HI All, so much has happened since we left Bangkok so this could be a long one, we apologise now if you get bored!! Have had an amazing time in Chiang Mai, arrive in the early hours to a really nice cheap hostel called Nice Place 2 and arranged to do our treking through them the next day.  had a kip to recharge our batteries and then had a wander around the city, went to Charlies Fish and Chip shop, haven't had western food for a while and it was so good, even did me chips and beans lovely, retired english man called charlie who felt that the only thing missing in Thailand was fish n chips!!! That night we decided to go to Thai boxing match the hostel told us they wanted to rearrange the trek for us to go in a days time because it was a better group, lots of nice english and european people the next day was all Isralies and Korean they wanted us to have the best time possible which was sweet. So we decided to do a cooking course the next day instead. Went to the thai boxing and met a really nice couple from Maidstone and Sheffield, had a great evening the boxing started with some very lightweight boxers they couldnt have been any older than 10 years old (felt abit wierd watching kids bix didnt really like it!) It was interresting to see tho they do a traditional warm up dance preparation before the fight like a dance, not sure if it is to psych each other out or wierd stretching anyway it was a good show, we got abit more into it when there were Farang fighters one from England and the other Sweden we had to cheer and support them, the english guy knocked the thai out cold how vey english of him!! After the fights they had a Caberet show with lots of dancing lady boys in elaborate costumes was pretty  funny toby even managed to get up and personal with one of them who grabbed his hand and put it on his boob (i have photo evidence) ha ha!! After the fight and numberous Chang beers we all decide to get a tuk tuk managed to fit 6 people in one a very tight squeeze, until one of the lad fell of and split his pants extremely funny sight luckly we were hardly moving at the time. Had a few more drinks and ate lots of free popcorn before we decided it was definately time to get to bed as we had a full days cooking the next morning.

Woke up I was ready to go been looking forward to doing a Thai cooking course from the day we arrived, (toby was not really in the mood for cooking slightly hungover!!!) But the day started nice and easy with a trip to the local market to collect our ingredients and they went through all the vegetables so we could recognise them for ourselves when we get home, lots of sniffing of wierd objects that we had never seen before the worst was the really stinky fish paste yuk enought to churn your stomach even on a good day. Made toby turn an even darker shade of green!!! The teacher was a really funny thai lady called Nokky her favourite phrase was sexxxxxy as she posed for the numerous photos she had a joke for everything. They took us to the kitchens where we would be learning for the day a really lovely house out in the country, gave us all an apron and chopping board and we started on our first dish of the day we were having Pad Thai for breakfast yummy. Couldnt believe how simple it was to make we will be making that one for sure when we get back. This was followed by Spring rolls in dipping sauce, tom yung soup, green curry with rice, chicken and cashew nuts the most fun see the photos of us with huge flames in our woks, then the day was finished with a pudding of sticky rice and mangos or banana dish, it was crazy so much food everywhere it was impossible to eat it all were used to having 2 dishes a day here so 7 in 5 hours bit much was such good food we had to have doggy bags. Had such a fun day would recommend it to anyone who comes as it the cheapest place to do one the company we did it with was Pad Thai cookery school we even got a cook book and certificate at the end and some local fruit tasting. Had to have ait of a snooze to sleep off all that food, then headed to the night markets it was nice lots of handicrafts made by local tribes people but had the usual tourist stalls aswell. Didn't buy too much as we had to head back and pack for the next day.

First day of our 3 days trekking started by squeezing 16 people on to the bus they even attached 2 extra seat to the back with bungy rope they all ways have some way of making it work, the group started to gel straight away prob due to being so close together.  Group consisted of Verity and Wills, Benn from Brighton, Brad and Jackie (Scotland) Ollie and his guitar (Sheffield), Mag, Tony and Julien or Tarzan (France), Andrea (Slovenia), Mike crazy Aussie.  Some people were doin the 2 day tour, but by lunch they decided they were having so much fun they didn't want to leave us and swapped.  Visited the first village Laru tribe originally from Tibet where we stopped for lunch, after eating we were able to walk around the village and stumbled apon the local school, the kids mauled the lads who knackered themselves out with piggy back races, general horseplay when it was time to go, they were all so tired and filthy just in time to start the uphill trek. Our guides David Beckham and Bai were great, Bai was deaf such a character from one of the local tribes, waved his machete around and made all the ladies a walking stick each such a very thoughtful lad we all loved him instantly.

