The Journey Home....

Today is "D" day....departure day that is. This morning we walked on the beach for the last time here in Nai Yang, again found a restaurant to eat breakfast in and an Asian breakfast seemed fitting so we ordered it. It consisted of rice porridge, tea and fresh fruit. After breakfast we stayed in our room until checkout time and then headed to get our nails done for the last time. Alvo got a french polish while I just got a nail cut etc. We wandered along and found a place that does waxing and Alvo got her eyebrows and lip done too. We had already decided to have Indian for lunch and sat for most of the afternoon in the one and only Indian restaurant in Nai Yang chatting with the owner who was, funnily enough, a Pakistanni lad. We spoke of travel and society in general, the conversation was very interesting and enjoyable. He offered us Chai Masala tea which is not on his menu but an offer of kindness and we certainly took part in the little tea party after devouring delicious curry and the biggest naan bread that we have ever seen. We left with a sense of fulfilment and happiness and headed to get our taxi to the airport. It was only a short drive there and we were sitting at the boarding gate in no time. We wanted some internet so had to buy the most disgusting hot dog to get it....oh well. We contacted family to let them know we were on our way. Getting to KL was a sinch and then it was only a short wait to board for the long haul to Sydney. The flight to Sydney consisted of two small children sitting in the seats behind us misbehaving and a parent that, as usual, didn't care. I politely asked the father to make his children sit quietly and stop kicking the back of our chairs.....that lasted about 5 minutes so I took matters into my own hands and told them to sit up and be still.....argh.....bloody kids on planes, should be banned. We have arrived in Sydney and are waiting at our gate when a text from Qantas comes through telling us our flight has been cancelled....great, oh well I guess we weren't meant to be in the air at that time. We are on the next flight at 3.40pm so it is at least the same day. Everything happens for a reason right. We will still be home this arvo. Maybe they might give us wine........ We will be posting a final blog of all the highlights from our Thailand adventure so stay tuned.

Perfect End to a Perfect Holiday....

This morning I got a beautiful wake up call from Alvo letting me know that Mum was online so after rubbing my bleary eyes we chatted for a while which was really nice. We took our walk on the beach and stopped at a restaurant on the sand for a breakfast omelette and some coconut water/shake which was nice. Today the sun is shining so we walked back to take up our position on the sun beds outside our hotel. We saw the massage ladies on the way and organised for them to come back and give us a foot scrub and massage when they get a chance. We headed straight for the warm tropical water to cool off before kicking back under an umbrella which by the way does not prevent sunburn. It wasn't long before our massage ladies arrived and my lady started madly scrubbing the dry skin off my feet while Alvo enjoyed a relaxing massage due to having perfect feet with no dry skin.....blah. After they were done we sorted manicures with them for tomorrow and headed back to the water. Thailand has turned on the weather for our last full day here that is for sure. Relaxing, reading and a few drinks were had before heading to the room to get dressed before lunch which we had on the beach. I broke all my eating rules and had a cheeseburger....yep, I had a craving and I am all for listening to your body so I did. Alvo had papaya salad but after seeing my cheeseburger ordered one and enjoyed it. Back to our room for a rest and man was I exhausted.....my system is sooo messed up right now. I fell asleep and Alvo went to lay outside again, I don't need any more sun. What.....dinner time already, geez. I struggled to wake up but am so glad I did, we found the bar that has half price cocktail happy hour and a beautiful view of the sunset and settled in. Pina colada and mojito for starters followed by chicken satay sticks and prawns wrapped in rice noodles, it was a great start. The sun was setting and it is perfect weather for it, so happy that our last dinner has been such a special one to remember. One more drink and a massive prawn cocktail before we set off a lantern in memory of Nanny, Dad and Grandad.....special times. We bartered with a fireworks bloke and set some of those off too, it was cool. Time to walk along this beautiful beach back to our room to call it a night. Leaving tomorrow seems surreal but we are ready. Tanya xxx.

Soi Dog Volunteering....

Tanya felt alot better this morning so we decided that we would go to the Soi Dogs and help out for the day. It was raining lightly when we set off walking to where we were being picked up from about a kilometre away but by half way there it was coming down quite hard. We got to the meeting place and waited and in typical Thai fashion they were about 20 minutes late. It is about a 15 minute drive and by the time we got there it was raining quite heavily. Soi Dog is an organisation that rescues injured and sick street dogs and cats and treat them until they are well enough to be adopted. They also collect healthy street dogs and desex them and then return them back to the street. It relies on donations and volunteers to do the work they do which the majority of comes from overseas. So we were given a tour of the place in the pouring rain and shown all the dogs and cats that have been rescued. It is pretty sad seeing the state of some of the dogs and how poor they are but they are looked after well and are happy. We were sort of left to our own devises and told where and what we could do and as it was raining so much going in with the dogs was not very appealing so we decided that hanging out with the 5 cats in a nice indoor room was a much better idea. The cats were so friendly and so damn cute that we wanted to take them all home. The 3 legged one was definitely the most active and has already been adopted and is waiting to go to Holland. The rain only stopped for about an hour all day so we did get a bit bored as there was so little we could do. Anyway we have done something we wanted to do but we are not sure it is something we would do again but we did meet some nice people which is always good. We had to wait till 5pm to get taken back to Nai Yang which seemed to take forever and were glad to have a warm shower when we got there. We had a bevvie and then went to have dinner at the place that gave me the rice last night. Back to the room for relaxing, a drink and t.v watching. Can't believe it is our last full day here tomorrow....let's hope for a nice day. Alvo xoxo

A Day On The Beach....

We had a bit of a lay in this morning till 9am. We both had a bit of a belly ache but just put it down to something we ate last night. We went for a walk along the beach for about an hour and were wondering if the dark clouds were going to go away as we had planned to lay on the beach all day. There is a lovely lady right out the front of our hotel on the beach who has a little hut bar and hires sunbeds and umbrellas. We had a great conversation with her yesterday and she told us she has had the hut for 15 years, and on the day of the Tsunami was not on the beach. But she did tell us all about it which was really fascinating and how very lucky she was that day. So we set up on the lounges and were glad the clouds were disappearing. Tanya said she was feeling really tired and not well so she slept on and off for a couple of hours while I read and swam. She did come in for a swim and ate a couple of mouthfuls of rice but then decided she needed to go inside where it was cooler and have a shower and sleep. I stayed on the beach reading, drinking a beer and snoozing....ahhhhh it is absolute heaven here. By 5pm I decided it was time to go in. Poor Tanya had just woken up and was feeling worse and even though we were in the shade the whole time we have both gotten really sunburnt so that has probably made her feel even worse. As Tanya was not able to eat I went out and got dinner for myself but when I got back I decided that I would go to the chemist and see if she needed some drugs. The chemist was really good and gave me 3 different lots of tablets, including antibiotics and some electrolyte drink....A 10 minute conversation and $10....I love Thailand. He said she needed to eat something with the tablets so I went to a restaurant and asked for a little bit of boiled rice. The ladies were really nice in there and wouldn't let me pay anything....again I love Thailand. So I have played nurse and administered all the drugs so hopefully they will start to work and she will feel better by the morning. We are meant to be going to the Soi Dog Organisation tomorrow to volunteer for the day but we will have to see what happens. Alvo xoxo

Last Stop Nai Yang....

