The Wandering Donkeys © Made With Serif WebPlus.  Friends of the Donkeys | Contact Us | Terms & Conditions | Advertise

Last night I had the strangest dreams, good dreams, however they gave me a lot to think about this morning! Nick was diving again today and after making him some

porridge and finishing off my other half of a watermelon that I'd left in the fridge I went back to bed! I must have been tired because I didn't wake up until 10:00am!

Not even the sound of them pressure cleaning the rental bikes outside was going to disturb me! After finishing my usual exercises and several cups of green tea I went

out onto the balcony and threw the wet tea leaves into the garden. I prefer to put them in the garden than in the bin, at least they will compost down and become part

of the earth again.

I headed downstairs to grab my washing and my key for the room which was outside in a tray. Everyone seemed like they were in a better mood today which was great!

Mammas was closed on a Wednesday but I had a craving for fruit today and as soon as I walked into Mae Haad I stopped off to get some fresh melon and a fresh banana

shake for my lunch and sat on the step of a chemist in the shade to eat my fruity feast. There were so many people milling around in this narrow little street. You can

always tell the ones who have just arrived as they have their eyes everywhere instead of looking where they are going. I am exactly the same when I visit a new place

and am the cause for many collisions with other people!

I headed down to Coconut Monkey and managed to get a spot on a table with my back to a big free standing fan which was bliss. It was such a hot stuffy day and all I

wanted to do was cool down a bit and take the weight off of my feet. At the moment I am managing to walk around 10 - 15km per day along with my 30 minute resistance

bands training I'm not doing to bad. I still really miss being able to run and cycle. I see people running here but after my accident I am so afraid of slipping on the

gravel again.

I took a little walk around Mae Haad before stopping off at La Carotte for some dinner. I really couldn't choose which dish I wanted so I ended up going for two! I had

the vegetable soup with tofu and the pumpkin hummus with steamed red rice. I find if I eat rice before I start my shift up at The Hacienda I wont be as hungry later on

during the evening. Tonight was BBQ night and that meant it was going to be really busy. We also had a private party that had booked a BBQ of their own so we had two

set up in the garden. Before we knew it the place was packed with people and the bar was so busy I was running from one end to the other taking orders for the BBQ and

serving drinks. Nick was sat in the corner table by the kitchen working on his knowledge reviews so I didn't really want to pull him away from that to help at the bar.

He put his order in early so he could have a plate of BBQ food for dinner which consisted of a baked potato, veggie sausage, corn on the cob, vegetable skewers, egg

mayo and coleslaw. The entire night was spent running around serving food, clearing tables and taking orders for drinks. By the time 10pm came around I was exhausted.

Bo and Leah got back today along with Michael and his friend Richard. Michael is one of Bo's best friends from school. They even work together at home so it will be

wonderful for them to spend some time together in Koh Tao. I think the plan is to get Michael and Richard somewhere to stay for a month and see where it goes from

there. I love when more people come to join our little family.

I was so happy that Nick had the day off today and we could finally spend some time together (and have a lay in). I left Nick sleep for as long as he needed. He's been

coming home so tired every night. While I did my resistance bands training we set up the laptop on the TV stand and plugged in the hard drive so we could watch a film.

We went for the very retro 'Con Air'. I haven't watched this film in years! I wonder if Steve would put this on in the Cinema one day?

We both took a walk down to Sairee and through the walking streets to Mammas but when we got there we realised it was closed? Closed on a Thursday? That was really

strange. So we walked all the way back and up past New Way Diving School towards Asia divers and down the back streets to Vegetabowl so we could get ourselves a jumbo

salad. I went for the Japanese Bowl again and Nick opted for the Mexican Bowl. I was so glad to have a bit of shade and a couple of fans in this little space that

consisted of a little workspace behind a long counter and 5 tables with lime green chairs. Even though we had ordered salads on lettuce instead of brown rice we both

left there so stuffed. Nick tried one of the raw chocolate brownie balls drizzled in homemade peanut butter just before we left!

Our walk back up the hill with full bellies was uncomfortable! It was so hot and dusty and we were continuously sprayed with a fine dust laced with tiny little stones

as the 4x4s rallied up the hills not really considering who or what could be just beyond the blind corners or dips in the road. After grabbing the scooter we took a

ride in Mae Haad to sort out our scooter hire. What we hadn't realised was that there was a daily, monthly and weekly rate and we ended up paying the same amount for

the next 17 days as we do a month! There's not a lot we could do about it so there was no point in getting annoyed. At least we have transport for the next 17 days. We

made our way down to Coconut Monkey after that and ordered a couple of pots of herbal tea and some chocolate amazeballs and while Nick caught up on some of his

knowledge reviews again I did some work on another article I was working on. We managed to get the table with our backs to the big free standing fan again which was

amazing. I was so sweaty from our long walk this morning.

Once we'd finished our pots of tea we both went out for a walk to sort out our tickets to Koh Samui next week so we could sort out our visa extension. A far as I was

aware Seatran was the only boat that left early enough so we booked ourselves on the 6:30am boat and we'd be returning on the 16:30pm boat. I didn't want to be in a

rush to sort out our visas and worry about the time, plus, I'd like to see if I can get a few things while we are there. Maybe we can pay a visit to the cat cafe too!

Since we were both so full from lunch we decided to eat dinner when I got to work. We had enough time to head back to the guest house and have a shower before 5pm. Bee

and Dtum were already behind the counter waving to us as we walked up the pathway. I got changed in the toilets and gave the cat a stroke as I walked past. She was

sunning herself down by some old cushions.

It wasn't overly busy tonight, however, I spotted Bo walking up the pathway, followed by Michaels friend Richard. After serving a mango milkshake to table 9 I ran up

to my little brother and gave him the biggest hug! I'd missed him so much and I was so glad to gave him back. I even gave Richard a big hug too! Shortly after that

Leah and Michael appeared and it was hugs all round! Everyone ordered some food and went to sit down at table 1 in the corner by the kitchen. I think Bo was surprised

how quickly Nick had progressed through his Dive Masters! I hope they will get some time in the water together before we leave! I couldn't help but look over at

everyone sat together, laughing and joking. Its so nice to have everyone here and I am going to make a conscious effort to enjoy every moment spent with the people I

love before we move on.

Nick had arranged with Bo to go diving early this morning so they could do their mapping project of one of the dive sites, Pottery. So that meant Nick was up and out

of the door early and I was left on my own, not all day though, he was finishing at lunchtime. I made the most of the time and started to work on the website which I

haven't done in such a long time! I did manage to get quite a lot done before I headed out for the day. I'd arranged to meet Michael and Richard in Coconut Monkey so

we could show them where Mammas was. Although, as soon as I got down to Coconut Monkey and Nick phoned Bo the plan had changed. Bo, Leah, Michael and Richard were

going out to Enjoy so Nick and I ended up riding to Mammas, finding out it was closed again and heading down to La Carotte. I wasn't complaining though since I love

the food here. I ended up eating way too much like usual. Nick had some tempura vegetables. The broccoli and cauliflower was the best. There were battered carrot

sticks and slices of taro in there as well. Today it was served with a sweet satay sauce. I went for the carrot salad and a side of pumpkin hummus with steamed red

rice and really over faced myself with food! The afternoon was spent at Coconut Monkey with a couple of pots of tea before heading back to the guest house for a much

needed shower!

I was lucky to have Nick at the bar with me to keep me company for a while. Then Bo, Leah, Michael and Richard turned up for some food. I showed Michael a big tuka

gecko that was hanging off one of the beams in the toilets. Shortly after that I found a tiny baby gecko, no bigger than my thumbnail on the floor of the office. I

took it out to the boys who were sat on the smoking table between The Hacienda and Grumpys Sports Bar. There was a movie on tonight so the cinema room was packed out

again. I was so glad to leave work because my feet were killing me! I think I am going to have my right foot looked at again when we are in Australia. I know I have

Plantar fasciitis and a cyst in there but I'm hoping there isn't another underlying problem causing the pain now since it seems to have moved. I now find myself

getting really swollen ankles during the evening. So much so that I can barely flex my feet. Although there is nothing better than heading home after a long night on

my feet I am still going to miss this place when I am gone. I feel the longer I spend here the closer I am getting to the staff who have now become good friends, even

though we can't really understand each other half the time. Thats all part of the fun isn't it?

Nick had to be at Master Divers for 1pm so that meant we had the morning together. Our plan was to stay in bed as long as possible so Nick could catch up with some sleep but we ended up getting out of bed early! There were a lot of trucks coming up and down the road and our noisy neighbours were stomping up and down the hall.

I started to walk down to Sairee Village and Nick rode ahead on the scooter to see if Mammas was open before we got all the way there at it was shut. He appeared out of the dust a few minutes later to confirm it was open and he was going to meet me there. It was so busy down the walking street and it was a struggle to walk around groups of people standing in the middle of the street and dodge scooters and motorbikes coming through.

We both sat down on the plastic chairs and Mamma came out of the kitchen. We asked her why the place had been closed over the past few days and she said there had been an accident and she had been in Chumphon. I didn't want to ask any more questions because she looked upset. Nick ordered some fresh spring rolls with tofu and sweet chilli dipping sauce and I ordered my som tam mixed fruit with tofu and no chilli. After lunch we helped Mamma put up some hanging decorations on the front of the hut. One of them was a little ceramic pig with some plants growing out of a slot in it's back. Nick had bought some more coconut sugar from Smile Mart so he headed off to take that back to the guest house before going off to Master Divers and I carried on walking towards Mae Haad.

As I got just past the police station I noticed the guy with his doughnut cart was selling doughnuts to the school kids in the playground. There little arms were outstretched with money clasped tightly in their fists. The rest of the children were running around the playground and some were down the side of the school on the walking street side playing with a little stray dog.

I grabbed a bottle of coconut water from the coconut processing plant. The lady I usual speak to wasn't there today and it was a much older lady that served me. When I arrived she was in the middle of scraping out coconut meat from one half of a shell using a machine with a spinning cone full of spikes. I'm glad she served me today because she only charged me 10 baht for a litre. While I took a few sips of my fresh coconut water I watched the little monkey chained up in the grass picking through leaf litter.

I spent the afternoon down at Coconut Monkey. I swear I should have shares in this place! I managed to catch up on a lot of writing that I needed to do. Nick was outside with a group of Open Water Students helping Tony. Once I'd finished my second pot of tea Nick came in briefly and got himself a slice of raw carrot cake and took a couple of sips from my cup before heading off again, back to the group of students.

I couldn't help myself and ended up at La Carotte again for dinner and ordered myself some vegetable soup with tofu and some mushroom spread. I don't think they sell that dish very often because as soon as the dish came out they wanted to take a picture of it. Shortly after I started eating it the chef came out of the kitchen to ask me if I liked it. The little girl was running around like usual, up and down the restaurant, waving her little arms in the air. I would love to know what she is saying! She even handed out a couple of menus to some customers that walked in. There were a couple of rather rude Europeans that walked in, one shirtless guy with a braided rats tail down his back. As soon as he walked in he started fiddling with the switches on the wall to turn the fans. He was incredibly rude to the owner who was simply handing him a couple of menus and asked her to 'go away'. I cannot stand people like that!

Before I walked to The Hacienda I stopped off in one of the fruit and veggie stalls to get a Papaya, an apple and some grapes. The papaya was for my breakfast tomorrow morning and the apple and the grapes were for my shift because I tend to get hungry after a few hours behind the bar.

Before I started my shift I located my favourite little black cat Tonic who was asleep in her usual spot by the old cushions out the back. She loves having her chin stroked and purrs so loudly. I wish I could keep her! The start of the night was slow but it very quickly picked up when a crowd of people walked through the door followed by several more groups. Soon the restaurant was full and we were rushed off of our feet serving food to the tables and taking it into the cinema where Steve was showing a film. The mango ice cream shakes were going down really well and one guy was even having his mango ice cream shakes with a shot of Jack Daniels in there. It curdled but he loved it! Nick went off to a birthday party down the road which was being held at Living Corner where Tony and Jacqui live. He turned up just before I finished my shift. Bo, Leah, Michael and Richard walked in too and all sat down at the bar. Bo and Michael had been down at the shooting range today messing around with guns! Boys will be boys! I'm so happy to see Bo and Michael together again. They're more like brothers than friends!

Nick had a day off of diving today and I was going to make the most of the time we spent together today. He had gone in early this morning but because of the weather the boats had been cancelled. When I spend a day with him it makes me realise how much I miss him when he's not there. This morning we were planning on spending some time relaxing in bed but like usual we were up early. It was actually a lot cooler today and we only had the fan on half speed. I'd pulled the thin quilt over me last night in an effort to keep warm!

We took a walk down to Mammas to have some lunch. Nick ordered some

fresh spring rolls with tofu and I had my som tam mixed fruit with tofu and a fresh banana shake. We have been trying to work out a route for our trip to Northern Thailand. It is such a huge country and there is so much to see. Our book that we bought a second hand shop will come in handy as it has routes to follow through Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. Although we don't usually plan anything we need a rough idea of what we are doing before we make a move. Our plan will probably change again!

After lunch we walked back to the guest house and collected our helmets and took the bike into Mae Haad and down to Coconut Monkey where we spent a few hours sat with a pot of tea and some chocolate amazeballs. Bo, Leah, Michael and Richard were there already having coffee. I love living in the same place as everyone and it's wonderful to be able to bump into them.

We were both working up at The Hacienda tonight. Nick had a message from Dtum this morning as we were walking back up to the guest house. Apparently we had 60 roast dinners booked already and it wasn't even 1pm! I had grabbed his yellow Hacienda shirt this morning and after stopping off at La Carotte for something to eat we headed up to The Hacienda.

It was the start of a very busy night and everyone was happily tucking into plates of roast dinners with all the trimmings. The kitchen was working flat out to get all the meals prepared and Tun was working hard on the stove and making sure the kitchen was running smoothly. Nick ordered a veggie roast dinner for us to share and I ate most of the veggie patty it comes with. We have them made locally by a lovely lady called Andrea who used to run a vegan cafe a few years ago. Some of her natural soaps and products are for sale in shops all over the island. She comes here for dinner once a week with her partner Bob and they always order the same thing every week and sit at the bar. Vodka tonic for Andrea and a Heineken for Bob followed by some hummus and flatbreads, french fries and a house salad.