The trek started with lots of uphill it was abit of a struggle at first as it was so hot and the air was quite smoky as there had been alot of forest fires so we were happy to reach the lower grounds of the forest where we could breathe more easily an walk along the river streams under the forest canopy. The lads stopped for some vine swinging and all did there best Tarzan impressions. But Julien who lives in the mountains in France was the ultimate Tarzan barefooted Backback carrying he exchanged vines and we all heard and the vine snap and watched in horror as he flew out and down into the forest below. We all froze until he appeared unhurt from the tree (but his luck ran out at the after party when he was jumping off the balcony into the pool at the guest house and broke his ankle he is now in hospital and having to fly home to france early!!) It was a you been framed moment very funny. After 4 hours of trekking we reached the Laasu village, where we were staying the night, we all shared one big room with a blanket and pillow each very happy camping, the lads although knackered played football with the locals and the girls chatted in the home made stands like WAGS. Score 7 - 5 to the locals. They were glad of the dinner call, had a wonderful dinner by candle light and after the local children came and danced for us, they were so sweet the teenage lads all go drunk on the rice wine and danced around the traditional dancers causing a mockery we were all trying very hard not to laugh at them. We all sat around drinking and singing to the guitar for hours chatting and getting to know each other was really great evening. Headed to bed in anticipation for our greuling trek the next day and elephant riding!!

 

 

   Keep getting told off by Andy for not sending messages! .....     Unfortunately, not much exciting news to relate and have problems getting onto the net late at night apparently everyone is downloading movies. Mum is action chief for our forthcoming HQ course[ end of April ] so she's pretty important now .    Shop a bit quiet ,Graham is on holiday in Barbados with his grandchildren 'till next week.Karate club closing due to falling attendances,after 15 years,a real pity. Probably getting a bit old for it anyway.       Mum going to the I.O.M just befoe you get home.Grannie Dot is due another visit.  Have been catching up with your journeys .Some amazing places especially the Tiger Temple ,do they dope them?   or just feed them with the odd tourist?  Wonderful to get so close up and live to tell the tale.Ashley has just arrived he and Jack want to see them too ,So will sribble off now and try again soon .      Bec is at an interview right now for her PGCE course at Christchurch Lots of Love to you both   V's Dad      xxxxxx

Hey guys, sounds like your having lots of fun. I love looking at your pictures and hearing your stories. Your making me very exceited about coming to Asia later this year. I'm still in Cairns living the dream on the dive boats. Weather is still very hot but doesn't rain as much as it did when you were here. Keep the blog up - lots of love Caroline x

Ello Ello Ello! Alright guys glad to hear you two are leading such dull lives out there as we are here. You have now joined a long list of people with such fantastic stories about bankok and Thailand. After Rob came back from seing Nick and Rach he was absolutely buzzing, and it sounds like you are too.

Nick and Rach came over to birmingham at the weekend and we had a mad one at the custard factory as a welcome home and for nicks birthday as well. It wa really good to see them, and nick has been giving me loads of tips of where to go when i get out to india, i can't wait.

How much longer are you staying in bankok and thailand for? Don't know if you know or not but Man Utd are more or less champions on really hard game against chelsea and then depending on the result you will most likely come bake to england just as those puffs are lifting the trophy, I really do hate to bearer of good news but I would want to know.  Take care guys, stay safe, stay wise and be beautiful. x Len

How long

Hello guys, how is everyone? Well we arrived in Bangkok after a 15 hr coach ride which wasnt as bad as it sounds the only problem was we arrived at 5am with no where to stay!! Went in alot of guesthouses down kho san road but all full or didnt have room till 12!! Decided to go and wait in good old Mcdonalds till we both woke up a bit and came up with a plan, Ended walking into a place called the  Happy house, where Rach and Nick had stayed and they had room!! So happy, went to bed for a while to recharge our batteries.

The next day we took a tuk tuk ride round the city stopping at many sites including a huge buddha, lucky buddha, lots of wats and temples alot were closed as it was a buddhist holiday!! also got taken to lots of different shops trying to sell us stuff, a suit shop and gems shop. After the tour we had a look round the area down kho san road, which is a long road with a wicked market lots of guesthouses, restaurants, bars, clubs its always bustling and busy with young travellers. Brought a few gifts getting used to bartering now.

