Been very hectic week this week so haven't really had time to get on the internet for long!
Anyway on our last day in Chaing Mai we decided to do a cookery course. It only cost 14 pounds and lasted 3.5 hours and hoped that we might be able to become culinary experts at the end!! We were picked up from our guesthouse in a taxi and driven to the house where our cookery course took place. It turned out that Elle and I were the only two in the class as we had decided to do an afternoon course. We were given a menu and we were able to cook a soup starter, a vegetable dish, a curry and a pudding. I decided to cook Tom Yum soup, stir fried vegetables with ginger, jungle curry and then sticky rice with coconut! Elle cooked Hot and Spicy Soup, stir fried vegetables with holy basil, red curry with pineapple and sticky rice with mango!
We had a really nice cook who helped us called Nancy who was very friendly but may have eaten a few too many spring rolls...! She told me that my name means pancake in Thai!!
Anyway Elle and I sat down on the floor and started getting chopping, cutting, squeezing, peeling and had so much fun!! Really really enjoyable!! We both thought that we would be able to handle the chili in our food and so both put generous amounts in our food but later realised that this may have not been the best idea!!
Nancy was explaining to us all of the vegetbales and the ingredients and chopping up everything perfectly and quickly. Elle and I were left clumsily chopping vegetables!! We started to get cooking and the flames were roaring and flying up from the woks! Got some really good photos of it!! Really enjoyable day and really really fun but we definitely felt stuffed as we left!
Caught the sleeper train to Bangkok and booked into this guesthouse- 3 quid a night... Very basic room but it was okay. Bed was wonky, mattress broken in the middle etc
We decided to go to MBK, a MASSIVE MASSIVE MASSIVE shopping mall- cannot explain how big it was! We got lost! Floor upon floor of shops, ridiculous! Anyway we had a good few hours spending the remainder of our Baht and looking at all of the fake kit they have and Elle and I bought some make-up!!
Flight to Aus was fine and I actually ate some of the aeroplane food, it was prawn curry my fav. Arrived to a RAINY brisbane on Sunday- was horrifed!! Anyway we caught the sky train to our digs- Brisbane City YHA. So so so nice- veyr very modern and clean.
Have been doing a bit of sunbathing and there is a very very ncie roof top pool overlooknig the city so today have spent a long time in there and we both finally have tan lines ! Hooray!
Off to Fraser Island tomorrow which should be really fun!! Very excited about that!!
We did a quiz last night at this backpackers bar and met some nice people. Unfortunately we lost, I think we may have come last but 80s music was definitely not our strong point...
Baking hot here and temperatures will be about 31 degrees tomorrow (just to make you all jealous)
Speak soon
xxx
Monday 21 March 2011
Tuesday 15 March 2011
Jungle adventures
Have had a great couple of days here in Thailand.
On our last day in Bangkok we decided that we would be true tourists and go around all of the temples. Visited the Grand Palace which was incredible! The buildings were beautiful and the statues were so amazing. The site was massive and I cannot explain how beautiful it was.
We then moved onto the Reclining Buddha or Wat Phao which I am sure manny of you will recgonise. The Buddha was massive and pretty impressive and had the biggest feet that I have ever seen!!!
We then went on the sleeper train. We were both a bit apprehensive about our twelve pound seats that we bought as we were told that these were the only seats left on the train as the beds had sold out. However when we were on the train it was absolutely fine! The seats reclined very far back so we slept easily and they also gave us dinner and breakfast. Elle was very twitchy about the cockroachs and had a few panis attacks when she saw them! Elle was also doing a bit of sleep talking to the amusement of me and the man infront of us!!
When we got into Chiang Mai train station there was a man holding a sign saying "Lotti" so we knew that we had arrived in the right station! We jumped in the back of his taxi- the taxis here tend to be like jeeps that you sit in the back of- and went to Funky Monkey guesthouse. Really, really nice and the owners, an English man and his Thai wife are so lovely and helpful!
We decided to book a three day, two night trek into the jungle which was only 26 pounds. We were both really excited about it and it has been one of our highlights!
There were 13 of us in our group and luckily there was another english girl from London who was really nice! We embarked on our little adventure and our first stop was at a butterfly farm! The butterflies here are massive and their colouring is bright and bold. Photos to be put up here later!
We then went off to ride elephants! Elle and I were very cautious and we did not want to ride on the front of the elephant and instead sat on the seatts (be very proud of us parents, we dont want to call up our insurance company just yet!) We went into the river with the elephants and took lots of photos!
We then went on a MASSIVE trek to the village. I thought the trek wouldnt be too hard but nothing prepared us for this! Our legs were burning, our water bottles empty and the path just kept on going further and further up the hill! Definitely not a leisurely walk on Leckhampton Hill!
We arrived at one of the hill tribe villages and I felt like Bruce Parry! We were shown to our wooden hut where all 13 of us slept. Very basic and very uncomfortable. Pillows, blankets and mattresses (not sure if you can call it a mattress, maybe a very thin blanket) were filthy so very glad that I brought my sleeping bag liner with me!