As the evening came to an end Bee came out of the kitchen with a bag full of Yorkshire puddings for us to take home! I am always so grateful for their generosity. I couldn't wait to finally get into bed and I was looking forward to my day off tomorrow!  

Nick was diving early this morning and I decided to take the opportunity to get up early and do some work on the website. There was so much to do! I managed to fit the laptop and all the cables into my dry bag and I started to walk towards Smile Mart. I hadn't realised how heavy the bag was going to be with everything stuffed in there. I decided to walk all the way into Mae Haad instead of stopping off for lunch. The weather has been so bad recently and the high winds have been battering the coast. Yesterday the waves were coming up over the bank at Sairee beach and hammering the huts on the beach side. Some of the ladders leading to the huts were submerged or missing! I was so worried about all the people gathering near the beach to watch the waves. They could easily be sucked out to sea! I'd heard on Facebook that Seatrans pier had sunk in the rough weather, so had a lot of other boats. The fishing boats that had been out during the night we're now moored in the safety of the bay. There were so many of them! I could see some of the crew through the open windows. Some of them were sat on the sides of the boats, bare chested smoking roll ups as the boats rocked from side to side. I couldn't even begin to imagine what life would be like on one of these fishing boats.

I stopped in at Island Travel and spoke to Alan (I'm pretty sure thats not his real name!) and managed to get Nicks passport. We are heading over to Koh Samui in the morning to sort out our visa extension and we needed both passports! I took a walk around Mae Haad and ended up at Coconut Monkey where I sat all afternoon working on the website. Steve, Bo, Leah, Michael and Richard all came in for a coffee and a game of Uno while I sat on a separate table, working away on the website. Every now and again you would hear one of them shout 'UNO!' and everyone in the cafe would turn around and look at them! I managed to change the majority of the pages on the website. I haven't really been happy with it for a while and I woke up one day and decided that was it and I was going to start taking it apart and rebuilding it the way I wanted it to look. Its going to take a while but it will be worth it in the end. The wind outside was picking up and I could see all the boats moored up in the bar rolling around. Waves were crashing at the wooden steps leading up to the cafe. I have never seen the tide that high! I was amazed to see that Songserm was still sailing. The people getting off the boat were looking a bit green in the face!

It was dark by the time Nicks longtail appeared and everyone piled out of the boat wearing jumpers! Shivering divers stood outside while they sorted out their gear and washed everything. I felt so sorry for them. Nick soon appeared and after some cuddles with Sky the dog we headed to La Carotte for something to eat. I couldn't choose between the vegetable soup or the pumpkin hummus so I ordered both. Nick ordered the vegetable massaman curry with some steamed red rice. The owner came over with some fried spring rolls for us to try which were delicious! I think I'll be ordering some of those next time we're in here!

After dinner we headed back to the guest house so we could both have a shower and start sorting out our things for tomorrow. Nick realised that we had been charged twice for a top up on our my travel cash card so he spent 20 minutes on the phone to LLoyds TSB trying to sort it out. Eventually they refunded us and wavered the fee that would have sent us overdrawn in that account. We have always made sure that we use one of our spare accounts when transferring money or paying on our card just in case anything happened and someone managed to get hold of our details. Once we'd packed our passports, raincoats and a few other things we were ready for bed. It was a 5am start tomorrow and I wasn't looking forward to it!

The alarm went off at 5am and Nick groaned as he rolled over. He sounded just as keen as I was to get out of bed! While he lay there drifting in and out of sleep I got up and made some porridge and a couple of mugs of green tea, pulled my clothes on and washed my face. We left just before 5:40am and walked out of our room into the pitch black, fumbling around in the dark to try and get a torch out so we could see what we were doing before we fell down the concrete steps that lead down the side of the guest house. It was a cool morning and I was glad I had bought my pashmina which I had wrapped around me to keep warm.

Nick parked up the scooter outside Island Travel where we had arranged with Alan that we would leave it for the day so it was safe. He said he would check the bike over and clean it for us while we were gone. By the time we walked down to the Seatran booth to check in it was about 5:50am. There was another couple in front of us being given Lomprayah tickets. Suddenly I spotted the sign on the window stating that Seatran wasn't sailing because the pier had sunk in the bad weather. I just assumed that they would be leaving from somewhere else. It was 5:55am when I was handed my cash refund and when I asked what time Lomprayah was leaving I was told 6:00am! Nick rushed off into the darkness to the Lomprayah check in desk to book tickets and I ran after him, meeting up on the wooden jetty and running down towards the boat like a couple of maniacs! Just as we stepped on the boat they pulled up the ladder and the engines started!

The boat was packed, so packed that we were lucky to find a couple of seats in a cramped row of tired travellers. Since Seatran was cancelled Lomprayah was really packed, probably overloaded and I hoped and prayed that we would have a safe journey! I had taken one of my really drowsy sea sickness tablets which knocked me out within 10 minutes and I lay there in a daze with my eyes half open watching people being thrown around the boat as we ventured out away from the island and into the open sea. All around us people we're throwing up and falling over as we crashed through the waves. It was horrendous. There were a lot of relieved people getting off at our first stop in Koh Phangan.

By the time we reached Koh Samui I was desperate to get off and still very drowsy and unsteady on my feet. We arrived just after 8am and before we did anything else we headed to the Lomprayah desk to book a return ticket on the boat at 5pm. If Seatran wasn't sailing then I didn't want to risk not being able to get home. After handing over 1400 baht for our return journey to a slender thai lady with gold teeth and a lot of jewellery we walked along the pavement out onto the main road and found a little place that hired scooters. Ours was a dog of a scooter and took a while to start. Our helmets looked like they had seen a fair few accidents and after handing a driving licence over as a deposit and writing our names down on a piece of paper we were ready to go!

It wasn't far to immigration which had moved to the junction where you turn off to one of the waterfalls. It was a far cry from the posh building in Bangkok with marble floors where there were signs stating we had to cover up and people were walking around in suits. This was a small building on the side of the road where a guy in a little room offered to take a photocopy of our passport and our departure card for 20 baht. He handed us our forms and while Nick went and sat down at a stone table on a plastic chair to fill out the forms, I tried to get in the queue with everyone else. There were so many people, some who had obviously got off the early morning boat too. There was no fear of not looking smart enough here. A weathered sign on the wall gave a list of all the government fees for various types of visas. Ours was going to cost us 1900 baht each. Once Nick had filled out the paperwork we waited for a while in the line to hand our forms to a lady with braces wearing a collarless white shirt. She checked we had filled out everything correctly before giving us a piece of moth-eaten laminated card with a number on it. Nick was number 26, I was number 27. While Nick went and found a plastic chair to sit on I went in search of a toilet and quickly returned after opening the door to a squat covered in shit and big cockroaches running everywhere.

Our numbers were called and we headed into the building which had a couple of small desks. After taking our payment we were pointed to another desk where we handed in our paperwork and then we had to go and wait outside again in a different area. I think we were only sat there for about 10 minutes when a young thai woman came out with a stack of passports. We had been there just under an hour and been granted our 30 day extension.

Once we left Immigration we headed out onto the main road in search of a Tesco Lotus so I could use the toilet. The scooter had no speedo and I'm pretty sure the suspension was shot and we had to bounce it going up the hills because it was seriously lacking in power! I'd forgotten how much bigger Koh Samui is compared with Koh Tao! We finally found Tesco and I grabbed some papaya and pineapple to munch on before we hit the road again.

Our next stop was at The Cat Cafe, I couldn't help myself, I just needed my cat fix. After walking down the stepping stone pathway across the lawn we headed into the cafe and ordered some drinks. It wasn't long before I was down in the 'cat room' which is a big area that the cafe overlooks and is full of furry creatures. Nick sat and ate his toast while I sat down on the floor, smothered in purring fur. There were a couple of different cats there which included a very moth-eaten Maine coon which was sleeping in a soft bed on top of one of the scratching posts. I ended up with a big cream coloured cat on my lap licking, a white long haired cat playing with the tassels on my pashmina and another long haired tabby cuddled into me. I have no doubt I have the ability to be crazy cat lady! Nick came in to join me after he'd finished his toast and we stayed quite a long time, probably longer than most visitors.

After checking out some health food shops and taking a ride around the coast we stopped off for lunch at Nicks favourite little stall that we visited last time we were in Koh Samui. Its situated on the bend where you can turn off to the Grandmother and Grandfather rocks. It was packed with people but we managed to find a table in the end and Nick ordered his spring rolls that he wanted. They are big enough to be classed as pancake rolls! I got some vegetable noodle soup and a fresh coconut.

Bo and Leah wanted us to get them a kettle from Tesco so we headed back there and bought two, one for them and one for Michael and Richard. I bought some green tea, dew tea and ginseng oolong from a little stall. I'd been hoping to find some decent tea since I left Koh Phangan. After a walk through the Fishing Village we started to make our way back towards the pier. It had been a long day and we were both feeling really tired. Once we'd handed back the scooter we grabbed our tickets from the ticket desk and found a quiet cafe where we could sit and have a quick fruit shake and a cup of tea before we needed to wait for the boat.

There were a lot of people waiting down on the pier. Most of the seats were taken up by a large Chinese family with a lot of children running around. Nick kept himself entertained sticking his tongue out at a chubby baby girl who for some reason wasn't wearing a nappy and ended up peeing all over one of the seats. There were two little carts just behind the railings, one selling ice cream and the other selling fruit. I was craving green mango slices with salt and chilli so I ended up going over to the stall to satisfy my craving. After handing over my 40 baht and I went and sat next to Nick and devoured my hot and sour mango strips in a matter of minutes. I actually went back and got some more! Nick ended up getting an ice cream and shortly after that, an hour late, was the Lomprayah. There were a lot of green faced people climbing down the ladder which had been placed just under the metal framed waiting area so each person climbing off the boat hit their head on a metal beam.

The boat was packed with people and luggage. I felt so sorry for the people who had their luggage outside strapped to the front of the boat! Luckily we managed to find two seats next to each other and crammed ourselves into the seats. I knew the journey was going to be rough, the wind had picked up and I could already see the waves in the distance. I had taken my drowsy seasickness tablets and I was hoping I'd fall asleep!

As predicted it was a rough journey. We had a guy sat in front of us throwing up and a poor pregnant woman behind us doing the same. The boat was thrashing around so much that the staff wouldn't let her stand up and find somewhere to lie down. I totally agreed with the decision since people who were attempting to stand up or run to the back of the boat were being thrown around, some of them even fell over. As soon as we reached Koh Tao I was so glad to finally get off the boat. There were so many people sat on the back of the boat, heads still hung over the side. I felt so sorry for them!

We walked to pick up the scooter and started to ride back to the guest house. Alan had pressure cleaned the bike for us. As soon as we pulled up outside I got off the back and Nick went to park on the concrete area outside the guest house. As soon as he drove up to park the throttle jammed open sending him crashing through a bamboo bush and into a big metal roof that has been down the side of the guest house for a while. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. I ran over to Nick who was laying on the floor next to the scooter which was still revving, lying on its side with the back wheel spinning. Nick leaned over and turned it off and I heard screams from the thai neighbours. Soon we were surrounded by the owners of our guest house and the guest house next door. Nick was lying on the floor holding his shoulder and wouldn't let me touch him. One of the guys came round to pick up the scooter. Soon Nick was sitting up and everyone was asking if he was ok. Several thai guys from next door were looking over the scooter and from what I could see the throttle was still jammed open. Eventually Nick stood up and everyone was asking if he was ok and if there was anything they could do. Nick got straight on the phone to Johnny who owns Island Travel where we rent the bike from to explain what had happened. Nothing could be sorted out tonight so we had to wait until the morning.

Nick hobbled up the stairs and I made him get in a hot shower. He was going to be sore tomorrow! I called Bo and Leah and told them what had happened because we were supposed to be dropping off the kettles to them. Soon after that phone call they arrived at the guest house and I could hear them talking to the owner outside. While Leah kept Nick company Bo took me down to Mammas on the scooter and we got a take away and bought it back to the guest house. I was glad to have them there with us this evening.

Nick was so sore this morning and had a job getting out of bed. I just kept thinking how lucky we had been. What if the throttle had jammed open while we were pulling out of a junction? What if it had jammed open in the middle of Sairee Village and we'd ploughed into people? What if Nick wasn't wearing his helmet? We had been so lucky that neither of us were seriously injured! The bike must be bullet proof because the only thing wrong with it apart from the throttle being jammed wide open was an indicator that had popped out, the mirror needed tightening and there were a couple of small scratches down the side and that was it! Our guardian angels must have been looking over us last night!

After a hot shower we sat and had some green tea and watched a documentary on Life in the Undergrowth narrated by David Attenborough, he's my hero! Nick had a phone call from Johnny who was off work ill with his daughter. We were told to go and see Alan and he would sort us out with another bike and pick up the old one. Since we had no bike we had to walk into Mae Haad. It was actually quite nice to have Nick walking with me for a change. It wasn't long before we were at Island Travel and after speaking to Alan we had a new bike to ride. Alan would arrange to pick up our old bike tomorrow when they had more staff.

I continued walking around the block and met Nick at the chemists behind the big 7 Eleven where I managed to get some SLS free shampoo and natural soap. While we were walking along the walking street we stopped off in a little shop and I had managed to pick up a bag of chia seeds which I have been after for ages! We headed down to Coconut Monkey for a pot of green tea and then went to Smile Mart to get some soy milk so I could make overnight oats with our rolled oats, chia seeds and soy milk. I was really looking forward to that tomorrow! After a quick shower we were ready to go out again and spent the next hour down at Coconut Monkey before I had to start my shift at The Hacienda. Tonight was BBQ night and its always busy!

Dtum had posted the new brunch menu online and had a few people up during the day sampling the dishes on the new menu. I really hope that this works out for him. It was such a busy evening and the bar was packed with people! I was making cocktails and pouring spirits into glasses like a crazy woman! The BBQ in the garden was like a production line and Tun and Bee were ploughing through orders that I had taken at the bar. I had just enough time to eat my baked potato, veggie skewers and veggie patty before it was time to get back to serving at the bar. Nick had been sat sorting out his mapping project for his Dive Masters with Josh, another member of the Master Divers team giving him a hand.

