Thailand 13th to 27th December 2012

Chiang Mai 13th to 21st December

Yindee Stylish Guest house double standard with en suite, very modern hotel Boutique style, comfy beds and lots of space.

Hired motorbikes for 5 days so we could get around.

15th Dec - Doi Pui mountain, Phuping Palace, Wat Phra Doi Suthep, Huay Kaew falls. Saturday Walking St market.

16th Dec - Massage at Women's prison - Andy & Taz had a foot massage , Dan & I had a Traditional Thai massage. Very professional and interesting all enjoyed.

Statute of 3 Kings, walk around temples Chiang Mon.

Basil Healthy Cookery school - pick up at 4pm shopping at markets and then to cookery school 6 courses, cook one eat one and understanding of ingredients etc. I had arranged for a birthday cake for Andy. Good fun - kids enjoyed too.

17th Dec - sleep in, shooting range an Buggy Circuit with Taz driving kind of.

18th Dec - Thai Boxing practice session 10 to 11, good excerpting and tiring.

Wat Phra Singh- Royal wat.

Wat Suan Dok- very bling with white stupa, very picturesque.

Thai boxing comp and market.

19th Dec - Wat Phan Tao - wooden building

Wat Chedi Luang

walk round city limits

massage

20th Dec - Centre of the Universe Hotel and Swimming pool. Pick up at 11am and take back at 5pm.

25m swimming pool, restaurant within beautiful grounds at base of mountains. Good day to chill, swim and sunbathe.

21st Dec - final walk round old town, lunch, massage and then train station for 4.30 to catch overnight train to Bangkok. Sleepers but not in a cabin very spacious but noisy we all managed to get some sleep.

Bangkok 21st to 27th December

22nd Dec - Train arrived at 6.50am

Korbua House just off Khao san road. Boutique type hotel, newly refurbished, comfy beds overlooking canal and fish market so lots of people watching.

I room ready but other not so left our bags.

Royal Palace - very busy and very hot.

Afternoon snooze and then discover the delights of Khoa San Rd.

23rd Dec - Chatuchak Market for the weekend market. Catch the sky train to end of Sukhumvit Line to Chatuchak Park 35Bhat.. Very busy and hot but managed to pick up some bargains and most of our Christmas pressies. Lunch. Sky train back and walk around MBK shopping Centre to get a change of perspective.

Back to hotel where we watched lizards swimming in the canal and lots of fish gathering for scraps.

24th Dec - Wat Pho reclining Buddha

China town for lunch Taz did not like the heat or the smells it was very busy with tiny passage ways and lots of people.

25th Dec - late English breakfast. Went to Paragon Plaza to watch The Hobbit, Starbucks coffee and cake. Popcorn and drinks. Back to hotel to ring family and friends. Lots of news from back home.

Out for Dinner - Flaming Volcanic Chicken, cocktails and wine shish pipe. Dan proposed to Taz and possped the ring on her finger. All in all a great day but unusual, not the same as being at home but glad the kids were with us.

26th Dec - last minute shopping and chilling day. Caught the river taxi to China town so we could watch the sunset down the river and see the temples lit up at night etc. Lots of restaurant serving hark Fin soup, so we decide not to eat there and make our way back to Khoa San Road for our last meal together.

27th Dec - English breakfast all together. Dan & Taz leave for airport in a Tuk Tuk because Taz wanted to experience it.

Our train leaves at 15:10, good seats slightly smaller than the last train again sleeper in main cabin. Some sleep.

28th Dec - Arrive in Hat Ya at 9:15 over 2.25 hours late. Hat Ya is a bustling city with shopping centre and not much else. We are tired and hot and nothing really to pass the time til our next train at 4pm. Massage, Lunch. We nearly miss the train as we could not see it on the station and the engine arrived last minute. Guard managed to delay the start to let us on. Beds already made up so no room to talk to people. Food was buffet car and was rubbish. Cross the border and sleep - more comfy not so rocking on Malaysian side - obviously better tracks.