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2 June

We have been traveling 2 months today, no small feet when judging from our past experiences. We followed the same routine, breakfast and heading to class where we enjoyed a fresh cup of coffee. Today class focused on lying on your stomach and revision of the previous day. The positions were fewer than we had done in the previous days but they were definitely more complex. The day also didn't seem to fly past as the last couple did.

The Italian joined us only for the morning session after which he was a professionally trained Thai Masseuse having completing the 5 day course, the instructors course is 2 weeks. He was originally from Italy, but had traveled and lived significant parts of South America. He now works 2 months in Italy while spending the remaining 10 months traveling and living in India on an average of 150 Euro's a month, he has been doing this for the past 5 years!

We had asked the day before if we could join Jane and Nid for a traditional Thai meal rather than ordering Thai take away. I can't recall the names nor exactly explain what the food was but it was nice - a couple of small bowls each with a different dish inside and then you just eat! After lunch we spent the hour chatting to Christian before he left and we started another lesson. Jane showed us the positions on Nid while we made notes and then practiced on each other with Nid guiding us. She had left to do some admin and also to make a bank transfer with money I had given her. The money was for the owner of Image Collection with whom I had bartered a deal, whereby we would go 50%/50% on the postage to South Africa due to the inconvenience he had caused us.

We finished up and headed home, lazing on the balcony reading a book before heading out again first for a shave and second for food. We headed for the nearest barber shop (only a small room behind what looked like a garage), which was only 20 m from our accommodation. An elderly man greeted us and showed me to a chair after we had settled on a price. I noticed he wore a white glove on one hand but paid no attention to it. I indicated that all I wanted was a shave and pointed to the electrical shaver and 1950's shaver. Taking into consideration the extent of my facial hair it didn't take long for him to catch what I was saying. He started with the electrical shaver and within minutes 95% of my beard was gone, lying on the floor below me, Leanne enjoying every minute of it! Then he started with the shaving blade for a close shave, the same as my grandfather had used.

He started lathering up my remaining beard with a type of gel followed by shaving cream, then came the shave. We had learned from our Thai massage instructors that all must be done slowly, but didn't think the art also applied for barbers. His precision was extreme and so was the effort he put into it, shaving me at least 4 times to ensure all was as smooth as possible. Having finished the shave he proceeded to powder the saved area with some sort of powder only to make it as soft and smooth as possible. Then came the rounding touches of a Thai massage while resting on the chair. First the head & neck, a few bones cracking, then the arms, hands and finishing off with the legs. But that wasn't all, spectators are also made to feel at home and Leanne also received her share of a massage. Off we went 40 minutes later, a shave & two massages for only 80 Baht (R20)!

We wandered from there to the market were Leanne informed me that the man wore a glove because he only had 2 fingers, this was the hand he used to shave me! She thought it better to tell me afterwards and was quite right. We bought Padthai and Som Tam, sat and drank a beer pondering the day. Then heading back to practice the last positions given to us as homework for tomorrows class.