As the evening came to an end Tun started packing up the BBQ. We had sold out of pork chops and sausages and we only had a few bits left. She'd cooked me some extra veggie skewers and some corn to take home with me. As I was walking around the garden collecting plates I had my little note pad with me. I tend to carry one just in case people order drinks. They think I can remember huge drink orders and by the time I get back to the bar, if I haven't written it down I would have forgotten. As I walked past Tun and Som I drew a heart on one of the notepads and tore it off, handing it to her. She thought it was an order until she turned it over and a big smile appeared on her face. Som asked where hers was and I did the same. As I walked back up to the bar Tun shouted 'Love you Laura!' Shes so sweet!! I call her my Thai Mum!

By the time my shift finished I was ready to head to bed! Nick was still feeling really sore. Hopefully tomorrow he would feel a bit better!

I had another day with Nick, although he was planning on diving again on Saturday. His ribs still hurt today but apart from that he was feeling ok. I had made some overnight oats which were ready in the fridge for us to devour when we woke up which meant I had one less thing to do this morning. Unfortunately the electric was on and off this morning which meant no fan or shower! Luckily for me the fan clicked on just as I started to do my resistance bands training and just after I got out of the shower the water turned off again which meant Nick had to stink it up this morning! I felt a bit sorry for him!

After taking a walk down to Mammas we sat down on the plastic chairs and I ordered a yam green mango salad with tofu and he got himself some poached eggs on toast. It was a hot day but there was a bit of a breeze. Johnny from Island Travel phoned Nick to ask where the scooter was and we gave him some directions. Apparently Alan would be picking it up at some point today. By the time we got back to the guest house it was still outside. Hopefully they would be picking it up today because I had told the owners it would be gone.

After grabbing our helmets and Nicks bag we took a ride down to Coconut Monkey where we spent a few hours sorting out the website and I caught up on some blog and some writing. I managed to get a seat right by the fan again to try and cool down a bit. Before we made a move I went for a walk around Mae Haad to get some of my steps in before we headed back to the guest house for a shower. The fan must have been off for most of the day because the room was so hot! We have got some new neighbours a couple of doors down from us and they like to sit out on the balcony and play the guitar. I wouldn't say they were particularly good at it but at least its not loud music. There is an older couple that have moved in further down the corridor and I often see the guy sat out on the balcony with his shirt off watching the world go by. His worn 'Clarkes' sandals are always placed neatly on the mat at the top of the steps.

I was craving some vegetable soup from La Carotte so Nick took me down there. He had his heart set on veggie sausages and mash from The Hacienda so while I tucked into my soup and a plate of black sticky rice he sat patiently and waited. As soon as we jumped on the bike to leave I knew straight away that we had a flat tyre! We have not had much luck so far! So I ended up walking to work with my helmet tucked under my arm while Nick went off to sort out the puncture.

Nick met me up at The Hacienda once he'd sorted out the puncture which cost us 200 baht. It was the start of a busy evening and while Nick tucked into some veggie sausages, some salad and some mashed potato I was serving cocktails, pouring spirits and delivering plates of hot food to tables. I can't believe next week I am finishing up here and we'll be finally moving on. I am so torn as I love working here but we need to move on, there is so much more to see before we have to be in New Zealand.

I had Nick all to myself again! He was fine apart from his ribs hurting a little bit. The bike was still sat outside the guest house, they obviously weren't in a hurry to pick it up. After a shower and a massive bowl of fruit chopped on top of some chia pudding I had made we headed out for a walk down to Mammas to grab some lunch. It was so hot and dry today and the dust from the motorbikes and 4x4s racing up the track was getting in the back of our throats. Sairee Village was packed with people this morning all standing in the way of traffic, trucks were sounding their horns and bikes were weaving in and out of the crowds, just a usual morning on Koh Tao. Families of 4, Mum, Dad and two children, would pass all piled onto one small motorbike, sometimes the family dog might be hitching a ride in the basket.

Down at Mammas we found somewhere in the shade and ordered two plates of fresh spring rolls with tofu and sweet chilli dipping sauce and a couple of fresh banana shakes. There seemed to be more little stalls outside 7 Eleven selling all sorts from processed sausages on sticks to chicken wings and milkshakes. The same little girls were playing under the shade of the trees and a couple of other children were sat in the shade of their parents stalls sipping on dregs of milkshake left over from each order.

Once we'd walked back to the guest house and picked up the scooter we headed into Mae Haad and while Nick sat down and started looking at the website I went for a walk around Mae Haad to get some steps in. We spent the afternoon down at Coconut Monkey with our backs to the big free standing fan while I worked on some blog and Nick sorted out a few things on the computer. After a shower back at the guest house we stopped off at La Carotte for something to eat. I'd noticed that their prices had gone up today. I hope the sudden price increase wouldn't deter customers from coming there. We were greeted by one of the chefs who always seems happy to see us. There were quite a few people in there tonight and I noticed quite a few plates of sushi coming out of the kitchen. I love that stuff! I'd ordered a big plate of steamed vegetables with tofu and a side order of steamed red rice and Nick ordered some noodle soup in a coconut broth. I think that is now one of his favourite dishes.

I was working up at The Hacienda tonight and after getting ready and spraying myself head to foot in mosquito repellent I was ready to start my shift. Even with a mosquito coil burning at my feet I was still getting bitten! Nick was sat at the bar for a while trying to sort out an upload on the website which wasn't working. He soon disappeared into the cinema to watch a film with everyone else while I served food and drinks. Tonight I was feeling really tired and my swollen ankles were starting to irritate me a little bit. I'm not sure if its just the humidity thats making them swell but by the end of night after being on my feet my ankles are so swollen I can't see my ankle bones anymore. Its so attractive!

Today Nick was diving with Bo. It was the first time he's been diving with ages. His shoulder and ribs felt much better and he was ready to finish the last few things he had left to do on his course. I think deep down Bo was keen to get in the water but I can imagine he was probably feeling a bit nervous. I didn't want to ask. Nick left early in the morning and I managed it get a few more hours sleep before getting up to watch a documentary and read some of my book. I have been reading the same book, along with others, since we left back in September 2015 and I just can't get into it. However, I am determined to finish it! The electric had turned off an hour earlier so I waited patiently for it to come on again so I could have a shower once I'd finished my exercises. I'm so glad my Mum had got me some more of my crystal stick deodorant from Hansa which Bo and Leah very kindly bought back for me. There is nothing worse than putting chemicals under your arms and most of the deodorants including the so-called natural deodorants actually containing bleaches to whiten the skin. For years I have used natural alternatives and found some really good ones, one of them being 'Pitrok'. Just put it on after a shower and it will keep you smelling fresh all day even in this heat!

I had a few things to get this morning so I took a walk to Smile Mart, past a chicken and several little chicks hiding under the bushes on the side of the road. There we're some burmese women with clay painted faces hanging out washing over some bushes. That would dry in this heat in no time! I like Smile Mart because its so cool in there and they always have the air-conditioning on full blast. Sometimes I just go in there to walk around and pretend to shop. Like most supermarkets, you take your shoes off outside and walk around bare foot which is great on the cool floor!

I stopped off at Mammas to get myself some yam green mango salad with tofu (and no chilli) and a fresh banana shake before making my way to the coconut processing plant to get some coconut water. The lady who I normally see was busy grinding coconut meat out of the shell and filling a big plastic tub full of soft coconut meat ready to be put through another machine to extract 'milk' from the pulp. She was pleased to see me and asked me how I was. I stopped briefly to watch the monkey at the entrance picking through the leaves, his chain pulled taught as he tried to get as far away from his little wooden hut as possible. Life is so cruel sometimes, especially for defenceless creatures that will never know what it is like to be free.

A week ago I came across a statement from the Dalai Lama which made so much sense. When the Dalai Lama was asked what surprised him most about humanity, he answered "Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived"

These words send such a powerful message to all of us. I am guilty of working long hours, putting my own health at risk to in an attempt to meet impossible deadlines, for financial gain or recognition and I paid the price for this. I openly admit I am a worrier, I worry about the future and what it holds for me, I worry about my family, my friends, the state of the world we live in. Sometimes I find myself dwelling on past events, reliving painful moments and experiencing forgotten emotions that run so deep. I find my mind is so often in the past, going over old conversations and arguments and wondering what I could have said to make things better. If I had the chance again what would I have done differently? It is so hard for us not to behave like this, it is in our nature as human beings. However, that doesn't mean you can't change. As the saying goes 'A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step'.

Just for today do not worry about what has happened in the past, the past is in the past, there is no going back, no changing anything. Do not let what has happened in the past dictate your future. Just for today do not worry about the future, it hasn't even happened yet. The future is uncertain, unwritten and you cannot predict the outcome of anything. The more you let your mind wander into the past and the future the less time you spend here in the present enjoying this fleeting existence called 'life'.

Just for today do not worry about money or the bills that are sat on the table waiting to be paid or the mortgage payment that is due next week. Without us realising money takes over our very existence and we think we depend on it to survive. How did money become more important than life? How did money become more important than health? How did money become more important that spending time with the people we love? Why do we feel like we have to put each other in categories depending on how much we are worth in financial terms? Every single one of us is just as important as the other. Your self worth is not defined by your bank balance.

Just for today be grateful that you are here and experiencing this brand new day. Be thankful to be alive, that is a miracle in itself. Enjoy the time with your loved ones, your friends, your pets, your children, listen to them. Go outside and listen to the sounds of the birds singing, be with nature, feel the grass beneath your feet and celebrate. Look how beautiful nature truly is, look at the vibrant colour of the flowers. Look at how intricately designed everything is. Breath. Such a simple thing but your body does this effortlessly, without you even asking. Life is a gift.

JUST FOR TODAY, LIVE FOR TODAY

I used to get asked what I wanted for Valentines Day and my answer would always be the same...."Nothing". I don't need flowers, chocolates, jewellery, gifts and expensive meals to know that you love me.

Nick, everyday you tell me how much you love me, how important I am, that I am your world, your everything and I tell you the same. I could never tire of hearing the same words over and over again because I know that you mean everything that you say.

Instead of waiting for one day of the year to splash out on bouquets of overpriced roses and novelty gifts that after a while will only end up being thrown away and forgotten about; why are we not celebrating our love for one another every single day of the year? Love isn't about presents or words written in a card. The amount of love you have for someone cannot be measured by the size or the price of a gift. Some may argue that this is a special day that only happens once a year but every day is a special day. Every day spent with your loved ones is a special day. Life is uncertain so tell people, on a daily basis, how much you love them, how much you care for them and how important they are to you. Loving words spoken from the heart are more valuable than any purchase you could ever make.

Today Nick was diving again so after devouring his bowl of overnight oats he headed out of the door. I heard him put the key in the scooter and ride off down the track. Soon we would be together again. As much as I don't mind my own company I prefer it if he was there. I didn't really do a great deal today apart from my usual walk, picking up coconut water and then working on the website for most of the day trying to pull more pages apart that I wasn't happy with.

It wasn't as busy as I thought it was going to be at The Hacienda, however, we had a lot of walk in's. Dtum had been given a lovely bunch of red roses from Bee and bought her nothing in return! Som was busy handing out heart shaped stickers and sticking them on our shirts. We'd spent an evening at the bar during the week, while it was quiet, reading some children's books I had downloaded off the net. I thought that was the best way to get her to grasp simple sentence structure. We had great fun while we were doing it and my English/Thai translator on my phone came in handy for explaining some of the phrases and grammar. English is such a hard language to learn! Nick was exhausted by the time he finally walked in and after his last plate of veggie roast from the Hacienda he went and fell asleep on the sofas at table 17 while nobody was looking!

It was another early morning start for the boys. Nick had to pick up Bo at 5:30am because Bo had a puncture on his bike! I spent a bit more time in bed, not really wanting to get up. I must have fallen back to sleep and woken up drenched in sweat since the electric must have gone off and the fan wasn't working! After an hour it clicked back on again and I could start my exercises and have a shower. It amazes me how much we take electricity for granted! I have been watching a couple of documentaries on Burma which have really opened my eyes to the countries history. There was so much I didn't know and even though parts of the documentary are hard to watch I felt like I should watch it right to the end. It's so easy for people to turn a blind eye to things they don't want to see. The same goes for animal cruelty. When something is so horrible we can't stand to look at it, perhaps we shouldn't be tolerating it! I prefer to keep silent with my opinions as it usually starts arguments or disagreements with close minded people who obviously haven't woken up yet. Sometimes being 'awake' is more of a curse.

I took my walk up to Smile Mart to get some water and the same chicken with her little chicks was rustling around underneath the hedges outside one of the guest houses. There was a burmese woman holding her little boy in her arms, watching the chickens. He silently watched in awe, pointing at the birds. She turned and gave me a shy smile before looking back. I would like to know the background, the history and the stories of the Burmese people who are here working in Thailand. I never ask because it's definitely something they would not want to talk about. I am so fortunate to have been born in the west and although there were difficult times during my life I have never been faced with the issues that these people have faced and continue to struggle with.

After getting some coconut water I headed down to Coconut Monkey to work on the website. I met Leah up at the coconut processing plant and we walked down to Coconut Monkey together. We were soon joined by Michael and Richard who were struggling in the heat today. I think it was about 38 degrees. I can deal with dry heat, its when it's humid that I find it hard. However, I still get my walk in everyday regardless of the heat! Nick and Bo finished diving a bit earlier today and ended up coming into the cafe for a cup of green tea and a coffee while they filled out their log books with Gaz, their instructor and another guy.

Nick and I headed back to the guest house so he could have a shower and wash the salt off his skin. Then we headed to Mammas because I was craving some vegetable noodle soup with tofu. I ordered Nick a vegetable pad thai while I was waiting for him. I had walked ahead while he was having a shower so I could get the rest of my steps in for the day.

Bo and Nick were supposed to be doing some knowledge reviews tonight using a tablet instead of a book. However, both tablets were not working! Nick and I decided to take a walk past Master Divers to an area where we had never been before that ran alongside the beach.

