NARRATIVE ONLY … PICS TO FOLLOW …

Thailand …

Mon, 4th Mar: A 5 Day Holiday!!!!! @ The Old Phuket Resort, Phuket, Thailand
2.15pm flight from Penang (Malaysia) to Phuket (Thailand) – arriving at 2.30pm
Today we start our adventure in Thailand … a fascinating land of culture, history and charm where there is a successful combination of tropical climate, picture-postcard beaches, fascinating history, authentic culture and people known for their welcoming disposition.

Firstly, we opt to spend a few days on a beach holiday in Phuket. With its white sandy beaches and stunning resorts, Phuket is Thailand’s largest tropical island and has an unbeatable combination of perfect beaches, superb hospitality and is great value 😀 Our resort The Old Phuket, just over the road from Karon Beach, mirrors memories of 19th century South East Asia with its Sino-Portugese style and creation. Fabulous attention to detail resonates throughout the resort that is split into the Sino Wing (where we have a room) with a more traditional style, to the Serene Wing offering modern rooms. Located in central Karon, The Old Phuket is a short walk from tranquil Karon Beach, one of Phuket’s longest and most beautiful beaches. The shopping and entertainment area of Aroona Karon is also within walking distance, with bustling Patong Beach only 8km away.

Presented with our Lei (a wreath of flowers – in this case the dendrobium orchid – presented as a traditional welcome) by the transfer company we get in the car for the one hour journey to our resort. Once settled in the room, we walk along the sea front before heading to the pool bar in our wing. Here we meet Pu, the bar waitress and we chat about Chiang Mai where she informs us that she grew up and where we plan to visit. She puts us in touch with her father who would be happy to act as our tour guide and also put us in touch with good accommodation – very handy indeed!

Pu is a lovely young lady and also works at one of the hotel’s restaurants “Chilli” where we go for dinner once we have freshened up. Right between the hotel and the beach, we head there through the small street market and shops. A good dinner is had – thai chicken noodles, beef in oyster sauce and rice. I tuck in as though I haven’t eaten for while and when I reflect on this, I don’t think I have ‘properly’!

Bellies full, we head off for a walk around the area soaking up the atmosphere. One hour and a bikini later, we head back towards the hotel. We find the Auto Bar – a great little bar in a Volkswagen Campervan accompanied by great music !! One in the Auto Bar (or two!) and a foot massage later, it’s bedtime … we like it here we do!!!!!!!!

Tue, 5th Mar: The Old Phuket Resort, Phuket
A long awaited beach day and we spend our day lazing on the beautiful Karon Beach. Calling in at Subway on the way, we get our beds and devour our brunch NOM NOM NOM before vegging out for the day. Bliss!

It is amazingly calm and peaceful on the beach given the amount of people that are here. The lucky lucky men and women walk up and down the beach but they do so quietly and unintrusively. The makeshift bars are music free and all you can hear is the ocean – fabulous! The road between the resort and the beach is where all the restaurants, shops and bars are located so I guess there’s no point in establishing a bar on the beach itself. The vegetation between the beach and the road acts as a buffer to the action behind us which makes us seem quite secluded. The sea is very very welcoming and entertaining – the backwash and the current are quite strong, so much so that a poor lady literally gets ‘tripped up’ by a small wave which so strong. Many people are thrown about but not too badly – unless you are Neil Pitkin who, in his antics in the water ends up with a very sore and grazed back where he has been ‘battered’ by the surf!

Teatime comes all too soon as do the clouds so we call it a day and head back to the hotel room. A lovely relaxing time in the huge bath is the order of the day before heading out to Chillis for supper 😀

Wed, 6th Mar: The Old Phuket Resort, Phuket
An absolutely lazy lazy lazy day was had today 🙂
We woke very late and Neil headed off to Subway for our ‘brunch in bed’ lol. You won’t believe this (or some of you that know us will!) but it was 4.00pm before we actually got up and then we headed for the beach x pmsl x
It’s much hotter and calmer today – not a cloud in the sky – and we watch people frolic in the sea as well as the longtail boats that cross in the distance. As we got to the beach later we inevitably stay later and, as the day ends we are rewarded with a beautiful sunset before heading back to the hotel. Once freshened up we wander down the road deciding on where to have our dinner … we opt for the restaurant at another hotel, Movenpick Hotel Resort and Spa Sand Bar, and delight in the Thai Curry / Meat Feast Pizza and Fajitas which we thoroughly enjoy. They go down very nicely with the Thai Margaritas that are on special offer tonight at only 99Baht (£2.20) each!!!!! Again, we venture to the Auto Bar for a nightcap which is great fun before heading back to the hotel.

Thu, 7th Mar: The Old Phuket Resort, Phuket
Rest and relaxation over and we are back to planning the next few weeks of our adventure. Using the free wifi in the lobby, we plant ourselves there for most of the day whilst we sort out our travel arrangements and accommodation for Krabi, Bangkok and Chiang Mai. A few hours later, having finally confirmed a few arrangements, we have had enough and pack up to while away the rest of the day at the pool in the Serene Wing. We read until there is no more daylight and wind down back in our room – amazing how tired you can get when you do absolutely nothing !!! lol !!!

Fri, 8th Mar: The Old Phuket Resort, Phuket
Our final full day in Phuket is spent chilling out on Karon Beach. After freshening up, it’s a night in Kata – a 10 minute taxi drive down the coast. Less hectic than Patong, more compact than Karon, Kata is the ideal compromise between the two. Most evening venues here are outdoor cafés and restaurants and Kata’s small roads have contained fast and furious development which helps to retain the village-like atmosphere.

On arrival at this great destination !!!! we start the evening in the Surf House – the place for non-stop surf action, trendy music, internationally inspired food and beverages. It really is a unique place. On the Double FlowRider, a machine that provides the experience of surfing on a perfectly consistent wave, it gives people of all ages and surfing levels the opportunity to enjoy a surreal surfing experience whilst others use it as practice! We order our drinks and watch on as the Double FlowRider delivers a continuous sheet of water up a trampoline-like surface, providing an alternative but ideal condition for surfing. We are entertained by ‘professionals’ and ‘amateurs’ the latter giving us great laughs as the water literally shoots them over the the back of the trampoline when they fall off!!! And, NO, we were not tempted to have a go!