We called into Graham and Severin's place this morning to say goodbye as we are going to Nai Yang for the rest of our time here. Tamara was up and about too as she is going to stay with her friends in Kata so we said a final farewell to her aswell. Helen came to pick us up at 9.30am, she has been kind enough to offer to drive us to Nai Yang. We have offered to pay for an extra room for her and Megan, her daughter, to stay for the night but she needs to get home and do some jobs so she has decided to come back tomorrow instead of staying. The offer stood all day as she changed her mind a few times and almost came but it wasn't to be, it will be great to spend the day with them tomorrow. We checked into our hotel and the room is quite big, plenty comfortable for the two of us and we rested and watched some TV before deciding to head out for something to eat. In usual fashion, just as we stepped out it started raining so we went back to our room and had some left over fruit and sweet sticky rice instead. It wasn't long before the rain stopped and the sun came shining through so we walked up the beach street of Nai Yang. It is a very small and quiet place here, just how we wanted to end our time in Thailand. We checked out some restaurants, bars and massage places then decided that the weather is too good to pass up and headed back to put our bathers on and hit the beach. The beach is just a few steps away from our front door, the view is beautiful and there is hardly a breath of wind accompanying the bright blue sky. We set our towels down and ventured into the warm calm waters that make up our perfect beach here. I was snapping a couple of photos when I felt something brush past my leg and a stinging feeling. I walked back to the sand and had Alvo look at it, she pulled off tentacle kind of things. I can't be sure but I think it was some kind of jellyfish. My skin was stinging and burning so I headed to my towel, bugger the water......sunbathing it is. I felt so tired and feel asleep on the beach under the watchful eye of Alvo of course. Alvo had a beer, read her book and swam some more before we decided to head up to the Saturday market. It is a short walk away and well worth it. So much delicious food, oh the smell.....and some clothing stalls. We looked around and first stop was the pork stick lady and oh man were they good, the best ones yet and then we tried a steamed fish curry wrapped in pandanus leaves which was really good, a little spicy for Alvo but the flavour was great. We saw some fried fat noodles and laap so bought some of each along with some sticky rice and little coconut deserts for later. We wanted to eat at the market while our food was hot so sat at a little bar and enjoyed our goodies. They were all great and we decided to grab some fried chicken and mango sticky rice to take away. We walked to the edge of the market and I found the type of shirt I had been looking for everywhere and it is pink so had to buy it. Time to head back, on the way we noticed a lot of old style classic motorbikes being ridden by guys with leather vests on. They headed to a campground where we are guessing there is some sort of club get together. Some of them are very noisy. We noticed the beautiful sunset and couldn't pass up the photo opportunity and a walk on the beach. We have not seen many sunsets since we have been away but when we do see them they are beautiful and worth the effort to get out with the camera. Back at our room we settled in for the night and are relieved that we do not have an alarm to set for the morning. Tanya xxx.

An Amazingly Humbling Day.....

Today we are heading off with Tamara to look around and also visit a friend of hers (Sue) near Phuket Town. She picked us up at 9.30am and we found some breakfast on the way. The friend of Tamara's is a Thai lady that she met a long time ago through Soi dogs when she took her sick dog there and Tamara was volunteering. They became friends and Tamara helps her whenever she comes here by buying her some groceries & clothes, putting money in her kids school lunch accounts and taking them out. She has 2 boys who she told us are 7 & 8. When we arrived where Sue lives, which is down a few back roads in the middle of a very poor area, the kids came running out and were hugging Tamara like a long lost sister. It was really sweet but when Sue came from another direction it was a very emotional reunion as she was so overwhelmed and happy to see Tamara it was hard not to shed a few tears. Sue did not let go of Tamara for ages and spoke a lot but she doesn't speak English so was a bit hard to work out what she was saying although Tamara speaks Thai quite well and filled us in most of the time. She asked us to come into her house, which was down a lane and on a swamp. We walked across a makeshift ramp and past a lot of rubbish and entered not what we would consider a house. It was like a tin shed with about 6 rooms and a walkway in the middle. Each room was where each family lived. Sue & her 2 boys live in one together which is one room with a small separate room at the back with a toilet in the ground and a tub for bathing. The whole space is smaller than a single car garage. There is a single mattress on the floor that they all sleep on. I can not tell you how overwhelmingly saddening walking in there was. Sue's job is recycling and she earns about 6000 baht ($200) a month and has no husband to help her as he was killed in an accident several years ago. We all sat on the bed & floor and Sue showed us pictures of her dog and kids and just kept hugging Tamara and thanking us for coming. The kids sat on the floor with 2 of their friends, eating donuts that Tamara had bought, and they were so well mannered and beautiful. As little as they have, Sue still sent someone to the shop to get us a bottle of water each. Sitting there with this family was probably one of the most amazing experiences that we have encountered for a very long time and we felt privileged to be spending time with this beautiful family. After living in Alice Springs and working closely with our Indigenous people on remote communities, I can not help but think how shit house our government is in giving so many handouts and how abused our system is. These people get absolutely no assistance at all and if they don't work they don't eat....simple. The conditions they live in are appalling and poor does not begin to describe their lives. But still they smile and would give you the shirt off their back. Our lazy dole bludging society, black or white, need to see how other countries governments treat them and maybe they might be a bit more grateful. Please do not be offended by what I am saying and if you are reading this then you should know me well enough to know I am not being racist at all, just realistic. Rant over.....So we spent about an hour there and then took them to lunch in Phuket Town at The Pizza Company.....somewhere they would never be able to afford to go to normally. The eldest son disappeared so he didn't get to come so it was just the 5 of us. The youngest one was so well behaved and quiet while we were out it was amazing. Both of them did not eat much as Sue said they were too excited. So many leftovers were taken home for Sue to have for dinner with the kids. We stopped off at a large wholesale supermarket on the way back to Sue's to get some things for her and then headed off to drop them home. After many hugs and more tears we said goodbye to this beautiful family and her pet pig.....lol. We spent the next few hours driving around looking at some lovely spots near the beach and went to a restaurant for a look that overlooks the ocean which was absolutely breathtaking. It was time to head home as we need to get ready to go out for dinner. Tamara came back to get us at 7pm and we amazingly found our way to a really cool restaurant in Phuket Town called "The Natural Restaurant" which is a bit hard to explain so just Google it and you will be able to read about it plus I put photos on Facebook last night. We had a beautiful meal which consisted mostly of seafood and met the owner who was really nice. We left there and headed into Patong as we wanted to take Tamara to a lady boy show. We were a bit early for the Kiss Bar so we went into one next door that was starting and ended up staying there for a couple of hours. Let's say that even though it was a male gay bar, Tamara was still very popular and had the attention of a few of the dancers although they are also prostitutes so it made for some amusing antics. Also see pics on Facebook :) It was after midnight and as we all had to be up early decided to call it a night. On our way out of the car park Tamara and the security guard had a bit of an argument about paying for the parking but it was only because he didn't understand what she was asking him but we did get a bit worried for a minute imagining getting arrested for not wanting to pay....lol. I got to have my first car driving experience in Thailand which wasn't half as scary as I thought it would be and in no time we were all home safe and sound. We are moving on in the morning so till the then....goodnight. Alvo xoxo

Movie Day....

Today was our lazy day in watching movies. We had plenty of left overs for breakfast and lunch so had no need to venture out until Tamara phoned us when she got close to our place. Alvo went and met her at the end of our street and we sat and chatted back at our place for a while before we took her to meet Graham and Severin (she will be staying at their place for a couple of days as our place is not big enough). We have organised to meet at a friends house as we would like Tamara to meet the people we have grown to know here. We stopped at the market and grabbed some snacks and drinks and headed off. Our friends place is only just up the road from us so it was a short journey. We spent time chatting and sharing food and drinks, we even met some new people which is always nice and have organised to meet up with them all again tomorrow night if we can. I am going to miss these catch ups but will meet them again in the future I am sure. Late night so time for bed. Tanya xxx.

Waterfalls and Wats......again....

This morning saw us sleeping in again and then venturing out for breakfast and we found a great local place a little way up the road. We enjoyed pork with rice and some stir fried noodles. We ventured to the Kathu Waterfall and I must say that the long and winding staircase leading up to the top is really beautiful. The waterfall itself is quite small but never the less beautiful work on natures part. There were children swimming in the shallow pools which is always nice to see. We enjoyed an ice cream on the journey which was also nice. The trek up the stairs was a hot one and the humid weather had us both sweating when we reached the top. Off we rode to the Chalong Temple or should I say temples.....we have been here before but I had forgotten how many there were in the one place, they really are beautiful to see. There was a funeral ceremony happening in one of them and the chanting is very stirring. We sat in the shade and drank coconut water before heading back near home for me to get a pedicure, Alvo had hers done yesterday and it was such a job well done that I decided to have one. We were very weary from our days adventures and it was very muggy outside so we returned home for a rest. We watched some TV and enjoyed a cool bevvie before it was time to head out to the market for some dinner, we have decided that eating in is fun so will have another go at it tonight. The market place was bustling again and our first food stop was the rice porridge stall for some take away breakfast where the man put everything in separate bags for us and even left our egg uncracked for the morning, the lady at the next stall was helping him translate and told him to make it "same same Thai price" for us....cool. The fried pork and sticky rice stall was next on the list where we ordered everything we wanted without any English, very proud. The coconut water man has easy take away bags for 10 Baht ($0.35) where I stocked up for the next few days. Curry time, we decided to try something new so just found what looked good and bought some along with some rice. We have seen a strange looking fruit which we still have no idea of the English name and a guy was selling it cut into bags paired with guava, you get a little bag of chilli and sugar which is used for dipping so we bought some, he even gave us a discount.....nice. We were loaded up with what we thought was enough but then saw a rice noodle soup stall that I couldn't go past and a lady making green mango salad which is not easy to find so bought some of that too. She was very nice and was up for a chat so I will go back again and buy some more from her another day. Once again we had more than we needed so there will be left overs. We have decided on a day in watching movies tomorrow so after eating our fill of the delicious food we gathered from the market there will be left overs for lunch. Our friend Tamara, who we stayed with in Bangkok, will be here tomorrow arvo so we have organised dinner out with a few mates so won't mind the lazy day. Another movie was watched and a cuppa was had before bed. Time for dreamland. Tanya xxx.