We spotted Bo, Leah, Michael, Richard and Steve in Dolce Vita on the main street. Bo and Steve were tucking into a wine glass full of tiramisu and Bo had a cat curled up next to him on the bench seat. It was decided that they would go in early tomorrow and go through the knowledge reviews then. After walking around the streets in Sairee in search for some green mango slices with salt and chilli we ended up back at the guest house for an early night. As soon as Nick's head hit the pillow he was fast asleep!

In a weeks time we will probably be back in the hustle and bustle of Bangkok city so for now I was enjoy the peace and quite of Koh Tao. Soon this place will be another memory, one that we will carry in our hearts forever.

Nick only has two days left and he's finally finished! He was up bright and early this morning and just as he walked out of the door the electric went off! They did say it was going to be off because they are changing the power cables coming up the hill which means all the power has to go off! I had to do my resistance bands training in a boiling hot room with no fan and then attempt to wash myself with a 1 litre bottle of water. I had perfected the technique while we were in Australia with a 500ml bottle. No power meant no washing either so I left the bag of clothes to one side and started walking down into Sairee Village and up to Smile Mart so I could grab some more porridge oats for breakfast for the next couple of days.

All the lights were off in Smile Mart but the place was still open. The aircon was off too and that was one of the reasons I go there! I love walking around in the cool building! It was probably because of the power being off and I assumed they would be on some sort of back up generator. Sairee Village was packed with people again. I find it goes through phases and it's either really busy or there is nobody at all. The same group of taxi drivers sit outside 7 Eleven asking every passer by if they want a taxi. I have noticed an increase in stalls down the walking street leading to Mae Haad and even a couple of new places to eat have just opened. Every day there are the same group of ladies sat in a circle on the floor outside one of the massage places. Instead of asking me if I want a massage they just say hello now! There is also a young girl who works in one of the travel agents who smiles and greets me every time I walk past the shop. The same two cats sit outside another travel agents, one is a silver tabby and the other is a ginger and white cat, both with wearing ornate collars.

I was so hot I wasn't really hungry so I walked straight to Mae Haad and grabbed my coconut water on the way down to Coconut Monkey. Nick and Bo were diving all day today and Leah was busy so I was on my own again. I had a lot to do on the website so I used the time wisely. Its amazing how much of a back log of work I have got just from a few months. Sometimes I wonder why I bother doing this and am I wasting my time? Then I get a message from someone asking me why I haven't updated the blog and I realise that there are people out there following our journey. I hope that our story inspires others to do the same. If anything I wanted an online journal where I could share my experiences and my life with other people. Thats why I have kept a journal for all these years. How wonderful would it be if a family member handed down their journals for you to read, a record of their life through their eyes.

I decided to have something to eat up at The Hacienda and after I got changed I put my order into the kitchen. I'd been craving a baked potato all day which I had with some salad and vegetables. Just what I needed. I've been craving green veggies for days and I can't seem to get enough of them! As I turned on all the lights in the restaurant and flicked the switch on for the music I suddenly remembered that I wouldn't be doing this anymore. What has now become a routine is about to change in the next few days. Life is going to change again and we will be in new surroundings.

Its the last day of Nicks Dive Masters and my last day of work today. I got up earlier today knowing that the electric was going to go off at 9am. Unfortunately for

me, the electric went off a lot earlier and yet again I had to do my exercises in a boiling hot room with no chance of having a proper wash before I went out. I had a

spare bottle of water which was enough to brush my teeth, wash my face and tip over myself before I pulled my clothes on and headed out of the door.

It was another really hot and dusty day. I was glad to see that Smile Mart had the aircon on and I walked around in there for a while with my bare feet on the cool

floor. I was hoping that they had some of the coconut sugar I normally buy but they'd sold out. Down in Sairee Village there as a large group of French tourists

causing problems with the traffic as they walked in the middle of the main road, blocking the traffic and wondering why everyone was sounding their horns!

AC Bars pit bulls were laying around outside in the shade. I had had seen a post online saying that one of them had been biting people. I couldn't imagine them being

aggressive, they always seemed so chilled out, unless someone was provoking them. Doughnut man had his cart parked right in the middle of the street, just before the

steep hill and there were quite a few customers lining up to buy his delicious homemade doughnuts. When I carry the laptop and charging cable in my bag it really

weighs me down and that steep hill is a killer with a tonne of weight on your back. I need to start wearing the bag on another shoulder too because I actually have a

tan line now!

I spent the rest of the afternoon sat at Coconut Monkey working on some articles and a restaurant review for La Carotte Qui Rit. I stopped off there on the way to The

Hacienda to grab something to eat.

It was BBQ Wednesday and that meant it was going to get really busy. I had promised Dtum that this would be my last working day because I knew he would need help. We

had talked a couple of days ago about having a leaving party. I don't think he was going to take no for an answer! I had a think about it and then put a post out on

Facebook inviting people up to The Hacienda tomorrow night for something to eat. It would be so hard to try and meet up with everyone individually so it seemed like

the best option.

It is tradition for the new dive masters to have a 'Snorkel Test' and thats exactly what was going to happen to Bo and Nick tonight down at Coconut Monkey. It was

going to involve a snorkel and mask and a bucket full of booze. I'll say no more. As soon as NIck finished his diving  for the day he came up to put his BBQ order in.

I am going to miss the veggie sausages and burgers made by the lovely Andrea. I made sure I got myself a couple of sausages and a burger to go with my baked potato and

veggie skewers.

Before the place started to get busy I went down to take some photos of the BBQ and of the staff. It feels like I have only really just started to get to know them all

and we are leaving. They will be missed so much. Each one of them will hold a special place in my heart and I'll never forget the time we have spent together.

Regardless of the language barrier sometimes I feel very close to them, like having my own little Thai family.

By the time we started eating there were a lot of people coming through the doors and into the bar. From then on it was a mad rush taking orders at the bar, serving

drinks and serving food to the tables. Som and Nu were in the kitchen cooking and Bee, Tun and Dtum were down by the BBQ cooking and serving food. Nick disappeared

down to Coconut Monkey for his snorkel test. Bo isn't actually qualified but they thought they would combine both snorkel tests together which was great.

By the time they returned Nick was telling me all about it. Apparently they were made to sing a song from Disneys Aladdin in a west country accent! I would have loved

to have seen that! Michael and Richard came up for some BBQ food and sat in the corner on table 1. I felt like I haven't really spent enough time with them. They have

only just got here and we are leaving! Jacqui came up a day early thinking that we were having a meal tonight. It was nice to see her! Josh was at the bar too for his

BBQ food. I only feel like I haven't spent enough time with him either!

As the night came to an end all the girls were taking pictures. I don't wear any makeup anymore and I was sweating so much from running around in a busy bar, however,

I didn't care what I looked like. Som insisted on having a photo taken with Nick.

After arriving back at the guest house I hopped straight in the shower. My first proper shower for 2 days! It was bliss! I quickly wrote a list of everything we needed

to do tomorrow. We've got bags to pack, parcels to send and tickets to buy.

Well, I'm unemployed again and Nick is a qualified Dive Master! Nick had set his alarm early so we could get up before the electric went off. We timed it just right

and then spent a sweltering hour and half sorting out our bags and putting everything we were not taking to one side. Nick had so many dive books which he wanted to

keep so we were going to send them back to Guernsey. Eventually the heat int he room became unbearable and we had to go out!  It was actually cooler outside in the

sunshine!

While Nick went ahead on the scooter so he could sort out some final bits and pieces with Master Divers, I walked down to Sairee Village and onwards to Mae Haad where

I met him in Coconut Monkey. We had planned to try and do a few uploads on the website which seem to be taking forever with the slow internet or complete lack of it!

After I'd finished my pot of green tea we headed off to Lomprayah and booked our boat tickets for Saturday. We'd decided to get the 14:45pm boat so we had enough time

to have a quick look around Chumphon, plus the boat could be late so having that extra time to play with would be a bonus. Our plan at the moment is to get the night

train up to Bangkok and work out what we are doing when we arrive. I think we will probably end up staying in the same place as last time, its cheap!! After booking

our boat tickets we stopped off outside Island Travel and just mentioned to Alan that we were leaving on Saturday and we would be bringing the bike back. Lunch was

spent down at mammas. She came out of the kitchen to say she was closing for  a few days because she was going over to Chumphon again. Nick mentioned that we were

leaving on Saturday and she gave us both a big hug and then insisted I follow her into the kitchen so she can show me how she makes fresh spring rolls. My favourite

dish here! The kitchen was really busy! On one counter there were bowls full of pre-cut vegetables. At the back there were two women stood at a couple of smoking hot

woks cooking. Mamma made the whole process of making spring rolls very easy and within a few minutes I had a plate full of delicious spring rolls to devour. By the

time I got back to the table my banana shake was waiting for me!

We took a quick trip back to the guest house to start packing Nicks diving books into a box along with his Christmas present from P Dong. He cut up a cardboard box and

made sure his image of Ganesh encased in glass was protected. Then we headed out again to the post office to post the package. I grabbed some parcel tape from the 29

baht shop and Nick nearly used the entire roll packing up the box! It cost him 1600 baht to post the package home which was pretty good considering how much it

weighed! The rest of the afternoon was spent down at Coconut Monkey as we tried to sort out the website.

After getting ready at the guest house we made our way up to The Hacienda where we had organised to meet a few people for an unofficial leaving do. We were surprised

to see how many people came up to join us for something to eat including Shane, who I talk to a lot when he comes to the bar. The kitchen staff had created some

delicious vegetable patties with a baked potato and some vegetables on the side. Dtum had mentioned that he was going to make a veggie surprise for us! I was so

grateful for everything the staff did for us tonight.

We made the effort to get up early thinking that the electric was going to go off like usual. I made sure I got all my exercises out of the way and we both hopped in

the shower hoping that the electric wouldn't turn off while we were covered in soap, however, it didn't go off this morning! I suppose we couldn't look at it as wasted

time so we made the most of the extra hors and started to pack a bit more into our already bulging bags. We had a few things that we were going to donate to the staff

at The Hacienda, mainly tupperware tubs and a few other odds and ends that could be useful in the kitchen. I was surprised that we hadn't collected more since thats

always an issue when you stop in one place for a long period of time. Once we'd finished our packing we decided to head out on the scooter and ride further up the

track. We've lived here for over three months and we still don't know whats at the end of the road!

It was a steep ride up the track following the road around and down to a resort that overlooked the beach. I can't believe in all this time we have never been down

here. It looked like quite a few people had lost a considerable amount of land with the road being widened. The workmen were getting ready to start pouring some

concrete as we came back down the hill. Nick dropped me off outside the guest house and we stopped Gary coming up the hill on his scooter. He'd been over to Ranong to

do his visa run and not had a great experience! Apparently, due to a series of events he actually ended up getting stuck in Chumphon overnight!

I walked down to Mae Haad along my usual route while Nick went ahead so he could sort out a few things down at Master Divers. I had been fortunate enough to have been

given a free litre bottle of coconut water yesterday by 'Coconut Lady' so I didn't need to go and see her. As I walked past the coconut processing plant I wondered if

yesterday was the last time I was going to see her since we were leaving tomorrow? It still didn't feel like we were leaving Koh Tao. I am still so excited about

finally getting on the move again but something is holding me back. Perhaps its just the fact that we have been settled for a long time.

I met Nick down at Coconut Monkey and we started another website upload. I feel like this is an ongoing issue! Luckily we had a good connection today. I know we were

going to go out for lunch but I couldn't help but order some chocolate amazeballs and a pot of green tea. Elaine came in with some new herbal tea that she'd bought

while she was away. It was the same brand that I had bought when we went over to Koh Samui. According to Alex and Rob we are the only people that actually drink the

herbal tea so Elaine buying in extra stock probably wasn't a brilliant idea! I think I am actually going to miss my Union Jack tea pot when we've gone!

Nick and I both decided that we wanted to pay Vegetabowl a final visit before we left and it wasn't long before we pulled up outside. Nick parked the scooter in the

shade down Nay Porn Road and we pulled up a couple of lime green plastic chairs. There was no need for a menu because we already knew what we were having. I was

hanging out for an 'Asian Bowl' with a scoop of brown rice and Nick wanted his 'Mexican Bowl'. You have to be really hungry if you want to eat a salad here and they

are not for the faint hearted! I'm in love with the crispy tofu pieces that they sprinkle on top of the salad.

Before we headed back for the final pack we stopped off down at Coconut Monkey again so we could finish a couple more uploads. This was going to take an age and there

was no way in hell we were getting this done today. It was a good excuse to have a piece of raw carrot cake while we were here. It would be rude not to! As we were

walking out of the door for a second time today we bumped into Linzi as she was walking out of Master Divers. She was off tomorrow but she wasn't coming into the cafe

so we said our goodbyes outside. It feels so strange saying goodbye! I hate goodbyes!

Back at the guest house we were struggling to fit everything into our bags, mainly because we had a stash of herbal teas that we were not willing to part with and Nick

had a bag of diving equipment that he was putting in his bag which meant we lost a lot of packing space! I find this whole packing situation so stressful! Once we'd

finally got everything sorted we headed down to The Hacienda to say goodbye and hand over some goodies to the staff.

As I walked up the pathway I could make out a familiar face behind the bar. Michelle was stood behind the bar with Dtum. Bee wasn't feeling very well today and she was

at home and Dtum needed the extra help. Michelle used to work here a while ago so she knew what she was doing. It felt so strange being sat on the other side of the

bar for a change and every time the squeaker went in the kitchen I wanted to go in there and help serve the tables! When the food is ready, instead of a bell, there is

a squeaky crocodile taped on top of the order board. I found that hilarious when I first started but now is become the norm! It was now that we decided to change our

plans for tomorrow! Instead of taking the sleeper train up to Bangkok we did a bit of research and found that it actually worked out cheaper if we took the coach which

meant there were no transfers to and from the train stations which adds on extra cost at both ends. Since Lomprayah was closed now we would have to sort that out in

the morning! After looking at a few guest houses we decided to wait until we were actually on the coach tomorrow just in case there was an issue and we didn't make it

to Bangkok. Instead of getting up ridiculously early tomorrow to get an earlier boat we both agreed that we would still take the 14:45pm boat to Chumphon and get the

coach to Bangkok which arrived in the city at just gone midnight. That would be fine with us if we had somewhere already booked. While we were sat at the bar planning

I ordered some hummus and flatbreads and a couple of plates of french fries! Not the healthiest option but it was something to snack on while we were working out what

we were supposed to be doing. Bob and Andrea were sat at the other end of the bar having a heated discussion about politics with Michelle so I was happy to be steering

clear of that! I've never followed Politics and I never voted.