Our guide cooked us the most delicious supper ever, like a pumpkin and chicken curry with lots of veg in, the food here is amazing! The view from our hut was beautiful overlooking the jungle and we have both taken lots of photos!
After supper our guide talked to us about the importance of natural remedies and the medicine man here in the village as there is not a hospital or doctors nearby. He then started to talk about drugs as how the villagers sometimes use opium for natural remedies. The two French men then asked whether they would be able to get hold of some despite our talk with the tourist police before about how not to take drugs! They got hold of some from the medicine man and started lighting up and smoking it! Don't worry parents we both declined when we were offered!
After a very uncomfortable nights sleep we trekked into the jungle again and swam in two of the waterfalls which were amazing and the path that we took was not too demanding but very dangerous! We were walking along rotten wooden logs and planks! Didn't like to think what would have happened if any of us had hurt ourselves!!
We then slept in the jungle camp which again was so uncomfortable and the mattress situation was just as bad. The loo situation was horrific and Elle and I were only going in emergencies as there we just holes in the ground!! Mum, you would have hated it!!
Went white water rafting today and bamboo rafting which was fun but the river didnt have much water in as it is the dry seaon and so not much white water! Really fun couple of days and craved a shower by the end!!
Tomorrow doing a cookery course so will let you know how that goes!
XXX
On our last day in Bangkok we decided that we would be true tourists and go around all of the temples. Visited the Grand Palace which was incredible! The buildings were beautiful and the statues were so amazing. The site was massive and I cannot explain how beautiful it was.
We then moved onto the Reclining Buddha or Wat Phao which I am sure manny of you will recgonise. The Buddha was massive and pretty impressive and had the biggest feet that I have ever seen!!!
We then went on the sleeper train. We were both a bit apprehensive about our twelve pound seats that we bought as we were told that these were the only seats left on the train as the beds had sold out. However when we were on the train it was absolutely fine! The seats reclined very far back so we slept easily and they also gave us dinner and breakfast. Elle was very twitchy about the cockroachs and had a few panis attacks when she saw them! Elle was also doing a bit of sleep talking to the amusement of me and the man infront of us!!
When we got into Chiang Mai train station there was a man holding a sign saying "Lotti" so we knew that we had arrived in the right station! We jumped in the back of his taxi- the taxis here tend to be like jeeps that you sit in the back of- and went to Funky Monkey guesthouse. Really, really nice and the owners, an English man and his Thai wife are so lovely and helpful!
We decided to book a three day, two night trek into the jungle which was only 26 pounds. We were both really excited about it and it has been one of our highlights!
There were 13 of us in our group and luckily there was another english girl from London who was really nice! We embarked on our little adventure and our first stop was at a butterfly farm! The butterflies here are massive and their colouring is bright and bold. Photos to be put up here later!
We then went off to ride elephants! Elle and I were very cautious and we did not want to ride on the front of the elephant and instead sat on the seatts (be very proud of us parents, we dont want to call up our insurance company just yet!) We went into the river with the elephants and took lots of photos!
We then went on a MASSIVE trek to the village. I thought the trek wouldnt be too hard but nothing prepared us for this! Our legs were burning, our water bottles empty and the path just kept on going further and further up the hill! Definitely not a leisurely walk on Leckhampton Hill!
We arrived at one of the hill tribe villages and I felt like Bruce Parry! We were shown to our wooden hut where all 13 of us slept. Very basic and very uncomfortable. Pillows, blankets and mattresses (not sure if you can call it a mattress, maybe a very thin blanket) were filthy so very glad that I brought my sleeping bag liner with me!
Our guide cooked us the most delicious supper ever, like a pumpkin and chicken curry with lots of veg in, the food here is amazing! The view from our hut was beautiful overlooking the jungle and we have both taken lots of photos!
After supper our guide talked to us about the importance of natural remedies and the medicine man here in the village as there is not a hospital or doctors nearby. He then started to talk about drugs as how the villagers sometimes use opium for natural remedies. The two French men then asked whether they would be able to get hold of some despite our talk with the tourist police before about how not to take drugs! They got hold of some from the medicine man and started lighting up and smoking it! Don't worry parents we both declined when we were offered!
After a very uncomfortable nights sleep we trekked into the jungle again and swam in two of the waterfalls which were amazing and the path that we took was not too demanding but very dangerous! We were walking along rotten wooden logs and planks! Didn't like to think what would have happened if any of us had hurt ourselves!!
We then slept in the jungle camp which again was so uncomfortable and the mattress situation was just as bad. The loo situation was horrific and Elle and I were only going in emergencies as there we just holes in the ground!! Mum, you would have hated it!!
Went white water rafting today and bamboo rafting which was fun but the river didnt have much water in as it is the dry seaon and so not much white water! Really fun couple of days and craved a shower by the end!!
Tomorrow doing a cookery course so will let you know how that goes!
XXX
Thursday 10 March 2011
Bangkok 10/03/2011
Woke up firstly at seven thirty and popped to the shop to get some much needed water then we both fell back asleep and woke up at ten thirty!
