my 40th birthday!! day 24

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Finally....... After a hot shower - it was utter bliss! I began my birthday with getting my haircut - by wan ( who a woman of many talents - used to own her own salon!) it was nice to get it done and she did it perfectly. Had a huge bowl of salad for breakfast, not really what im used to 1st thing - but was nice and healthy all the same and grown and sold by a lady market stall owner just round the corner. I headed out with wan and cream to pick up wans sister and niece - lee and boom and off we went for the day. 1st stop was a huge shopping mall, spread out over 5 floors! The only difference is a fair percentage of the stuff is fake! But great if you want cheap levis etc. Next stop was Tesco to top up on some beer then on to a market with a 3 baht 50 cent boat ride at the far end to take you to an island, containing not much more than a temple ( approx 6p!). Saw a flock of seagulls following the boat as bread was being thrown out which the locals were quite taken with - it felt nice not feeling like the only tourist. Once off there was some unusual looking fish on the river bank - with tiny legs that they were walking on! Like a cross between lizards and fish. Walked 5 mins to the temple and was taught the traditional way to behave and how to pray and what's what in one by cream - very interesting. After a stroll round the island back to the boat for the return. A further 10 min car journey took us to a huge fish market - live prawns, shark, mussels, lobster, crabs to name but a very few as well as a few meat and fruit/veg stalls. Wan brought a selection for dinner, while i got a load of photos! On the way back to the car cream and i squeezed into a bike rickshaw ( good thing she's tiny!) and the poor guy who must of been in his 70's rode us back for 20 baht only - 40p! Back at the house wan and the others were busy preparing a lovely dinner and making me a birthday cheesecake, i didn't even say its one of my favourites. We were served up a banquet of crab, prawns, tom yum chicken soup another chicken dish which was lovely and cockles all with a lovely spicy sauce and rice. After such a yummy meal i was on the sofa with a rum and coke to watch the 6 nations England v wales game - which was brill that we beat them and in Cardiff!! A good start to the tournament for us. Lights were off, candles lit, everyone singing me happy birthday and i was presented with the cake - what a lovely end to a lovely day!

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