OK, only had a few beers in my festering fest here in Bangkok last night. Woke up at 7 bells cos a few people in my room were leaving so I saw them off and couldn’t sleep. Decided last night, I went to bed early for a reason. My day of culture! What a long, drawn out, enlightening and tiring day it was…

Started my day by going to the market to have some tofu soup with the locals (I’m staying in Thewet far enough away from the KSR freak show) and a Thai tea (more like a milkshake than tea).

Got the river boat, which is so conveniently located only a few mins from my hostel Took that down to Tha Chang and began my spiritual journey through the Grand Palace, the Emerald Buddha temple and then Wat po. Finally topping it off with my first ever shopping spree on KSR!

Off the boat and into the Grand Palace and emerald – or JADE as the guidebooks kindly confirm- Buddha temple. Really REALLY beautiful place. Cannot say how much of a pleasure the grass and greenery in general was as opposed to the toxic exhaust air that is Bangkok standard air. Beautiful scenery, buildings, art, sculpture and not so beautiful monks. OW, I feel really cultured now already! Really got into the tourist thing (Wasn’t hard, 99.99% of the people there were tourists anyway so I did not feel bad wandering around with my camera. BURNT the neck off myself. Ill feel it tomorrow. At the entrance the Guards threw a REALLY old German guy out because he was getting very VERY violent with the entrance gate staff because they wouldn’t let his wife in. She was wearing a pair of shorts and a sleeveless blouse and all he kept saying was “I don’t fucking understand…what’s wrong with her clothes?. They offered her some spare clothes but she wouldn’t war them. The whole city, including the tourists understood, why couldn’t he? Ignorance. Read the full story

Stuck in Bangkok! OK, got a flight from China (Cos I have now got 2 free flights) but wouldn’t fly me to Vietnam. Landed in Bangkok and planned to stay for a day. What happened? I lost my Fecking ATM card so I’m stuck here till Bank Of Ireland send it Post Restante. God only knows how long that will take! Thanks Mammy for helping me sort that out!

Anyway, Stayed here for St.Patrick’s day and I’m staying with 11 other people in my dorm and most of them came out with me to celebrate. Really nice. Met some really nice people. Staying in the KSR area (I know…not on it though!) and my hostel/guest house is sooooo cool and hippy style.

Stayed out until 10AM the day after St.Patrick’s day and met some really great new people. Still miss Sarah though! So Much! AHHHH!

Anyway, been around the temples and stuff. This part of the city is so much nicer (I’m the opposite side to where I was previously) and a lot LOT less sex workers. That’s my biggest hate about this place, but where I am I’m really relaxed.

Last night I went to a Thai wedding. One of the staff of my guest house got married and cos I’m now a long term (Relatively) resident, I got invited. It was a REAL experience, although not as colourful as I would have imagined. (And no elephants!)

Anyway, just chilling out here. A lot of the people are hanging around for a few days out of their way to wait for me to come to Cambodia with them. Plan to go to Siam Reap then down to Phnom Penh where I will meet up with my friends from Koh Pang Ngan. It’s amazing how everyone is on the same circuit and can meet up like this.

No Java on this machine so I could only put up a few pictures. (And that took nearly an hour!) I miss the high speed connections of Hong Kong!

Anyway, feel free to leave comments and stuff. It really helps. Miss you all lots and lots. Mai Sabii Dii 🙁

Take care.

I have had to delete the last few posts from my site because its a little messed up for some reason. Anyway, I just got off the train back from Chiang Mai and am now sitting in a cafe in Bangkok airport on the fastest internet station in Thailand! Bout time! Train journey down was good. All my friends bought me a taxi and followed me to the station on their motorbikes. It was really sad leaving. I told everyone I’m coming back and I fully expect to, but for some reason, most of them KNOW I’m never going to see them again.

Anyway, Ill post my previous news here. Its a long read, so bear with it.

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Sorry for the lack of updates folks (Those who are actually bothering to read the site!). OK, so I am back in Chiang Mai as this has to be the best place on earth. I’m still sick but nowhere near as bad. Just a remaining chest infection putting a downer on everything.

Left Ais in Bangkok airport after her ordeal and she got off fine. Glad to see a smile on her face. Lucky me got a flight back to Chiang Mai 5 Min’s after her flight. So we have all gone our own separate ways now anyway. God knows she deserved it!

