Wednesday 16th April 2008

That's it... we're home! We landed at just after 7am this morning and, after collecting our bags, we headed back to Bristol from Heathrow at just after 8am in the back of Mum and Keith's car. We pulled up outside June's house at almost 10.30am and everyone met us on the driveway, which was awesome. Nikki cried - making June cry, which made my Mum cry... OBVIOUSLY!

We've had the most amazing twelve months! We've been to some fantastic places, met some wonderful people and made some brilliant friends! We've put on loads of weight (in America) and then lost it all (and more) again in Asia. I've had ONE haircut all year. We've jumped out of planes, I bungee jumped, we've slept in a campervan around New Zealand and in the Outback, where we also camped out in the open in Swags. We went to the final of American Idol, learnt to ski and scuba dived on the Great Barrier Reef. Then there was Asia, which was spectacular - so sad at times, but overall VERY, VERY eye-opening and, more importantly, great fun! We've got some crazy memories and some even better stories.

It's been a blast - but now it's time for the next adventure... whatever that may be?

THE END...

Tuesday 15th April 2008

After yesterday's madness we were worried about how we were going to get to the airport without getting soaked with water or covered in the talcum powder paste. We woke up at about 9am and I went outside to check on the Songkran situation. The streets were really quiet - there was only one guy with a super-soaker walking around - and I told Nikki that if we wanted to make a run for it, now was the time to do it. We didn't have anywhere to go but we knew that, by this afternoon, madness was going to fall over this crazy part of Bangkok. We jumped into a taxi and told the driver to take us to the only place we could think of...

We didn't have a plan, but I like to think we've learnt a few things over the past year and thankfully we've lost none of our cheeky charm... so when the driver pulled up outside the Amari Atrium Nikki jumped out and started talking to the lady on the door. We made out that we'd just arrived from Pattaya and asked if we could store our bags? Amazingly - they recognised us and said yes! With our bags safely locked away we went out shopping for some presents for the people at home. Another taxi driver took us to the MBK shopping centre and we spent the rest of our day around Siam Square.

By this evening we had managed to avoid getting wet all day, but as we were heading back to the hotel to get our things some guy soaked us in our tuk-tuk. We pulled up at the hotel and drew quite a few stares. Still feeling cheeky, we asked if there was anywhere we could shower - and they said yes! They sent us up to the fourth floor, which just happened to be where the pool was, so Nikki went for a swim first, then had five minutes in the steam room and a go in the sauna, before finally showering.

Tonight we went to Bangkok airport and checked in nice and early, we then had a look around to pass our time. Walking to our gate was really depressing - the majority of the people there were obviously going home and looked really miserable. We were smiling - we'd had such a good time, plus I think Nikki was (secretly) excited about going home to see her family.

Hours To Go Until We Get Home: THIRTEEN!

Monday 14th April 2008

Same as yesterday, and the day before that, we woke up late and then went for bagels. It was a little more interesting this morning though, because there were people with super-soakers camped at the end of our street. It was just like a military operation - running in and out of traffic, ducking behind cars - just to get some breakfast. We made it - but some of the older folks weren't so lucky. One poor old guy, who was hobbling along on a walking stick, was allowed to pass and then when his back was turned, they started squirting his feet and soaking his socks - the poor old devil couldn't have run away if he tried.

After breakfast, we came back to the guest house and collected our bags. The next mission was to get all our things out, safely onto a bus or into a taxi and then to the bus station, where we'd catch the bus back to Bangkok. Part one was easy - we'd practiced at breakfast. getting on to a bus proved to be no problem, but traveling on it was... everytime we stopped in traffic, we got soaked! We eventually turned up to the bus station, looking like two drowned rats.

The bus back to Bangkok seemed to pass in no time at all. When we got back, we didn't really know where to stay for our last night - but decided that the Rambuttri Village was as good as any... WRONG! We caught the Bangkok Sky Train from the bus station to Siam Square and from there jumped into a taxi. Getting to the guest house proved almost impossible. The streets were packed with people carrying, not only water guns but also some sort of paste made form talcum powder powder and water. We were terrified about getting out, but luckily made it to reception without any hassle. We then discovered that we didn't have any money and one of us would have to go to the cash-point... step forward... ME! Even though it was less than 300m away, I got ABSOLUTELY SOAKED there and back. We put our bags in our room and then went to join in the fun.

The Songkran celebrations in Pattaya are pretty lame compared to the ones here in Bangkok - i've never know anything like it. The streets are PACKED with thousands of people - crammed together like a concert and EVERYONE is soaking wet. We tried to walk around for a few hours and even stopped for some lunch on one of the stalls, which seemed to buy us immunity from the soaking, but in the end we were just too wet and too tired to go on. We came back to the Rambuttri for showers and a change of clothes and then went to the British Café, which is just opposite - and therefore safe - and spent the rest of the evening eating and drinking in there. I even tried some battered Mars Bars, which were surprisingly nice..,

Days To Go Until We Get Home: ONE!

Sunday 13th April 2008

We slept late again this morning and, like yesterday, when we were up and about we went to the bagel place for something to eat. It was really hot today so we decided to go down to the beach to relax. We had a look around some of the shops on the way and then went to play in the sea. The thing was, the water was really warm and not very refreshing - so instead we went into one of the big shopping centres to take advantage of their air-con. After a few hours of wandering about, in and out of the shops, we went for some lunch in one of the restaurants and had help-yourself salad. It was lush, and we ate as much as we could - filling ourselves right up.

For the past couple of days, everyone in Thailand has been celebrating the Thai New Year and with it, the Songkran Festival... or Water Festival. Basically it's just one big three-day water fight - from first thing in the morning to the last thing at night. It's a genius idea really - because everyone gets to cool down in the sweltering heat. To join in, the restaurant was giving away water pistols to every table and now we had gone from the soak-ies, to the soak-ers... Rock On!

