Suzanne here... Yesterday was another mental day, which seems to be the norm in Bangkok. We didn't wake up until nearly lunchtime, obviously we needed to catch up on our sleep. After a wander around the shopping centre, where I bought a t-shirt (which I fully expect to disintegrate the first time I wash it) we headed to Lumphini Park. We managed to decline the many taxi and tuk-tuk drivers who seem incredulous that anyone would want to walk anywhere. We stopped for lunch at a place called Polo Fried Chicken, where we had fried chicken (of course) with sticky rice and papaya salad. Very nice. We then headed into the park, which was a nice break from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. Naturally it was still a bit mad. The 'muscle beach' stylee area ... read more

Suzanne here... So, it's time to go. Said our goodbyes to family and friends. I found it really hard to say goodbye to our niece, Natalie. Of course I'll miss everyone, but everyone else will be pretty much the same when we get back. Nat is only six, and changes all the time. We had one last cuddle and she gleefully waved us off without a care in the world, I sat in the car, bottom lip trembling and unable to speak for the journey home. Our last evening at home, once we'd done a bit more cleaning and packing, was nice. We watched a film, had a bottle of wine and just enjoyed our home. The final morning was a bit hectic though. Packing our remaining stuff in the loft took long enough, but the ... read more

Suzanne here… So here we are, after nearly two years of planning and dreaming about our trip, it’s now less than a week away. We’d discussed a round the world trip many times, but about two years ago the idea really started to grow, and it wouldn’t go away. We decided to start saving for it - if it didn’t happen we could always use the money for something else. In January 2009 we started a strict saving plan. Bills / mortgage had to be paid, but other than that we had a budget: £60 pw for food, £30 pm for petrol, £20 pw each spending money and £60 pm for a monthly treat. With a couple of exceptions, we really did stick to this. The food budget was generous, so there was a little ‘creative ... read more