Singapore

18th May – Kuching – Singapore

We left Kuching at 9.40am arriving in Singapore airport at 11am. Of course as soon as we arrived, we knew Singapore was different. It just feels different. The plush carpet, the large arrival area and trees inside the buildings. All is just done so well! We found immigration and tried to work our which immigration guard would be okay to talk to so Nicole could explain that she’s running out of pages and needs the stamp to go on a page already used. Well, we chose well..her guard was smiley, friendly and stamped it on a used page; mine didn’t say anything or smile!

We had 3 transport options for the hostel..MRT train, taxi or shuttle. I wasn’t sure about the shuttle or taxi as thought it wold be too expensive but when we got to the counter the shuttle was $9 and took you straight to the hostel – no walking with the bags!!

We got a ticket from a machine and just 5 minutes later, the shuttle turned up. It was just us and 1 other guy in the minivan and off we went. We had a great view of the city which already filled us with awe. The buildings are just beautiful and there’s so much green!

he shuttle driver was an interesting driver! He just kept putting pressure on and off the accelerator irratically! Nearly enough to make me sick! But just 30 minutes later, we arrived at our hostel.

Botique chic hostel – the hostel cost $35 a night!! Welcome to Singapore!

We checked in and also paid for a couple of attractions (skypark, forest dome and flower dome) as the hostel had discount. We where then taken across the road to the sister hostel as that was where we would be staying. We grabbed a few things for the day and then left our bags and headed out…

Our first stop was China town which was just around the corner from the hostel. It was busy and bustling with stalls and a large food street which we wandered along.

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actually ended up having an Indian Biriyani which was spicy and yummy! Then we enjoyed browsing the shops before heading to the MRT to head to little India.

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ingapore first language is English which makes life very easy for getting tickets and this time we didn’t make any mistakes and just 20 minutes later we were in the Indian area of Singapore.

We wandered around taking in the new sights of the area before heading towards the ‘selfie cafe’ we had been told about.

Our walk took us past the canal and sky scrapers. Singapore is just beautiful to look at and so clean that it was a lovely walk.

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In one corner, we found some artists spray painting graffiti art onto one of the buildings. It turned out the artist was there and had done most of it himself and had two helpers for the last section.

We then walked into a really cool street which was full of art covered walls and quirky interiors.

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This is where we found the ‘selfie cafe’. You can have your face put on any coffee or most other drinks so we chose iced chocolate. We were then passed a phone to take our selfie with and that was it. A few minutes later our drinks arrived with our faces printed onto thick cream on the top. They were expensive (8 Singaporean dollars) but it was for the novelty factor we went!

After our drinks, it was time to head towards the skypark and gardens in the bay. It was just a quick MRT ride although we couldn’t find the station entrance for ages!

This area of Singapore is right near the central business distract and just radiates money! The shopping mall is full of designer shops and everything is shiny and new! They even have a little river inside complete with boats!

After looking across the river towards the city, we headed to the skypark and rode up the elevator to the top floor and onto the viewing area.

In the distance, we could see the rain forming and it was beginning to get dark so we went back to ground level and towards the gardens in the bay.

I hadn’t realised that the trees were actually generating electricity which is cool! They just look beautiful and as it was getting dark, they soon began to be lit with lights. Unfortunately, the tree tip walk wasn’t open as they were predicting rain so as we were both getting hungry, we ate at one of the restaurants by the trees – cheesy fried and spaghetti carbonara! Yum!

That’s when the rain began! We had bought tickets for the flower dome and cloud dome at our hostel so made our way there which was saved us really as once we were inside the rain began to really come down!!

The flower dome was cool with plants from all over the world. It was little paradise in the middle of the city and pretty cool as it was a huge glass dome so we could see the city but also be amongst the plants.

We then headed to the cloud dome which is a rainforest environment. They turn on a water mist every few hours giving it the cloud name. This one was truly beautiful and we followed the paths next to the waterfall which gave us great views of the rainforest fauna and flora.

It was still raining outside which we thought was going to stop our plans to see the tree’s light show which they do every night at 7.45 and 8.45pm. But we actually found a spot inside the dome where we could see the trees from and watched it there.

Luckily, when that finished and by the time we left the dome, the rain had stopped and we had about 30 minutes until the water and light show overlooking the city by the shopping mall which was perfect for a leisurely walk back through the gardens. It really is beautiful at night!

We arrived at the the viewing area and managed to find a seat on the steps using a plastic bag to protect us a bit from the now wet ground.

It got really busy but we all coukd see fine which was great and then it began…

Wow it was amazing! Such a cool show!

They protected images and lights onto different fountains which accompained amazing music..it was actually quite emotional!

It was just a spectacular show and everyone was in awe by the end. And it was free!! Every night at 8 and 9pm!

After the show we wandered around a little more before beginning our journey back to our hostel and to actually check in and find our beds!

The MRT was a little busier on the way back but it’s still a great experience. You’re not allowed food or drink on it or in the stations (big fines if you do) so everything is lovely and clean and it’s all air conned which is so nice after a hot day outside!

Back at our hostel we were taken to our pod beds. These ones were posh and had our own TVS in them along with headphones attached already!

After a shower, we settled into our pods and I managed to find ‘The greatest showman’ movie on the TV so finished watching where I’d had to end on our flight to Sri Lanka.

19th May 2018 – Singapore – Denpassor

We had decided the night before to head out it the morning to go to the art and science museum and see the city scape one last time before our flight.