Going Gold Class....

Another sleep in and then some t.v watching. "Australia" was on the movie channel and as we had not watched it thought we would....and I must say we really liked it. As it goes for so long it was lunch time before it finished and we decided to go for a ride to Phuket Town for a look. We rode around looking for somewhere exciting to stop and settled on one of the main streets. We found a nice little place to eat and then walked a bit. We didn't find anything too exciting so we headed to Central Festival to kill time before going to the movies. I got a pedicure and my toe nails painted and then it was time to go to the cinema. We decided to splash out and go to the gold class cinema which cost about $23. We got there an hour before the movie so we could get the drinks and snacks that are part of the ticket and also relax in the comfy chairs. When we went in and were taken to our cool double recliner we were trying to work out how to recline and were pushing and pulling the knob only to realise that you just have to touch it and it is electric....lol.....losers. Before the movie starts they play the national anthem and a video of the King and you have to stand up....quite strange really. So then we snuggled up with our blankets as they bought our drinks and popcorn (which we ate before the movie even started....lucky it's unlimited) and watched "About Time" which is a really good movie. I can't believe we have now watched a new release movie before Danielle :) It was well worth the extra money and was like being at home but with a mega big t.v. It was 10pm when we got out and headed home and off course ended the night with some cooking shows. Alvo xoxo

Buying Out For A Night In....

Today we planned to go to the shopping centre called Central Festival for a look around, I also wanted to call into the alternative medicine centre at the hospital where Helen works to see them about cupping. We finished off the thai fish cakes and pork sticks left over from last night and watched some asian food channel shows before we headed off as the shopping centre doesn't open until 10.30am. I swear that channel is awesome and I love spending the evening watching food shows. Central Festival is filled with cool shops and especially food shops like cupcake and ice cream places. There is a central food market which is like a supermarket but they sell pre cooked food packages there that you can sit and enjoy. We have found the coconut milk curries to be the most expensive thing on most menus but here it is about half the price at just under $2.00 so we couldn't pass it up. We shared a penang curry with red rice and it was delicious, who would have thought huh. I also tried the sweets from a special section just dedicated to them and again was not disappointed by the price or the taste. We found a coffee shop that has chai latte and soy milk so indulged in that too. Ahhhhh heaven. After eating our fill we headed to the hospital and after a quick visit with Helen went to the alternative medicine centre where I found out some information about my neck/back issue and the ways it can be treated. The doctor was right on the money, she knew my symptoms and suggested a combination of acupuncture and cupping which normally wouldn't be done on the same day but seeing as though she will be out of town from tomorrow she made an exception. She was very informative and told me about everything she was doing to me and why, I had a lot of questions so didn't make it easy for her but she had answers that made sense to all of them. She began with the acupuncture which I have had before but she did it a little different. Firstly she put the needles in and then tweaked them until I could feel strange sensations in areas that the needle was nowhere near but she continued to explain to me where I would feel them and why. She then hooked some of the needles up to a machine and told me that she was going to run a current through them.....oookkkkk. This I had never had done before but was confident in her treatment. It felt like tiny electric shocks into my muscles, kind of strange but surprisingly good at the same time. Before she left me for 20 minutes I asked her if I could have Alvo in here and she replied "of course, no problem" so Alvo took a few photos so I can show mum and also a Chinese doctor in Tamworth if I need future treatment. My machine timed out after 20 minutes and the Docs assistant was right onto taking the needles out and then in came the Doc announcing that it was time for cupping. For those of you that have not heard of this technique it usually involves little glass bulb like jars that get a flame held inside them to create a vacuum before being placed on your body to draw out toxins and release muscles. Here the doctor used plastic jars with a suction pump that allows her to regulate the amount of suction being administered, it also prevents burns due to hot jars. She placed the first one on my neck as Alvo watched on intently, my skin was then drawn up inside the cup which did not hurt but just felt.....well.....a little but sucky I guess. She continued with a few more cups of varying sizes and then told me that I would only need this for about 10 minutes as my blood was rising to the surface very quickly. Alvo continued to take photos and tell me that it looked a bit weird. She explained to me things about wind, heat and water in the body and some of the issues that arise from imbalance in the elements. She told me that her husband is a specialist in chiropractic and Chinese medicine and that if I had longer in Phuket that I would benefit from seeing him for a treatment plan....damn you end of holidays and both the doctors going to Bangkok tomorrow for a week. Oh well, wasn't meant to be but I told her that her advice will help both my mum and I and I would look for a good doctor back home. She told me to see her if I come back to Thailand again so she is definitely on my "to do" list for our next trip. After the treatment one of the suction sites was quite puffy so she gave me some herbal heat patches that I have used before and sent me on my way. I have spent our budget for the day but it was worth it, I will make it up to Alvo by getting her to treat herself at the spa when we get to Nai Yang next week. Off home for a drink or two before going out to the market to buy food to eat in tonight as we have eaten out soooooo much. The market is only a short walk around the block from where we are staying and there are food stalls lining the block before you hit the actual market. Anything from fairy floss to noodle soup is on offer and man does it smell great. I love seeing the vendors cooking their food fresh right there in front of you. Of course I had to stop at the lady who had the sweets, she let me try one and I bought a few delicious coconut and syrup filled ball thingys from her for a snack later. At the market there is a ton of different types of produce from screwdrivers to fresh fish and seafood, it is all up for grabs here. We decided on a few different types of dishes for our night in feast. Candied pork and sticky rice, fried chicken, salad, rice paper rolls and some sort of pork and rice concoction. We left the market with all our goodies just as the rain started but made it home in good time and laid out the spread on the table. It looked so good and we worked out that everything cost $7.00 all up. We ate our fill and there is left overs.....yay, breakfast. Relaxing on the couch with the asian cooking channel is in order before bed....did I mention that I love the asian food channel, I did oh good...just checking. Tanya xxx.

Lazy Day....

Todays blog will not be overly exciting, Alvo did not get up until after 10am and after putting on some washing we walked down to the end of our street for some brunch. We settled on curry of course and planned our day. We decided that we would like to go back to the market for dinner tonight so will have a lazy day at home watching movies and sharing a couple of bevvies. It rained on and off a little today and we needed our ponchos on when we headed off for dinner. We have not used them for ages so it was no surprise they smelled like dirty mouldy socks when we opened them up....gross, but we did put them on and embarked on the journey to the market. We found our way and Alvo stopped at the underwears stall to get more comfy underwears and the next stop was the food area. We started again with delicious fish cakes and then sat and had some sort of curry with numerous condiments I have no idea what they were but tried most of them. We found some fermented pork that Alvo was hesitant to try but oh what the hell....lucky we did coz it was delicious so I ordered some more accompanied by...of course...sticky rice. We visited the sweets stall for some take aways for later and Alvo could not go past the cool ice cream stall from last night. The girls of course recognised us and were on for a chat. Tonight Alvo did the making of the ice cream and I took the video. On the way out we got some pork sticks and fish cakes for snacks later and yet again...more underwears, Alvo may have a slight obsession that I will keep an eye on lol. Easy ride home for a shower and a cuppa. Tanya xxx.

Food Lovers Heaven....