That evening we had arranged to meet up with some friends we had met at Full Moon Party as everyone else had also travelled up to Bangkok either by train or coach that day.  Howie had some friends who we living in Bangkok teaching english so they knew some great places to go. Had some cocktails and buckets in a wicked bar called Hippie De very retro and kitch. Followed by a Drum and Bass night at the club but they all shut really early at 1am, so jumped in taxis to a slightly seedier area callled Nana Place (Soi 2) where there were loads of bars full of Lady boys catering more for plentyful Farang (white men with young Thai women) on to a club called Bamboo where it was ladies night tequilas only 25 baht so knocked a few of those back. Decided to go back to Samina's apartment for a few drinks which was easier said than done after an hour stuck in a taxi we found the taxi driver was totally lost and we had limited thai to explain where we wanted to  go at 6am there were few people around to come to our aid!!! But we finally managed to repeat the address 1000 times and bingo he understood (while the meter slowly rose!! pesky taxi drivers!!)

Finally got home at 8am, and managed to wake Klas up so Cindy could get into her room (naughty boy had left without us all!) Woke up late the next morning and decided to try and find China town got on the ferry which takes you down the river really nice alternative view of the city. We liked on the ferry that there was a side allocated for monks only, it seemed there prefered mode of transport as there were loads of them on there even managed a sneaky pic!!

Missed our stop for China town so we carried on along the river didn't really mind as we were enjoying the trip, the ferry finished at the Sky train so we hopped on that and got some more great views of the city, went to Siam Square and the Siam Plaza some very posh shops had our first Dunkin Dounuts yummy. Had a wander round but decided we could get some better bargains from the markets so headed back to KSR. Decided we would had a look at some of the Tattoo artists parlors (don't worry mum I didn't have one!!) but went in to see if they could design a cover up for one of toby's tats that he hates. They created a design but it wasn't anything that amazing so he decided to leave it and wait til get back home not make such a rushed decision.

That night we met up with everyone again and made our way over to Patpong the Red Light District (or should we say Ping Pong district). Had a few drinks before we were dragged into one of the club to see a show, it was definately eye opening to see some of the ladies talents had to duck a few time to avoid being hit by flying balls. Only stayed for one drink but that was enough, and we were having an early morning start 7am for our trip to Kanchanabuir the next day.

Woke up feeling knackered too many late nights and early starts even heard our friends coming from night before so good we left when we did. Coach drow us first to the Floating markets it was great the markets have been there for hundreds of years (doubt they had so many tourist stalls tho then) we got into a Longtail boat and you drift along passing boats selling everything, from fruit and vegetables to thai carvings and traditional hats, the boat driver will stop at stalls or the stall holders will bouy up to your boat and haggle with you, we got some bargain bannanas and a handmade puppet. After this they took us on a speedier boat along the main river waterway between the houses amazing to see people washing pots and tending to their gardens. Stopped for lunch included and then on to see the Bridge over the River Kwai, which was very beautiful river, it was abit misty but that just added to the effect, walked across the bridge along the death railway tracks. Decide to chill for abit whilst others in the group visited the War Museum, chatted to some really friendly girls from Chille whilst the coach driver realised the minibus had broken down so he flagged us a taxi bus to take us to the tiger temple,  it took 30 mins on the open bus, felt like we were on safari so hot and dusty. Finally made it to the tiger temple luckly we were not wearing HOT colours like others in our group had to cover up red and orange clothes, the tigers don't like it. Was amazing, the keepers took you down to sit by and stroke the tigers one by one, you could go as many times as you liked they were so calm, you could stroke them just like big cats, they are said to have the spirits of reincarnated monks which is why they are so passive, most have been brought up in captivity or rescued from the wild. After the photo session we were invited to walk the tigers up the hill to there enclosure and to see the baby tigers only 4 months old they were gorgeous. I don't think we will ever get a chance to be that close to a wild animal like that again. once the tigers were all away they monks came out to feed the rest of the animals out of no where came hundreds of wild pigs, ponys, cows some buffalo, hens, goats, peacocks all for feeding time it was crazy they stampeded down the hill to the sound of the monks singing and scattering the food.  Hopped back on the minibus the driver had managed to get it fixed and picked us up, thank god it would have been a long 3 hour drive in the back of the sawngthaew (open bus) . Arrived back quite late and found a nice Indian resturant to eat at, tried to ring home, but could get through again Mum (willl try again tomorrow night!! as on the overnight bus to Chang Mai tonight!!)