Our hostel provided a breakfast of sandwiches, fruit, cereal and tea and coffee.

As we were eating, we met a lovely 9 year old girl who was in singapore for the weekend with her parents from Hong Kong. We all ate together before we packed up again, left our bags at the hostel reception and off we went again.

We headed straight to the shopping mall and skypark and arrived at 10am just as the museum opened.

The science area of it was all about lights and interactive displays.

It’s hard to explain but there was a wave room with waves being projected across the walls.

A slide to go down where flowers burst as you slid over them.

A projected waterfall.

A room which came alive in lights flashing around as if you were a bird flying around. It actually made you feel like you were losing your balance. Quite crazy.

Huge lit up balls which played different music when you moved them.

And our favourite room the space crystal room. This was just beautiful.

We also went upstairs to the art gallery. I thught it would be more interactive but it was just a gallery. Still pretty cool exhibitions!

After the museum, we had some lunch at one of the places nearby. Then took a final wander around before heading back to China town.

As we came up from the MRT, we were hit by the rain! Of course, we didn’t have any rain coats with us!

We managed okay though by dipping into the many stalls there and bought a few souvenirs.

Then it was time to say goodbye to the hostel and catch a Grab taxi to the airport. We had been in Singapore 24 hours but it has been great! We loved it and would definitely return as it just seems an amazing city which is doing everything right!

One quick note about the airport:

Of course it was the best airport we had been to. Everything was done electronically.

Air Asia has started using self check in and self bag drop services at alot of the airports we’ve been to so we were getting pretty good at it by now.

Then we went to immigration and this was also a self/computerised system.

e had to show our passports, redo our finger prints and they took a picture or us and that was it. We were done! This was an added bonus for Nicole with her passport issues!! No unecessary stamp!

The terminal was huge..think it was terminal 4 and although we’d heard in another terminal there is a slide and other activities, we were sat in some comfy sofas when what we thought was just a decorated wall looking like houses, suddenly came to life! There was a whole drama occurring above us! It was great! They also had great WiFi and charging areas next to the comfy seats!! “Say yes to the dress” was also playing further down the departure lounge! Our airports are so boring in comparison!

Our next stop – Denpassor Bali! And the final leg of our adventure!

Had a whole row to myself woop!!

Malaysia and Borneo 3

Colombo — Kuala Lumpur

Our flight was at 10.30am so we grabbed so breakfast from our hostel (Hangover hostel) in Colombo. It had been a good night with just the two of us in the room! And I say room – the rooms were made from containers!

The hostel did 24 hour transfers to the airport and we could decide when to leave whenever we wanted so about 8am we left. Arriving at the airport, 10 minutes later we grabbed a trolley and off we went towards check in. Before we got anywhere near check in though, we had to go through security.

When we’d been passed, we got to the desk and were then asked lots of questions about our onward travels. Luckily, we had our ticket booked for leaving Malaysia to Borneo so could show it!

Finally, we could head towards departures but not until we’d need through another security check.

We grabbed a drink from one of the cafes and water then headed to the gate. Where again, we had security. As I was going through the guard saw my water bottle and told me I couldn’t have it. Now this was sealed bottle which I had literally just bought 10 minutes before in departures!! I wasn’t super happy about having to give it up so drank the whole thing there and then!

We were soon boarding onto our Air Asia flight. Just like Ryanair in the UK, it’s cheap and small! But we soon settled in, read, tried to nap and the 4 hour flight went pretty quickly. We arrived 30 minutes ahead of scedule which was cool but due to the time difference it was now 4.50pm rather than 2!

We collected our bags, went through another security and immigration. Then it was time to find a taxi to our hostel. We saw a booth so asked how much it was going to be and they quoted over 100 Ringit when we had been quoted by the hostel 10-15! We were a bit confused and then realised we were in the executive taxi line! The budget taxi cost us 13 MYR but we had to queue for about 40 minutes outside the airport until a taxi became available.

The journey to our hostel took about 30 minutes. We had booked ‘Back home hostel’ for the night and it had a good vibe to it when we arrived.

We quickly dropped our bags off, had 10 minutes of chilled time then it was time to explore Kuala Lumpur as we would be leaving the next day for the Cameron Highlands.

Just 3 minutes walk from the hostel was the train station and underground and the ticket machine was really easy to use so we purchased a ticket and headed for the platform. A train was just pulling in so we hopped on, only to realise as we pulled away we were going the wrong direction! Oh well, we got off at the next stop, walked round to the other side and soon we heading the correct way!!

We arrived at the KLCC junction and soon just around the corner were the petroleum towers. They are pretty spectacular lit up and soon we were joining the other tourists trying to get the perfect angle for a picture!

After a while, we wandered around the streets taking in the lit up trees and buildings which surrounded us. Then we pub a shopping centre and enjoyed a little browse!

By this time it was nearly 10 – the day had just gone! So we began the journey home which was incredibly easy (no wrong trains this time) and soon were settling into bed for the night.

8th May – KL – Cameron highlands

We got up early and had breakfast. Thankfully no eggs today. After 3 weeks of eggs and toast for breakfast everyday we needed a break! Porridge and peanut butter on toast was a welcome treat!

We then hauled on all our bags and walked to the train station. The easy 3 minute walk last night was a little harder with the bags!! We arrived, grabbed our tickets and headed to the train only to realise once on it that again we were going the wrong way! A quick u-turn at the next junction and we found our track. The journey took about 30 minutes with one train switch (luckily the same platform we got off again! ) and soon we arrived at the central bus station. It was huge! We had booked online so just had to go to a counter to get a boarding ticket. Then we went downstairs to wait.