Anyway, glad to have left the southern islands. FAR too hot, too alcohol fuelled and drug fuelled and no culture. its just like a hotter Playa Des ingles. Now I’m staying with Thai friends again in Chiang Mai and learning a LOT more Thai. Met a girl in a club the other night that offered me a job (TEFL) teaching English so I could stay here. But that’s doubtful. 😉

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Hasn’t been the best start to my adventure on party island. Went for my blood tests yesterday and am now on a steady dose of penicillin. I’m supposed to be bed ridden for 5 more days, drink nothing but water and give up the smokes. 2 out of 3 is not too bad!

Anyway, I’ve been wandering around the place and its a really great island. i think I have seen like 3 children in my whole time here. This is NOT a family place. Everyone here is around the same age and its a really fun environment. Met LOADS of really cool people and were all really good friends already. Im still going out with everyone, I just cannot drink (As much) as everyone else.

Every night here there’s a party on the beach. Had booked a fire dancing 3 day course, but I’m too sick to do it. I’m feeling a lot better today but I have some weird chest infection that’s wreaking my head. Read the full story

Just got back from the hospital. This is by far the worst feeling in the world. Diagnosed with “Malaria” and I have to be bed ridden for up to 2 weeks! Apparently I picked it up from some mozzies along teh Myamar border.

Went out last night and all of a sudden, I just broke out in bites. Literally COVERED in them from head to toe. I look like something from the weirdo section in the Guinness book of world records.

Went up to my room at about midnight to get some money to go out and just collapsed on my bed. Woke up 12 hours later with the worst fever and body ache in the world. My back is killing me now. What’s the cure? Drink water! Ahhhhh! Read the full story

Back in Chiang Mai with a lot of new friends. All Thai. Its so great to see the parts of the city tourists never get to see. I feel quite special actually.

I met a wonderful new friend. Its a girl (Don’t worry Sarah!). Her name is Naree and she was a Burmese street child. IE: she grew up on the streets and has never had a family. She Showed me around the Tae Phae Gate area and I had so much fun speaking the language (the little I have) and meeting other Thais.

She brought me to visit lots of homeless people sleeping on the streets and I had a great time hearing their stories and realizing that none of them want to kill or harm tourists. One Old Thai man asked me for a smoke. I Gave him 3 and he was so thrilled that he started massaging me. I was weirded out but Naree told me this was a Thai tradition. He MUST give me something in return and that it was OK. So anyway, there I was in the middle of TPG getting a massage from a really old man while he told us his story. Really sad. Like them all. Really sad. Makes you realise really how lucky you are. Read the full story

Haven’t updated in a while and with due reason. Went on my three day trek and had the best time ever. EXCEPT for one thing. I lost all my money in the river!

The trek started with a visit to a really beautiful waterfall and a swim in its river. We then went to the Geyser (?) i.e. hot spring but it was 120 degrees Celsius so we could not swim in it or bath in it. We then trekked through the jungle for a few hours spotting the wildlife along the way.

Our first stop was in a little White Karen tribe village with a population of only 40. We rested and spoke with the villagers for a while and then another 2 hour trek uphill to our final destination that day.

We arrived in the second Karen tribe village just as the sun was setting. We walked around the village and met all the locals. They are VERY VERY primitive. Everything they did from their washing to their cooking was done in rivers and on fires. ALL light was provided by candlelight which gave it a really romantic feel. Read the full story

After an almost nightmarish day and a half, I finally reached Chang Mai. Dropped a smoke on the ground outside the train station and the police dragged me off to a room and started speaking in Thai to me. They handed me a thing that said that I had to pay a 40 Euro fine or I go to Jail. When they asked me what nationality I was, and I told them, they reduced it to 20 Euro. Good job I had it as my train was in 10 min’s. Didn’t want to miss it again!

Anyway, all the hassle was totally worth it. Got on the train and met some really wonderful locals from outside Chiang Mai that taught me lots of Thai and gave me LOADS of un-bias advice. Even got an invite to their village! I think I might go.

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Me and Dilan both missed our train to Chiang Mai and I’m stuck to sleep in this smelly HUGH train station cos I checked out of my hostel and because its Chinese new year there’s absolutely NOWHERE to stay. Its OK though cos if someone sees you on your own with a backpack they welcome you into whatever group they are in. I guess its the backpackers code or something.

Anyway, I am ALMOST used to this Thai keyboard so things are getting a little easier. After exploring the city by subway and sky-train (So cool, lots of people really fast) I feel a lot more comfortable with it and the prostitution is being blanked out at this stage.

Food is wonderful here and I ate mostly from the food stalls. I found a new love…. TOFU. Its LOVELY! My poos are healthy and despite being RIDDLED with mosquito bites, I am still healthy (I think). I really miss everyone and its really hard being on my own but thats why I’m here isn’t it? A big adventure. And to be honest, so far, thats EXACTLY what it has been…. and I’m only here three days!

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