Mini Yoga Retreat!

Last month I went to Ranong for a Mini Yoga Retreat!

Ranong is in the South of Thailand and has the fewest inhabitants of all provinces. The flight from Bangers to Ranong takes just over 1 hour and you arrive at possibly the smallest airport in Thailand! I booked the Mini Yoga Retreat with Eco-Logic Resort that offered daily yoga sessions, clean eating and a relaxing break! You can imagine my disappointment when I arrived, and the Yoga teacher left!
My Mini Yoga Retreat - turned into a Mini Retreat!  

My digs!

My room was lovely - tucked away on the other side of the resort, it over looked the river! My 'mini retreat' turned out to be more like an episode of 'Survivor'!!! Me...all alone, in the Thai jungle...fending for myself against massive spiders, snakes, frogs and other unidentified wild animals. The first night was pretty scary (as were night 2 and 3!) I heard every sound and imagined the worst! Then I went to the loo and found a frog in the toilet - just chilling there like 'what-up dude'! (I am TERRIFIED of frogs!) There was also a small black snake hanging around the shower...that was the quickest shower I ever had!!! 

So with pretty much no Yoga in site, I decided to make the most of my trip and signed myself up for some adventures! First on the list was a Thai Cooking Course - number 6 for me but I love cooking and I love Thai food so figured - why not! We walked around the resort, picking veggies and nicking freshly laid eggs (most of which were still warm!). Then off too the kitchen where we whipped up spicy chicken salad - Thai style, Pad Thai and chicken coconut soup! Yum Yum Yum!

Chef Hayley strikes again!

The next day I went river rafting...not one for swimming, I was just happy to sit on the raft and watch the world go by! It was a beautiful sunny day, and I was so happy to be out and about in nature and experiencing this! We rafted for almost 2 hrs, me almost falling off when I decided to try out the stick and be the guide, then stopped at my guides house for lunch on the way back! Lunch was delicious - various types of river fish cooked in Thai spice! My guide then got his pet monkey out - kid you not - and sent it up the tree to get me a fresh coconut! The monkey kindly obliged and threw one down - I'm pretty sure he was aiming for my head as he almost knocked me out with a coconut!

River rafting!

Despite not being the ‘meditative, mantra filled, one with nature, look I can touch my toes and almost do a head stand’ Yoga break I had expected - the 'mini break' actually far exceeded my expectations! I was so lucky to have been able to have the experience, I had a super relaxing time on my own in the middle of the jungle and learnt that I am braver than I think! When face to face with extreme danger – frogs, snakes and spiders - I learnt that frogs will disappear if you threaten to flush them – spiders will leave you alone if you hold up your shoes and threaten to stomp them and snakes can’t ‘run’ – so I was at an advantage! 

Farewell Ranong - I survived!

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Full Mooners!

Last month we headed to Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party!

We set off bright an early, after a taxi ride, flight, bus transfer, ferry and another bus transfer we arrived at our Hotel in KP! I've always wanted to go to a full moon party, and since it coincided with visitors who were also pretty keen on going we decided it was time! After we arrived and a 'welcome to the island' welcome beer, we had lunch, walked to the main beach and soaked up the sun!

Chilling out in KP!

Not sure if it was the Full Moon or if KP is always mental - but it was crazy busy! I'd love to go back to KP during another moon phase - when it's less chaotic and crazy busy! It's a beautiful island with great restaurants, pubs and the beach is stunning!
On the day of the FMP - we slept in, had a good brekkie and went for a walk to the waterfall, had an early dinner then got ready in our lumo gear and headed to the action! 

Trouble - Full Moon Party Buckets!