It was like an airport. There were gates with waiting areas and announcements over speakers telling us when the buses were leaving. Some of the announcers seemed to be singing the information as it had such a rhythm to it!

Unfortunately, our bus was a bit late but soon enough we were on our way. I’d booked sears at the front as I knew the roads would be pretty windy and sire enough we were soon twisting our way through the mountains, narrowly missing the edge and other cars! Amazingly, our driver somehow managed to even overtake other cars and lorries on these tiny roads! Nicole and I were holding on for our lives! Maybe being ay the front wasn’t the best idea as we could see our deaths coming!!

5 hours later, after one stop off for food , we arrived in the little town Tana Rata. We were dropped at the bus terminal and it was just a 5 minute walk to the hostel (still nearly killed us with our bags!). This was our first ‘pod’ hostel. We were in a 36 bed room! But each bed was in a wooden box with a curtain at one end. Each had a light and a fan inside so it was pretty cosy!

We chilled for a bit then went to explore the town. It was mainly just one street with a few restuarants and shops. Found a 2 Ringit shop (less than 50p) which was great for the little supplies we needed!

We had dinner at the curry house and I enjoyed a tikka masala – haven’t had one in months!

It was a lot cooler in the highlands which was a welcome change and I even got my jeans out to wear (they’ve been in the bottom of my bag for a month!)

After mooching for a bit longer, and stopping for tea and cake, we headed back to the hostel just as the rain began!

9th May – Cameron Highlands

We booked onto a half day tour which bean at 8.30am so we were up early. The hostel didn’t do breakfast so we headed back to the curry house for some beans on toast and tea!

There were 8 of us on the tour and one of the group was a girl teaching in Thailand just like we had done!

Our first stop on the tour was the tea planantion hills. They looked different to Sri Lanka and equally beautiful! Our guide informed us of how they had come to be here and how the pickers had been brought over mainly from India and Pakistan which was why there was so much Indian influence here in the cooking.

After that, we headed to the mossy forest which is and ancient forest in the highlands. Our guide was great as he explained how fragile the moss is (it grows 1cm every 3 years) and showed us different plants in the area. It was rhe first time I’d seen a carnivorous plant in the wild which was cool and the orchids were everywhere and beautiful.

We then had a chance to walk along a board walk to see more of the forest and view although the view was covered in cloud at first before it cleared a little.

After the forest, we stopped at a tea shop where we could try the local tea. It was delicious without milk but with just added the extra element I like although I was told several times the milk ruins the flavour!

Our final stop was to a strawberry farm. They can grow them all year round and they looked and tasted delicious. They were playing music over the speakers which we couldn’t decide if it was for us or the strawberries!!

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Finally, after endulging in some strawberries and yogurt, we headed back to town for lunch.

We ended up at a restaurant next to our hostel which was were lots of locals go and had stuffed rotti/bread things. They were delicious with a mix of chicken, potato, veg and spices.

Hattie (the girl teaching in Thailand on our tour) joined Nicole and I on a jungle walk in the afternoon. I’d asked the hotel which routes were easyish and were told track 5,6,4 (in a loop) was okay and took about 2 hours. So off we went to find the he beginning of the route. Easier said then done! We wandered around, couldn’t find any signs, got told different directions by people and then finally having back tracked our steps and walked for about 30 minutes we found the entrance.

That’s when the fun started as we began to walk through the jungle and it was really jungle path.

We scrambled over roots and wound our way deeper into the jungle. After about 30 minutes we met some people coming the other way who, when we told them our route, just said good luck! Hmm, maybe it wasn’t going to be so easy!

It was hot, humid and difficult terrain but I loved it! At one point we could here trees rustling and looking up there were wild monkeys swinging through the trees above!

Finally 1 hr 30 min later, we found the cross roads between track 5 and 6 which was our next track. Here we met another couple going the opposite way..again they informed us it was quite hard ahead. But we were invested then..no going back!

We began track 6 and it was immediate that we’d uped a level of challenge. We had to climb down near a large valley side before going striaght back up the other side.

Sometimes even having to use our hands to keep balance and climb. I’d found some sticks for us to use for support earlier on and these became very useful as we wound our way up, up and up! Eventually we seems to reach the top and then it was time to duck under trees and vines and search for the paths through. There weren’t signs for ages and just in some places tape which I took as no entry. As I was leading the others, I was very aware that if I somehow took the wrong path, we would be lost very quickly as the jungle was so dense! Luckily, as we kept gping on track 6, we could just about hear some cars and the local mosque so knew civilisation wasn’t too far away! But it was another hour before we can across a sign pointing to track 4 – the final stretch!

This track was how we had imagined the whole thing to be. Quite large cleared paths with few obstacles or hills to climb!

Finally 30 minutes later, we arrived on a concrete path next to the river and knew the town wasn’t too far away. But we still had to walk along the road back to the centre.

We tried hitching a lift from cars going past but when I waved they just waved back or put their thumbs up to match me! Slowly, we made it back to town a little more tired then we thought we would be when we started but it was great!

We were also covered in mud and plant if bites from the dreaded mozzies! So it was straight to the showers to clean up.

After a rest, we went for dinner and ended up all having pizzas! So good! Then it was back to bed as we were shattered!

10th May – Cameron Highlands – George Town

And we were off again! This time to Penang and George town which was another 4 hours by bus and 20 minute ferry ride. Me being me, I hadn’t even realised Penang was an island – we just go where we’ve been told is good and hadn’t really researched that much!

