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Hi everyone,
Hope you have enjoyed the newest batch of photos!
We are in our final country now : ( Malaysia and so far we love it! Has been great to be back in a city like Penang after being on remote beaches for such a long time.
So since we didn't update you at all throughout Thailand, here is a quick rundown...
We started off with a great flight from Luang Prabang to Chiang Mai - with Lao Airlines. We had heard terrible things and were slightly concerned at how safe it was going to be (obviously we didn't voice our concerns to you)
but it was actually fab. The plane was tiny (like old Jersey ones) and we got an unexpected little packed lunch, BONUS. Plus it definitely beat spending two days travelling up river by boat - we landed in Chiang Mai in just an hour.
So Chiang Mai, where do we start, we had such a fab time here. First night we arrived they had a HUGE walking street market, where they basically pedestrianised the whole town and set up stalls selling everything you can imagine.
We decided that this was going to be the place that we were going to do everything that we had wanted to do the whole time, seen as it is really cheap compared to the rest of Thailand. So we had a great massage at a Temple for about 1.50 each, we also booked onto a cooking course, which was definitely a highlight of travelling.
We had a great group, at a lovely little school that started with a trip to the local food market to show us all the ingredients that we would be using, then we returned to the school and made 7 different dishes (that we obviously ate along the way) it was good to learn lots of new recipes (don't worry we were given recipe books so we will be able to make them all when we get home)
and just watch Spence to be honest! hehe.
Obviously you have all seen the pictures of Tiger Kingdom so you know how amazing that day was for us. BEST DAY EVER.
After Chiang Mai, we travelled down to Thailand and stayed at the same hotel that we had stayed at when we first arrived in Asia. We couldn't believe how long ago it seemed, and also how quickly it all seemed to have gone!
In Bangkok to headed downtown to the huge shopping malls to see what the "real" Bangkok actually looked like. very impressed. We had a great and cheap cinema trip too, to see the new Denzel film, The Taking of Pelham 123. Fab. What was particularly interesting was having to stand for the national anthem at the start of the film.
So from Bangkok we headed to Koh Tao, to spend some time actually tanning, seen as we had nothing but t-shirt tans up until this point. We initally stayed in the pretty touristy busy town that didn't have the greatest beach and decided to move down to a quiet bay which is where the pictures are from that we have just put up. To be honest there isn't a lot to tell, we did nothing apart from sunbath and relax. O and we did go on a snorkelling trip one day, which turned out to be funnier than I imagined it would be. But I'll let Spence tell you about that.
However we did head over to the Full Moon Party on neighbouring Koh Phangan, it is basically a huge beach party that attracts up t about 25,000 people each month to get (amongst other things) drunk on the beach. We got a ferry over just for the night, so after checking out of our room in order to save some cash, wasting away the day and showering and getting ready on the beach, we headed to for the Jetty to get out party boat at 6 (which turned out to be a Catamaran that played very bad music, gave you a free beer and was possibly the bumpiest boat ride ever!)
Luckily I had invested in some recommended seasickness tablets that REALLY work, although they do send you to sleep, so whilst I wasn't sick there wasn't a lot of partying going on either! So we arrived about 8 and went for dinner with a couple we had met on the boat, bought some UV paint and made ourselves look like idiots, whilst drinking pints to get us warmed up for the big event. We headed to the beach about 12 and somehow we wound up back on the ferry at 8 in the morning (after a little nap on the beach, at the pier and on the pavement from Spencer) Was a fab night!
After a few days to recover we got a night boat (that did as you say Nan, look like transport for Illegals) however thanks to the amazing little pills we slept all the way through the night and after anoth bus and boat ride we wound up on Koh Phi PHi for some more beach action. We had heard great things and it really didn't disappoint. After a few nights in some accomodation a bit further out we moved to Orange Tree, a hotel of only 4 rooms owned by a lovely Thai couple (the pic of the Tv from Phi Phi is our room there) The room was great and we a lovely time relaxing on Phi Phi and again not doing a lot!
When we left Phi Phi for Penang the lovely couple we were staying with bought us a bracelet each. A great end to Thailand.
So we're in Penang now, as always eating lots of different food. We had our first Banana leaf meal, a great curry in Little India, Korea's No.1 Chicken and the most amazing Peanut butter on REALLY thick toast with condensed milk on the top. MMMM
Obviously other than that we have been exploring, seeing all the sites, including Penang Hill for a great view over Georgetown and a trip to the World's Largest Toy Museum (although I think that may have been a little lie, not quite as big as we expected! And definitely not as big as the Children's Museum, Nan!)
We managed to watch the game last night in a place called SOHO Freehouse, which you just can't believe unless you see it. It could basically be the inside of any Wetherspoons. Bizarre, but a great place to watch a great game, just a shame beer is pretty much the same price as at home too!
We're heading to the Perhentian islands on the East Coast tomorrow night so we may be out of touch for a while again.
Hope your all well and missing you lots!
Love Charlie and Spence xxxx
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