After looking through countless places to stay on booking.com we finally gave in and headed over to where Bo, Michael and Richard were playing pool in the other bar.

Leah was working behind the bar for the next few days while Steve was away again. I think Bo is determined to finish his diving now Nick has finished. At the moment

his plan is to move further up North as soon as he can. I hope he manages to get away from Koh Tao and see a bit more of Thailand. No matter what he decides to do,

just as long as both him and Leah are happy, thats all that matters. I hope that we will have the opportunity to spend time with them again during their travels but I

will leave that up to the universe to decide. We have been so fortunate to have spent time with them for the past 5 months and I am so grateful for that. No matter how

many times I tell them both, I don't think they will ever realise how much I love them.

Soon it was time to say our final goodbye and we both walked into the kitchen. Tun and Som gave us both a big hug. I was going to miss these special ladies so much.

Dtum gave me the biggest bear hug before we walked out of the restaurant. I have been so fortunate to work for such a kind and caring individual and I will miss him.

It felt like we were saying goodbye to family members this evening! As we were walking down the pathway I felt a tinge of sadness. It was the end of an era and I hoped

that this wouldn't be the last time I would be walking down this pathway. Before we got on the bike I took one last look at the illuminated restaurant, the bright

yellow sign over the door with 'The Hacienda' written in bold text was visible from the road. I would never forget this place or the people that work here.

As we were riding home in the dark I was taking in all the sights and the sounds so I would remember this moment. It would be the last time we rode back along this

route, back to our guest house where we would be spending our final night in room 1.

It was an early start this morning. Checkout was at 10am and I dare not ask for an extension just in case the owners were in a bad mood. We had already spotted them

gambling on several occasions and nothing was said so we thought we would keep ourselves to ourselves since two of the men sat around the table in the front of the

guest house were police officers in uniform! Gambling is illegal but obviously it still happens. On 4 occasions we have come back late at night and the curtains have

been open so we can see what is going on inside. Usually there is a large round table set up to one side of the room surrounded by men clutching wads of 1000 baht

notes and playing cards. A couple of times they have seen us pull up outside and tried to quickly shut the curtains. Each time there has been the same two police

officers sat at the table, cash in one hand and cards in the other!

After my resistance bands training and a couple of cups of green tea followed by a bowl of porridge, Nick headed out of the door on the scooter with both of our big

bags so he could take them down to Master Divers in the hope that they could look after them for us while we were waiting for our boat. He also wanted to change our

tickets to include the coach to Bangkok. Once I'd finished in the shower I had a phone call from Nick to say that he couldn't change the tickets now and we had to go

back this afternoon! I'm sure it wouldn't be an issue. I'd packed the rest of our things and done the final check of the room. It looked so strange with nothing in it.

Before we left I shot a quick piece of film while Nick put a few things in the bike. Since we had moved the bags, Dave the gecko that poops all over our room and keeps

us awake at night with his squeaking was tucked up in the corner by the door. It was as if he had come out from his hiding place to say goodbye.

None of the staff were anywhere to be seen. The only person standing outside the front of the guest house was the Burmese lady that does the washing and cleans the

rooms. Whenever I see her I always acknowledge her. She took the key and I tried to explain that we were checking out but I don't think she understood me! Another one

of those language barrier moments! While Nick went off with our bags I started my final walk down to Mae Haad, yet again trying to take in as much as I could so I

would remember this walk. Some of the Burmese workers were outside their make shift homes smoking cigarettes and hanging up washing on lines. As I walked past they

smiled and waved. There were a few guys that I see on a daily basis and whenever they see me they go out of their way to say hello.

Sairee Village was packed with people, most of them looked like they hadn't actually been home yet! The street vendors were doing a roaring trade on fresh fruit

smoothies and fruit salad. The walking street was very busy too and I spent most of the time dodgy dawdlers as they plodded along the street with their eyes on

everything else other than the street in front of them which meant they were bumping into people coming the other way. One of my pet hates is people looking at their

phones while they are walking which means they bump into everything and everyone that is coming in the other direction!

Today I decided to take some film and photos of various places along my walk. It was the last time I would get the opportunity to do it so I made the most of it! I

ever took some film inside some of the little shops where cats were sleeping amongst the bags of rice.

Down at Coconut Monkey Nick was on the laptop and he was in the middle of uploading the website again. We had decided to hang out here while we waited for the boat and

Bo was in the classroom today and he said that he was going to be on his lunch break at 11am. I really wanted to say goodbye to him before we left. After ordering what

was going to be my last pot of tea and slice of raw carrot cake I spotted Bo walking past. He strolled in and sat down next to me and ordered a chicken wrap and a

coffee. I was so glad I got to spend that hour with him because there was a part of me that knows I am probably not going to see him for a long time. He is hoping to

get his Dive Masters finished as soon as possible so he can move on from Koh Tao. I am so proud of him for doing it. I would have never believed that this is what he

would be doing when he went travelling.

Soon it was time to say goodbye and he gave me one of his bone crushing hugs again. Linzi walked into the cafe shortly after he left and we had a second goodbye. Then

it was Tony's turn! He was sat on the table next to us with Gaz. I hate goodbyes! The more people I hug today the more I don't want to leave Koh Tao!

I decided to take a walk to La Carotte and have my last meal there while Nick stayed back at the cafe and ordered himself some poached eggs on toast. Leah was stood

outside 'Pad Thai Ladies' stall ordering a fruit shake. I gave her a hug goodbye as I walked through the street. I am going to miss her more than she could imagine!

At La Carotte I had the most amazing glass noodle salad for lunch with an incredible dressing! Why had I not tried this earlier? Just before I left I mentioned that I

was leaving today and all the staff, including the chefs in the kitchen came out to say goodbye! It was another round of hugs with people I only knew through eating at

the restaurant. I even got handed a bag of dried mango to take with me. I am going to miss this little place so much. The staff have been wonderful and the food has

been amazing. As I walked down the steps and waved goodbye for the last time I felt a little lump in my throat. Now things were starting to feel real.

Once I got back to Coconut Monkey Nick headed off to drop the bike off and Michael and Richard turned up for a coffee and a chat before we left. There were no issues

with taking the bike back, although, to be honest, I wasn't expecting any issues. Alan has been really good to us over the past few months and has sorted out any

issues that we have had with the bike. 2pm came around so fast and before I knew it I was giving everyone a final hug before Nick loaded me up with my bags.

As we walked towards Lomprayah Da spotted us as she was serving up some of her delicious sandwiches to a line of customers. She asked where we were going and when we

said Chiang Mai she seemed a bit shocked to find out that we were actually leaving the island for good! We managed to get to Lomprayah just in time before the line

started to get really big. Nick managed to add on the bus trip to Bangkok and we went and sat out on the wooden pier in the sun waiting for the boat. It was so hot out

there! I looked back at the buildings along the beach and remembered the day we had arrived and Bo and Leah were stood on the balcony of their guest house waving at

us. After eating our bag of dried mango the boat finally turned up. I was so glad to see it because I'd taken my drowsy sea sickness tablet and it was starting to kick

in already. My eyes were starting to get really heavy and walking was starting to become a bit of a challenge, especially with my bags.

I have to say, that was the smoothest Lomprayah journey I have ever had! The boat literally glided across the sea! Perhaps if I had known that I wouldn't have knocked

myself out with drugs! It was a long walk with our heavy bags down the pier at Chumphon. While we were waiting for our bus I grabbed something to eat. It wasn't long

before a big coach in the Lomprayah colours started backing up towards us. We were in seat 16 and 17. It was a long journey ahead but I was still feeling drowsy from

the boat trip so sleeping would not be an issue!

Halfway through the journey the driver pulled into a truck stop so we could have a break and something to eat. We had 20 minutes to quickly run into the big market.

Nick managed to find a stall that served vegetable rice which he topped with a couple of fried eggs. That was the only vegetarian food on offer! I got some green mango

and really wish I hadn't bothered. There was a really strange powder on it and the actually mango was so dry. I had a funny feeling I was probably going to feel ill

later as my stomach had already started to churn.

Back on the bus we started to munch our way through some BBQ cashews that Nick had bought before falling asleep again. Our arrival time in Bangkok was supposed to be

12:30 but the lights on the coach came on at 2:00am, just as we were pulling up in a busy street. It was the same place we had got the bus from when we last visited

the city. As soon as we climbed off we were hounded by taxi drivers.

The streets were so crowded and we had to push our way through the crowds of people. Nick had booked a place for us to stay on Booking.com. In hindsight we should have

booked somewhere last night because now the places we were looking at last night were now booked up and the cheapest place we could find was 650 baht a night!

Our guest house was down a back alley just off Khaosan Road, Khaosan Holiday Resort. The receptionist wasn't in the best mood, perhaps that was because it was nearly

2:30am. I'd be pretty grumpy too if I was awake at that time. After handing over our money for the room and a 1500 baht deposit we walked up 4 flights of stairs to our

room. It was small but comfortable and apart from the ants everywhere and the broken shower head we couldn't complain. Was it worth 650 baht a night? No, but who were

we to complain. I couldn't wait to have a hot shower and get into bed. I glanced at the clock as I climbed into my single bed, it was 3am. I was so glad we had booked

2 nights so I could have a lay in!

We were so tired I didn't get out of bed until 12! It was hard to do my morning exercises in a room that small but I managed to make some space over by the door.

Meanwhile Nick was making a couple of mugs of green tea. There were no real plans for today. It was a bank holiday tomorrow so we couldn't go and get the laptop fixed

tomorrow either! I was starting to wonder is we should have stayed in Koh Tao a little longer. Below our window I could see the narrow alley way, partly covered by

corrugated iron. At one end was Khaosan road and the other end was the main road. It was noisy last night but not was noisy as I thought it was going to be.

After a shower we finally made it outside and took a walk to Ethos for lunch. As I predicted, that dodgy green mango had made me feel really ill and I ended up taking

some charcoal tablets at 5am this morning to try and sooth my stomach a little. It seemed to have worked but I was still feeling a bit sick. Both of us decided to have

the lentil and potato soup with homemade bread and a bottle of water. That seemed to do the trick.

 

Nick booked a different guest house to try and save a bit of money. Breakfast was included and this one was located off Khaosan road, down an alley which we had never

explored before. We decided to take a walk to try and find it so we knew where we were going in the morning. Our walk took us down a series of narrow alleyways, one

seemed to be a van graveyard and others were residential areas where families sat in the narrow passageways on fold away chairs eating rice dishes, some watching a TV

sat on top of an old chest of drawers. The whole place smelled like a urinal and there were plenty of stray dogs hanging around, some of them chewing at their mange

covered skin.

Our new guest house, The Sawasdee Smile Inn, was right on a corner where several streets joined together. Outside there were lots of little stalls and plenty of tuk

tuks and bikes trying to get down the narrow streets. Once we'd located it we headed back to the guest house for a quick break from the heat and then went for round 2

at Ethos! I ordered one of their huge salads that come in a big wooden bowl bigger than my face! There was no tempeh today so Nick was a bit disappointed, he really

wanted the tempeh burger for his dinner! He ordered some noodle soup and a coconut milk masala shake. The last time we were here I couldn't get enough of those shakes,

however, this time, because my stomach still wasn't quite right I thought it was probably a bit too rich for me. I stuck to water instead.

We both decided an early night was probably the best thing since we were both really tired. Nick set up the laptop and we stuck on one of the films on our hard drive,

a bit retro but City of Angels was well worth a watch! I can't believe I'd never seen in before! I drank my body weight in green tea and soon I was tucked up under my

sheets with the aircon on low wondering what we were going to do tomorrow.

We were checking out today and we had a plan. Since we couldn't check in to our new place until 2pm we decided to take a walk to Ethos with our bags and have some

lunch while we waited. It was a hot walk in the sun fully loaded up with our bags and I couldn't wait to finally take them off again! There was a spare table right at

the front of the restaurant, one of the low ones surrounded by cushions with a small lamp dangling above it. I also noticed there was a little white cat with some

black and ginger spots laying out on one of the cushions at the front of the restaurant. I couldn't help but take a seat by our furry friend!

Nick was the one who was feeling a bit sick today so he ordered some toast and I decided to have another bowl of their delicious soup. While we sat and ate we watched

people walking up and down the street, some with bags, other street vendors wheeling their goods through the narrow back street. Before it was time to leave I ordered

a mug of lemongrass tea while Nick finished checking where we were going in the city. He'd decided that we would take a trip there to see where the service repair

centre was just in case it was closed or it had moved. Plus it would give us something to do today!

I'd forgotten how far away our new guest house was and my feet were killing me by the time we got there. The whole front of the building was open and inside there was

a restaurant area. Behind the brightly painted lime green wooden counter was a lady boy, heavily made up wearing a tight white t-shirt, skinny jeans and a killer set

of heels. He looked up from his phone and pouted his painted lips before wheeling his chair over to the counter. We had to wait 30 minutes before we could go up to our

room but I could deal with that. We found a seat on a big wicker suite set back against the wall on one side of the reception. For some reason none of the ceiling fans

were on and by the looks of it this place hadn't been cleaned in a few years. There was a filthy fridge full of drinks just at the main entrance which needed a service

badly as it sounded like a washing machine full of gravel on spin cycle. While we were waiting an old french guy sporting some socks and sandals was chatting up the

lady boy behind the counter and asking if he/she wanted to go out with him tomorrow? Surely he could tell by the strong jawline and adams apple that this chick was a

dude?

Our room was upstairs down a narrow corridor. The stairs were steep and very sticky, in fact, come to think of it, everything seemed to be sticky, the banisters ,

seats, door handles.....yuck! Our room was the first of 4. The door was painted lime green and it looked like someone had punched it as there were big holes in the

wood. Nick opened the door and we stepped into the tiny room. It was pretty dirty but it would do. The floor was very sticky and there were black patches around the

bed and the fridge. By the door there was a huge box shaped TV sat on a rickety old side table. Above the bed was an aircon unit. Nick knocked on the wall because it

looked like wood and sure enough it was MDF. The top of the fridge was covered in a variety of stains and hair. The bathroom was interesting too with a toilet that

faced diagonally to the wall. It was so tiny that you could barely get in there and close the door. The plastic bags over the window made me laugh! What on earth had

we booked! This DID NOT look like the pictures on Booking.com! However, it was a bed for the night! Both of us dropped our luggage and headed out the door, we'd deal

with the room later on!