Anyway, we walked back to the bus terminal down the town and off we went. Again the ticket was 35 Ringit which is (£7) – pretty good for 4 hours!

This ride again took us through windy roads and mountains and by the time we stopped at a service station, I actually thought I was going to be sick but luckily I wasn’t and after that it was just straight highways which was great!

At the ferry, we unloaded and then tried to work out where we actually went. A local directed us to the end of the bus station where there was a free shuttle bus. We all piled on along with a lot of other people and drove 5 minutes around to the ferry port. We then had to walk up a slope, buy a ticket (1.90 Ringit -less than 50p) and queue up. By this time Nicole and I were dying from the weight of our bags! After 30 minutes, the gate opened and we walked onto the ferry. There weren’t chairs just a platform where the cars were parked and people around the edge. It took just 20 minutes across (a welcome rest for our backs) and then we went in search of a taxi. We found one which was driven by a lovely old man which chatted to us about us life – 72 years old!!

10 minutes later, we arrived at ‘Ryokan Boutique Hostel’. Back to bunk beds here but we were in a room of just 4 which was nice.

We went for a walk around the town and it was incredibly quiet. We tried to work out why and then remembered today was the day of the general election! All over the roads were the flags of the different parties and we’d heard it the result tonight could mean by changes to the Malaysian government!

Me being asked by Chinese tourists if I can have a photo with them – individually!

We ended up at a mexican restuarant called ‘Holy Guacamole’ for dinner and enjoyed a burrito, nachos and strawberry daquri! Yum!

We also bumped into people we’d met on the tour in the Cameron Highlands which was cool! The streets were still pretty quiet so we headed back to the hostel to chill and sleep.

11th May – George Town

After a nice lie in, we headed down for breakfast which was great – buffet style! There were sausages, boiled eggs, toast, baked beans and noodles! We filled up and headed out into the streets in search of street art.

To help us get round we hired bikes for just £2 for the day!

They were a little to drive but the roads in Malaysia seem much more organised and calm then other Asian countries we’re visited!

Some of the art was quite hard to find as it was down alleys but we stumbled across many by chance and the others were highlighted because they had a crowd of tourists infront of them wielding their selfie sticks!!

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After exploring for most of the morning, we enjoyed some aircon and a drink in a local cafe to cool off! It was sweltering!

We explored more then headed to a restaurant for lunch who sold turkish food! All delicious!

After a rest back at the hostel, we met Hattie, who was also in george town, and wandered along Love lane before finding a bar to have a drink in. It was happy hour so we enjoyed a few drinks there for the evening as well as people watching and chatting to the locals.

When we finally got hungry and tired, we walked just around the corner which had come alive with street food stalls. It was much busier than the previous evening and we soon filled up on some of the stall’s delights!

12th May – George Town

The three of us met up again in the morning to go on a free walking tour which had been advertised at our hostel. It was run by the tourist information and was really professional!

Our guide was great and we learnt a huge amount:

George Town is a city full of diversity. People have come from all over the world with the majorty being from India or China and there are many religious groups all living in harmony together. As we walked round, we’d pass through a china town and into India town! Then we’d see a Chinese Cantonese temple and just across the road a hindu temple! It was really intertwine to hear that children are taught 3 languages in school, English, Malaysian and whatever their mother tongue is!

Termuric is thrown on the floor outside shops as good luck

We walked all around for a couple of hours before leaving the guide and heading to a dessert shop I’d been told about!

The shop was called Merryme and did a ‘freak’ shake! It was a a mile shake with cream, mashmallow, chocolate brownie and little chocolates on it! We each ordered one and they were amazing!!!

Later on we headed out for food and found a local noodle and rice restaurant before heading back to the hostel to sleep as we had to be up at 4am to get our flight to Borneo!! It had been a quick visit but we’d really liked just wandering around Georgetown and although it was quite quiet whilst we were there it had a cool vibe.

13th May – George Town – Kuching, Borneo

The alarm went off and up we got! We’d arranged a taxi (60 Ringit as so early) and by 4.30 it was there ready to take us to the airport. Sleepily, we got in and 30 minutes later arrived to check in. Air Asia is using selfservice machines for check in now so we tagged our own bags and even at the luggage drop it was all done by machine!

After checking in, we headed towards departures with a quick stop at McDonald’s for breakfast!

It was hard not to fall asleep when we were waiting but it wasn’t long until we boarded. The flight was only 2 hours and I got a few little naps in but I was in the middle seat with strangers either side so I was a little conscious of not falling on them as I slept!

We arrived at 9am and headed for immigration. Both mine and Nicole’s passports are getting pretty full (Nicole’s especially) and so we were hoping we wouldn’t be stamped in but we were! They just tend to stamp it right in the middle of the page using uo so much space! Anyway, we were in and our bags were there waiting for us.

I’d bought a sim card in George town which was so useful as I could just order a grab striaght away. And within 20 minutes from landing, we were on our way to the hostel.

As we hadn’t really planned Borneo, we’d just booked on night at ‘Sunset hostel’. We arrived to find the receptionist asleep on the sofa next to the desk! He was very tired and told us we couldn’t check in yet until 2pm! It wasn’t even 10am! But we could leave our heavy bags so we headed out to find somewhere to chill and get some energy! Lots of places weren’t open yet but we found a coffee shop next to a shopping centre.

After a much needed coffee, I began to become more alive and we started to plan our week.