We had to take our bike back to Karon this morning so we got the keys to the bike we are renting from the guy who is renting the condo to us and we headed off just after 9am. While we were in Karon we went back to the dentist as we both wanted what we had done checked as a couple of things weren't right. At first they told us that we would have to come back on Tuesday but then said we could come back at 1pm. So we went to get something to eat and wandered around killing time. We had a fish spa which is so cool. You sit with your feet and legs in a tank full of little fish that nibble on your skin and it really tickles. You only need to do it for 10 mins and your feet feel so soft and nice afterwards. We decided to go back to the dentist early and wait but we didn't have to as she was free to see us straight away. She fixed what was needed (free of charge of course) and we were on our way again. We stopped in at Jungceylon shopping centre in Patong and got a few supplies before heading home. It started raining just before we got home so an afternoon in will be had. I had a bit of a nana nap and Tanya watched t.v and she is as happy as a pig in mud as we get the Asian Cooking Channel. At 5pm it was time to head off to find the weekend night market in Phuket Town. Helen gave us directions to get there last night so we were hoping to remember them. We only got lost twice but hit the jackpot asking 2 different people that spoke perfect English who put us right. Along the main road there were heaps of road works and there was a massive traffic jam....and that's where being on a moped is gold....not only can you ride up the side and in between cars normally but today was so jammed that we followed the locals and rode on the footpath.....LOL....it was so cool and we beat the traffic jam in no time......hahaha....when in Rome :) We found a park and into the depths of the markets we went. It is quite big but not nearly as crazy as the markets we went to in Bangkok. We soon found all the food stalls and we were in heaven. There were soooo many cool things and we soon started sampling bits and pieces. We did a bit of browsing in between and bought a few bargains. It started raining again and trying to dodge all the places that aren't covered is a bit of a feat. The shopping highlight was when Tanya was looking at shoes and asked how much...650 he said but can do discount......ok, so she tries a few on. A Thai lady came in and asked how much and he told her in Thai.....little does he know that Tanya could understand him....so after much deliberation she decides on a pair and says to the guy...ok so you told the Thai lady 400 before....so 400 for me then.....the look on his face was priceless....then he grinned and said...O.K....and there was no argument....LOL....It was really funny and maybe you had to be there. Score for the Farangs....lol. We saw this really cool stand selling ice cream which we had to try. We think it is probably how they make the ice cream at cold rock. They pour cream and your choice of fruit onto a frozen surface and chop it really fast and smash it till its smooth and then flatten it out and it freezes, then they scrape it off in curls into a container and voila....ice cream. It is so delicious too and Tanya got to actually make ours with the girl so that was really cool. I have posted a video on facebook if you want to have a look. Anyway we had enough of shopping and food and it finally stopped raining so we found our bike and headed off into the dark hoping we would find our way home. Getting home was easier than getting there and took no time at all. Alvo xoxo

Sunset Cruising....

Today we left Kamala and headed over the hill to Kathu. We have some friends there so will be doing some catching up this week. First on the list is Helen, she works at the hospital where Alvo had surgery two years ago. She has invited us to join her and a group of patients on a cruise off Phuket that will show us some islands and hopefully a beautiful sunset. Firstly though we need to settle into the condo and we did so in no time. It is a little smaller than we expected but enough for two and we have a kitchenette and washing machine so feel very independent. We found a great eating place just down the end of our street and enjoyed Tom Yam soup and Pad Thai before heading to the shop for supplies.....not before a quick stop off at our friend Graham's place as we forgot that the condo is not a hotel so has no towels, he came to the rescue. Supplies include some cheeky pre mix bevvies, deodorant, washing powder, water and of course a magnum ice cream or two for the freezer. We got home and had a rest before we showered and got ready for Helen to pick us up for the cruise. Helen took us to the pier and we first needed to wait for the group of patients who all belong to an organised group who have come to Phuket just to get surgery of some sort done whether it be a nose job, boob job, face lift or dental work.....you name it, people will have it done here. I can say that they have chosen the right hospital to have their surgery done at because we could not fault their professionalism when Alvo was there. The Aussie guy who heads up the hospital was there and he seems like a really nice down to earth kind of guy and grew up in Barraba so it is yet again a small world. We boarded a great boat and headed off out into the bay. The weather was nice, a little cloudy but still nice enough for a sunset. We laid up on the deck with a drink in hand, there was watermelon and pineapple on offer along with some chicken and fish bits so we had a snack. We passed by a few nice islands and the scenery was nice. Helen's daughter Megan decided that she wanted to sit up with us so we entertained Miss 3 for a while as Helen spoke to people on the boat. The sun began to set and it was really nice, there were massages on offer also so on the way back we indulged. The lights on the island are really nice to see at night and the water was very smooth so the trip was very enjoyable. Back on land after about 3 hours of relaxing we all went back to our place for a drink as we needed to wait for Graham due to him borrowing our bike for the arvo. Just as we were about to head out to the Caddy Shack (a bar near the golf club) when we ran into Graham so we all went together for a drink. It was late by now and we didnt stay at the Caddy Shack for long and it was way too late for dinner so home we went for our first sleep in the condo. Tanya xxx.

Sunset on the beach....

Today was a bit of a lazy day as it rained on and off. My back is a little bruised and tender from yesterdays treatment but it is all good. We headed off after breakfast in our room to look around the little place called Kamala. We took a side street which led us into the residential area where there are quite a few houses for rent and sale. The road seemed to go on forever just meandering through the houses and we finally came out onto a road that was familiar to us, we had the bbq there the other night. We stopped at a local restaurant for brunch and then made it to the Big C (supermarket) just as it started pouring. We shopped around and got some mouthwash and water while we waited for the rain to ease. We headed back home and Alvo headed off to get her nails done while I did some stretching and internet surfing in our room. Alvo returned with new nail polish on and after a couple of bevvies we headed to the beach to see the sunset. We were not disappointed, the sunset was beautiful and we walked up and down the beach until the sun finally disappeared. Alvo was not hungry yet so we wandered up the main street and then along the beach again before settling on a restaurant on the beach for our last night here. We had red curry and then headed for home to sneak in a few cheeky drinks. It has been nice to do not much here and relax before we head to Phuket Town tomorrow for a week of adventures there. Night cap time and maybe a movie. Tanya xxx.

Moped Adventures....

After a late night of movie watching and also being woken up by the torrential rain through the night, we had a bit of a sleep in. We had no plans for today so we decided that we would go for a ride down through Kata which is below where we were staying in Karon. The ride was nice and we got to see some places we hadn't been before. Moped riding here is a bit hairy at times and if you believed everything you read about it on the internet you would not get on a bike in a million years. It really isn't that bad and as long as you are sensible and careful it is quite safe. Unfortunately there are many idiot Westerners that give everyone a bad name as these big beefy tattooed dickheads think that riding really fast, smoking, one handed with no helmet on is pretty cool....I want to remind them that they are on a scooter not a bloody Harley....lol. Being alert is the biggest thing as you have to watch out for cars, other bikes, potholes, bad roads, parked cars in random places, car doors opening, the slippery white line on the side of the road, big bloody reflectors, dogs, people and bikes riding on the wrong side of the road....to name just a few things....lol. Never the less as I do all the riding I have become quite a pro and riding like the locals is sometimes called for....like going through red lights, just because you can. Anyway enough about scooters. We stopped for coconut shakes at Karon on the way back and then as we got into Kamala we noticed a market set up so stopped to have a look. It was full of food stalls, fruit and vegies, meat and clothes. We found lots of cool snacks and drinks to buy which we took with us for later. As I had a damn headache I was keen for a shower and rest as Tanya was going back to get the massage she didn't get yesterday. Tanya finally got back after about 2 & a half hours and says to me that it was the most intense painful massage that she has ever had and the lady said that her back may be a bit red.....haaa....she looked like she had been beaten up. My god if that is what you have to go through to get stuff fixed I will stay broken....lol. She has since found out that what she had is called Guasa Treatment and is very intense. Now even after a couple of hours and a sleep I still had the headache so I took more tablets and had a coffee and voila.....headache gone. We have spent the night in watching movies and snacking being very boring. Another quiet day tomorrow with no plans so we will see what happens. Alvo xoxo

Annoying People & Lame Curry....