Nick and I walked down to catch the boat, 14 baht each for a one way ticket on the orange flag/local boat. It was so packed in there we couldn't move! In fact there

were so many people on there the boat was sat really low in the water. I was worried that we were going to sink! The sky above was just as smoggy as I remember it and

in the distance, over the buildings there was a thick yellow haze. We caught the train to Siam and took a walk to Pantip Plaza so we could locate ECS which was on the

top floor round the back of IT City where we had bought the unit 3 months ago.

The streets were busy outside with stalls selling all sorts of dishes. We were both pretty hungry so we walked to MBK and took a trip to Tops so I could grab a salad

and Nick got some cheese slices, a big bread roll and some salad leaves so he could make himself a sandwich when we got back. We both ate a couple of apples as we

walked back to the train station and climbed aboard the Sky Train which took as above the city back to the pier.

The boat was just as crowded as it was this morning and I suddenly realised that it was probably because it was a bank holiday today. Instead of heading back to the

guest house we took a walk alongside the river to a park area where we sat on a stone bench to eat and watched some middle aged ladies doing an exercise class being

led by a rather enthusiastic guy in some tight fitting shorts.

We took a walk down the back streets to get back to our guest house, past a little Muay Thai boxing ring where a little boy dressed in his silk shorts and boxing

gloves was posing for some pictures. Somehow we ended up in a dead end alley with a sign pointing to some metal steps as a short cut to Khaosan road? We were both

confused and as we turned around an old lady came out of a doorway and pointed up the stairs and nodded her head. So we walked up the stairs which took us into a

storage room, down some wooden steps and out through a restaurant on Khaosan road. This place was like a maze of passageways!

Back at the guest house we did the washing in the sink using our universal plug/piece of pink foam and some of our washing powder. While Nick rinsed the clothes off in

the shower I hung everything up on the washing line that we had strung up between the door and the window. I realised why there were plastic bags on the window when I

took a peek while I was in the shower and ended up looking straight into the window of the guest house opposite! Luckily nobody was looking back in this direction!

I was so cold with the aircon on last night but too tired to get up and do something about it! At least the clothes were dry though. After several cups of green tea we

were ready for the day and we headed downstairs to the restaurant for breakfast which was included in the price of our room. Nick got some breakfast coupons from

reception and we went and sat down at one of the heavy wooden tables. An overweight guy wearing a dirty apron with a wonky eye shuffled over to our table to take our

order. The breakfast was done by set and the only set suitable for us that wasn't a meat feast was the continental, set 4.

The heavy plastic table cloth was encrusted with several layers of 'Bangkok skank' and was very sticky, much like everything else in the building. The dodgy eyed guy

shuffled over to our table with a tray mumbling something like ladies first and handing Nick his plate first, finding this statement a little funnier than we did.

Although a sandwich sort of a picnic, I quite liked the guy. He gave me a sly wink as he handed me a plastic plate of pineapple and watermelon cut into triangles. I

did a swap with Nick and while he ploughed through a mountain of toast I ate two plates of fruit washed down with a very strong black tea from a very stained china

cup.

Sufficiently fed, we headed out onto the streets. The street vendors were already starting to set up, washing down the areas surrounding their stalls. I laughed at the

sign hanging above one of them asking people not to pee there! Down at the boat we were so early the lady who we book our tickets from wasn't even there yet so we paid

on the boat. It wasn't as crowded as yesterday so I wasn't worried that we would sink at any moment. The captain seemed to have some serious skills when it came to

picking up and dropping off passengers and instead of slamming the boat into the dock he very gracefully moved the vessel into place.

After catching the Sky Train into the city we walked to Pantip Plaza again and made our way up to the top floor. ECS was open and after a short wait we managed to

speak to a couple of ladies about the laptop. At first they were saying that the reason why the keyboard and the SD card reader were not working was because of a

motherboard issue. I rolled my eyes when I heard that! Not another bloody motherboard issue! Nick tried to argue that if that was the case and we needed a new

motherboard and keyboard then surely it would be more cost effective to just give us a new laptop. The parts were going to take two to three weeks to come in and by

now the whole situation was starting to look pretty bad. Luckily for us they decided to call the engineer in since Nick was standing his ground and we had to wait 45

minutes for the guy to arrive.

Eventually he turned up and after explaining the problem he went off with the laptop and we sat back on the leather sofa with a paper cup of black coffee trying to

think of a back up plan in case things were about to take a turn for the worse. After waiting for nearly an hour he appeared again and said that he had managed to fix

the keyboard and he was just waiting to fix the SD card reader. Both of us could have high fived the bloke there and then and when he returned with the working laptop

we were both so grateful. What if they had booked it in to have all that work done when all along it had been an issue with the software that took just over an hour to

fix.

After buying a new hard drive and some headphones to replace the ones that died a sudden death while Nick was listening to his audiobook, we headed out onto the busy

streets in search for some food. All of the stalls seemed to be selling meat based dishes and after scouring a food hall in a run down shopping centre we decided to

walk to MBK where we knew they had a food hal downstairs.

After searching we managed to find a little restaurant that offered vegetarian food. I have no idea what the hell I ate but it was some kind of broth with a few pieces

of thai kale, limp noodles and strange tasting vegetarian fish balls that had an worryingly similar flavour to the smell of Whiskas cat food. Nick ordered a portion of

vegetarian sausage fried rice. Unless it was a starter course for a child I'd say the portion size was more than disappointing and the weird brightly coloured pieces

of 'sausage' left a puzzling taste in my mouth, one of those 'was that actually vegetarian' thoughts crossed my mind as Nick finished off the last mouth full of rice

with 'red bits'. To finish my strange lunch I grabbed an apple from Tops and we walked back to the train station.

While we were waiting for the boat we met a young Canadian guy called Matt with the coolest job writing subtitles for films. I didn't even know that was a job! He was

staying in a guest house near us so we arranged to meet him later on and gave him one of our cards with our email address. Not long after we got on the boat some rude

young girls climbed aboard and made a big deal about only having a 1000 baht note to pay for the boat. When the ticket collector said she didn't have enough change

they decided they weren't going to pay for the boat. I hate people like this who give all tourists, especially us Brits a bad reputation. I think they got the hint

that the other passengers were not too pleased with their behaviour and very quickly found some change.

After taking a walk through the busy streets of the city and looking in some of the little shops we took a walk to Ethos. We just couldn't help ourselves and we

justified this visit by saying this was probably the last time we would be eating here again! I couldn't wait to tuck into another one of the salads which came with

crispy tempeh tonight. In fact, we ordered a side of tempeh strips cooked in coconut oil that came with a side of spicy peanut dressing. Nick wanted a bowl of the

lentil and potato soup. We stopped off at the little travel agents a few doors down from there where we had booked our tickets to Koh Tao during our last visit to the

city. The cat was there asleep in a chair but the lady was nowhere to be seen, however, after a quick call to her mobile she soon appeared and we sorted out two

tickets on a minibus to Ayutthaya tomorrow morning for 180 baht each.

As we were walking back towards the guest house we had a message from Matt so we took a detour to The Wild Orchid where he was sat on the sofas with a Chang in one

hand. I didn't recognise him with his cap off. We spent a few hours taking about travel, bouncing ideas off of each other and Nick even managed to get the staff to

give him the globe from the front desk so we could settle an argument on how far Australia was from Canada.

Back at the guest house we packed the rest of our belongings in our bags and after a shower we headed off to bed. Nick turned the aircon up a bit tonight so I wasn't

freezing cold. I have to admit, I am not going to miss this guest house!

It was another early start so I could finish my resistance bands training and have a shower. By 7am we were packed and ready to head down to reception. Technically the

restaurant didn't open until 7:30am but we were allowed to get our coupons and after ordering our food with the hunch back waiter we sat down at one of the tables and

watched as the stall holders set up in the street. This morning the waiter was interested in Nicks chain around his neck and wanted to know how much he was going to sell it for!?

Our mini bus was due to pick us up between 7 - 7:30am. I had no idea how they were planning on getting a mini bus down that tiny alley way but sure enough, just as we

finished our breakfast, the mini bus pulled around the corner. We had the angriest driver behind the wheel who was getting so stressed out with the traffic, clenching

his fists and gripping the wheel so tightly his knuckles went white. Every time his phone rang he would have a very heated discussion with the person on the other end.

After driving around the busy streets for ages we came to a stop on the side of the road and a slender woman approached the doors and asked if Nick and I could get off

and onto a different mini bus. So we grabbed our bags and traipsed over to a much smaller van which was crammed with people and luggage. I had to sit next to a pile of

suitcases on the bench seat behind the driver with both my bags on my lap. Nick had to struggle with his big backpack wedged between him and the door and his smaller

backpack on his lap. Neither of us were going to be moving at all. At least the driver was a lot calmer.

Nick was asleep as soon as we got out of the main part of the city and I had to elbow him several times in the ribs because he was snoring! Halfway between Bangkok and

Ayutthaya we stopped off at a service station for a quick toilet break. I was so grateful to be able to stretch my legs.

It took another hour before we reached Ayutthaya and the driver dropped everyone off outside one of the temples. We were the only ones that were not on a tour and

after loading ourselves up with luggage again we went for a walk in search of a guest house. This place was different to anywhere else we had been and so quiet. There

was not a lot of traffic on the roads and every single sign was in Thai so we didn't know if we were walking past guest houses or not! After we'd been walking for

about 30 minutes with no luck we sat outside of 7 Eleven in the company of a couple of stray dogs while Nick looked online for somewhere to stay. The cheapest place we

could find was the One Love Guest House for 550 baht a night. It was a bit of a trek so we decided to find a tuk tuk. There were a couple of old thai guys with open

shirts smoking cigarettes sat round the back of one of the street stalls by their tuk tuks. Even the tuk tuks look different here and have a moulded bonnet. They

remind me of the shape of a clog! After agreeing a price of 100 baht we climbed into the crispy vehicle. There was just enough room for both of us and our bags. I

could see the road through the rust holes in the floor and the it had about as much pick up as a lawnmower. As it struggled up some of the hills we were wondering if

it would even make it to the top! I heard the guy coughing and instead of spitting out of the window he just spat on the floor at his feet....nice!

We were greeted by a member of staff at One Love Guest House and Nick asked her how much it would be for one night. When we replied 650 baht we were a little bit

confused and then spent the next 20 minutes seeing if there was any other accommodation along that stretch. Nick decided to go back and ask her why it was 100 baht cheaper online? I don't think she was prepared for the question and made up some excuse about it being cheaper if we book online. Nick couldn't understand why we just

couldn't pay the 550 cash and then at least they wouldn't be paying Booking.com any fees. But she was having none of it so we sat on the benches outside and booked our

room. Then 5 minutes later we went in to check in!

Our room was number 6 with a gold door and a brightly coloured tiled floor. There was a little balcony that overlooked the road at the back of the guest house and a

big bathroom. It was a nice room but still not worth the money we paid for it. Once we'd offloaded the bags we headed downstairs to book a scooter for the day. It took

a while for the scooter to finally arrive as it must have been booked through a 3rd party.

Our first stop was at Wat Maha That. Everywhere you look whilst driving through Ayutthaya there are red brick ruins, some areas better kept than others. This area in

the Historical Park was spectacular and after paying our 40 baht entrance fee I was ready to start exploring the area. The ruins were so beautiful and beneath our feet

were big tree roots that snaked amongst the remains of the Wats and buildings that once stood high above us. There was one area where a huge tree had completely

surrounded the image of Buddhas head which was now a centrepiece amongst the twisted branches. There was a brick pathway leading to other small buildings and bridges over a small canal/moat that ran around the ancient city. Groups of old women were sweeping up leaves and putting them into various piles.

We were both really hungry so we decided to take a ride into town. We ended up outside a market which seemed to run all the way down the back alleys. After parking the bike we were asked to pay a 3 baht parking fee. Once we'd handed over the money we had a piece of paper placed over the brake lever on the scooter. The market was

absolutely packed with stalls, some so close together they were almost on top of each other! As we followed the narrow alley ways around the back of the shops there

were a lot more stalls selling dried fish and 'fresh' fish which had obviously been out in the heat all day. The meat market was full of chicken carcasses and pigs

heads crawling with flies. The smell was overpowering! Beneath our feet were puddles of water containing god knows what. I just needed to get out of there! We managed

to grab a couple of boiled corn on the cob and we ate those whilst we looked around a few other stalls.

After grabbing a bottle of water from 7 Eleven we headed out on the main road again, back to the Wat we had been dropped off at earlier on today. Wat Yai Chaimongkhol.

The monastery was constructed by King U-Thong to accommodate the monks that were ordained by Phra Wanratana Mahathera Burean. This monastery was named "Wat Pakaew".

Afterwards, Phra Wanratana of Wat Pa Kaew suggested to King Naresuan  the Great to build a Chedi (pagoda). He decided to construct a large Chedi in this monastery.

This monastery became known as Wat Yai Chiamongkhon. There were some impressive gold buddha statues outside the building, one of them had a couple of doves nesting in

the armpit of buddha.

Nick and I were still pretty hungry so we managed to locate a Tesco lotus where I found a pack of steamed sweet potatoes for my lunch. Nick opted for some frozen

yoghurt from one of the stalls outside and topped it with fresh fruit. After getting a cup of tea from Starbucks we headed out in search of a couple of vegetarian

restaurants, only to find they had closed down! Nick stopped off at the train station so we could book our tickets on the 9:48am train to Chiang Mai. The train station

reminded me of the station in Hua Hin. It was like stepping back in time. Our tickets cost 616 baht each and the journey was going to take about 9 hours! We'd booked

2nd class so there was aircon.