At first, I’d wanted to do an actual organised jungle trek and overnight trip but the cost was crazy! So we began to work out how to do it but ourselves. We did a lot of researching on trip advisor and Google only to get quite confused by conflicting information but eventually worked out roughly how to get to places and knew that tomorrow we’d head to the Orangutan rehabilitation centre!!

After a while, we were ready to explore so headed towards the river.

We had lunch in a local restaurant and when we came out, all the souvenir shops had opened so we began a little browsing/shopping walk back towards the hostel looking at all the products on sale.

When we arrived back at the hotel, we could check in and settled into our pod beds again! These ones were 3 beds high! But they were more spacious then the Camron Highland’s ones!

Later in the evening, we headed dour for dinner and ended up in a restaurant next to the river. There was a little show happening in the park next to us with a couple of singers and guitarists but they left 10 minutes after we sat down.

After dinner, we walked along the river and enjoyed an incredible sunset!

14th May – Semmongoh Orangutan centre

Another early start today! We had found out that there was a bus to the centre and it left at 7am taking about an hour to get there. When we got back to the hotel, Nicole had met and spoken to a girl names Rose who was going to the centre the next day as well so we decided we’d just get a Grab car there and leave at 7.30am instead.

The Grab was 26 Ringit in total so less that 9 each (£1.90).

We arrived at the main gate and paid the entrance fee of 10 Ringit. We saw some people from our hostel who arrived just after us who had taken the bus! I was glad we’d gone in the car on the way!

We then walked for about 20 minutes to the centre. There was an information room explaining how the Orangutan here were semi-wild and supported only with a little extra food as the rainforest area wasn’t huge and couldn’t support all of them all year round.

Around the area were pitcher plants and an enclosure holding two crocodiles!

We waited for about 30 minutes before just before 9am, we were gathered at one end to be briefed before going to the feeding area.

Apparently, it was fruiting season which meant there was more food for the orangutans so they might not come to the station. We were told to remember this wasn’t a zoo and they would come if they wanted to not because they were trained to!

We then walked 200 metres to the viewing area. There was a ranger calling for the orangutans and we could see a pile of fruit on the platform. So we began to wait…and wait…and wait.

At 9.55, the guide told us we had 5 minutes left and then we would need to shut. I was feeling pretty disppainted eventhough we could come back in the afternoon and try too!

But just at that moment, we heard the trees rustle and move and out she came… a mother orangutan holding a little baby!!

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t was AMAZING to see and actually bought tears to my eyes as I’d been preparing myself to leave without seeing them!

We then watched her take all the fruit and sit halfway up a tree in full sight to eat. The baby climbed on her and swung from the ropes playing it’s own game!

After the bananas were quickly eaten she began on the coconut and it was incredible to see her remove the husk and then smack the shell against the tree until she coukd drink the coconut water and eat the flesh!

We watched for a good 20 minutes before she began to leave through the trees again! Just amazing.

As we left the park, a bus was waiting and for just 4 Ringit we took a ride back to kiching all raving and excited by what we’d just seen!

*Since then I’ve talked to a few people who went to the centre the day/few days after us and didn’t see any orangutans so we were really lucky!*

When we got off the bus, we wandered around Kuching a bit more and passed shipping centres and market stalls.

Then, having had another early start, we rested in the hostel before heading out for dinner. We ended up at the shopping centres food court which was super cheap and had a massive range of food which was great!

15th May – Kabuh National Park

We gave ourselves a little longer in bed this morning and went off to find breakfast at 9am. Again, hardly any places were open but we found a hotel offering breakfast for 8 Ringit just down the road a bit. We could have any eggs we wanted, toast and a rice porridge thing so we filled up then met rose again at the hostel to read to the national park.

We’d heard about this park from our friends but when reading online the transport options for getting there and back were very confusing. Rose had been told by the tourist information that there was a bus, our hostel said there wasn’t! We nearly hired a car from the hostel and driven it ourselves but we trusted the tourist info so decided to Grab taxi there and bus back!

The Grab taxi cost us 25 Ringit between bus so wasn’t bad and it took about 30 minutes to get there.

We managed to be dropped off at the wrong entrance but after walking up the hill, we found the entrance.

The first thing the lady asked us was how we were getting back! We said bus to which she told us there was no longer a bus service! Great. I had the Grab taxis number so we decided we’d just call him later.

The entrance fee was 10 Ringit and the last showed us a few trails we could do. We decided to head to the waterfall which should be about an hour and a half on way.

Rose had booked to stay the night at the park and we checked out her accommodation which was basic but fine!

Then we set off. The first 30 minutes was along a road but a very steep road! It was exhausting but soon we found a frogs pond and then the entrance to the waterfall trail.

The rest of the journey included climbing down steep steps, over roots, under branches and along windy, uneven paths. It was beautiful with amazing vine trees and some huge flowers and ferns!

By the time we reached the waterfall we were all soaked just from sweat – very attractive!

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Nicole and I had worn swim clothes under our other so immediately stripped off and enjoyed the coolness of the water as it tumbled over the 10 metre high waterfall. The water was pretty low due to it being dry season but it was still beautiful!

After chilling in the water for a while and having some snacks, we began the journey back.

I always think going back is so much easier than the way as you know where you’re going and always seems much quicker!