Afterwards, we walk down the beach to the Ska Bar – a place we sought out as, again, this was a place recommended to us by a friend of Neil’s. The Ska Bar is built on huge granite boulders at the south end of Kata Beach and has a great view along the strand and out to sea. As the name implies, it is run by dreadlocked Rastafarians and it’s not long before the place is hopping. The sounds here are mostly reggae with a touch of hip-hop and R&B and it is a really relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The bbq is lit and we are told we are at ‘Tappy Hour’ – a tapas happy hour!!! which happens on a Friday. Cool – Pitkin Luck is at it again!!!! We enjoy the free food – beef, pork and chicken – which is very tasty. Before long there are fire dancers on the beach to keep things hot and interesting lol. The night is over all too quickly and, as we walk back down the beach to the roadside, we reminisce at how beautiful everything has been since we started our journey. Before getting off the beach and a taxi tuk tuk ride back to The Old Phuket, we get sentimental about our loved ones and light a chinese lantern and let it float off over the Adaman Sea.

Sat, 9th Mar: Railay Beach Resort and Spa, Krabi
Having enjoyed our beach break so much, we have booked 3 nights at Railay Beach at Krabi – a ‘must do’ recommended by Shay Frengi, Neil’s colleague and friend and we are absolutely delighted!!! The coach picks us up at 7.00am from the hotel to take us to Phuket’s ferry terminal where we make the 1hr 50mins ferry trip over to Railay Beach in Krabi. A new experience awaits us when the ferry stops in the bay and we are taken onto the beach by longboat. We (well, Neil really) are then required to haul our luggage over the breaking waves and across the sand to our hotel as it is one of only four here that sits directly on the beach! Once at reception, we check in and while away the two hours in the pool until our ‘garden bungalow’ is ready. We have lunch and take in our absolutely stunning gorgeous surroundings. Wow, wow, wow! This place makes the Maldive Island we went to pale into insignificance and that’s saying something 😀

Accessible only from the sea (as we have found out!), Railay’s four beaches Tonsai, Railay West, Railay East and Phra Nang. Railay West is one of the south of Thailand’s most impressive, atmospheric and beautiful beaches and is outstanding any time of day or night.

Our resort runs from East to West of this peninsular and Railay West offers perfect soft sand, a wide beach, informal beach restaurants and friendly locals. A pathway straight across the peninsular links us to Railay East. It is not as pretty here in comparison – it is a narrow beach and home to mangroves, local fishing boats and many birds. It’s also the most convenient place to find a long-tail taxi boat to Krabi Town and there are many smaller hotels overlooking the ‘not so pretty’ mango swamp. It is quite remarkable to see how the scenery changes over the course of the day on this side. When the tide is out – and very far out it goes too – the landscape is quite ugly with the not so nice sand on show as well as the roots of the mango trees.

However, as we soon discover, it is the centre of nightlife in the area. A few local restaurants line the walkway, providing welcome shade and a drink while you wait for your boat. At night they form the focal point of the Railay high season party scene. Bars like Skunk, Bamboo, Chock’s D and the Last Bar offer an eclectic mix of fire-twirlers, good music and good vibes.

On this side, you can also stroll down the walkway and along the base of the cliffs to Phra Nang Beach which is not as developed as the others and has silky-soft sand. Both Railay West and Phra Nang have surrounding cliffs that twist into fantastic shapes, weathered by the wind and rain over time. Trees and shrubs cling to the rock face, as do rock climbers who come here for the challenge of an overhang or a vertical wall. In fact, this area attracts climbers from all over the world to its superb towering limestone.

We are blown away by our garden bungalow! Situated right in the centre of the resort it is a luxury on this journey of ours 🙂 Neil goes off for a walk around whilst I ‘catch up with myself’ in my new surroundings then its off for our evening meal.

At sunset the beach is a hive of activity with boats arriving and departing, impromptu games of football and people taking a stroll. Our beach faces west, and is a great place where we sit and watch the stunning tropical sunset framed by the limestone cliffs. Just heavenly x

Sun, 10th Mar: Raylai Beach Resort and Spa, Krabi … and Mothers Day xxx
We venture to the East side today to make our way to Phra Nang Beach. En route we plan to climb up to the viewpoint of Railay and then down into the lagoon. This should also provide us with some much needed exercise!!!!

Strolling down the East side we first pass Ton Sai Beach, a cove where rock climbers and backpackers hang out in cheap accommodations and practice climbing. It’s not long before we find the sign that points towards an upward path to the viewpoint. Monkeys are encountered in the forest here – some antics are quite funny but some quite intimidating and we are cautious when we come across them. The climb – and yes, it is a climb) to the top takes about 20-25 minutes and the walk to the viewpoint another 10 minutes. We are not disappointed … the aerial view of the resort is amazing.

From the top of the trail, we take another path that leads down towards the jungle for about 20-25 minutes to the lagoon. The path to the lagoon is steep, rocky, and dangerous. There are hand ropes along the steeper parts of the path and are pleased that, overall, we are in pretty decent shape and wearing the right footwear. It really is a demanding descent and the rewards are fantastic.

Of course, what goes up must come down, lol … and it’s as strenuous climbing back out of the lagoon and down the hillside to the bottom! After encountering a humungous spider’s web AND spider then some volatile monkeys we are finally back where we started and continue the short walk under the limestone cliffs to Phra Nang Beach and are immediately amazed by this beautiful cove.

A much busier beach than it has all the ingredients of a perfect beach break – soft sand, clear shallow water, a small island and coral reef, accessible at low tide, caves and rockpools. All this, set against that backdrop of picturesque cliffs that provide natural shade from the hot afternoon sun. It is here, at the bottom of the limestone cliffs that we discover the Princess Cave. Dedicated to an ancient fertility goddess, the cave contains a strange combination of large phallic (‘penis shaped’) symbols, garlands and offerings in the hope of increased potency and prosperity. Even though it’s a local tourist attraction, local fishermen still leave offerings today.

The only accommodation on this beach is the deluxe Rayavadeee which unobtrusively occupies part of the beach. There are no restaurants here either, only food vendors selling stuff from their long-tail boats, like flat bread with chicken, spring rolls, beverages and more. A real sight to see and it’s not long before we succumb to sampling their wares. This was a really unique experience; great food, a cold beer and a beautiful beach all within a metre of each other. Beautiful!