After bombing around the streets on the scooter we stopped off to look at another small Wat. While we were pulled up on the side of the road we spotted Elephants

wearing the most ridiculous red and gold headdresses carrying tourists on metal seats with a big red and gold parasol above them. The mahouts sat on the elephants neck

carried fruit on one hand and a stick with a sharp metal hook in the other. The elephants looked so sad as they traipsed up and down the road with the tourists on

their backs taking selfies with their phones and laughing. If only they knew what they were participating in and the cruelty they were supporting. It makes me feel

sick to the stomach. There was a time where I would have loved to ride an elephant, but not now. Now I know the pain and the suffering these animals have to endure

every day of their miserable existence I wouldn't even consider taking part in these activities. You are basically supporting animal abuse.

Both of us were still pretty hungry and after looking around another small Wat we went in search of food again. Luckily for us there was a large area full of food

stalls on the side of the road. Nick sat down at one of the plastic tables and we ordered something to eat. I don't think anyone spoke English so we just pointed to

what we wanted. I had some stir fried vegetables and Nick ordered a pad thai. That was the only dishes on the menu that didn't have meat in them.

After a brief stop off at the guest house to drop off some bottles of water we headed out to watch the sunset over one of the Wats. Shortly after that we found the

night market which ran the entire length of one street. There were so many stalls there and so many people it was hard to squeeze down the narrow walkway without

bumping into anyone. While we were there we got ourselves some fresh pressed juice and half a watermelon for breakfast the next day. Nick sniffed out a stall selling

waffles for 40 baht and he couldn't help himself. He got a chocolate chip waffle which he ate on the way back to the bike while I tucked into some fresh papaya chunks.

After we'd had a shower and we'd set an upload on the computer we heard a knock at the door. It was the guy that we had booked our scooter with this morning. He wanted

the key so he could lock the scooter away overnight. I'd seen a sign on the wall earlier saying they were having issues with dogs attacking people outside the guest

house and there was even a basket full of sticks that you could take with you if you were going out after dark! I was glad he was going out to move the bike!

Nick had set the alarm to go off at 7am but we were both up before it even went off. I wanted to get my exercises done and a walk out of the way before the long train

journey ahead. After setting the laptop to do another website upload and finishing packing our bags we headed outside and followed the road round to the right, past

all the shops and stalls to 7 Eleven so we could get a couple of bottles of water. There were more tuk tuks on the road than anything else and we had to make a quick

dash across the road, narrowly avoiding being hit!

Back at the guest house we loaded ourselves up with bags. We had managed to get all the little extras into our main bags so we didn't need to carry my coloured cloth

bag with the kettle, green tea and steel cups. Every morning we drink at least 3 to 4 cups of green tea each before starting the day! Making our way downstairs we

handed over the bike helmets and the key and the guy offered to call us a tuk tuk. We were going to wait out on the road since there were plenty about but we thought

it would be rude to decline his offer and politely accepted. It wasn't long before a little red tuk tuk appeared outside the front of the guest house. Its quite

comical trying to get in the back with our bags. There is literally only just enough room for both of us and the rucksacks and I felt like it was going to tip over on

every corner he drove around!

He dropped us off outside the train station and I handed over 100 baht note once he'd help me get my bag on my back. While Nick went and sat on the platform I went off

outside the station in search of some fruit for the journey ahead. Although there was a meal included in the price the trains don't tend to cater for

vegetarians/vegans and usually have a meat dish with rice so I needed a back up for the 9 hour trip. Every stall I went to were reluctant to sell their fruit, mainly

because they were making fruit salads and shakes and they didn't want to sell a bunch of bananas if they were going to make triple the price making them into fruit

salads and smoothies! I ended up buying some single bananas from a lady at the train station with a small stall overlooking the tracks. She sold me 6 bananas for 15

baht each! Considering I can buy a big bunch of bananas for the same price these were probably some of the most expensive bananas I have bought so far! However, it was

either that or go hungry!

While we were sat waiting for the train a stray dog came to see us. She was riddled with fleas and covered in mange but I didn't mind. She was so happy to have a

little bit of attention and was really enjoying being scratched around her ears. I had baby wipes in my bag to clean my hands so I was happy to give her a good scratch

knowing I could clean my hands.

The train was 30 minutes late and just before it arrived everyone moved over to platform 3. We were in the 3rd carriage in seat number 21 and 22. I took the window

seat and Nick put our heavy bags above our heads in the luggage storage. The train was actually quite empty and we had to move a woman from our seats when we got on.

The seats were comfortable and reclined and there was a little tray that folded down just like the ones you get on an plane. In fact, the whole set up was much like a

plane. Occasionaly an old thai lady would come down the train with a mop to clean the floor. After about half an hour we were handed our first snack, a custard filled

sweet bun and a cup of water. As much as I love these super sweet treats they don't agree with me so I ended up keeping mine for later on when Nick would state he was

hungry. I know him too well!

The first two hours went by quite quickly as we rattled through the countryside. I was amazed how many little towns there were hidden away from everything. There were

buffalo grazing in big open fields and plenty of rice paddys. Lunch was served at 12 and we were handed a white plastic tray with a sealed bowl of fried mackerel, a

sealed bowl of boiled chicken with turmeric and some boiled rice. Nick and I tucked into the small plastic bowl of jasmine rice and a couple of bananas.

We decided to kill some time and watch a film so Nick pulled out the laptop and our headphones and we watched Face Off. What an awesome movie! At 3pm the lady came

round again with the trolley, this time we were served some black tea accompanied by a small pack of pineapple pie, Nicks favourite! I should have bought a jumper with

me because the aircon was on so low I recon you could have set a jelly on that train! Nick fell asleep for a few hours and I kept having to elbow him when he broke out

into a snoring chorus, waking up the other passengers next to him!

I watched out of the window as we passed tiny little towns and farms with orchards and rice paddys. The train started to climb up into the hills through the tree

canopy. It was a wonderful journey watching all the green scenery going by. I'd noticed that we hadn't stopped at many stations since we left Bangkok. Most of them

were so small you could blink and miss them! No matter how small they were each station was so immaculate and the gardens we're so well kept. Sometimes I would see a

station master in his uniform with his flags waving the train through and I wondered how many people actually got on and off in these tiny little towns. Going to the

toilet was an interesting experience and I am so glad we travel with baby wipes so I can clean the toilet seat before using it and wipe my hands without having to

touch the tap! Its quite an interesting experience sat on the toilet, holding onto the rails so you don't fall off and watching the scenery go by through the open

window. Like most trains, everything that goes into the toilet goes straight out onto the tracks.....nice!

I watched the sun set over the hills and darkness closed in. Chiang Mai was the last stop on the track and just before a smartly dressed man with his peak cap and

shiny boots came walking down the train to announce the next stop. We pulled on our bags, so glad to be getting off the train after nearly 10 hours! I walked down the

steep metal steps off of the train holding tightly onto the railings trying to steady myself with the weight of my bags on my back.

The streets were surprisingly empty outside the train station. Our guest house was a 20 minute walk down the dimly lit backstreets. Nick had his GPS on his phone so we

followed instructions that led us down dark alleyways, past empty stalls and groups of locals gathered around on the street corners. The walk didn't actually seem that

long and before we knew it we were stood outside Ben Guesthouse which was down a dead end road. The guest house was a traditional style with heavy wooden shutters and

mesh panels over the windows. Inside it was a bit dated and in need of a serious clean, however, the owner was really friendly ad offered us the choice of two

different rooms which were both upstairs. The first room, number 9 was at the top of the stairs at the front of the building. There was a double bed in the room, lots

of heavy wooden furniture, tatty stained threadbare blue curtains over the window and a large fan above the bed. The room at the end of the corridor was slightly

smaller with two single beds in there. We decided to go for the room with the double. What we didn't check out was the bathroom which was through another door, to the

left. I don't think I've seen a bathroom quite that dirty in a while. There was a lot of black slime down the wall where the shower had been dripping for years?! The

tiles were stained yellow and the toilet bowl was caked in crud! At least we had hot water for the bargain price of 250 baht a night!

After ditching our bags we paid for our room for the next two nights and headed out down the back streets onto the main road and over a lit up bridge to where the

night markets were. They we're huge, some of the stalls were undercover. There was so much to see! Everywhere you looked there were stalls selling overpriced durian!

Luckily I managed to find a stall at the back of the market with a decent piece for a fair price. Meanwhile Nick was tucking into some cheesecake, mint chocolate chip

and tiramisu flavoured gelato! We were both so hungry so we stopped off at a restaurant offering Thai and Western food which turned out to be a big mistake! If you are thai and you are offering thai food then at least make it properly. Nicks pad thai tasted of nothing and my vegetables were obviously mouldy before the stir fried

them!

Eventually we headed back to the guest house and braved the shower before climbing into bed. It had been such a long day and we were both exhausted. The fan was pretty

noisy but we were both so tired I don't think either of us really cared!

We managed to have a bit of a lay in this morning which was great. We had a message from Bo to say that he had almost finished his Dive Masters and they were planning

on heading up to Chiang Mai on the 29th once the lease on their room had run out.

I braved the shower again and I think I actually felt dirtier having a wash in there! We both headed out down the backstreets and along the bridge again. Everything

looked so different in the day time. Just as we came over the bridge there was a bright pink stall with some pink painted wooden tables and chairs outside. The sign

was advertising fresh fruit shakes. We hung our heads inside and we were greeted by a very enthusiastic lady with short black hair and a pink apron on. She was very

happy, bouncy and smiley, perhaps there was a little more than fruit in the shakes! Along with no milk and no sugar as we requested she did ask if we wanted something

'special' in our shakes as she shook a clear plastic tub of white powder. At least she asked if we wanted MSG in our shakes. Obviously we declined.

Once we'd finished our shakes we took a walk around the old city, visited some gemstone shops and stopped off at Taste from Heaven for some lunch. We'd read all about this place before we got here so we were looking forward to something decent to eat. The menu was huge and included things like vegetarian bacon, vegetarian ham and

sausage. Nick decided to go for the egg baguette with crispy veggie ham and I ordered the glass noodle salad with a side order of fresh spring rolls. Nick got himself

some veggie samosas which looked incredible. We certainly weren't disappointed with the food! I was looking forward to trying everything else on the menu! They even

had vegan brownies and ice cream! We followed the uneven pathways through the city, past ornate Wats painted gold with big Buddha statues outside.

It started to rain so we ducked into Starbucks for a cup of tea while we waited for it to stop. I was amazed at how cold it was here in Chiang Mai. I'd been told I

might need some warmer clothes! Our next stop off for the day was at Wat Phan On where there was a flea market full of stalls selling everything from hand carved soaps

to woven shoes. There was a big stall right at the end by the gates where they were selling hundreds of bottles of cold pressed coconut oil. After a bit more of a walk

down the streets we found ourselves at Wat Phantao but I couldn't go inside because I wasn't dressed suitably and my shoulders were not covered. Instead, we walked

around the outside where we found some beautiful gardens. After another stint walking through the streets dodging people on push bikes we found ourselves at Mahamakut

Buddhist University Lanna Campus. This place was huge! Luckily for me there was an area where I could hire a purple robe for 10 baht. Inside there was a big gold

Buddha statue right at the end of the building. Huge painted gold columns ran the length of the building and there were lots of donation boxes dotted around the room.

Our last stop off for the day was at  Wat Chedi Luang where we took a walk around the grounds and took some more photos before making our way back through the streets,

through a market and into a crystal shop where I managed to pick up some stones I had been looking for. Nick sat patiently on a chair while I looked through box after

box of gemstones and minerals. It was like a treasure trove in that little shop.

Navigating through the streets we found ourselves back Taste of Heaven so we thought it would be rude not to eat there again! I ordered the Rard-Na noodle soup and a

side of steamed brown rice and Nick ordered the veggie carbonara. The noodle soup was completely different to any other noodle soup I'd had before. The noodles were

thick and fried before they were put in the soup and had taken on a gelatinous consistency, very much like pork fat  with the taste of Yorkshire puddings?As strange as that sounds the dish was amazing! We shared a gooey vegan chocolate brownie with a scoop of coconut ice cream and headed back through the night markets, to our guest

house where we started another website upload and drank a lot of green tea!

We had noticed that they hire scooters so we decided to take them up on the offer. After speaking with the owner we waited outside for our scooter to arrive. The

resident dogs somehow got out of the garden and went running down the road. I wasn't sure if they were supposed to be out or not. They were both pretty friendly. I

just hoped they weren't causing trouble anywhere!

Soon our scooter arrived on a sidecar and while Nick filled out the paperwork which they had sat on the seat of the scooter, I went off in search of the owner so I

could get some change for a 500 baht note. Soon we were out on the road and whizzing through the traffic. Nick has become a bit of an expert driving in Thailand.

Anything goes, undertaking is ok, red lights don't really mean anything, you can squeeze through traffic to get to the front of the line at the traffic lights, turn

left on a red and basically do whatever you want. We stopped off at 'Shake Lady' to get another fruit shake. I'd bought a clear grip and seal bag of pea protein powder

and chia seeds which I asked her to put in my smoothie. She was more than happy to oblige. Her energy is astounding and she reminds me a little bit of the Swedish Chef

from the muppets with her movements and craziness! She's a very sweet lady, just very full on! While we were sitting on the bright pink wooden stools waiting for our

shake we were approached by an elderly Italian man who needed directions to the tourist information centre. We had walked past that yesterday so Nick knew exactly

where it was. I could see a guy in the river, chest deep, putting out a series of nets. I wonder if you are supposed to fish in the river?

We couldn't help ourselves and we had to go back to Taste of Heaven for some lunch. I had the mushroom laab and Nick ordered a veggie burger with chips. After that we

made a beeline for Catmosphere, the cat cafe where you can sit inside a cafe full of cats! How great is that! It was located on one of the main roads. Nick was using

his GPS on his phone to find his way around.

Outside the cafe we were asked to put some slippers on and wash our hands. Just as we walked through the door we were given some hand sanitiser gel to put on too.

There were already a few people in there but there was a space seat on the floor on some comfy cushions next to a low coffee table. As soon as we sat down we were

handed a menu and on the back was a picture of all the cats in the cafe and their names. Some of them were named after Star Wars characters such as Obi Wan and Yoda the shaved grey Persian wearing a little jumper! I ordered an Earl Grey tea and Nick had a cappuccino and we waited patiently for the cats to come to us. There were 22 resident cats here at Catmosphere, some of them were pure breeds and others were resue cats. The tabbies were stunning and so were the bengals! We were totally in love

with the little peachy coloured Scottish fold with the biggest orange eyes called Apollo. My big cloth bag was open and he took the opportunity to use it like a tent

and fell asleep for a good hour whilst Nick played with the other cats.