This morning did not include a sleep in and I had a terrible sleep anyway so it didn't really matter what time I got up. We had planned on going to Patong today to meet a friend of our good mates from Tamworth and when the downpour stopped we headed off. After the rain the skies were blue and the ride to Patong is not that long. As soon as we arrived I remembered why this place is not a favourite of mine. We parked our bike and found the Ole Bar which is where our friends told us to go and it was not open yet so we walked to find some street food. The Thai people asking about tuk tuks and taxis does not worry me but it is the foreigners selling stuff that really gives me the shits......leave it to the Thai's for god's sake, you don't fit the bill. I even told one bloke to f*#% off and that is something I never do. Maybe the Black English girl who told me that her French friend who went to Australia thought the French food there was really bad was the one who tipped me over the edge although I did tell her that if you want good French food you don't go to Australia for it you go to France just like if you want good Indian food then go to India. Stupid foreign workers, I couldn't wait to walk away. We went to a bar next to the Ole Bar waiting for it to open and their shakes were great but then I tasted the green curry and could not even finish it as it was such a waste of calories, I can't believe that foreigners have forced such great Thai food to be made so lame and after telling the waitress that I wanted spicy was highly disappointed. If you are wondering, no my day was not going well. Needless to say we did not hang around for our mates friend to get to the bar at 6pm. We decided to head back to our quiet beach and chill out. We sunbathed and swam in the ocean before a shower and a chat with Danielle on skype. She is missing her Mum pretty badly and is super excited that we only have two weeks left. I am trying not to think about it. We went back down to the beach to see a massage lady that was going to be there after 3pm and got caught in a downpour and we got drenched....and the lady wasn't there anyway. Back to the room to dry off and have a few bevvies. Then we headed for dinner hoping we will find something that redeems the miserable food day we have had. We stopped at a little local place and was asked if I wanted my curry spicy, I finally had the guts to say "Thai spicy" and finally......success. It was "aroy mak" (very delicious) and we will be going there in the morning for breakfast. Time now for a coffee with kaluha (special coffee) or two and some tv accompanied by a cheeky Magnum ice cream before bed. We have no real plans for tomorrow but will certainly have a great day none the less. Tanya xxx. PS: You will be pleased to know that Alvo's belly have returned to normal and no more emergency evacuations are required :)

Finding New Places...

No sleep in this morning as when we woke up at 7am Tanya wanted to blind me by opening the curtains and turning the t.v on....oh well lucky I can have a nana nap later :) It was raining a bit but soon went away. We hung out for a while as Tanya had organised a Skype date with her mum. After that we jumped on the bike and headed North to check out the beaches and accommodation up there for our last few nights here. We only got lost a few times as road signs here are not the best and sometimes you have to guess where you have to turn...but as we say, getting lost sometimes is an adventure. We stopped in at Nai Yang first which is very close to the airport. It is a quiet little place right on the beach but still has many restaurants, guest houses and massage places. The prices of everything are pretty good and we looked at several rooms and found a nice place right on the beach which will be great to end our time here. We left there and stopped off at a street cart and got some awesome fried chicken for a snack and then headed down to Nai Thon beach for a look. We rode through some beautiful country side and jungle and only got lost once....lol. Nai Thon is also small but just didn't have the same feel to it as Nai Yang so we didn't even even stop there and it has made our decision of where to stay easy. We rode back to Kamala and found another little local place to get some late lunch and then headed back to our hotel. It was pretty hot today and we once again have got a bit of sunburn so we thought a shower and nana nap was in order. It's so nice to be able to just rest and not think that we have to be rushing around doing a million things like a real tourist....lol...that's the beauty of a 10 week holiday. We got up at 5.30 and thought we would go for a ride up a road we went to last time we were here and see if a little restaurant we went to was still there. It was there but had been built on to and the prices were alot higher but it is right on the water so is a lovely setting. We still ate there but although the food was nice the servings were very small and the mango sticky rice, which is Tanya's favourite as you should know, was so awful she took it back and said she couldn't eat it....and as it cost 5 times more than we were paying for it in Chang Mai, she was not impressed and we didn't pay for it. We always say when we go to a more expensive restaurant that we don't know why we do as we are never as impressed as the small local ones....so lesson finally learnt and no more fancy places for us. Off home for an early night and a night cap in bed watching t.v. Alvo xoxo

Beach Time.....

After our late night we had a bit of a sleep in till 10am which was lovely. Unfortunately my belly still has not recovered and emergency evacuations are still required....lol. We headed off on the bike to the main road to look for a late breaky and went to a little local place for some crying tiger and fried rice. We decided it was a nice day for the beach so we headed back to the hotel and across the road to find a spot to lay down. Tanya is wanting to even up her motorbike tan so laid in the sun while I don't really care about my weird tan so I stayed in the shade. We only stayed for about an hour and a half as we get bored pretty quickly. Back to the room for showers and a few bevvies in the airconditioning then off again on the bike to find dinner. We rode up and down the main road and I spotted a side road that had restaurants in it so we ventured down there to see what was there. There were quite a few places and we ended up settling for an all you can eat Thai BBQ place. You get a metal container full off red hot coals and a dish that sits on top that you cook your little bits of meat in the middle which is raised above where the soup is....yes it sounds weird and is hard to explain but if you google Thai BBQ there are images there to see or you can see the pics on my facebook. We left there and thought a walk on the beach would be nice. While walking on the beach we have decided that Kamala is not quite the same as it was 2 years ago. We know things change but it is a little disappointing as we loved it so much last time. It is still very quite but they are putting up alot of new restaurants on the beach and there are heaps of shops that were not there before. Even the beach isn't as nice as there is alot of rubbish and the sand is really coarse and hard to walk on. The prices of everything from accommodation to food has gone up alot as well. We have paid for a week at our hotel and are happy to stay here till then but we will move on after that. Time for a cuppa and a night cap or two (for Tanya, not me) and a bit of Aussie T.V to end the night. Bike riding adventures up the coast tomorrow so stay tuned. Alvo xoxo

Friends Both Old and New....

We headed off to the dentist this morning and I needed 8 fillings which I had done with no needles, the dentist was right when she said it would only feel sensitive and not too painful. She also cleaned my teeth and my broken tooth feels like new. Total cost $320. Alvo needed 2 fillings and a clean so she was done in no time. Of course our card did not work in the machine at the dentist so we made a trip to the bank in Patong before returning to pay and heading for some lunch, we didn't have breakfast due to the dentist and Alvo was dubious to have anything earlier due to belly pains. We found a local restaurant and were again not disappointed.....we are getting good at picking the good ones. We made our way to Kathu where we met Helen, a friend we met who was working at the hospital where Alvo had her operation here. She and some friends were having a get together so we met some more new friends today, one of which I recognised and worked out that we went to primary school together....weird huh. She is also the best friend of a guy we worked with in Alice Springs who's brother I went to infants school with and later worked with in Tamworth, small world I tell you. We ended the night with some dinner at a little bar round the corner from Helen's friends place and a night cap at another friends house....we are getting around I tell you. We made the 30 minute trip back to Kamala and now it is time to rest and hope that Alvo has no more squitty bum tomorrow. Tanya xxx

Kamala Here We Come....

Our friends are flying back home to Oz today so this morning was filled with packing and farewelling. Alvo had a bit of a rough night due to some squitty bum, our friends have been crook and maybe it is Alvo's turn.....she never catches anything normally (yes Ma, I have her on the Schuesslers xx). We waved them goodbye at 9.30am and headed off to get a moped as we are going to Kamala to stay. With a bike rented off we rode and the familiar road to Kamala was a nice sight. We arrived and stopped at the guesthouse we stayed at last time we were here and the price has increased a bit....last time we paid 500 Baht per night and now it is 1000 Baht but as we are past customers and all he offered the room for 700 Baht and after looking around at almost every hotel in town decided that it was our best choice. We are even in the same room we had.....cool. Alvo is still feeling a little half baked so we rested in our room for a few hours before heading down to the beach for some food. There have certainly been some changes, new buildings are going up on the beach and the prices are a little more expensive, don't like the thought of our quiet little hideaway becoming touristy but I guess that is progression. With Alvo still feeling weak and a little tired we went back to our room for showers and I went to the 7-11 for some ice, we already have lemonade for Alvo to drink and hopefully keep up the sugar levels, I also bought icy poles.....I hope that makes her feel a little better. Alvo felt like some soup, as you do when you are crook, so off I rode to find some. Such a hunter and gatherer I am. I found a great market with lots of clothes and food but no soup so I continued on and found a great little restaurant where the lady there filled some take away bags with rice noodles, chicken, broth and some greens and I took them home for my sick little angel. She had a few mouthfuls but it wasn't helping much so we just rested while watching an episode of Wonderland. We have been in contact with our friend in Phuket who would like us to join her for a few wines at her friends place who happens to work at the Soi Dog Foundation and has said we can go and help out at the shelter if we like so we will have a good yarn to her about the details. The foundation helps to rescue and rehabilitate street dogs in the hope of finding them homes, our friend Tamara in Bangkok has done a lot of work with them. It is now time for a nightcap and some shut eye so will tell you all about our adventures tomorrow. Oh and I changed our dentist appointment to tomorrow so will update you about it in the next blog. Tanya xxx

Walking, Walking, Walking....