We spend the remainder of the day swimming and chilling before walking back to our resort to ‘clean up’ in the pool – overlooking the beach and another beautiful sunset 😀 Shattered, we don’t bother going back to the bungalow but head straight round to Walking Street for a quick supper before collapsing into bed zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Mon, 11th Mar: Railay Beach Resort and Spa, Krabi
Today, we embark on a ‘4 Island-Hopping Trip’ on a Longtail boat. With 24 of us packed on the longtail boat it’s very cosy indeed and, once they get the thing started … really … we start our tour taking in:-
Poda Island – a small island again with a soft white sandy beach. A coral reef lies about 20 metres from the beach with a variety of sea life. The irresistible combination of excellent snorkelling, scenery and soft sand make the island a popular choice with snorkelers and day trippers and, not surprisingly, it’s very crowded.
Chicken Island – for more opportunity to go snorkelling and swimming and take some souvenir photos of the local landmark, a limestone rock in the shape of a chicken’s head and neck. The boat anchors up so we can snorkel here – the visibility is not brilliant but we do see some fish varieties and coral. However, we are not long in the water as we are experiencing many tiny tiny stings all over the body which is not pleasant. Once back in the boat, we are told the name of these minute jelly fish which we have forgotten, and the sensation stops after about 20mins.
Tub Island – an exotic tropical island, ideal for easy snorkelling and exploring on foot. It is here that we enjoy lunch on the rocks – the only shady part of the Island. As the tide is low, we walk along the sandy causeway joining the neighbouring island.
Our last stop is the cove that is Phra Nang Beach. We decide to leave the tour here as we know we are able to walk back to our resort. It is a great decision; again, we sit for an hour or so enjoying the food which we discovered yesterday before taking the walk back ‘home’. Shattered, I shower and chill out in the room whilst Neil lounges at the poolside for the last couple of hours left of daylight.

As this is our final night here, we venture to the East Side of the resort where it is livelier and we head to ‘The Last Bar’ for a super last night – we enjoy great entertainment (music / fire dancers) a fabulous curry, local beer and a mint and mango shisha All warm and happy we head back to the our resort ready for bed and prepare for moving on again tomorrow. What was originally planned to be a 5 day beach break turned into 8 but we have loved every minute of it – Thailand’s beaches are the best and an obvious choice for holidays of the future. It’s all gone so quickly and all talk of ‘catching up with everybody properly’ has gone completely out of the window.

Tue, 12th Mar: Buddy Lodge Hotel, Taladyod, Bangkok
Our journey to Bangkok today starts by boat taxi to Krabi where we are taken by the resort’s luxury minibus to the airport. Leaving Krabi Airport at 1.35pm, we land at Dong Muang Airport (18km north of Bangkok City Centre) at 2.50pm and head off to Buddy Lodge Hotel on Khaosan Road – right in the ‘thick of it’ according to Shay Frengi, a friend/contact of Neil – and he is not wrong!!!! At the airport we booked ourselves a private taxi for the one hour trip to Khaosan Road. The lady taxi driver giggles as she and her friend think Neil looks like the ‘famous’ Bruce Willis – and this makes us laugh lots 🙂 – well I do anyway.

Our taxi slowly weaves its way through the stalls and streams of people in Khaosan Road until we reach Buddy Lodge, located right in the middle of the shopping and entertainment. We are more than happy with the accommodation – thank you Shay – and settle into our surroundings immediately 😀 Buddy Lodge offers the most convenient location and comfortable facilities and the historical core of Bangkok, where most of the tourist attractions are found, are just around the corner.

“The Place to Disappear” – Khaosan Road is a street in central Bangkok, located in the Banglamphu area, 1 km north of the Grand Palace. “Khaosan” translates as “milled rice”, a reminder that in former times the street was a major Bangkok rice market. In the last 20 years, however, Khaosan Road has developed into a world famous “backpacker ghetto”. It offers cheap accommodation and is also a base of travel. Shops sell handcrafts, paintings, clothes, pirated CDs, DVDs and second-hand books, plus many useful backpacker items. The area is also internationally known as a centre of dancing and partying. The street is shut off in the evening and transforms into one huge food and entertainment centre and is a great base from which to explore which is exactly what we do until the early hours of the morning :-\

Wed, 13th Mar: Buddy Lodge Hotel, Bangkok
Late in the morning we call into the Buddy’s Travel Agency to get some ‘must see and do’ information from the ladies there. We book into tonight’s ladyboy show ‘Calypso’ and head off for some lunch with the rest of our travel information.

We make our way to the Chao Phraya River and take a ferry from Pier 13 to its final destination followed by a complimentary shuttle boat to Asiatique – refurbished warehouses where a riverside Night Market now resides – and where the theatre for Calypso is situated. From the late 19th century, these riverside warehouses were owned by Denmark’s East Asiatic Company and for most of the period, as there were few roads, the Chao Phraya River was Siam’s major highway. Teak logs, rice and other export products were towed down here from the central plains by barges to be stored or processed in the “factories” until loaded on ships.

On the ferry journey, we have the opportunity to take in some of the historical landmarks and also get to see the amazing ferries and jetties of the hotels that line the river – this way we don’t need to book on a River Cruise, lol.

We are very impressed on arrival at Asiatique, Bangkok’s newest, flashiest night market by the river where there is enough to buy, eat and be amused. Opened in spring 2012, the restaurants, shops and theatres are housed in about ten clearly marked, rehabbed brick warehouses. After a walk around, we have time to spare before dinner and I have a Fish Spa treatment whilst Neil has a Foot massage. Dinner tonight is at a japanese restaurant – MK – and is an education, lol. We do not make use of the steamboat on the hot plate in the centre of the table – but now we have ‘seen’ what to do, maybe next time!

Finally, it is time for the market’s major theatrical presentation, also with its own theatre – the Las Vegas-style Calypso Cabaret. Calypso’s tall dancing and lip-synching performers, at least the female-appearing ones, are all transsexuals or transvestites and are stunning. Thailand being a major plastic surgery centre, they have all had some work and began taking female hormones quite young. There are several of these cabarets in Thailand but Calypso is supposed to be the most accomplished. Apparently, even Lady Gaga dropped in during her April 2012 visit to Bangkok. The performers do Marilyn Monroe’s diamonds, Vegas feathered showgirls, Bob Fosse, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, geisha spoofs and Korean pop songs.

Both the theatre and the show are very impressive and it’s all over too soon. However, we the ‘girls’ do line up outside for photo opportunities which is great and presents us with an up close encounter! Content after yet another good night out, we head back to Buddy for a quick beer and bed. And they say New York is the City that never sleeps … …

Thu, 14th Mar: Buddy Lodge Hotel, Bangkok
A late late late get up today and we head off for brekkie at 11.30am !!!!!!! We had planned on visiting the Grand Palace today but, as the ticket office shuts at 3.00pm and it is nearly 2.00pm by the time we’ve found somewhere to eat and have eaten, we decide on a relaxed afternoon before heading to Patpong Night Market later on.

