Oh hey hi. Trust all good there, here all going swimmingly....well it will quite literally be doing so in about a week when we hit the beaches down south here in Thailand, cannot wait. What of now though, well we had a smooth border crossing into Thailand and were in the hotel in Bangkok comfortably early as the boys got ready for the boys night, which shifted to night one as Jim had an early flight the next day to pick up Calypso. The night was a ripper, great pub grub and some hot Go Go bar action...no photos, sorry lads. The ladies then had a night out the second night which started off with smart cocktails, smart clothes and a view of the city, photo attached, a tad more civilised I feel.
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| City skyline by night |
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| The girls |
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| Cocktails on level 61 |
Bangkok, if you have been you will understand but if not, buckle up as everything happens very fast, save the traffic that just does not move. We stayed in the touristy area around Khao San road, squeeze a ridiculous number of bars, clubs, restaurants, t-shirt sellers and travellers into two streets and there you have it...it just does not stop, night or day. Needless to say great fun for all, save the liver.
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| Overview of the Grand Palace in Bangkok |
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| 3D Magic |
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| Fish sold in baskets at the Thewet market in Bangkok |
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| One of the 4 largest Chedi in the Wat Po complex in Bangkok |
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| Sign on Khao San road |
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| Throne Hall, Bangkok |
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| Tarantulas |
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| Boat cruise on one of the canals in Bangkok |
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| Kanchanapisek Bridge, Bangkok |
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| Sally, Dennis, Lucy, Aoife and Jen at Damoden Saduak floating market |
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| Vegetables and fruit for sale at the Damoden Saduak floating market |
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| Longtail boat tour of the floating market |
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| Chanting monks |
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| Tuk Tuk! |
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| Can't say fairer than that |
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| Do not try this at home, it hurts! |
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| Flesh eating fish massage our toes... well, eat our dead skin... |
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| Lucy, the ever-smiling |
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| Market boat |
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| Riverside scene |
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| Market boats |
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| Tourist central, Bangkok |
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| Wat glory |
I also managed to catch up with a great pal of mine Ben, a guy with whom I used to drive. He was in for just one night and staying with an ex passenger of ours who now supports two kids out here, so yet another great evening was had.
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| Random meeting with my pal Ben at a Thai hot pot restaurant |
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| I love this game of travel called life |
From Bangkok we trained it up to Chiang Mai where we met up with Jim and Calypso. As I mentioned a few blogs ago, due to driving sides and King’s permissions it was easier to leave Calypso and bus it through Vietnam and Cambodia. Hence it was FAB to be reunited with the big blue girl when we got up to Chiang Mai. Jim had a smooth drive through from Laos and had cleaned, fuelled and generally got Calypso ready for the next stage of the trip, whilst we had a very comfortable and relaxing train ride up. The boys and I had a great if slightly surreal train ride up, a big bucket of beer, great food and the most random of boogie nights in the restaurant car that we are ever likely to have. I love this life!
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| Denis stocking up |
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| Computing on overnight train |
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| Is there any other way to travel? |
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| On overnight train |
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| Soooo civilised |
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| Getting ready to snooze on the overnight train |
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| This is what the boys did on the night train |
Chiang Mai, big enough to have it all, small enough not to be too busy. Relaxed and interesting, it has a sort of resort feel. There are temples galore and loads of great eats, bung in loads of coffee houses and bars and it is not hard to see why so many ex-pats retire up there. It was also the launch point for operation elephant and some massages by the inmates of the ladies prison, part of a very forward thinking rehabilitation policy.
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| Signs in Chiang Mai |
Ah oops, a week has now passed and we are down south. So picking up where I left off, photos of the elephants attached here too.....looks like it was a great day. How many people get the chance to get that close to such fantastic monsters.
So from Chiang Mai it was a long but delightfully easy drive, foot flat the whole way, to Kanchanaburi, scene of the infamous Bridge over the river Quai. We stayed on the banks of the river and a couple of really top days were had visiting the bridge, Hellfire pass and a monastery where they have taken to keeping tigers...and the guys got as close as you would want to get. So one week and we have been up close and personal with not only elephants but also tigers! The only slightly sour note was two of the ladies had their bags snatched off them.
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| Hell Fire Pass memorial |
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| Lest we forget |
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| Bridge over the River Kwai |
It was then back into Calypso for another big but effortless drive to Surat Thani, our launch point for island week, our holiday within a holiday, 7 days in one place with nothing to do but relax..I am ready for that! So truck was parked up at the hotel and we settled into transport for the port when the hotel decided that actually they could not keep the truck..ahhhhhh, but as is so true of travel, the people you meet are just so friendly and helpful and I had another great example of this today. The lady at the ticket booking office got one of the bus drivers to take Calypso and me out to her sister’s house where she has safe parking.....how nice is that. So the guys are off on an early ferry and I am waiting to follow this afternoon...plan is will drop a short note about the hotel along with some jealousy making beach shots and then send this blog back to get put up. Check the photos out and enjoy, loads covering the last few days. Crazy how much we are packing in. Heavens, just had a look through the shots myself and see one of the bowling night up in Chiang Mai, a top night but none of us got over 100 and I was by far the worst player, I just sucked....wish I could blame someone or something else, but fear that I cannot, just have to take it on the chin.
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| Off on hols... |
Hi again, now on the islands, all good save the internet, will try and get this off asap. Photos attached of our island pad, my lord how nice is that, a real island paradise. I have also started my exercise regime, some swimming and running on the beach, time to be nice to the body...
OK, like I said enjoy the photos, thanks to all the guys and gals on the trip for supplying them, what the hell would I do without you?! See if you can spot the new trip T-shirts, sorted by Wendy and Mandy, will get this off, have fun and be safe, CJ signing off X
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| Sunset at Angkor Wat |
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| Contemplative monk |
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| Market boat, Cambodia |
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| Women in the rice field near Siem Reap |
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| Chopping |
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| In the kitchen |
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| The chefs |
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| Russell and Wendy chatting to free riders near Siem Reap |
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| Land mine victims playing music |
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| Russell, Sylvia and Colin on a boat near Siem Reap |
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| Shrimp pot boat, Kamphong Phluk Stilted Village |
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| Jim's old regiment |
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| Let the games begin |
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| Lucy, take two on the Gloria hair cut front |
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| Fried bugs |
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| Mooooo |
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| Siem Reap, great food |