We spent the rest of our day down at the beach, joining in with the hundreds of water fights that were going on around us. Nobody was safe. People riding on buses were attacked by people on the streets, people walking along, minding their own business, were attacked by people in cars - it was all great fun, and a great way to keep cool. Tonight we went into a bar just round the corner from 'home' and drank loads of beer whilst watching the footie. We even got into a water fight with a couple of the bar staff there too!

WATER FIGHT!

Saturday 12th April 2008

Me and Nikki slept in until almost 12pm today and when we were finally up and about, went out for some exploring. First we stopped in a posh café at the end of our street and had bagels with cream cheese for our breakfast. Whatever we thought of Pattaya at night, was just as bad in the daylight. This place is crazy! We came back to our guest house later on and were sat in the 'bar area' having a drink when something dawned on us... First, we noticed that the bar had no pumps - in fact, it didn't have many drinks at all - just a few bottles of spirits on a shelf. Next, we noticed that all the lights in the entire downstairs had red light bulbs. Finally, we were sat minding our own business, when this giant, sweaty English man came down from upstairs... closely followed by one of the staff. 'Innocent enough' we thought - until he handed her money, some of which she handed to the manager. OH! MY! GOD! We are staying in a brothel!

There are loads of markets here, both indoor and out, so we spent the first part of our afternoon looking around those - anything to stay away from the guesthouse until WE HAD to go back. From then on, everything in Pattaya looked quite sleazy. Something else we noticed was that there are hardly any Western women here - but THOUSANDS of Western men... most of whom are with a Thai girl.

This evening, we were out walking around when we came to one end of town called 'Walking Street'. This was stag-do heaven. It was just bar after bar, strip club after strip club. We walked from one end to the other and went into a couple of bars, but nothing too rude - preferring to come and drink by our 'guest house' instead. One of the local bars had a really loud live show going on, featuring both regular women and lady boys. We went in to watch and were seated right at the front. We'll be ok we thought, we're not embarrassed... until the lady boys started vying for my attention and the women for Nikki's... d'oh!

Well, well... we've seen Pattaya in a different light now... and it's RED!

Friday 11th April 2008

We set our alarm for 7am this morning so that we could say our goodbyes to Mark and Lisa. They were checking out and leaving Bangkok for Phuket. We went to their room while they finished packing and then waited with them in the lobby. When they were gone we went back to our room, found out that check-out time was 12pm and then went back to bed. We woke back up at just after 11am and still couldn't be bother to get out of the giant bed, but somehow dragged ourselves out. With everything packed, we checked out, left our bags in reception and then headed over to the Khao San road on the canal taxi to collect my suit.

It was unbelievably hot today, and we couldn't be bothered to walk anywhere - taking tuk-tuks and taxis everywhere. This afternoon we had a look around and then, after getting our bags from the hotel, made our way to the bus station. Even though it was almost 5pm, we decided we were going to go to the beach for a couple of days and caught a bus to Pattaya.

The bus got to the other end and at about 8pm and we caught another, smaller bus to the beach front. Pattaya looks crazy - it reminded us immediately of Patong in Phuket. We wandered the streets until we found somewhere half decent to stay, which we thought would be hard after being spoilt for three days, and then went out exploring.

Our first impressions were right - Pattaya IS crazy. It's also pretty seedy, with loads of strip clubs, massage parlors and bars. There were also TONS of ladyboys about and there was a real party atmosphere in the air. We had some food from a street seller and then went to one of the 'better looking' bars, which had a great live band.

See ya Mark and Lisa... it's been a blast!

Thursday 10th April 2008

When we got out of the pool yesterday afternoon we noticed that my shorts were covered in a blue dye from the tiles. We took them to reception to complain and they offered to wash them for me - for free. While we were there we thought we'd mention (again) that we were disappointed not to be on Mark and Lisa's floor, not have a pool view, and why wasn't breakfast included in our rate? Well, when we got back last night we found a note under our door which said that, this morning, we were allowed to go to the hotel restaurant for a buffet breakfast... woohoo - free food! We told Mark and Lisa and they got up early to join us.

After preparing them for the last few days, we felt they were ready to do Bangkok on their own and sent them off to look at some temples. We would've gone, but we'd already seen them - and just chilled out in the hotel instead. We arranged to meet at the MBK Shopping Centre this afternoon and, sure enough, they turned up safely. They seemed to have had a good morning and had seen some cool sights and went looking for a suit for Mark. We spent a couple of hours wandering around the shops - me with Mark and Nikki went off with Lisa. The girls didn't buy anything, but me and Mark managed to get a James Bond watch for his Dad - and at a really good price too. When we had had enough of the shopping we returned to the hotel and relaxed by the pool.

This evening we got ourselves dressed-up and went out for our last night together. We started by visiting this REALLY posh hotel called The Banyan Tree Hotel, where we went up to their bar called Vertigo, which is on the roof (or 61st floor). The views of Bangkok were stunning and we felt well snobby. I didn't feel AS snobby as the others though, because I was wearing three-quarter length trousers and had to borrow some 'longer ones' from the hotel. They were rubbish and came to just a bit lower than my original ones - making me look like a clown! We enjoyed our beers and cocktails and then caught a taxi across town to the Hard Rock Café. We all thought we were starving, because we'd not eaten all day and ordered loads of food - way too much in fact. We ordered giant starters, which we could just about manage - but when the main courses came out, we were already stuffed and wasted most of our meals... d'oh! We had planned on going to one of the big clubs in town but were all feeling bloated, so instead came back to our hotel and drank in the bar, where there were a cute little house-band performing.

Mark and Lisa are bad influences... we're spending a fortune!