After walking around the market; same same! but flanked by girly go go bars we have drinks at a couple of bars one of which was obviously in the gay section of Patpong. Walking around some more we find ourselves in the boy go go bar area – very funny 🙂 Out of curiosity, we succumb to one of the many Ping Pong Touts and are drawn in to seeing a Ping Pong Show. The first time, the ‘tout’ took us to a really dingy dirty place which we immediately frogmarched out of. The second place, Super Pussy, was in the throngs of the market, and we ‘felt’ more comfortable here once we knew what the score was i.e. 150 Baht for a beer and 150 Baht fee for the show. On sitting down, we were immediately flanked by several scantily clad girls. After making sure they knew we weren’t interested in any extras and, more importantly ensuring that we were not going to be inadvertently charged for any, they left us without any hassle to experience the ‘show’ and curb our curiosity. Not enthralled by the whole experience, we did stay for a whole loop of the show which entailed three main ‘ladies’ performing acts with their bits – smoking a cigarette, shooting arrows and bursting balloons, holding in liquid from one bottle and pouring it into another, pulling out a huge rope of flowers,

We did participate with a couple of the ‘entertainers’ – Neil batting a few ping pong balls back at the stage and one ‘writing’ us a message – ‘Neil and Theresa Welcome to Thailand’ – lol!

A 200Baht ‘Ferrari’ tuk tuk ride back home by Gee was hilarious – he took Neil literally at his word and got us back to Khaosan Road very quickly giving us our very first tuk tuk wheely at a set of traffic lights !!!!!!! Khaosan draws us yet again into the early hours of the morning before we hit the sack! It is far too convenient!

Fri, 15th Mar: Buddy Lodge Hotel, Bangkok
What a day … We wake late and, too late for the cooking class or floating market trip, we head for the pool to chill before going out later. This was not to be as we were there for no more than 10mins before the heavens opened up and a huge thunder storm forced us back inside. Instead, we hit the ‘office’ – this time, Mulligans the Irish Bar at the Hotel for a beer or too and did some research on the next part of our trip.

We leave the hotel at 7.00pm for our ‘Bangkok Chic Old Town Night Tour by Buddy Tram’. Meeting the tuk tuk at Molly’s Bar, we travel to Buddy’s sister hotel where we join the tram and spend the next one and half hours travelling 5km around the Ratanakosin area to “The Must-See” tourist attractions and historical landmarks in the old riverside district that has been named Rattanakosin Island due to the maze of canals surrounding the district and the river.

With a member of Buddy staff acting as guide, we visit:-
Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall – a two storey white marble palace which now serves as a museum and a venue for state occasions. Illuminated by spotlights, the architecture is very European, early 1900s
The Golden Mountain – a stupor of huge dimensions added to the Wat Saket temple, this is an artificial hill with a temple on its peak and was once the highest point in the city.
Wat Ratchanaddaram – a temple best known for the Loha Prasat, a multi tiered structure 35m in height and having 37 metal spires signifying the 37 virtues towards enlightenment.
The Democracy Monument – standing in the centre of one of the few remaining roundabouts in the city it was commissioned for the Siamese Revolution of 1932 which led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy in 1936. Also, there is a sign signifying this as the 0km centre of Chiang Mai from which distances are measured to routes around main Thailand.
The City Pillar Shrine – this represents the official centre of Bangkok. We learn that within the shrine is the city’s guardian deity, Phra Sayam Thewathirat, from which the city derives its power. Many Thais believe their wishes will be granted if they worship at the shrine. The City Pillar Shrine also marks the spot where all road measurements from Bangkok are calculated.
The Grand Palace – built in 1782 this was home for 150 years of the Thai King, the Royal court and the administrative seat of government. Within the complex are several impressive buildings including Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) which contains the small very famous and greatly revered Emerald Buddha that dates back to the 14th century. Nowadays the palace is still used for other ceremonial and auspicious occasions.
Wat Pho – also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha we get out of the tram here to walk around this complex. This Temple is a first grade royal monastery and is also known as the birthplace of traditional Thai massage. This is the only temple on the route that is open all night and the rule here is to be quiet as monks reside close-by. At night it is far more stunning as you can clearly see the four great pagodas of the four great kings from King Rama I to IV.
National Theatre – the first ever Theatre in Thailand which predominantly shows Thai Classical drama and performances of Khon, a drama where players wear traditional Thai masks.
Santi Chaiprakarn Park – running along the stretch of the Chao Phraya River is a favorite hangout for Thai youngsters. The part is built around the Phra Sumen Fot, one of the only two remaining forts built in the reign of King Rama I to protect the city.

Having visited the last landmark on our trip we get dropped off at Khaosan Road to get our supper. As previously, we go al fresco and indulge in street food – satays and noodles for Neil, banana pancake and chocolate for me – then head off for a walk before retiring. We are amazed when Neil bumps into somebody and turns around to apologise only to find out that it is a work colleague of his!!!!! Danielle and her family on vacation from Paris – amazing !!!!!!!

Sat, 16th Mar: Buddy Lodge Hotel, Bangkok
As we failed in our attempts to ‘get moving’ over the last two days, lol, we make an effort to get up early and take a tuk tuk ride across to the Grand Palace. A complex of buildings at the heart of Bangkok, it is currently partially open to the public as a museum. However, it remains a working palace as several royal offices are still situated inside.

The palace has been the official residence of the Kings of Siam (and later Thailand) since 1782. The king, his court and his royal government were based on the grounds of the palace until 1925. The present monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), currently resides at Chitralada Palace, but the Grand Palace is still used for official events. Several royal ceremonies and state functions are held within the walls of the palace every year.
Construction of the palace began on 6 May 1782 and throughout successive reigns, many new buildings and structures were added. By 1925 the king, the Royal Family and the government were no longer permanently settled at the palace, and had moved to other residences. After the abolition of absolute monarchy in 1932 all government agencies completely moved out of the palace.

Rather than being a single structure, the Grand Palace is made up of numerous buildings, halls, pavilions set around open lawns, gardens and courtyards. It is divided into several quarters: the Temple of the Emerald Buddha; the Outer Court, with many public buildings; the Middle Court, and the Inner Court. Built in 1783, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha or Wat Phra Kaew is a royal chapel situated within the walls of the palace and the famed Emerald Buddha is kept within the grounds of the temple. Incorrectly referred to as a Buddhist temple, it is in fact a chapel; it has all the features of a temple except for living quarters for monks. Most of the buildings adhere strictly to classical Thai architecture. The establishment of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha dates to the very founding of the Grand Palace and Bangkok itself.