Waking up to another sunny day was great. We were all a bit tired but knowing you don't really have to do anything makes it all ok. Tanya and I headed off to the dentist to see what we needed doing and when we could do it. Tanya broke her tooth months ago and has been waiting to get it fixed here, thinking she would need a crown but the dentist said she can fix it with a filling. So she will get that done, 3 other fillings and a scale and clean and I need 1 filling and will also get a scale and clean. It all should come in under $300 so we are pretty happy with that and we are going back at 2pm tomorrow to have it all done. We found a nice place to eat which had good shakes and omelet's and WiFi so we got the blog posted. We spent the afternoon walking around with Lisa and Rae and even got down to the beach for a walk. I managed to fit in a little nanna nap while they all went for a walk to the temple and when they returned we all went for dinner. As it is the girls last night here they are keen for some good Thai so we took them to the place we had breaky and they were not disappointed. More walking and shopping was done and by 9.45pm we finally got to have the facial we had talked about all day. We went to the same place I got my nails done and I even got the same lady. Tanya, Rae and I got facials while Lisa and Carly went for the massages. This facial was even better than the last. They use this sucking thing that sucks all the crap out of your skin which feels really cool. Our faces felt so soft and beautiful afterwards and for about $13 for an hour it really is awesome. So back to the room and it's time for bed. We will farewell the girls in the morning and then head off to Kamala which is a much quieter and nicer place to be. Alvo xo

Show Time....

We awoke to a fairly decent day which was great. We headed down to a restaurant to have breaky and use their WiFi as this hotel doesn't give you free internet which is a bit of a bugger and we were a couple of days behind in the blog. So after we got caught up we headed for a look at some markets up the road where Tanya, Lisa & Rae all bought shirts and a few other things. The girls then headed to the beach for a look and Tanya and I went to the dentist to see about an appointment. But for some reason it was closed till tomorrow so we will head back then. I needed my nails redone so I went into one of the dozens of places and got to sit in the airconditioning for half an hour which is a bonus. We spent the rest of the day not doing much although we did organise to go to The Simon Cabaret in Patong tonight. We were picked up at 7pm and were dropped off and told to meet the minivan when it finished. We told the driver that we had organised to be dropped into the main part of Patong after the show and not back to our hotel. The show only went for just over an hour but it was really good and the costumes were pretty spectacular. You are not allowed to take photos during the show but at the end outside all the dancers are lined up and you can get your pic taken with them....for a fee of course....there is nothing free in Patong that's for sure. So we all went to where we were meant to be picked up and waited....and waited and after talking to several people were told that it would be there soon but we had to go back to our hotel in Karon. Mels sister was not happy and ended up on the phone with the tour person having an argument and ended up being hung up on. I wouldn't like to be this lady when Jo goes back to see her in the morning....lol. So we ended up having to pay for a Tuk Tuk and got dropped in to Banglar Road. It certainly has not changed in 2 years and if anything has gotten even busier and sleazier. One thing we have noticed here is the huge amount of Russians.....they seem to be taking over the place. Even menus and shops have Russian writing. We went to a big bar where we were meeting the others that didn't come to the show with us and it was so loud, busy and expensive that Lisa, Rae, Tanya and I decided to go find some dinner. We took the girls to a restaurant away from Banglar Road and it was nice. The girls were keen to see a pingpong show and as we had done that last time we were here, we had absolutely no desire to see one again. So we took them back to the big bar and left them with others and Tanya and I headed off to a little place we went last time, to see a lady boy show. We were just in time for one of the 3 shows they do every night and we were not disappointed at all. They are such good fun to watch and they are so passionate about what they are doing.....we love them. When it finished we headed back to find the others but as they had not been to the show yet we just hung around until they did. It was time to get a Tuk Tuk home and as they are like a mobile disco it was an interesting trip with lots of loud singing from Mels very drunk Nephews. It was 3am before we got to bed, hence why I am writing the blog this morning. Alvo xoxo

Wet Wet Phuket....

This morning we woke to the sound of some sort of procession in the street with music and firecrackers so decided to investigate. We are not quite sure what was going on and as it was starting to rain we headed off for breakfast. We generally have good timing and this was no exception, we got into a cafe just as it started to pour. Our friends Lisa and Rae told us that each morning has started with rain like this but as they predicted it eased off soon enough but we had already decided to grab some drinks and snacks and head back to their room for a few quiet bevvies and some catching up as it has been over a year since we saw them. We sat and chatted and it wasn't long before our other mate Mel and her partner joined us for a couple of drinks and more catch up. It feels really strange to catch up with friends in a different country. The day passed by and Mel's family dropped in for a chat too which was nice and we decided it was time to head to the markets for a look and then find some dinner. The girls told us that the prices were higher than usual so we will head to different markets tomorrow for a look. Time for food and the girls wanted suggestions so Alvo and I showed them how it is done.....Thai style. We wandered up the road, one where the girls thought there was not much to look at and we stopped at a vegetarian place that was set up for the vegetarian festival and the questions started. Rae is like me so she can't eat gluten so I made sure that what we ordered was made with rice flour and had them cook the fried rice with no soy sauce. The girls had been eating in bigger restaurants and weren't sure about the smaller places but we have converted them. They loved it, we had a tasting plate of rice paper spring rolls, taro and corn fritters and taro and tofu thingys accompanied by delicious fried rice. Rae was even able to have the chilli sauce. I think they will be a little more adventurous over the next few days before their holiday ends. As we left and headed back to the market for a second look the rain started again. It poured and we got soaked on the long walk back to the hotel. Lisa and Rae have told us that we can stay with them as long as we like until they leave and we really want to spend time with them so we took up their offer. We will sneak in and pay for breakfast, dinner or drinks for them as a thankyou as we appreciate their generosity......we have such great friends. They said they have always wanted to go to the Country Music Festival so we can have them stay with us whenever they decide to visit. Showers were had and although it was still early we settled in for the night and after enjoying a delicious Magnum ice cream each I took to Lisa's legs as she has had pain in them since she arrived in Thailand. She bought some balm this morning so a good massage might help, it is worth a try. We watched a movie called Piranha 3DD and if you get the chance to see it.....don't, it was time in my life I will never get back. It was soooo corny and strange with pirhana's biting mens bits and coming out of ladies bits and no it wasn't porn just a very strange movie but it passed the time. So now we are in bed and listening to the waves crashing on the shore, the weather has certainly been a bit rough but we are enjoying spending time with our friends. More adventures to be had tomorrow and the blog will be posted when we get internet access so thankyou for being patient (Ma, I know you don't like starting the day without it....I love you). Tanya xxx.

Bye Bye Bangkok....

This morning was spent just waiting to leave really. We got a taxi to the airport and then waited there as well. Our flight was a bit late leaving but it was a quick flight. We got a minibus to Karon and was welcomed by the rain. And the bus trip actually took longer than the flight....lol. We were dropped in the main area of the town and we went in search of a room. We asked at a few places and as we were walking past a restaurant we stumbled upon our friends from the Sunshine Coast that we were meant to be meeting up with later. We had dinner with them and they offered for us to stay with them for the night so we decided that we would do that and look for somewhere in the morning. It was after midnight before we got to bed listening to a really wild storm. Hopefully tomorrow will be nice. Alvo xoxo

Football & Cocktails....