Next stop on our little tour around the city on our scooter was Ice Love You, a vegan ice cream parlour tucked away down the backstreets next to a big Wat. Outside was

an astroturf covered garden area with brightly coloured plastic tables and chairs with a giant yellow rubber duck on each one. Inside was cosy with comfy sofas covered

in teddy bear cushions and lots of superhero murals painted on the walls. We found ourselves a seat on a sofa and went over to look in the freezer. The choice of dairy

free ice cream was mind boggling. Nick was told the only ice cream what wasn't vegan was the cheese flavoured one. We chose the 5 scoop combination and each scoop came

in a little brightly coloured teddy bear head shaped ceramic bowl on a wooden board. We chose banoffee, peach melba, black sticky rice, thai tea and durian flavour

with an added extra scoop of spiderman flavoured ice cream? I was curious to know what spiderman tasted like? It was bright red and blue with black and white bits in

it, tasted a bit like raspberry and bubblegum mixed together.

Once we'd finished our ice cream we took a ride to the Wat next door and walked around the grounds. There was obviously something going on inside. I couldn't have gone

in anyway because yet again I didn't have anything to cover my shoulders! Outside there were a lot of ornate buildings decorated with gold and flowers. I managed to

get a few nice pictures.

We stopped off at Tescos before heading back to the guest house for a quick break. I'm starting to warm to this place. It's so run down but the owner is so sweet and

very helpful. Instead of taking the bike out we decided to walk into the city, across the illumated bridge to Taste from Heaven and ordered some papaya salad with

crispy tofu pieces and some noodle soup with a side of steamed brown rice. Tonight there was a big market on and we were keen to have a look at it.

There were so many people heading to the market and the streets were packed with traffic, especially tuk tuks carrying loads of tourists. We walked past a street full

of food stalls on both sides selling all sorts of dishes, fresh fruit, ice cream and thai treats. The smell coming from some of the stalls was incredible! The market

ran the length of one of the main roads and both sides were lined with stalls. Some roads branched off from the main road with even more stalls. It was like a giant

maze in there! I grabbed some fresh papaya cubes from a little stall for 20 baht and Nick sniffed out a waffle stand selling raisin waffles for 25 baht each. That kept

him quiet for a few minutes. Down one of the back streets we found a stall selling raw sugar cane juice. The guy was pushing the sugar cane through what looked like a

mangle and the bright green juice collected in a tray at the bottom. I bought a small bottle of this unusually green juice for 30 baht and he let me try some of the

actual cane which was really fibrous but as I chewed it released the sweet sugary liquid. The raw juice was incredibly sweet and refreshing. I would definitely drink

that again! Nick wasn't keen on trying it. Eventually the street became so packed it was hard to walk. In the centre of the street there were people begging, some

people were singing. I noticed there was a blind girl as we walked in sat on a wooden crate singing sweetly into a microphone. An old boy and his wife were

entertaining the crowds as he played an unusual looking musical instrument and she was dancing. I'd spotted several stalls selling my favourite fruit, durian, although

at a ridiculously high price. I'd even spotted a stall selling durian shakes! I was tempted but I was so full from my meal at Taste from Heaven that I couldn't have

fitted in any more food. At that moment I was nursing a serious food baby!

After finally making it through the market and coming out the other side alive we started walking back towards the guest house following the main road alongside the

river. The fountains had been turned on for the evening and the old city wall was illuminated. The old city of Chiang Mai seems to come to life at night time.

Since we were actually quite liking our stay here we decided to book another night and another days hire on the scooter. Nick dropped off our washing downstairs and we

headed out for a walk to 'Shake Lady' who was very pleased to see us and flashed us a big toothy smile as we walked in. I swear there is something special in those

shakes she's been drinking. I had my little clear plastic grip and seal bag full of chia seeds and pea protein powder. When it's empty it looks like I've had some

dodgy white powder in there! I could just imagine trying to explain that one to the police! This morning I had a nice mango and banana smoothie with my added extras

and we took a walk back to the guest house to check out some so called 'Humane' Elephant parks offering a 'No Riding' policy which we were all up for except the

elephants were still being used for entertainment and in some of the small print I read they still use the hooks and chains for the 'Safety of the visitors'. Even

though the elephants are not ridden they are still being used to lure tourists in so are they really non-working animals? I don't think so. After reading a pile of

brochures we came to the conclusion that we weren't 100% happy with anything any of the parks had on offer.

Nick found a great vegan/vegetarian restaurant online called Happy Green which was a bit out of walking distance so we took the scooter. Riding through the traffic is

always an interesting experience! I just hold on for dear life and let Nick do his thing! Happy Green was on the side of the road overlooking the river. Inside was a

big kitchen area and a buffet with lots of delicious dishes in big steel trays and bowls. I was so hungry looking at all the food! We found a table on one of the

wooden benches out the back overlooking the restaurants organic garden and headed over to the buffet. It was 100 baht a head for all you can eat! Bargain! There was so

much to choose from. There were sweet purple potatoes, steamed rice, vegetable rice and a variety of sauces on one bench. On the other was a selection of curries

including pumpkin curry and a green curry with soya pieces. I spotted a couple of different soups, green mango salad with coconut shavings on top and some other

vibrant vegetable dishes. Both of us had some seriously loaded plates and went back for some seconds! I had a glass of fresh coconut water and we had a chat with the

owners daughter who explained about the small family run business and how she was growing her own produce on a piece of land that she had purchased. Out the back was a small organic garden where they grew all the greens and the herbs for their dishes. Before we left we took a couple of homemade energy balls rolled in raw coconut

shavings.

Nick wanted to go and see some of the waterfalls today but we had been warned that there hasn't been rained for a long time and the waterfall were probably dry. Nick

followed the main road up through the winding hills and parked up in a little area full of run down shops and make shift stalls. I paid 5 baht to use a tiny squat

toilet in a shed. I'm not quite sure what I paid 5 baht for? Just outside there was a chicken with her 5 little chicks scratching around in the piles of rubbish. We

took a walk up a narrow pathway lined with stalls covered in tarpaulin selling whole grilled crabs, squid on skewers, whole eggs in the shell on skewers and chicken

livers. The smell coming from there was an interesting combination, needless to say I held my breath. After stepping over several sleeping dogs we followed the pathway

further up across a small bridge over an area full of boulders. Something told me that this should be full of water. Further up the track we spotted what I think was

the waterfall, Huay Kaew Waterfall, a small trickle of water coming down some rocks from the tree canopies above. There were a lot of Japanese tourists stood around

taking 'selfies' with their cheap sticks from the markets. Nick decided to turn around and head back the way we came hoping that the next place would be a bit more

interesting. I'm sure, at the right time of year, this place would be spectacular.

We continued up the steep winding hills which rose up above the city. There were a lot of tourists on scooters and bikes all racing up the hill. Just before the second

waterfall we heard a crash behind us as we turned another corner. Nick immediately turned around to see if he could help and we spotted a tall guy picking up his

scooter from a ditch on one of the sharp bends. We'd spotted him earlier as he was racing up the hill and at the time we both thought he was going to crash on one of

the corners if he carried on riding at that speed! Sure enough, there he was covered in bruises with a big grazed lump forming on his cheek. Nick asked him if he was

ok and he seemed to think he was fine to carry on riding up the hill. We were so glad it wasn't a serious accident, however, looking at the scooter he was going to owe

a fair few baht to the hire company!

Huai Rap Sadet Waterfall was so tiny that we rode past it the first time. Giving up on the whole waterfall/walking idea we followed the hill up further, past a crash

between a black shiny Mercedes and a red tuk tuk and onwards to another busy area with stalls on one side of the road and Wat Phrathat Doisuthep on the other side. Yet

again I had forgotten to bring something to cover my shoulders! However, that didn't stop us climbing up the steps towards the temple to take some photos. Just at the

bottom of the steps were two huge stone dragons and their bodies were made out of individual tiles which ran the length of the stairs, right up to the top. It was a

bit of a trek but we made it. If only I could go inside. Although I did notice that you had to pay to get in which was not advertised anywhere. Its only until you

reach the summit they spring that on you.

Our legs were a bit shaky from climbing all those stairs so we sat down on the other side of the road and I got a couple of bottles of fresh pressed clementine juice

and a raisin waffle for Nick to keep him happy. He loves his 20 baht waffles! Not that they're any good for him but it keeps him quiet.

On the way back we couldn't help but stop off at Catmosphere Cafe again for another dose of cat love and Earl Grey tea. This time we had cuddles with Catniss while

Buzz decided to throw up all over the floor just before one of the customers was served a nice slice of cake. Nick enquired about the movie room where you can book it

out to watch a film with the cats. Drinks and popcorn is provided. We could even bring our own film if we wanted to.

We stopped off at Maya shopping centre on the way back because we'd heard that one of the shops on the ground floor sold a few things that we were looking for. After

parking down in the basement we located Rimping Supermarket which was full of goodies including a large selection of dried fruit. I couldn't help myself and had to

sample some dried watermelon slices and kiwi. I managed to pick up my favourite herbal tea and as we were walking out I spotted a food stall selling vegetarian food.

After a walk around the night markets again we found ourselves back at the shopping centre. Both of us tucked into a plate of steamed brown rice with soya meat curry

and green beans with a side of chopped green onion and chive cake with soy sauce and a vegetarian sausage. All of that came to a grand total of 120 baht and we sat

with everyone else at a long bench to eat. It was pretty spicy but delicious.  

Back at the guest house Nick started downloading a film onto the hard drive while I worked on another article and we listened to the baby birds outside of our window.

There is a big nest up in the rafters right outside the window and every morning and evening we can hear them. There is also a little gecko that likes to wiggle down

the side of the bed just after we turn out the lights. Its like a zoo in here!  Outside for the past couple of nights we have heard cats fighting. They make a lot of

noise! Apart from that we can't hear anything from the road. I just wish we had another blanket because believe it or not I am actually quite cold during the night!

After booking the scooter for another day we took a walk down the backstreets and across the road to 'Shake Lady'. She was just as crazy as usual and was singing some

bizarre song about mangoes as she made Nicks mango and passionfruit shake. I had my little bag of chia seeds and protein powder which she added to mine and I think the

mixture as the chia seeds swelled clogged the blender. She just added more fluid and carried on singing away pulsing the blender to the tune. Whatever she's on I'll

have some. Before we went out to watch a movie with the cats we took a walk through the streets to the old city and stopped off in Starbucks for a cup of tea to share,

only because we wanted to use the toilet but we couldn't get away with just walking upstairs. I remember these issues in New Zealand and Australia where we ordered a

coffee in McDonalds just so we could use the facilities. In fact, I remember our hobo days when we lived in a car and I would quite often wash my face and brush my

teeth in a rest room much to the confusion to customers walking in. Those were the days!

After picking up the scooter we took a ride to Happy Green but it was closed. Both of us died a little inside when we realised that we couldn't sample the delights of

the buffet today! We were starting to run out of time so Nick made his way to Taste of Heaven. We hit the main highway and I held on for dear life as Nick whizzed

along the empty carriage way at 80kph. It doesn't seem fast when you're driving car but I can assure you I am holding onto the seat with my butt cheeks on this tiny

little Honda Click! Its pretty nippy for a scooter and only costs 40 baht on a full tank!

There were spare tables at Taste from Heaven and Nick couldn't wait to order his vegetarian breakfast with extra baked beans. It was a huge amount of food! Along with

the veggie ham slices and sausage there were two fried eggs (cooked to perfection according to Nick), several slices of homemade bread toasted, with jam and butter,

two hash browns and a big bowl of baked beans. I ordered the fresh spring rolls and some glass noodle salad. What a lunch time feast! We left there with some seriously

full bellies and made our way to Catmosphere Cafe with our hard drive to watch 'Legend' with the cats in the cinema room.

The cinema room was upstairs. At the front of the room was a massive projector screen surrounded by cat scratching posts, litter boxes, bowls of food and toys for the

cats. We made ourselves comfortable on the big sofa with our bowls of popcorn and big glasses of diet coke. We were joined by several cats including Yoda. Eve was not

allowed in the room, perhaps she didn't get on with the other cats. I was loving my life sat on the sofa with one of the shaved Persian cats wearing a little fleece

jumper curled up between Nick and I. I was trying to watch the film but the little kitty wanted lots of belly rubs and love and I couldn't resist. The film went on for

a little longer than expected but it wasn't a problem. Eve managed to sneak in the room when Nick went out to use the toilet and a massive fight broke out between her

and Yoda. Thats probably why she wasn't allowed in there!

After stopping off at the shopping centre to grab some more of my herbal tea we headed to the street stalls in search of some fresh fruit. I had a massive craving for

papaya! Nick stopped of at Taste from Heaven again so he could have the noodle soup with a side of brown rice. We seem to be creatures of habit when it comes to places

to eat and once we've found somewhere good we tend to stick with what we know. There is nothing worse than going somewhere new and being disappointed with your food! Although there is nothing better than finding somewhere new to eat thats awesome! Maybe we should look for somewhere different tomorrow!

We stopped off at the night markets and had a wonder around. Nick got some cheesecake flavoured gelato and we checked out some of the local handicraft and handmade jewellery. Not that we were intending on buying anything. We literally don't have the room in our bags! We had a message from Bo to say that they were heading up to Bangkok on the night train and spending a couple of nights there before making their way up to Chiang Mai. He was now a qualified Dive Master and I couldn't be more

proud of my little brother. What an achievement! Nick and I are planning on heading further up north to Pai in the next few days so I think we are going to just miss

Bo and Leah which I was gutted about. Michael e-mailed me to tell me that both him and Richard were heading up here too once they had sorted out their visa extension

in Bangkok. I don't know how easy it is going to be for them since Michael has lost his departure card! They don't stress how important that piece of paper is when you

are filling it out on the plane before you arrive in Thailand. Thats probably why they staple it into your passport when you do your visa extensions so you don't lose

it! I'm hoping that we will have a chance to catch up with everyone but I will leave that up to the universe. Just as long as everyone is enjoying themselves thats all

that matters to me.