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Published: March 16th 2007
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Thai cookery school in Chaing Mai
Learning the delights of a Thai Red Curry After a 'beautiful' 6 hour bus journey from Siem Reap over dirt tracks we finally arrived back in Thailand where we took a train to Bangkok. We spent four days there and far too much money after wondering into a tailors to 'browse'...... six pairs of trousers, two jackets, ten shirts, a skirt and a silk dressing gown (Garry's little Delboy touch) later, we decided to get the hell out and caught the overnight train north to Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai is a refreshing city after spending time in Bangkok - the air is less polluted and the town feels less claustrophobic as there is plenty of open land on the outskirts. The night market is buzzing each evening with food and gift stalls so the shopping, which was meant to have stopped, began again, much to Garry's disdain as we are flying back to Spain with Ryan Air and I think the Bangkok purchases alone weigh more than our total allowance of 30 kilo. Oh well, looks like we are wearing layers then!
We enrolled in a Thai cookery course run on a farm and spent a day learning the secrets of their amazing cuisine. We are now
Chiang Mai
Elephant trekking in Chiang Mai dab-hands at popular dishes such as Thai Red Curry and Pad Thai....we will be looking for guinea pigs to try them out on when we get back!
The following day we went off trekking in the hills and visited two tribes - the Karen tribe, originating from Burma, and the Mhong whose roots are Chinese. I am always fascinated with tribal life and after spending some time walking around the village, I was 'invited' into one lady's hut at small cost although it was well worth it as she was more than happy for me to take photos. Our trek also involved an elephant ride through some jungle terrain which was great fun. Garry and an Aussie girl we had met took the harnessed seat while I balanced precariously on the mammoth beast's neck while it flapped its huge ears on my knees and continually threw its' trunk back in my face pleading for bananas. Neither of us had ever been so close to an elephant before and although they are lovely animals, I could have done without him dribbling on me in the pursuit for snacks. Our day ended with a bamboo ride along a river, which Garry
Chiang Mai
The Mhong tribe in the hills of Chiang Mai ended up wadding through in an attempt to free us as we got wedged on some rocks.
Our next stop was the town of Kancanaburi, immortalized for its' famous landmark - The Bridge over the River Kwai. The bridge was constructed by the malnourished prisoners of war during World War II after the Japanese had taken control of Thailand, and stands as a poignant reminder of the many thousands of men who lost their lives. After a walk around the cemetery where many of the prisoners are laid to rest, Garry decided that he didn't want to take the train over the bridge that these men had died building.
We then made our way to Koh Chang, an island in the Andaman Sea. We stayed at a small resort on the beach run by the same people who run Bangkok's best hostel and our second home, Asha Guesthouse. The resort, aptly named Eden, is made up of three beach bungalows and a few apartments above the bar area, situated along a long, white and deserted beach. The pace of life was so slow and chilled and it took us a couple of days to unwind but we soon
Eden @ Koh Chang
Just to prove they didn't have issues, Garry & Harold never drunk before sunset......then they cained it until sunrise found ourselves drifting along. I even took some Yoga classes which was a new, painful experience as well as fairly depressing since there were OAP's that were amazing flexible while I was struggling to bend my knees.
The resort is so small that we began with five guests and by the week we were at the full capacity of ten. That's not to say there wasn't a little bit of partying going on of course, with such a great mix of people from all over the world with some hilarious stories to pass the evenings listening to it was quite unavoidable. Big love to all of you that made the island what it was - especially Harold the Norwegian with his aching elbow (classic story - that one is coming back to Spain with us), Andrew a.k.a The Earl of Sandwich (full of the most useless but funniest facts) and Marion the Swiss banker with the bottle.......and of course Mike & Tum our hosts! Thank you both and we will be seeing you again!
Leaving Eden was heartbreaking; as the boat pulled away the remaining guests stood on the beach waving us off like a scene from 'The Beach'.
Eden @ Koh Chang
Saying goodbye to the Eden crew on the boat back to the mainland. Back in Bangkok, we hooked up with some of the Eden Crew and went for a meal in a spanking restaurant organized by Tum, a.k.a. Tum-quila and prepared ourselves for our departure to Singapore.
Singapore was going to get its' own page as every other country has but since we booked ourselves into the Four Seasons Hotel for the duration of our four day stay, we didn't actually leave the premises very often. After ten months of roughing it, we soaked up the luxury, watched cable tv while ordering room service and prepared ourselves for going home.........however, the view from our eight-floor room over the city looked rather stunning!
Well, we are both back home now - Gaz is in the UK and I'm in EspaƱa. We are both still adjusting to 'normal life', getting back in to some kind of routine and trying to focus on work. However, every now and again my mind wonders and I am right back in Koh Chang, Cusco or New York, and even though it all seems so long ago now those memories I will have for a lifetime.
Thanks for following the adventure everyone. It's been an absolute blast
Friar Gaz on the raz
Garry passed out after his session in Kanchanaburi - so I dressed him up as a monk! Well, he asked for it. and this has been a great way of recording some of the trip as well as keeping everyone updated on our whereabouts. And mostly, thanks to Gaz who has been a blinding travel mate and got me home in one piece as he promised my Dad ten months ago!
The End (until next time)
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Gazza
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It's only just begun!
Home sweet home eh, what a fantastic trip made even more brilliant by the best travel buddy anyone could ever wish for. Cheers Webbie!