We were up and ready to go before 9am as Tamara was taking Bella to the park and we were getting a taxi to the post office to send our cool Thai bed thingies back to Australia. Getting a taxi here is super easy but getting them to understand where you want to go is a different story. Although we were lucky today and he seemed to know where we wanted to go and as we knew which way he should go it was all good.....but then he turned up a side street and we thought he was taking a sneaky back way to avoid the traffic. In the end we are sure it took longer and he dropped us on the wrong side of the street (which is a bit of a pain as you can't just cross the street anywhere here).....but for $2 we certainly were not going to complain. So we finally found the post office and are very pleased the girl there speaks English but not so pleased when she says that there was not a box big enough for our stuff and we could send it the way they were but there is a chance that Australia won't except them....arghhhhh. So after much deliberation we decide we will chance it and get them wrapped properly, fill out forms, pay a small fortune and send them on their way....see you in 3 months :) We walked back to the train station and as Tanya was wanting to get a haircut at the 100 baht hairdresser back at another station, we got an all day pass and headed back there. You put your money in a machine and it gives you a ticket which you then give to the hairdresser in this tiny little salon and she cuts your hair....mind you I think it really is a mens salon but Tanya is ok with that....lol. She was a bit worried as the girl didn't speak much English and seemed to be getting a bit clipper happy with a number 1 but it ended up pretty good although a bit shorter than normal....but it's only hair and grows back. After vacuuming the hair off her we were ready to go....lol. We got the train to where we were going to meet Tamara and as there was a vegetarian festival on we stopped and tasted a few things. We then went into MBK which is a massive shopping centre and has so many shops and food and waaaaayyy too many people. I have never seen so many mobile phone shops in my life....there were hundreds of them. We managed to find Tamara and we headed to another big shopping centre. It's a pity we aren't shopping freaks as it would have been pretty awesome. But as we aren't, we were glad to get out of there. We had found a pub on the internet which was playing the NRL Grand Final so we got a train and then a cab to get there....only we couldn't find the pub so after doing a lap of the street we just got out to walk and look for it. We found another pub and they had a really good happy hour so we went there instead. There were a few other Aussies in there and it turned out to be a great afternoon. We consumed way too many cocktails but for $3 each it's a bit hard not to. We decided that we would go to a restaurant called Cabbages and Condoms, which we had been told about by our friend Jason in Hoi An. It is a really cool place that supports safe sex in Thailand and is also a charity. Although it's a bit pricey, the food was so delicious and it's all for a good cause. It was pouring rain when we left so we jumped in a cab and headed home. We have had a great last day here and have really enjoyed our time with Tamara. We are off in the morning to Phuket for the last leg of our adventures. Alvo xo

Chatuchuck Markets here we come....

We finally slept in after staying up until after midnight last night and we all got ready and headed off to Chatuchak markets. We are getting pro at this train catching stuff and after changing to the underground train we stopped right in the markets. Tamara got us a map, yep a map of the markets that is how big they are. There are different sections for things like clothes, pets, house decor, food etc and it is easy to forget where you are in there. Alvo was first to make a purchase as she needed to replace a pair of shoes and there was plenty to look at. We wandered around and the main thing we wanted to find was thai triangle and flat cushions and we will ship them back to Oz as the postage isn't too expensive. We found just what we were looking for and a good deal was struck but I wish we had have looked around a little more before buying them because now we have to carry the damn things and that was not an easy task through the narrow walkways. Tamara showed us a nice place for lunch and we ate before I headed off to find the shop where I had tried on shoes earlier but of course I couldn't find it so I obviously wasn't meant to buy shoes there.....oh well. We spent hours there and on the way back to the train got some coconut ice cream as it was very humid and I figured that I deserved it after all the walking especially carrying the cushions around on my back. Alvo had to carry one too but she didn't eat as much ice cream as me. On the train again and it wasn't long before we were changing trains and then arriving at our station where Tamara thought it best that we get a taxi as she needed a few things at Big C which is a shopping centre type thing here. We have decided that the people in the city are very different to the people in other parts of Thailand.....especially the Japanese, people can be so rude sometimes and Alvo has had a gutful. Tamara got heaps of groceries for under $30 and we found coconut ice cream in a tub so thought it cheaper buying it this way instead of on the street.....lets see if it tastes as good. We got home and by this time it was 6pm and poor Alvo was exhausted and stinking hot so we delved into a bevvie and I had to try the ice cream of course. It definitely does not taste the same as the stuff I get on the street so won't be making the mistake of buying that again but still I have eaten the whole tub because Tamara said she wouldn't eat it if I left it with her. After a short rest and a shower we headed off for dinner, Alvo couldn't resist trying a donor kebab off the street which she said was not as good as the ones on Chiang Mai but still nice and Tamara and I shared a hot clay pot thing where you cook your own meat, noodles and veggies in a steaming pot of spiced broth, it was great and there was a gut load of it for the top price of $4.....OMG we really splashed out tonight. It is kinda like Thai style bbq. You also get a sauna from the heat off the fire pot that keeps the broth hot so bonus for us huh. We thought we would call into a bar for a cheeky cocktail but geez the prices are high here so we decided on 7-11 take aways and headed for home. I called in and got my coconut water for the morning from my usual lady but after devouring all the ice cream decided to give her serving a miss for tonight but will catch up on it tomorrow on the way home. Not long after we had a well earned drink and chatted about our plan for tomorrow we turned in for the night. Tamara will take Bella to the dog park in the morning and we will sort out the postage thing so hoping things run smoothly. I will fill you in about it tomorrow and tell you of our experience at the vegetarian festival....can't wait. Tanya xxx.

Back in Bangkok....

Alvo was up very early (about 5am) due to a number of bowel launches so needless to say we were awake when the alarm when off at 6.30am to head to the train station. We were hoping that reception was open as our washing was not picked up by our guesthouse yesterday when we went out. Of course the only staff there were ones who could not understand us so the young lad went and got the English speaking lady out of bed. She phoned the laundry and as we suspected our washing had not yet been picked up....argh. So a young boy headed off on a motorbike to get it as we started walking toward the train station. We met him on the roadway with our washing and made it to the station with 10 minutes to spare but we were not expecting the train to be on time and we were right.....it was almost an hour late but that gave us time to watch an episode of Wonderland while we waited. We boarded the train and off we went, headed back to Bangkok. Alvo fell asleep almost straight away, I guess her early morning squitty bum has seen her have a lack of sleep. About an hour of so into the trip I needed to use the bathroom and using a squat toilet is a challenge at the best of times so using one on a moving train was a bit of a challenge but I conquered. While I was away the ladies selling food wandered up the aisles and Alvo bought me some spicy pork and rice which was fantastic and she opted for the corn filled waffles. It was nice to sit back down to breakfast. I could not resist when the lady with crispy fried chicken came past and don't mind eating it as I know that I can not get the same thing back home so a good grease and oil change won't hurt and of course Alvo got some chicken sticks. I wrote yesterdays blog as we were back late last night and then started on todays. Alvo received good news yesterday of Chloe getting a job to see her through until the new contract with her current mob starts up again so she is now a little more relaxed about that side of things. Danielle keeps posting count down comments on our facebook too....I think she is missing our old house and am sure when she picks up the keys from the real estate next week won't be able to resist a sneaky visit on her way home. The train seemed to be faster than the other day and didn't stop anywhere near as many times so we got to Bangkok in good time and walked back to catch the ferry. The river was very choppy today and it looks as though there has been quite a bit of rain. On the way across the river I saw a lady on our ferry praying, I know it's rough but I didn't think it was that bad. Ok, now to get a taxi to the klong pier. One bloke wanted 200 Baht ($7) and wouldn't put the meter on claiming there is traffic jam so out we got and bartered with a tuk tuk driver instead and struck a deal at 80 Baht (just over $2.50) and off we went. It wasn't long and we were at the pier and on the klong where we got off at the end of Tamara's street and walked the final part of our journey back to Bangkok. We stopped in to the 7-11 of course for a cheeky bevvie and some soda water for Tamara as she is home today with a migraine. We rested until Tamara woke up and we met her across the road friend to go for coffee. Cherrie is a parent of one of Tamara's students and she is lovely with a polite daughter who speaks English, Thai and French.....and she is only 7 years old. We went to a dessert cafe that is famous for their ice cream, they even have soy ice cream. Alvo ordered a macadamia chocolate cheesecake and a hot mocha, I had a latte on soy, Tamara opted for the honey toast with ice cream and Cherrie enjoyed chocolate crepes and ice cream with her daughter.....yep, it was full on. The waitress got one thing from our order correct and they even buggered up the bill twice....but it was an indulgent treat. We parted from Cherrie and headed to see Bella the dog before going to Soi 38 for what they say is some of the best street food in Bangkok. Although the street is quite short there is no shortage of food. It is the start of the 10 day vegetarian period in the Buddhist belief so I had to try some of the many dishes on offer. What can I say, if Alvo wouldn't leave me I would turn vego excluding the crispy fried chicken of course, it was delicious and spicy. Alvo and Tamara had some pork sticks and then we moved on to another restaurant to share a crispy pork dish and green mango salad again it was great. We wandered up the street for a while before heading for home, Tamara is going to get a massage and I am going to see my coconut water and ice cream lady on the way home for morning supplies and a treat. She did not disappoint, I love coconut ice cream. At home we showered and then enjoyed a bevvie or two before turning in for the night. We are heading to the big markets tomorrow so need some rest. Tanya xxx.