We arrived back at the entrance about 3.30 hours after leaving. We then tried to find a Grab taxi to get us back. The app didn’t work so I called our driver from the morning. He said he couldn’t as he was too far away! The staff tried to call someone they knew but their phone wasn’t working! None of the staff coukd take us and so we were a little stuck! After about 20 minutes, one of the staff ladies found a small piecw of paper with a number on it for a taxi that had come to the park before. I called the number and amazingly the guy agreed to come and get us!

We waited another 30 minutes for him to turn up and said farewell and good luck to Rose before returning to Kuching. Thankfully the journey still only cost 35 Ringit (£7)!

That evening I headed to a local restaurant near our hostel and enjoyed a noodle dish with chicken. I was the only foreigner in the place and they seemed surprised I’d gone in but the waitress was great and it was her suggestion on the food! I was glad I enjoyed it as didn’t really have a clue what I was getting!

16th May – Bako National park

7am my alarm went off again and it was a bit harder this morning to get up but we did and soon were ordering a Grab taxi from Kuching to the Bako national park boat jetty which cost 26 Ringit and took 45 minutes.

Reading online , we thought there was a bus but again information wasn’t clear and so Grab was much easier at that time in the morning!

At the jetty we had to sign in. We had booked accommodation via the Sarawak website. They had different options including a hostel room for 15 Ringit (£3) but didnt provide towels or blankets and a variety of other rooms. We booked Lodge 6 which had two twin beds, towels and blankets and an ensuite. It was just 50 Ringit per room so 25 each (£5). We were the first there but about 7 other couples arrived just after, some on a day trip, some staying overnight.

Next to the signing in counter was the boat counter. We’d read that we might have to pay up to 100 Ringit for the boat and find people to split the cost with but it was much more official and was a set price. 20 Ringit per way so 40 for a return per person. The return was open and you choose your return time at the park with the last boat being 3pm giving us plenty of time over the next two days.

We arrived at 8.15am and by 8.30 they were taking us to the boat which they filled to maximum capacity! Luckily noone had massive bags! (We’d left ours at the hostel for the night in their luggage store which was great!)

The boat journey took 20 minutes and we ended up landing on the beach (the tide was too low for the jetty) even though we’d been told once already not to go near the water because of crocodiles!! But we were all soon wading through the water and up the beach to reception with no incident!

We registered ourselves and put our bags in storage as we couldn’t check into our lodge until 2pm.

Then it was time for breakfast – no way I was walking empty stomached! The park had a decent canteen and the food was much better then I thought from previous reviews. It was basic but fill you up food and it was self service so you just chose what you wanted and paid per item. The prices weren’t crazy and you could take a pretty big scoop for the price (I tested it of course!). My meal of rice, egg, chicken nuggets and noodles was 6 Ringit – nice balanced diet I know!! But it prepared me nicely for a day of walking!

Then it was time to head out for the trails. We met a couple at check in so decided we’d go as a 4 on the first trek (no. 3).

This trek took us among trees again over roots and up and down pretty steep paths! It was not 800m but the terrain took us an hour!

T

his was supposed to be the trail to take to see the big nosed probisco monkey but we didn’t see any!

At the end of the trail, we found a beach and it felt like I was part of ‘Lost’ or ‘Bear’s Island’ as it was diserted. At the water edge, we saw a creature which looked like half fish, half lizard! We found out later I think they were mud skippers!

We then began the trek back through the jungle to the cross roads of the other trails.

Nicole and I decided to do the next trail straight away as we cold then rest after that rather then keep coming back.

We were just beginning when we heard the trees rustle and just above us were a group of silver leaf monkeys. The one we could see closest had a baby with bright range fur! We watched for a while then began the walk.

This one was 2.6km and after the step jungle part, we came across a completely different terrain. It was grassland and muddy tracks. There was also a boarded walk for most of it which was much easier than the one before.

Eventually we came to a cliff edge with the beach below where we hoped to catch a boat to see the rock formations along the coast.

We sat down for a rest and snacks and relaxed with the view… and that’s when it happened…..

Stupidly we had put our bags down when resting on the cliff top and hadn’t thught anything of it until we turned around to see a monkey with my bag in her hands!!

She very quickly found the biscuits I had in there and ripped through the foil instantly before stuffing them in her mouth!

Then she began to explore my bag more and my coat throwing everything on the floor and unzipping every zipper.

At first, it was funny and I tried to shoo her away and half throw water at her to get her to move but she wasn’t giving it up. Instead she began to chase us away! We weren’t going to risk being bitten so backed off but I didn’t really want to leave my bag either with my purse and credit cards exposed to her either eating them or taking them off into the trees!

A couple who had been on the beach arrived then and tried to shoo her themselves until she again began to chase them off!

Now all 4 of us were scared and that’s when she decided she’d really chase us off! We started afyer us so we backed off only to find we’d gone down a dead end and had to scramble up a bolder away from her! She continued to follow us as we went back along the trail. We’d stop and look back and then she’d appear after us again!

Finally, we’d put some distance between us and could stop for a breather! If I’m honest I was terrified! My heart was racing and I knew I’d have to go back and get my stuff which was really scary! You just don’t want to risk being bitten by a wild monkey!!

The couple had to leave as they needed to catch a boat so Nicole and I were alone! We really hoped some other people would turn up but they didn’t!

After about 30 minutes, we decided it was time to try to go back and retrieve whatever was left!

Because were so brave and fierce, we armed ourselves with sticks and began to creep back as silently as possible! We were searching the trees for the mole and kept stopping to listen but didn’t see or hear anything.