We while away the remainder of the afternoon poolside back at the hotel before chilling out in the room for the evening and catching up with the premiership on tv.

Sun, 17th Mar: Buddy Lodge Hotel, Bangkok
Today we embark on a Lemongrass Thai Cooking Class. A nice young Thai Lady, Gail, meets us at the hotel’s reception and frogmarches us off to the markets to purchase our ingredients. This was a great fun experience … the markets which she takes us to are not visible from the main roads which we have walked up and down, so we would not normally be able to go around them let alone find them! Not a word of English is spoken here but we can feel the friendliness of the market traders who seem to be as intrigued by us as we are by being there, lol.

Ingredients in hand, we follow Gail to her side street kitchen. She tells us what we will be cooking today – Spicy n Sour Prawn Soup; Thai Green Curry with Pork; Fried Noodles Thai Style with Chicken; Pumpkin in Coconut Milk for dessert. Under her guidance, we start peeling and chopping, making our curry paste before being ready to ‘cook’. This was great fun and we thoroughly enjoyed learning to make our dishes from scratch with very fresh ingredients. We eat our productions and are impressed with how tasty they are. The morning is soon over and, before we know it, we are making our way through the streets back to Khao San Road. The fire in our bellies from the spicy food starts to flare up and we are so happy to be finally back at the hotel where we both rush to the toilet!!!!!!!

Because we got up so early today, (pmsl … 8.45am!!!!!) we chill out for the afternoon – Neil goes poolside and catches up with folk back home whilst I stay in the air conditioned room and read. Upon Neil’s return, I chat with Mum after which we go out for something to eat and celebrate St Patrick’s Day.

We have a lovely meal at a restaurant which Gail recommended to us – Neil having the fish he’d been promising himself since forever! With contented bellies, we visit a few bars having a few laughs ‘people watching’ before heading for one last one at the end of our road. Never a good idea in Pitkin World!!!!! before too long we are making new friends and necking a ‘bucket’ of whiskey, coke and red bull OMG! What a concoction we’ve had tonight … neither of us remember much after that … but are grateful that our flight tomorrow is in the afternoon meaning we will not have to be up early – ooh and checkout isn’t until 12pm … Happy Dayzzzzz.

WOW, Bangkok was made to be experienced and over the last few days that is exactly what we did!!!!! Vibrant, colourful, mysterious and cosmopolitan all at the same time, this bustling city of more than 8million people is a photo album full of exotic encounters, exciting shopping, delectable cuisine and to-die-for massages! Watch Thai life unfold against the imposing backdrop of Buddhist temples; cruise along the Chao Phraya River and the klongs (canals). It really is a constant hive of activity and a bargain hunter’s delight with a multitude of markets to choose from. Of course, food is a highlight of any trip and certainly the local cuisine is at its richest and most bountiful in the capital city.

Mon, 18th Mar: Thana Guesthouse and Hotel, Chiang Mai
‘Coping’ this morning 😝 we finish packing and just about make the deadline for checking out. A subway meal was devoured before heading off to the airport to descend on Chiang Mai. Recommended by Shay, we head to Thana Guesthouse – ‘home’ for the next few days whilst we participate in their Jeep Tour.

Chiang Mai is the only tourist destination in Thailand to have made it in to the 2012 list of “25 Best Destinations in the World” of the travel website TripAdvisor. Located more than 700km northwest of Bangkok, it has in excess of 300 temples – almost as many as are in Bangkok – which makes the old city centre visually striking. Named the Rose of the North for the abundance of flowers that thrive in the cooler mountain climate, it is a great base from which to explore. Rich in history and tradition this 700 year old city was once the capital of the ancient Lanna Kingdom and its historic importance is derived from its close proximity to the Ping River and major trading routes. Thais idealise their beloved northern capital as a quaint, moated and walled city surrounded by mountains with legendary, mystical attributes, with the Doi Suthep mountain (1676m), located to the west of the city, referred to as Chiang Mai’s lungs.

From all over the City you can see the Wat Doi Suthep Buddhist temple looking down on the town from Doi Suthep mountain located in Doi Pui Suthep National Park, just outside town.

Nightlife here consists of numerous bars, go-go bars, several discotheques, live music and thai-boxing venues and karaoke lounges. Not far from our guesthouse, Loi Kroh Road is well-known for the hostess bars that are located along the length of most of the street. Chiang Mai also has a large and famous night bazaar for local arts and handicrafts. The night bazaar sprawls across several city blocks along footpaths, inside buildings and temple grounds, and in open squares. The back streets and main thoroughfares have an abundance and variety of massage parlours which offer anything from quick, simple, face and foot massages, to month-long courses in the art of Thai massage.

The roads are always busy with motorbikes, mopeds cars and cheap public transport such as tuk tuks, songthaws, rickshaws and the infrequent bus service but it is also so easy to get around on foot.

Tue, 19th Mar: Thana Guesthouse and Hotel, Chiang Mai
Acquainting ourselves with our new surroundings we hire a couple of bicycles for our journey around the city – old and new. At a cost of 50Baht each (60p) for the day we set off towards the old city set within the remains of the old wall parts of which still remain today. We certainly get to see more than we would have on foot and it is a nice change from bartering for tuk tuk rides! The sights, smells and sounds of the City envelop us at every corner.

From the Tha Phae Gate of the city wall, armed with his map, Neil takes us off on a tour of the City criss crossing over the canals and the moat that surrounds the City. Cycling around, we are able to take in the decor and architecture of the buildings around us and detour down quaint side streets to see homes and small shop frontages. On the way we get to see many of the Government buildings in all their splendour, each adorned with flags and pictures of the King. We also call into a few temples en route, all stunning in their own unique way. The ones we could name and read up on from the ‘english subtitles’ were:-
Wat Chiang Man – Located within the walled city, this is Chiang Mai’s oldest temple dating from 1296. It is known for its beautiful chapel and a chedi supported by rows of elephantine buttresses. Enshrined in the temple are a tiny crystal Buddha image which is thought to have the power to bring rain. The architecture and images reflect the fine workmanship of indian craftsmen from thousands of years ago and is a joy to walk around.
Wat Phra Sing – formerly a temple market, in 1345 the temple was built at the command of King Pa Yu (fifth king of Mengrai Dynasty) together with a 24foot chedi containing his father’s ashes. The temple compound includes exquisite woodcarvings and northern style mural paintings, a magnificent scriptural repository and a circular stupa in a Lankan bell shape.
Wat Chedi Luang – houses the largest chedi in Chiang Mai. Right in the middle of the city its construction was completed in 1481. The magnificent methodological serpents rambling from the entrance of the chapel to its door on both sides are believed to be the most beautiful man made serpents in Northern Thailand.
Wat Montien – this temple is hard to miss. Sitting along the edge of the northern moat of the old city, it’s ginormous Buddha soars high above the surrounding buildings.
Wat Lok Molee – across the street from Wat Montien this is an older style temple. This cool little temple was well worth crossing the road for. The elephant sculpture alone is amazing and once inside the small temple grounds, it was a nice cycle round the old structures.

