Thailand

---

So its that time of year again when I go off for a little wander.

Started this years trip pretty much the same as I ended last years. I flew into Bangkok a couple of weeks ago or so and went straight from the airport down to Pattaya. I didn't arrive until 9 pm all a bit jet lagged, tired and looking like something the cat dragged in. Went straight out with the intention of a quick bite to eat and off for an early night. Returned to the hotel in the early hours of the morning all the bit the worse for wear having twisted my ankle falling off a high kerb, burnt my arm on a street vendors barbecue and cut my thumb open i have not the foggiest idea how. In retrospect perhaps it would have been better if I'd just gone to bed.

I'm now back in full fettle apart from an ill-advised attempt to cut my own hair (I've had a professional put that little experiment right). So after a week of whiskey sodden nights in Pattaya I moved up to Bangkok for a few days. That was no easy trip, it would normally be an easy task of a taxi door to door but due to a lot of anti government demonstrations there was no way of getting through. I ended up having to taxi to the airport to get the sky train part way then change to two other commuter trains and then a ferry ride up river (which was quite nice) and finally a 10 minute walk.

I had planned originally to fly from there to Northern Sumatra (when I say planned it was more like most of my plans just some sort of vague idea) but my Indonesian visa isn't going to be for as long as I thought so I've delayed that for the time being and instead come up to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand where I am now. I came here near the end of last years trip and really liked it so have returned for maybe a week or so while I re-jigger what I'm doing next.

The trip up here didn't start well. Went into the toilets at Bangkok airport which are all very modern with some sort of automatic flush which is all very well except the one I chose seemed to be going off at random whenever it felt like it. That wouldn't have been a problem except the water jet was aimed straight at my dangly bits!! The water was freezing so the first time it did it was a hell of a shock.

So that's me for now will update again when I've decided what I'm doing and have actually started doing it.

---