Cooking with On....

We are off to our cooking class today so there is no way we are having breakfast but will still wander up the road to get fresh coconut water for a great start to the day. We decided to sit in the Mangosteen Cafe as they have wifi and wait for our cooking timeslot, Alvo tried out their mocha coffee which she thought was great. Guessing that it would be ok if we were early we headed up to On's restaurant to start cooking. She was ready for us with all the ingredients for todays class set up in a folding table next to her one and only wok burner which is right on the footpath, yep no fancy kitchen here just a chopping board, a few assorted bowls containing the essentials like chilli, garlic, soy, mushroom sauce, tofu, sugar and veggies and one single wok burner where she works her magic. We get to make 3 dishes each today and a desert and we have chosen banana flower salad (because the dressing is delicious), peanut sauce, massaman curry, curry fried rice, pad thai, laap and she threw in pad see ew as she told us that the veggie salad that goes with the peanut sauce was too easy and of course mango sticky rice. She told us to save some of our dishes so we can eat them for dinner tonight and we would make the dessert after dinner when we return. She was there on her own today so I asked her if I could stay past the end of the class time and help her in the restaurant, her face lit up and she said 'please, please, please' so we were put to work chopping vegetables and washing woks. As the day progressed many customers came and we cooked together, we cleared dirty plates, washed up, swept and delivered food for her. She is such a lovely person and helping her was such a joy. It is nice to know that you do not need a food handling certificate or some sort of qualification to give someone a hand here. She even had Alvo making shakes for customers who remarked that the food and drinks were delicious.....maybe we could work here one day...lol. She told us that today was her lucky day and she feels like a princess, she even bought us coconut ice cream and wouldn't let me pay, I think she appreciated the help. When the place got quiet her friend from next door bought over some fish dishes for lunch and she wanted us to sit with them and try it all. What I like about this place is that for people who have so little they are always willing to share, that is why you don't mind giving some of your time I guess. The fish dishes were unusual and her friend mainly caters for Thai people so it was great to taste real Thai food and enjoy the company. She spoke to us about her family and the things going on in her life and we assured her that we would keep in touch. It was late in the afternoon and we wanted to shower before returning for dinner so headed off. As we were showered and ready quite early we stopped in at the Mangosteen for a cocktail, Alvo tried their long island ice tea which was very potent and I had an interesting mix of coconut milk, vodka, ginger and chilli.....it sounds strange but it was great. Ok.....enough lazing about, time to go and cook our dinner but not before a photo, exchange of facebook contact and a goodbye to our massage ladies. They were happy to see us and sad that we are leaving tomorrow. The restaurant was quiet so we cooked our curry fried rice straight away and heated up our massaman curry from earlier. As expected, it was delicious and we were pretty full so was happy to see the place get busy as this meant we could wait until later to cook our dessert. Again she put us to work helping her cook and serve food as well as washing up and chopping ingredients, it is nice to know that we can slot right into cruise mode and help out. Alvo was mainly doing PR work inside the restaurant while I ran around washing woks and re-filling ingredient dishes.....it was soooo cool. Quiet time came again and I had already helped her with a dessert for a customer so she just let me loose on the wok and I created some damn good mango sticky rice. We all sat and chatted and her friend from next door was excited when I told her that next time I visit I will work for her as long as she gave me a room and food, she kept saying 'yes come, come' so you never know. We took lots of photos and felt like we were right at home, On told us that she wanted us to feel like that and she was very hospitable. On gave us an apron as a thankyou gift and we will certainly think of her and this place when we wear it. Goodbyes were said and we headed for a night cap at the 10B bar. I got chatting to the girl there about the structure of Thai language and she helped me to understand alot. There was an English guy there too that Alvo got chatting to about his family here in Thailand. We had one and then another and another, more people came to the bar and we got chatting. I met a young bloke from South Africa who is teaching here in Kanchanaburi and is loving it, we talked about how he came to be here and how he got qualified etc, he was really nice. We again exchanged facebook contacts and took photos before heading back to our room, we forgot we needed to collect our washing but when we got there the reception was closed so lets hope they are open early as we are catching the early train. Goodnight all. Tanya xxx.

Sleeping on "The River Kwai"....

This morning we took up residence at our new raft room which is so on the river that when a boat goes past it rocks around, lets hope I don't get sea sick. We took our moped back and headed up the road to get coconut water which was icy cold today. Walking a little further we found some snacks for breakfast, sweet coconut biscuit thingys, crispy chicken bits and dim sum...we love snacks. We came across a sweets stall and got some assorted sticky rice for later on. We want to just hang about today so we stopped in at a very cool little cafe that has wifi and started off with a coconut shake each which was delicious then we showed the ladies how to make coffee using coconut milk as they had never tried making it that way before, they were surprised that it tasted good so they might be able to offer it to customers who can't drink fresh milk. After some time of sitting, chatting and trying to work out what the hell our real estate agent is doing back home with our house we ordered a dish that we have never tried before, after all that is what our trip is all about. It was a mix of fried rice, green mango, chilli, pork fried in palm sugar, cucumber, dried shrimps and lime.....mmmmmm. We sat and chatted to the waitress there for a while before heading to the 7-11 to get bevvies to take back and have on our balcony on the river. We have also booked our flight to Phuket on Monday and it will be great to catch up with our friends from the sunny coast down there. Although the sun is not out today it is still 'rorn mak' (very hot) so a lay down in front of the fan is called for so we caught up on Winners and Losers before heading to the train station to find out the departure time of the train on Friday, we will get the early morning one at 7.20am in case it leaves late again, we don't want to get to Bangkok in the dark. We found snacks at the train station markets again which we enjoyed (I think Alvo is having a love affair with crispy fried chicken) before heading for massages. Tonight Alvo had a head massage while I got my feet done again, we tipped our massage ladies as we probably won't get another session tomorrow night, they were very appreciative and we told them we would call by tomorrow night to say goodbye and hook up on facebook. They are so lovely and we always chat while enjoying their expertise. Again we headed for a night cap at the 10B bar where the usual girl told us that she has the night off and her boss was working, but would be back tomorrow night so that is a great excuse to return tomorrow night....not that we need an excuse. On the way there we stopped at a stall where the lady was selling leather goods that she hand makes, handbags, bracelets, coin purses and wallets we couldn't go past without buying as we love finding hand made goods that are unique and so cheap. On the way home we stopped in at the 7-11 to pay for our flights, yep you heard me correctly, you can pay for airline tickets at the 7-11......go Thailand.......and a couple of roadies to have on our balcony. There is a beautiful dog that greets us at the front of our guesthouse and tries to grab Alvo's dress and my shorts as we walk to our room, she is soooo friendly and escorted us all the way and then sat at our door as we walked in. As we are enjoying a cold one......in my underwear of course, a party boat passed by with the music pumping and lights flashing, it was cool. We are excited about doing the cooking class tomorrow so will sleep well in our floating room.....I hope. Tanya xxx.

Riding and riding and riding....

This morning we hired a moped to get a little more out of town but just seemed to drive and drive and drive and not really see much and as it was scorching here today we were getting very burned in the sun even with sun cream on so after lunch we went back to our room for a rest. Alvo had a sleep while I just watched tv and surfed the net. We decided to surface again late arvo and headed to the bus station where we have been told of good street food. It was peak hour and the traffic was chaotic but we made it unscathed and found some great food. We didn't want to eat too much however because we wanted to go to the market at the train station too. We were not disappointed when we got there, there was loads of food so we had a bit of this and a bit of that it, was great. Ok time for a few bevvies at the 10B bar before we go and endure a face scrub and massage and we went to see the girls that did our feet yesterday. Once again we were not disappointed and enjoyed an hour of face cleaning, scrubbing and massaging and of course while our mask thing was drying we also got an arm and hand massage. Geez life is tough at the moment. One more night cap and it is off to bed for us but not before checking out a guesthouse on the river and we are definitely going to stay there for a couple of nights as it looks beautiful but will tell you all about it tomorrow. Tanya xxx.