Yesterday we decided to treat ourselves to abit of a lie in as so tired from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok and being on the go all the time, decided to get the ferry down to the Grand Palace, it was great to see, so much decoration and the emerald buddha was like an aladdin cave of treasure so much gold, visited the Treasures museum full of coins abit like the Crown Jewels in tower of London was interesting to the Emeral Buddhas different outfits he has one for each season (very chic!!) After the palace we visited the Reclining Budha she was huge, very impressive and dropped donations to the poor in the hundreds of beggar pots.

Decided to walk down to China town ended up in a huge electronics market never seen so many mixers and car speakers in my live, got a bit lost in the depths of the market but its alwasy interesting seeing such different way of live and all the products they have to sell. Decided to get a tuk tuk to the Night markets at patpog (no ping pong shows again!!) Had a good few hours bartering with the locals and. picked up some good bargains.

Today we sorted out how we were getting to chang mai, then sent some stuff back to the uk, went looking round the local markets picking up a few more unbelievably cheap bargains, just about to get the coach now so best go, speak again soon. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi there gran here, we have the internet here now!! so i'll be able to keep an eye on you from now on

what's up team?

how are things in Bangkok?  hope you made it there in two or fewer pieces.  Leah and I are in Koh
Tao for another day or so.  We're taking scuba lessons.  we have two more dives to go before we're certified for open water dives.  sweet.  we spent some time looking through some of the albums you've posted on this site.  you've got some sweet pictures.  we're jealous of all the places you've been to, but maybe someday in the future we'll get to do some more sight-seeing. 

anyway, to keep this short.  leah and I are wondering how long you plan to spend in Bangkok before heading to the north of Thailand.  we aren't sure how many days we are going to spend in Koh Tao.  we were originally planning to head back to Bangkok this coming monday, the 12th.  unless you were still going to be in the city.  then we would maybe head back this sunday instead and try to meet up with you.  We fly back to the states on Wednesday, so if things don't work out i guess they don't work.  it would be fun to meet up again one last time before we have to leave though.  we could play some yahtzee, or full moon dice or make some home made buckets.  well, if you happen to get this in time then shoot us an email and we'll try to make it work.  otherwise, it was great fun meeting you two.  take care of each yourselves and each other, and we'll be in touch about our teaching plans for next year.  we'll email you some of the Koh Phangan pictures when we remember to bring the camera with us to the internet shop.  talk to you later.

leah and Isaac

sorry went a bit mental there How are you two doing, hope thailand is all it's cracked up to be, looking through some of your photos and it looks like you have been to some amazing places. Yeah gonna meet harriet and eggy, but going with blakey, hel, vic , jade and loads of us. Sods law mate but I am going to India on the 11th of May so will just miss you when you get back.

I am back on the 25th May so if you have got to go and see your family and verinas as well then I recommend you and V arrange to get over to birmingham or i  get to derby for the last weekend of May or first weekend in June and big big mash up. I will be exceedingly disappointed if MC Phil Charnock does't raise his ugly head. Verina, have you been treated to a live performance yet?

Anyway stay safe and and speak to you soon, I will text you this week, I have got some stories that really should not be released in the public domain. Take care, Peace, Love and Harmonicas!! x

 

Easy Chieftons,

    

HI!

Just a little one. May be getting laid off from my new job already but I'm not worried. I don't really like it anyway I'm well covered with applications for better stuff in all over the place. I'm better at application forms than my mum is at letters of complaint! Ive registered for Glatonbury tickets and reckon you n me will look the part this year with our beards Tobes. That's if we get our hands on them; I think about 350,000 have registered for the 145,000 tkts. Not too bad on the odds front. The Isle of Wight festival sold out in about 3 days but the line up looks a bit on the lame side anyway. I'll prob still get a cut-price tkt from a tout and go though.

 Anyway, PEACE AND LOVE. Hurry back!

 Baird.

Hi Baby. How jealous am i, can't believe how many beautiful places you have been going to, everywhere just looks amazing, i bet you never want to come back!! Still missing you both lots though. Not much to report from my end, i'm all settled in my new role at the hotel now, it's been a real tough few months but now i'm enjoying it. Benn out on a couple of crazy nights in notts, not the same as being out in derby with you though. Hope you're both looking after eachother. I'll speak toy you soon. Love you both loads. Love Amy xxxxxxxxxxxxx