Our final destination of the day was the Three Kings Monument which is located in the centre of the city as a memorial to King Mengai and 2 other kings who worked together to build the city. Behind the monument stands the old provincial hall which was converted into an Art and Culture Hall.

Having seen enough temples (same same); and there is literally one on every corner! we decide to head off into the direction of the Ping River. The ride here has a different vibe as all the street stalls are setting up for the evening and the rush hour traffic starts. Once at the River we take in the newer high rise hotels and buildings that line it and watch the boat cruises as they pass up and down.

By the time we reach the Iron Bridge, one of the well-known bridges on Ping river and the oldest in Chiang Mai, our bellies are rumbling. We don’t have to look far to roll into The Dukes Restaurant, one of the most popular international restaurants in Chiang Mai and we are not disappointed! No Claims… No Games… Just Great Food…
It is a nice change to hear the voices of westerners in the vicinity and eat western food. Contented with our lot we cycle back towards the guesthouse taking in the area which is coming alive with pubs and clubs opening for the evening.

We return the bicycles and walk the few minutes back to the guesthouse and spend the evening packing for our tour tomorrow. An 8.30pm pre-tour meeting led by a guy called Jojo takes place and we are bewildered – we are two english people in a group of 80 Israelis – OMG, pmsl! We do not ascertain much from the meeting as there are no english handouts and most of the talk is done in hebrew!!!!! However, a couple of people help us out with our ‘what to take list’ and we head off to bed hoping for the best, ha ha ha.

Wed, 20th Mar: Banhai Village
The 3 days / 2 nights jeep tour that we start today goes out every day, its route being Chiang Mai – Chiang Rai – Golden Triangle, combining everything that northern Thailand has to offer i.e. green jungle, waterfalls, mountain tribes, hot springs, rice fields. The tour is in a jeep so you can see and visit the areas that ordinary vehicles can’t reach.

Up and waiting in reception at 9.30am we get to meet a few of our fellow travellers before being split up into ‘jeep groups’ of 6/7. Maxime is our driver and our fellow passengers are Orly and Albert, Tammy and Ayelette. Joining the convoy of jeeps, our journey takes us firstly to Ma Rim were we visit an orchid and butterfly farm before jumping back in the jeeps and moving on to a snake farm and snake show. This show was hilarious as the performers scared the audience with their antics with the snakes.

From here we continue to Mae Taeng in the lower mountains to an elephant show followed by elephant riding over and down the Mae Taeng River. The show was very ‘circus-like’ and wasn’t really our thing. From dancing to playing football, it was certainly not like our orphanage experience in Sri Lanka. The only exception was watching the elephants painting pictures … yes, painting pictures! They painted them with such precision and the end product was much better than we could have done ourselves! But, even then, you do wonder what ‘training’ methods would have been used to make them do it.

After the show was a lovely buffet lunch following which was our elephant ride. This was thoroughly enjoyable – a calm, peaceful meander down the river which the elephant seemed to enjoy just as much as us and even sprayed water over himself a couple of times. Again, we marvelled in the beauty of these huge animals and a rickety oxen pulled cart is the mode of transport for our journey back to the elephant camp.

We jump back in the jeep for the short journey further up the Mae Taeng River where we are supposed to be white water rafting back down for about an hour. Unfortunately, the river is very low at this time of the year and the rafting is not exactly as exciting as we thought it would be. However, as always, we manage to have loads of fun – mostly when we are trying to dislodge the boat from the rocks on the river bed!!! The group we are with are as up for a laugh as we are and the experience is all the better for having them with us.

Back in the 4×4 we make our way off-road through the mountains with stunning views until we reach the beautiful mountain resort in Banhai Village where we will be spending the night. Out in the sticks, we are happy with our room and surroundings. After a shower, it’s a short walk over to the restaurant for a buffet dinner and an update from Jojo as to what tomorrow holds. After dinner, we chat to new friends and indulge in the peace and quiet of the nature here.

In our room we spend 15mins chasing a ghekko out of the room before relaxing into bed for a good night’s sleep.

Thu, 21st Mar: Khamthana Colonial Hotel, Chiang Rai
After breakfast, our second day starts with a visit to the Karen mountain tribe – the world famous long-neck tribe. En route the convoy of jeeps calls into a garage for fuel and we are told to purchase candies for the children of the tribe. At the mountain village of the long-neck tribe we have an excellent opportunity to become acquainted with local residents and tribal way of life in the mountains and, of course, to buy their wares. There were some great gift purchases to be had if only we had the baggage space and were going home soon. Whilst here we learn that the ladies of the tribe wear rings around their necks from the age of 5, adding more and more as they get older. The rings do not stretch their necks but push their collarbone down. They do it because they think it is attractive! It is a nice experience and the kids enjoy the candy and a few scarf purchases later (for me, lol) we are soon on our way again.

We make a short stop at the Fish & Monkey Cave at the Wat Tham Pla temple. Whilst there are lots of fish here the main draw are the wild monkeys which you can see climbing the side of the cave and swinging from the trees. You can get up close to the monkeys, feed them and take pictures. The monkeys as always, create a stir and provide much fun as they are so comical.

Reaching Ma Sai, the border town with Burma, we take a break for another buffet lunch and short rest before continuing our drive to the ‘Golden Triangle’ located at the borders of Thailand – Burma – Laos. A cruise over the wide Mae Khong River that passes the centre of the Golden Triangle in Laos takes us over to a local market where you can buy souvenirs and stuff pretty cheaply. Neil picks up a couple of t-shirts and we just walk around watching everybody haggle and barter for everything. Purchases made (mainly bags and luggage) we return to the Thai side of the border and drive on to Chiang Rai.