The boys stocked up on a bucket - 200 baht (£4.60 worth of 'bad news'!) The beach was jam-packed and just manic! Thousands of people bobbing around, drenched in anything and everything lumo they could get their hands on - and all holding a bucket of 'bad news'! Buckets are 'crazy juice' - there are signs up everywhere minding you to watch how your bucket is made and to make sure the bucket vendors are using legit alcohol! They do use legit bottles alright, but i'm pretty sure they fill them with the cheap and nasty stuff and all things not legit! I left after a few hours - old age was kicking in, it was all a bit too manic for me and I wanted my head on a pillow so bad! 

I left the boys to it... Bad idea...

Full Mooners!

I wish I had taken an after pic of the boys! They got home in drips and drabs in the late hours of the morning. Not one of them could remember exactly how or exactly when they got home! They looked a state the next day and reeked of alcoholic fumes - all swearing they only had 'just one' bucket! 

Beware - apparently one bucket is all it takes!!!

Until next time KP!

34 Countries and Counting!

Vietnam marked my 34th Country I have been fortunate enough to visit!

In my 33 years on this amazing planet - I have been lucky enough to visit 34 Countries! I hold fond memories from each and every single one of them!

Here they are:

1. Australia
2. Brunei
3. Cambodia
4. China
5. Cuba
6. Czech Republic
7. England
8. France
9. India
10. Ireland
11. Italy
12. Laos
13. Lesotho
14. Malaysia
15. Maldives
16. Malta
17. Mexico
18. Morocco
19. Norway
20. Philippines
21. Portugal
22. Scotland
23. South Africa
24. South Korea
25. Spain
26. Swaziland
27. Taiwan
28. Thailand
29. Tunisia
30. Turkey
31. United Arab Emirates
32. United States
33. Vietnam
34. Wales

Next up on the list for this year is Kuwait, Indonesia and East Timor!

I haven't been everywhere - but it's on my list!

Good Morning Vietnam!

After Cambodia we headed to Vietnam!

It's a 6 hr coach ride from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Min. We left bright and early, stopping once just before the border for lunch and a quick loo break (the toilet on the coach was not in function!), then stopped at the border crossing! We hopped off the bus, had our passports stamped, hopped back on the bus - then headed to Ho Chi Minh - aka Saigon!

HCM is the largest city in Vietnam and OMG - it's busy busy busy!!! 90% of the population own a scooter and the streets are jam packed! Every time you cross the road - you pray - and run!

The next day we were up bright and early for a Day Tour to Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta! We were once again on a coach and 2 hrs later we had arrived at Ci Chi Tunnels. It was one of the main bases for the Party of Committee of Sai Gon during the Vietnam War, a large network of underground tunnels that run 20 m deep, comprising of underground kitchens and hospitals. The tunnels have been preserved as it was one of the worst bombed areas during the war. The tour starts with a video showing how the tunnels were made and life in the tunnels - they sometimes stayed underground for months! You then can then go down one section of the tunnel - 6m deep then you crawl for 20 m! It's hot and there is not much air! It costs 110 000 Vietnamese Dong (£3.90 or  $4.82) to get into Ch Chi, after the tout, those wanting to can get to shoot an AK47 - for an extra 500 000 Vietnamese Dong (£18.90) !

Cu Chi Tunnels!

1. After Cu Chi we headed to My Tho - Mekong Delta, We were packed onto a motor boat and scooted over to Con Phung island for lunch. On the menu was Vietnamese spring rolls, Elephant ear fish, vegetable soup, caramelised pork and rice. After lunch (lunch was neither delicious or terrible - it filled the gap!) we took a horse and cart to watch a Vietnamese traditional music and singing show while sampling local Vietnamese honey tea and coconut candy. Last stop was a small hand-rowed cruise down the delta before heading back to HCM on the coach. It was a good day out and good to see and do so much in the short time we were there.

Mekong Delta Tour!

