What an anti-climax...

Well I am back, almost a week now, can I go again? Nah just jokes, it's just that it's so weird, to be back after three weeks on the "road". The reality of normal life just seemed to have shrunk in the wash! Things have improved (thank gawd) as I have acclimatised back in the groove of work, loved ones and study... But it was a bit hairy for a few days there....

I went to my orientation meeting this morning for the university degree which I have enrolled myself in. It really was a waste of time, but am glad I went, cos it was good to see the study centre and start familiarise myself with uni ways!

This afternoon I looked at a unit, which I have kinda made an offer on. I doubt it will come through - there seems to be a bit of interest in it! But, watch this space!

Delayed-schmayed

Didn't think I would get this "opportunity". But here I am "stranded" in Brunei Airport! YAY! Lucky it's only for a couple of hours not over night or anything crazy!

It makes me think though, what did people do before the internet? Here I am blogging and msning away the time! Maybe I am an addict, but yeah it just makes ya think!

So now I will be arriving into Brisvegas at 5:00am. I guess it is for the best, cos it means the taxi boi can sleep in a bit... 5am sounds heaps better than 3am.

Watched "Shaggy Dog" on the plane from Bangkok. Was very funny, even though it's a Disney creation intended for kids. Has Tim Allen & the brunette chick our of "Sex & the City". We had screens in the back of the seat, which was pretty cool. So a movie and a meal did short work of that flight!

Very Grand!

This is probably my last "blog" before I return home. So yeah home ...home.... Yay ... I think....
Today I went on another solo expedition in Bangers. Destination was the Grand Palace!

Afters, I went to the MBK Shopping Centre to see if the rumours about it being HUGE were true.

Yep it's a big shopping centre - heaps of crap that I didn't buy - might I add (suitcase is already TOO chockas!). They also have a really good food court (5th Avenue??) which I had an old favourate - hainanese chicken rice. Have I mentioned that I am over Thai food? yeh, can't wait for some "normal" food.

Tonight the boys and I went to see a boxing match - but it was too expensive, 1500 baht is just too much money to spend on such an event. So I went "home" and the boys are out on the prowl. Bit depressing for last night on holiday but thems the breaks!!

Depart Banger tomorrow at 1:00pm and arrive into Brisvegas on Monday morning at 3:00am. Cya there? :)

Bayioke & Beyond

Yeah well I heard a rumor that the Thai's like their shopping, and you would believe it if you saw the size and number of shopping centres around Bangkok! I think that I am "almost" shopped out! Yesterday we went to Pantip Plaza which is an IT nerd's haven. Today I left the anchors (boys) behind and explored on my own, carefully following detailed instructions which I had kindly provided by a recent visitor. Lets just say I have enough socks, shirts and earrings to last a lifetime! I have just about everything that I need (want) except for some classy handbags, so watch this space.
Last night, we went up to the Observation Level of the Baiyoke Sky Tower (Tallest building in Thailand!), to see the view. The current population of Bangers is 7 million and I can believe it with the number of buildings which span to (past??) the horizon. During the day Bangkok is the smokiest and dirtiest city I have ever visited (ok, I haven't really been to that many places) but by night it is ... bewdiful! The photos don't really do it justice ....

miow?

Well, it's been three weeks away from my baby cat (hi miow) and I just might be getting withdrawal symptoms. I have been carefully avoiding patting or touching ALL animals whilst in Thailand as I know they are horribly dirty, disease ridden and yuck.

But, you must admit, this cat is/was very cute! yah even after she drooled on my lap......




I am glad to know that not all Siamese cats are snotty little misses! See Mischa .... You can come out from under your bed!

And yeah I do know that it is 2:40am thai time / 5:40am brisvegas time...

Tigers & War Memorials

The last 2 days have been spent on a tour, which can I say was a rip off? Of I did. That aside, we some pretty remarkable things.

The tour was focused around the Kanchanburi area (yes, where that Aussie got shot).

The main event was always going to be the tiger temple, which is a Buddhist temple which has adopted tiger cubs rescued by surrounding villagers from poachers and the like. Not the most photogenic, but proof that I DID TOUCH A TIGER! And didn't even slightly get mauled! The tigers were amazing. I kinda had the feeling like it's turning into a bit of a tourist trap, but yeah enjoyed it just the same. (If you want to know more about the Tiger Temple check out their website)

We also went to the bridge on River Kwai, walked the hellfire pass - this is a 4 km section of the train tracks built in WW2 by Prisoners captured by the Japanese. The walk was beautiful and wasn't really that hard. I was amazing to see what the POWs in WW2 had to experience and forced to do by their captors.

We also saw a really nice waterfall, which was not far from the side of the road. We also happened upon some crazy monkeys which were pretty cool to see. The tour bus Just pulled off the road to a small layby in which the public can feed the monkeys. They didn't bite - but grabbed the food out of our hands.

Traveling & Stuff

Yeah so, on the Sunday we basically just traveled from Chang Mai to Bangkok, our final holiday destination, before we return home. I am getting sick of living out of a suitcase, the novelty has WORN OFF. Especially now in Bangkok when the clothes are ALL dirty and a laundry that charges by the kilo in no where to be seen!

On Sunday night we decided to amble down the road in search of food. We were harassed by a tuk tuk driver who insisted on driving us to our destination to prove that the place we were heading to was not open - of course, the shops on the street were not open, but I am sure the restaurants in the square would have been doing a good trade. So instead he drove us to a restaurant of his choosing, which ended up costing us just under 1000 baht (meals have been costing us less than 300 baht for the 3 of us). RIP OFF!

On the way to the restaurant he kept going on about nice Thai girls, and ping-pong balls (need I say more), which we laughed off.

After dinner, we wanted him to drive us back to the general area of where he picked us off, we didn't want him to know where we were staying...! But he got pissed that we didn't want to see the ping-pong balls - and tried to bet with us that the pratunam markets (our destination) would be closed. Of course, I know they are 24 hours and that they don't appear from the street. So he walked off and we took the opportunity to "run away" and hail a REAL cab. So that is our tuk-tuk story....

It's a Chang-a-thon

While I was in Chang Mai, Sean and I went for a walk into an area called the old town, which is surrounded by a moat & the remanents of a wall. To the left is a pagoda which we happened to chance apon...

To the right is the place where we had lunch - quite tasty! And one of the less dodge places!

On last Saturday we went on a one day tour to the Golden Triangle, Massai border and surrounds.

Was pretty good. Saw some really lovely sites and learnt some interesting stuff about the history of Thailand. When we got to the golden triangle, we got in a long boat & went to the golden triangle point in the middle of the river between myanmar, Thailand & Laos.

This is where they used to trade opium for gold. And then went to Laos and looked at some markets. I bought a bottle of "snake whiskey" which actually has a cobra in it. Bit scary, I don't know (think) that I will get it back into the country, so we will see.

In the afternoon we also went to some hill-tribe villages, the difference between the two tribes was astonishing. One was dirty and poverty ridden and the second, tidy and orderly. They were literally 30 metres away from each other!!

It was a long and boring drive from Chang Mai (where we were staying) and Chang Rai, which is the main town from which the tour was close to.

On the way home we (the tour bus) hit a dog in the street. The care for animals here is terrible. There was no concern for the dog at all, but the driver reversed back to pick up a bit that snapped of the car's bullbar!

This is a picture of some of the wall which still surrounds the old part of Chang Mai.