Where the bag was meant I had to climb down some steps which lined an overhand bolder, walk arouhd the corner and retieve the bag frok rhe rock edge. Then run back! Nicole kept a look our from the rock above and I ran to the bag. My stuff was everywhere! Receipts and money on the floor, the whole bag contents scattered around but luckily no monkeys!! I grabbed everything, shuving it all in the bag and raced back. We then retreated FAST!

It was rediculous but it had scared us so we just wanted to get back to the main head quarters as quick as possible so quick marched back along the trail! We were so out of breathe by the end!!

When we returned to the main building, we saw the couple from the first trek who were just heading off on that trail! They told us two guys had also been caught by a monkey! And another couple said a monkey had jumped up the front of a girl to get her coke can! We were glad it hadn’t actually touched us!

Time for a shower! We checked in and found our lodge. Luckily, the room was again better than I expected. It wasn’t 5* but had the necessities. The fan above the beds was great and although the shower was cold, it was nice after a long trek!!

After a rest, we went for dinner at the canteen where I was surprised by actually having quite decent sized menu to choose from with most dishes being 10-15 Ringit. We’d read online that prices were high for food but this was fine! We enjoyed our meal and a cold beer watching bearded pigs wander by!

Nicoles knees were playing up so she stayed in the lodge for the evening whilst I did the night trek!

It cost 10 Ringit and was worth it as our guide could spot the smallest of creatures we would never see!

As we walked he spotted and pointed out many spiders, stick insect, grasshoppers frogs and showed us birds sleeping on the tree branches!

As we walked back, he spotted a sleeping fly lemar just above our lodge! And then next to the canteen was a sleeping proboscis monkey!! He didn’t look impressed when the torches found him!

Finally, he showed us a snake in the buches! I’m not sure how poisonous ot was as the guides kept saying different times until death but basically you’d need to get to hospital quick! I stepped back a bit then!

It was great to have a guide in the night!

We hadn’t had a guide in the day as you don’t need one to follow the trails but we knew we’d never spot everything that’s there. But as we didn’t come with a tour conpany that’s what we sacrificed but we still saw monkeys (with up close encounters!) on our own so not too bad!

We slept well and enjoyed a lie in until 9am. Now we’re not tekkers so we both ached in the morning so decided we’d jsur enjoy another breakfast at the canteen over looking the jungle before checking out.

Whilst we ate breakfast, the bearded pigs were roaming. Last night the guide had told us that they called them 7/11s as they’re available 24/7!!

Then in the trees just by the beach a couple of proboscis money arrived! They were just climbing and walking along the beach! It was great as we’d only seen a couple from afar the day before!!

Once we’d checked out we headed to the boat counter and booked or boat back at 11. The boat arrived and again we had to board from the beach but this time there were only 4 of us.

When we got to the jetty, I asked the couple if they were going to Kuching and they were so rather than wait for a bus, we shared a taxi for 40 Ringit each.

It was a great end to our Borneo/Malaysia adventure. We’d jungle trekked, seen lots of weird and wonderful creatures and plants, learnt some valuable lessons (don’t underestimate monkeys!) and were ready to see what Singapore had to offer tomorrow!!

Sri Lanka

26th April – Male — Colombo

Leaving the Maldives was quite an emotional experience. We’d had the best holiday of our lives and despite knowing we were going to another amazing destination, it was still hard. Made harder by being told at 7pm when we checked in that the 9.55pm flight was delayed until 12.30am!!

We spent the rest of the evening waiting around before finally boarding. One positive thing was that the plane was a large one and we all had TVs which meant for the next hour and 10 minutes we could relax with a film! (I’ll have to finish ‘The greatest Showman’ on my way home in June!)

Finally we landed at 2.45am and thankfully we’d arrange a hostel pickup. The poor guy had been waiting in the airport for hours. Then it was another hour to the hostel so we finally arrived at 4am!

Exhausted, we just dropped out bags in the room and all crawled straight into bed!

Of course, I was awake by 9am and hungry so we got up and enjoyed a free breakfast of pancakes as well as so much tea! I’m going to love Sri Lanka with all the availability of good tea!

We hung out at the hostel enjoying the good WiFi for the morning before heading out for lunch.

Just 5 minutes from the hostel was the beach which we wandered down before stopping at a restaurant for food.

I’d been warned in the hostel that service in Sri Lanka could be quite slow and yep it was. When our meals did come, we realised we hadn’t ordered rice (naively we thought the chicken and pork sauce dished would come with rice!) Another 10 minutes went by before we got some rice and then tucked in. Although we’d ask for little spice, it still made our mouths burn! Time to build up the spice tolerance again!

After lunch we headed back to the hostel and just spent out time planning the Sri Lanka trip (well the next two days) and booking flights for our other destinations (Malaysia/Borneo and Indonesia).

Finally, around 8pm, we headed out for dinner and also found a supermarket for sun cream supplies and other essentials. Dinner was great and we all shared so enough some mash and sausages, chips and chicken kieves and pasta with chicken and cheese sauce- Yum!

When we arrived back, we paid for the hostel ready for departing the next day. Yes we hadn’t really explored Colombo but we’d had a productive day getting things booked and just recovering from a very busy few days!

Tomorrow the new adventure truly begins!

28th April – Colombo – Kandy

We woke early (8am) and packed up our bags for our journey to Kandy.

Breakfast took a while to come but today’s option was omelette with toast and of course lots of tea! It was a great omelette and as soon as we were done we booked a Uber to the train station.