That evening we had dinner and sampled the local beer (15 000 Vietnamese Dong - 54p!)
The last day we headed out to view the Palace, War Museum and then I was allowed to shop! Yay! I love a market shop...but this was not one of my best experiences! I missed the Thai smile and friendly stall vendors! This market - the vendors got really aggressive with us - Kev had one run after him demanding to know why he didn't want to buy her goods! Shopping didn't last too long - we opted for lunch instead! Kev had chicken curry cooked in bamboo and i tried chicken Pho (pronounced 'fur') a famous noodle soup from Vietnam - it was pretty good and filled me up all day! 

In and around Ho Chi Min

Although we only had a short time there - Vietnam was awesome! The food, the beer, the vibe! Just awesome!   

Good Evening for now Vietnam! See you soon! 

Cambodia!

Last week we visited Cambodia and Vietnam for Kevs birthday break! First stop - Cambodia!

The flight to the Capital Phnom Penh is 1 hr from Bangers. We left bright and early and arrived at the hotel in PP in time for brekkie! After a quick change into cool clothes - it was hot hot hot - we headed out for a little wonder, then to our first stop - S-21 Prison!

I'm embarrassed to say I did not know too much about Cambodia before we went. Sure, I did a little research, glanced over the Lonely Planet guide and watched the movie The Killing Fields - but I seriously had no idea just how horrendous and tragic this country’s past is! One quarter of their population was wiped out over a 3 year rule by the Khmer Rouge! 

The S-21 Prison, also known as the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, is in the city centre, once a high school, it turned into the Security Prison 21 when the Khmer Rouge were in power. It cost $6 to get into S-21 (£4 or 24 000 Cambodian Riel - everywhere in Cambodia accepts both the Dollar or Riel - can get a a bit confusing!), you get an Audio headset that takes you to various stops around the prison, giving you information on what happened there, stories from ex prison guards and survivors and trial testimonies. I found the headset very informative and painted a clear picture of what was surly hell on earth! Over 17 000 people went into S-21 Prison  - only 7 survived! 

One section of the prison was used as the torture rooms – here there is a single metal bed in the room with chains, it remains unchanged from when they found it. On the wall, a picture of the prisoner and the state they found them in, the rooms are hollow and eerie, some with bloodstains still on the wall. The rest of the Museum houses pictures of the prisoners, paintings, KR documents, torture instalments used and human remains. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more horrific – it could! 

One of the surviving prisoners sits in the garden and talks to visitors. He is in his seventies now and goes to the prison every day to chat with people, shares his ordeal and stories from S-21 in the hopes that this horrific piece of history will never repeat itself. After the S-21 visit, we were both a bit emotionally shattered. We sat in a café nearby. Just sitting.

Tuol Sleng Genocide the Museum

The next day we took a tuk-tuk to the Killing Fields! This too is one of the most tragic and devastating places I have ever visited. Discovered shortly after the fall of the KR – over 8 000 people were killed and buried in this mass grave. This is just one of many Killing Fields around Cambodia, most are still inaccessible due to location and landmine threat. In the middle of this field which was once an orchard, is a massive Stupa, known as the Choeung Ek Monument, This Stupa was built to pay respect to all those who died there, it houses their remains, including over 5 000 human skulls.

It costs $6 to visit this site, you also you get an the Audio guide that takes you around from stop to stop. Again it was very informative and shocking to hear what went on there, you could also choose to listen to stories from witnesses, extracts from the trial and ex KR statements. One of the worst parts for me was that you could still see bone fragments and clothing in the soil. Every few months the curators go around collecting bones, teeth and clothing that have surfaced.  

Choeung Ek Monument

So – not to paint a totally gloomy and depressing picture of Cambodia – Cambodia is actually pretty awesome! It’s one of the up and coming city break destinations, the food is amazing (once ruled by the French – they make a mean baguette!) and the beer is pretty good! There are loads of trendy restaurants and coffee shops all over the city – and did I mention the amazing markets! Shopping!

Exploring Phnon Penh!

Sadly our time in Cambodia was limited, but we'll definitely be going back to explore more of it! Defo add this remarkable country onto your list if you are planning to visit SE Asia! 

Cheers Cambodia...until next time!