Making it in Bangkok

Tuesday, 14 March 2017

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!

Monday, 13 March 2017

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!!!