We went to HSBC to get my emergency cash and the woman serving us was really nice and preceeded to tell us all about the amazing shopping here in Bangkok! Popped to the railway station to buy our tickets to Chiang Mai and got one of the last tickets on the overnight sleeper train. We could only buy second class seats as the sleeping berth tickets had run out. Hopefully it will be a comfortable twelve hours! Tickets only cost 12.00 pounds though!
We caught the ferry to the Grand Palace area and walked to the Khao San Road. Extremely touristy with lots of people selling clothes, drinks, cd's, dvd's and lots of massage parlours! Elle and I bought some really cool long Thai Beer vests so hoping to wear them in Aus!
After being pestered by lots of Thai men and women we decided to get a Thai full body massage. Paid 3.20 pounds for an hour massage! Bargain! Our bodies were pulled and squished and the massouses were using their elbows, feet, wrists to make sure that every muscle in our body was manipulated!! At the beginning I couldnt stop laughing as I am so ticklish and kept on wriggling around when he was touching my feet!! Very very strange experience but one we are definitely keen to repeat.
Got a tuk tuk, and an extremely fast one, to Patpong and where the infamous ping pong bars are! There is a bit night bazaar there will people selling lots and lots of fake designer goods and general tat. Elle and I really want to get some jewellery from there, lots of fake Tiffany and Co kit there! After being pestered by the Ping Pong girls showing us their 'menus', a favourite being 'pussy banana shot' we escaped to a nice Thai-Mexican Restaurant where I ate one of the spiciest things ever!
Checking out of Lub d tomorrow and off to Chiang Mai at 18.00.
Hope everyone is well.
XXX
We went to HSBC to get my emergency cash and the woman serving us was really nice and preceeded to tell us all about the amazing shopping here in Bangkok! Popped to the railway station to buy our tickets to Chiang Mai and got one of the last tickets on the overnight sleeper train. We could only buy second class seats as the sleeping berth tickets had run out. Hopefully it will be a comfortable twelve hours! Tickets only cost 12.00 pounds though!
We caught the ferry to the Grand Palace area and walked to the Khao San Road. Extremely touristy with lots of people selling clothes, drinks, cd's, dvd's and lots of massage parlours! Elle and I bought some really cool long Thai Beer vests so hoping to wear them in Aus!
After being pestered by lots of Thai men and women we decided to get a Thai full body massage. Paid 3.20 pounds for an hour massage! Bargain! Our bodies were pulled and squished and the massouses were using their elbows, feet, wrists to make sure that every muscle in our body was manipulated!! At the beginning I couldnt stop laughing as I am so ticklish and kept on wriggling around when he was touching my feet!! Very very strange experience but one we are definitely keen to repeat.
Got a tuk tuk, and an extremely fast one, to Patpong and where the infamous ping pong bars are! There is a bit night bazaar there will people selling lots and lots of fake designer goods and general tat. Elle and I really want to get some jewellery from there, lots of fake Tiffany and Co kit there! After being pestered by the Ping Pong girls showing us their 'menus', a favourite being 'pussy banana shot' we escaped to a nice Thai-Mexican Restaurant where I ate one of the spiciest things ever!
Checking out of Lub d tomorrow and off to Chiang Mai at 18.00.
Hope everyone is well.
XXX
Bangkok
Finally we arrived into Bangkok after a good 20 hours of travelling! We thought everything had gone smoothly until I realised that I had lef my Debit Card in Bangkok airport! Annoyingly they give you the cash before you get your card so walked off with my money and without my card!! Grrr. Anyway everything is sorted now and cancelled my card and luckily HSBC gave me some cash which I collected today!
Staying at a place called Lub D Bangkok, really really nice and staff really friendly. Very modern with really nice bathrooms! Last night made friends with some of the other people staying here and played cards with them until quite late. Elle and I were absolutely starving after eating practically nothing all day and wondered to a street vender. When we asked what meat the kebabs were he told us it was chicken. We decided to get some 'chicken kebabs' but a couple of mouthfuls later we were convinced otherwise!!
Staying at a place called Lub D Bangkok, really really nice and staff really friendly. Very modern with really nice bathrooms! Last night made friends with some of the other people staying here and played cards with them until quite late. Elle and I were absolutely starving after eating practically nothing all day and wondered to a street vender. When we asked what meat the kebabs were he told us it was chicken. We decided to get some 'chicken kebabs' but a couple of mouthfuls later we were convinced otherwise!!
Monday 7 March 2011
Tomorrow and off
Tomorrow evening we fly out of Heathrow 8.25pm! Getting very excited but a bit nervous!! I am sure that once we get into the swing of things we are going to be fine...
Lots of packing still to be done but hoping to pick a lot of things up in Thailand...
Right, I'm off to shower after my last game of netball which we won!!
Lotti x
Lots of packing still to be done but hoping to pick a lot of things up in Thailand...
Right, I'm off to shower after my last game of netball which we won!!
Lotti x
Sunday 27 February 2011
Testing
Nine sleeps to go. Lots still to sort out and buy. Will keep you all posted once we embark on our trip!
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