A 1.5hr drive gets us to our accommodation tonight which is at the lovely Khamthana Colonial Hotel. Once we have freshened up, we head to the restaurant for our buffet dinner. After dinner there is the opportunity to stroll the night market of Chiang Rai located within walking distance from the hotel or visit one of the local pubs or clubs. We are ‘boring’ lol and opt for a much needed night in and enjoy relaxing in the comfort of our nice room.

Fri, 22nd Mar: Thana Guesthouse, Chiang Mai (Our Free Night!)
Following breakfast today we travel to the Kon-kom waterfall. After driving to the ……………….National Park, we walk the rest of the 3km to the waterfall. It is lovely to stretch our legs and get some exercise! Once at the waterfall it is cool and inviting and Neil is the first to jump in the pool of water at its base. It’s not long before the rest of the group catch up and all mayhem breaks loose!

Our journey continues to the lovely Bakanaz Pineapple Farm and Restaurant for lunch and a good rest break before starting the long journey back to Chiang Mai where our final destination of the trip is San Kamphaeng Hot Springs. Neil and I take the walk to the geyser of hot spring water, take some pics and witness the boiling of eggs in the hot water. Mediocre design and poor maintenance render what might otherwise represent an elegant natural getaway. However, swimming in the mineral water pool, with a temperature like bathwater, was uniquely satisfying before we embarked on the rest of the journey home.

Maxime, our driver, tells us his two girls (aged 11 and 6) live with his Mum and Sister in Chiang Mai and that their house is on the way back to the hotel and he asks if we would like to meet them on the way back. We agree and it is lovely – his Mum and sister are lovely and his two girls delightful. Our trip ends back at Thana Guesthouse at 7.30pm.

It was a great few days and we enjoyed the company of the group. We were made very welcome especially by our new friends who we shared a jeep with. We had many laughs and great experiences … not bad for 4800 Baht (£107.00) each – inclusive of meals, accommodation, guides, entry fees and 1 free night at the guest house.

Sat, 23rd Mar: Thana Guesthouse, Chiang Mai
We spend today resting and planning what the next few weeks hold for us. By the end of the day we’ve decided on heading straight to Hoi Chi Min City in Vietnam and have handed over our Passports to Annabelle, the Tour Operator here, to sort our visas out. She’s confirmed that these should be sorted for Tuesday, 27th at mid-day … fingers crossed it all goes smoothly! Whacky Annabelle (also Miss Independence 2012) assures us that it’s guaranteed to do so and on this basis we’ve also booked flights out of here for Wednesday, 28th and arranged the free hotel transfer service to the airport. Watch this space, lol.

Having been at the guesthouse most of the day, we make the 15min stroll to the ‘market’ known as Walking Street which, on a Saturday night takes place on Waulai Road. This market is huge and doesn’t disappoint as it’s great walking around. It is colourful, spectacular and, as usual, the sights, sounds and smells are amazing. Walking around we only bump into our new friends, Orly and Albert, Ayelette and Tammy – weird eh? A quick catch up and we’re finding our way through the throngs of people again. There are many many items and gift ideas for folks back home and it is so frustrating as we are not heading back home. But at least the thought is there. Street food supper, a beer or two and the walk back top off the evening nicely.

Sun, 24th Mar: Thana Guesthouse, Chiang Mai
We are ziplining today!!!!!!! At 10.00am we are picked up and head off with 6 other people – two couples from Chiang Mai and two ladies from the US, Cindy and Megan – to Flying Squirrels Zipline Adventure which is a one hour drive away. Just beyond the city, the plateau rises gently to greet rolling hills and an expanse of evergreen forest. It is here in the sleepy village of Pong krai, more than 1000 metres above sea level, that we reach the HQ of Flying Squirrels. Our ‘flight’ begins with an informative yet thorough briefing and we are strapped into our gear.

Engineered and built by a group of fun-loving experts the course is a one-of-a-kind attraction. With a combination of ziplines and an exclusive obstacle course built high in the treetops, the journey is one of invigorating fun and exhilarating excitement. As well as ziplining high above the canopy, we bike and skateboard high in the massive ancient trees.
The course takes approximately two and a half hours and our jolly ‘Flight Officers’ do a great job guiding us through each flight.

Our group is lovely and, in between flights, we chat and get to know each other a little better. Cameras are also passed around for photo opportunities. Many screams and laughter later, we head back to HQ for a lovely buffet lunch. A Flying Squirrels t-shirt and headscarf later, we are transferred back to the guesthouse. Another great day!

Shattered back at the guesthouse we slump about in the room and catch up on facetime with folk back home, including Mum and Dad who are in Ireland. They look a bit fragile this morning after their journey yesterday followed by a night on the ale with their cousins ’til 3am! It’s soon 9pm and our bellies are asking for their tea so we decide to head out around the corner for a quick pizza or maccie D.

However, en route we pass Tha Phae Gate and amble into Sunday’s Walking Street – market and street food, yes please! Realising again that this is definitely the way to eat here, we indulge ourselves in Sushi, Pork and rice, Chicken Tikka, salad and rice (total 100 Baht – £2.20), followed by dessert of banana wrapped in pancake and covered in white and dark chocolate NOM NOM NOM!!!! Taking a seat behind the stalls we eat our food and soon start chatting to a group of Thai people sharing our table. This is really great and a stark reminder of how sociable life here is.

Another walk around taking in the sights sounds and smells of yet another gorgeous market. After a purchase of some ‘trousers’ and a lovely gift of a purse for me from Neil, we take our 5min stroll back to the guesthouse. We just have time to shower before there is a powercut. This doesn’t bother us too much as we are ready for bed now anyway but we just have a game of Trivial Pursuit on the iPad before closing our eyes.

The electricity comes on at about 2am, waking us up but it’s so nice to feel the air con kick back into action 🙂 Wide awake, Neil starts facebooking and creating today’s album whilst I catch up with my good friend Annie on viber x and for once it’s a damn good connection! It’s soon 5am and we ‘go to bed’ again – oh the joys!

Mon, 25th Mar: Thana Guesthouse, Chiang Mai (Mum and Dad’s 46th Anniversary x)
It’s mid-day when we rise today so our moped ride to Doi Suthep-Pui National Park is put on hold until tomorrow so we chill, research Vietnam and Alaska, do laundry (well, send it away @ 30Baht a kilo – 67p!!!!) and blog today.

