summer clothes for ever!! Well ok for a year or so!
In the evening i met up with Danny and Carla who i met on my trek on Friday and we went for dinner and a couple of drinks although they stopped serving at 10.00 so it was another early night but they were funa nd we had a laugh. They are off to Chang Mai for a treck as well so are going to let me know what its like!
This morning i missed breakfast - due to my late night! Although i found a little place that does tea and toast so i was ok!! Today was really sunny so i decided to go to the pool but so it turned out did everyone else! I went up to the top area and sat there for a bit but it was very hot so i ordered a sandwhich in the shade and went back one it was a little less hot! Its Sunday today so not sure what i'm going to do, i think it might be time for another massage!! There is not drinking here again because of the election. It keeps happening to be honest its a bit rude!! Only joking but they must be loosing a lot of money.
Right that's me for another few days, not sure if they will have an internet cafe in Chang Mai so i will be sure to keep a journal and keep you all updated!
Love S-J xx
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