Becoming the night owls that we are, we venture out about 7.00pm and our first port of call is the Night Market down by the river. Again, a market full of souvenirs and cheap products of all kinds. It is colourful and vibrant and, as with all the markets we have been to in Thailand, we soak up the atmosphere. Our walk back takes us past Lemongrass Restaurant. Facing a walkway and the back of a row of buildings, it is nothing much to look at, but it is full to bursting with customers and there is a great ‘feel’ to it. Outside the sign reads ‘No View, Great Taste’. We venture over to the menu and, decide to eat here. We are NOT disappointed – a lovely meal and a lovely time was had.

Lemongrass is right next to a Thai Boxing venue and the touts are out and about looking for customers. The fights start at 9.20pm and after Neil barters on the price of entry, we take our ringside seats – plastic chairs and table! It is an interesting hour as we watch each of the 6 fights – weights ranging from 45kg – 50 kg. The fight night is run by a local Thai Boxing Club and the boxers (although they mostly kick and knee each other) train together and some of the fights are not convincing. However, two fights in particular save the night for us – they are pretty energetic and lethal!

The route to our guesthouse takes us down Lok Soi Road which happens to be where the main go-go bars are around here. Just wanting a quick drink on the way home, we try look for somewhere where we are not ‘accosted’ by giggling over-attentive girls everywhere. We stumble across a cart in the street opposite the bars called ‘Ben’s Cocktail Bar’ which is simple with it’s shelf of liquors and stools around the half moon shaped cart. Ideal, we think and immediately head over for a drink which soon turns into a few when, for the firs time, an english couple come and sit next to us. Leanne, a BBC journalist and Richard, a journalist/DJ are on their honeymoon. We spend a good hour with them making good conversation all washed down with Jim Beam and Diet Coke before happily strolling back to the guesthouse 😀 @ 2.00am!!!!!

Tue, 26th Mar: Thana Gueshouse, Chiang Mai
YAY!!!! Good old Annabelle – as good as her word, the visas arrive. Passports in hand, we take copies for the Moped hire, make the short walk down the lane to the shop, complete the administration and drive off for the afternoon with the wind in our hair! LOVE IT!

We head out of the City to Doi Suthep taking in various places of interest, some which we stumble across and have a really fulfilling day. We get used to the bikes (125cc) on our drive out of the city meandering through the busy traffic and I take a little longer than Neil to build up my confidence. It’s not long before the roads are calmer and we enter Doi-Suthep-Pui National Park and start the climb up Doi Suthep where, at the top is Wat Phra That Doi Suthep – the highest temple in Thailand. It is a most important and visible landmark which overlooks the city from its forested mountain backdrop. The temple is actually 15km from the city and we make a couple of other stops along the way.

Doi Suthep-Pui National Park covers an area of 262sqkm and consists of verdant forests and mountain ranges which are the main source of tributaries and streams in Chiang Mai. Sacred places, religious attractions and historical sites are located in the park’s complex.

The first stop on our way up the mountain is the viewpoint where we get our first aerial view of the town below. Shrouded in a haze today, it is difficult to get our bearings. There is an ice cream cart and a bbq pork cart here and, since we have not had breakfast, we tuck into 10 small bbq pork kebabs and sticky rice NOM NOM NOM! Also here is a caricature artist and it’s not long before he is chalking a young lady’s portrait and he is very good.

Moving on, we pull into another temple which is unique and beautiful in its own right – Wat Palad. The temple and its grounds are beyond 650 years-old. We pull up to take a look around. It’s unspoilt and special here on the mountainside and today the atmosphere is very different. It is full of people and prayer music surrounds us. We learn that the 51 young men in robes, along with their families who are also in attendance, have been here since 6.00am. Today is the ceremony whereby, having already made the decision to become a monk, the young men make the leap into the 15 day transition between his old life and his new one as a monk. After this he will embark on a lifetime as a monk should he still believe this to be the way forward for him. We have entered the proceedings at the end and there is a lot of pride on the faces of the parents and grandparents as they pose for pictures with their sons. There are also tears of joy and celebration as well as sadness at saying goodbye to them. It was quite an honour to be here witnessing all that was going on.

Whizzing off further up the mountain the air is becoming cooler and the breeze is welcome although it never gets cold. Passing Chiang Mai Zoo, it’s not long at all before we reach Wat Phrat Doi Suthep. Dating from1383, the temple is a beautiful place and is approached on foot climbing the 290 steps of the steep Naga staircase. Once inside we are astounded by the beauty and the location. The temple’s pagoda contains holy Buddha relics and attracts Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world throughout the year. The temple compound itself offers an exhilarating view of Chiang Mai and the surrounding countryside. Despite the smoke still hanging in the air over the town we still enjoy a great view.

Once outside, we decide to head further up the mountain – 4km to Bhubing Palace and 3km further on to Doi Pui Tribal Village. Bhubing Palace, the royal winter palace, was built in 1961. The palace is also the royal guesthouse for prominent State visitors from abroad. Arriving late in the afternoon, it is closed and we do not get to see the lavishly landscaped gardens and grounds which are open to the public except when the Royal Family is in residence between January and March. A few pics outside and we head off to the tribal village which presents the typical lifestyle of the Hmong people as well as a scenic view of Doi Inthanon the highest peak of Thailand. Once there we turn our bikes around and head off back down the mountain – we’ve seen enough tribes for now.

It’s great being on the bikes and dipping in and out of the off roads to investigate and we have an amazing day. Once back in the town we head down to the Ping River for a beverage stop to reflect on the day before having to take the bikes back 🙂 Confident on the bikes now it is a real buzz being part of the traffic and blending in with the locals on our way back to the guesthouse.

After packing we head off to the German Hofbrauhaus restaurant which offers excellent service and the food served here is fabulous and the restaurant itself is lively and has a lovely ambiance. We eat at a table outside on the roadside terrace and our last supper in Chiang Mai is an enjoyable experience. Neil’s meal is too much for him and we leave with the knuckle of pork in the hope of finding some needy stray whose christmases will come all at once when he sees it!!!!!! On our way back we call into Zoom Bar – owned by an English guy who Neil met in his search for a live football game – and have a couple of bedtime drinks. On the way home our ‘gift to the strays’ did not come to fruition!!!!! Instead we feed a couple of fenced dogs and a stray cat with morsels before leaving the whole knuckle behind the gate of a property where there was a dog patrolling the perimeter.

Then it’s back to the room and bed in readiness for moving on tomorrow … we both agree that we’ll be back to Thailand one day as it’s been brilliant. Research has made us all too aware that we have barely scratched the surface of this wonderful country. We are saddened to be leaving so soon 😦