The journey took about 35 minutes and we arrived at 10.10am. We wanted to catch the 10.35am train to Kandy so I queued up but when I asked for 1st class ticket, I got sent to another counter. Then at the other counter, I was told to go back to the orginal counter! Confused, I asked some other foreigners in the the queue who also had a sri lanka man with them. He explained 1st class were somewhere else but 2nd class tickets could be bought here. I checked we’d get a seat in 2nd class and bought our 3 tickets – 190 each ($1.30).

We then headed to the platform which was very crowded. Another friendly Sri Lanka man told us we were in the right place for 2nd class and about 10 minutes later the train began to pull up.

That’s where it got crazy. As people were trying to get off the train, others were barging through pushing snd running to get on the train. Luckily, we had be stood near a door so woth our big bags we pushed through too (I nearly fell backwards off the train as my bag was so heavy!) and quickly dropped our bags on 3 seats. The carriage filled up immediately and we realised how lucky we were to get seats as the corridors filled up. Together we managed to push our bug bags onto the overhead luggage shelf and then settled into the journey.

Although there were fans and the windows were open, the carriage was hot but I can’t complain as I had a seat and so many others didn’t!

It was a bumpy 3 1/2 hours with little incidents other than a little boy touching Sinead’s bare leg as he walked past! Think he was checking it felt the same as his and he might not have seen white bare legs before – super cute!

Arriving was not as stressful as leaving and we were able to disembark with no pushing or jostling. We walked out the entrance and immediately found a man with a car. He quoted 300 rupees which probably was a bit expensive but when you convert it and it’s only $2, it seems okay!

In we got and 15 minutes later, arrived at our hostel ‘Clock Inn’. It wasn’t quite the same welcome we had experienced in the Maldives as more business like and no welcome drink but soon we were lugging our bags upstairs. We found our room on the 3rd floor and entered. Apparently this hostel has the most beds in Kandy. This apparently means put as many beds as possible into a tiny room. There were 3 bunk beds in our room which left a tiny corridor between them which was so small you have to take turns to pass each other! Welcome back to hostel life!

Thankfully there were towels and lockers! We went downstairs to grab the WiFi and plan our next few days but found the WiFi was so slow it was pointless so we found a phone shop, bought sims and some data.

Then it was time to explore Kandy. We found a local cafe for lunch. Nicole and I ordered Kothu which is chopped up chipatti, chicken and veg. The guy making it was stationed in the rest rush and used huge knives to chop it up – great to see but very loud!

After lunch, we began to make a plan for the next few days then walked down to the river.

Found the shopping centre then headed to ‘The Pub’ for a drink. In the end we stayed there all evening enjoying a few beers and listening to Frank Sinatra on the screen on the wall.

Finally, we headed back to the hostel accompanied by street dogs and a little kitten!

Back at the hostel, we found the electricity was off which made getting ready and using the bathroom a little tricker!

29th April – Sigriya

We had contacted Neel (taxi driver from yesterday ) about taking us to the Sigiriya to the rock there so we were up at 8, grabbing breakfast – more eggs on toast – and being picked up at 9am.

The drive was long and very windy as we travelled through mountains and past small villages. Luckily I was in the front of the car or I’d been very sick! Can’t imagine what the buses would have been like!!

About halfway, we stopped at an organic spice farm. Here they use all plant based and organic ingredients to make herbal remedies. We were taken around by a guide, allowed to try different plants and received a little head massage.

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After the information, we were taken to a hut where we were given a head, shoulders, back and arm massage using the products from the place. It was a little random but a lovely massage! Of course, it was a donation which I always find awkward – how much to give? We decided on 1500 which is $10. It was probably a bit much but it was a good massage! After that, we had the chance to buy anything we wanted and then we’re taken to see the doctor on sight who was the 12th generation of doctors in his family using natural remedies.He took our pulses and asked some questions about us and actually could identify things which we each knew were true. He prescribed some herbal remedies and we just ended up chatting for ages!

e had spent nearly two hours at the spice farm by the time we got back in the car!

Another 2 hours later, we arrived at a restaurant for lunch.

Then we were 10 km from the rock. We had decided not to climb the big rock (Lion rock) as it was $35 to climb it and as it was Sri Lanka’s 3 day Buddhist festival, it would have been really busy. So we heard to the slightly smaller Pidrungala rock. This one only cost 500 rupees! We walked through a temple first, having to cover our shoulders and knees, then we began the climb.

First it was steps, then it turned into just climbing over rocks and boulders. At the top, we really had to scramble and rock climb to get onto top. We wet with sweat but once at the top, the view and breeze were amazing!

We had 360 degree views over the surround lands and could see the other rock really well.

It was quite busy with lots of groups of sri lanka locals especially groups of boys with their motorbike helmets in their hands! As we walked around, we were suddenly the centre of attention from these groups and soon each group were asking for selfies with us!! It was hilarious. We’d see them look, talk, laugh, then one ‘brave’ person would come to ask. When we said yes, the rest would join! We must have been asked by over 10 groups of people!! They were all here because it was their holiday.

After enjoying the views, we decided we’d head down. It was about 5pm and the sun was beginning to set but there would be about an hour of light left. That’s when we found the crowds!

The rock you have to climb up to get to the top had become a bottle neck with people trying to get down and up. There were babies being carried in their father’s arms, old, young, local and foreigners all trying to scramble up ot down! Quite mental! Somehow we managed to squeeze down and get out!

Then it was the climb down. When we had climbed up, it had been quite quiet but it seems everyone was now trying to go up! And with only an hour of sun left! I wouldn’t have wanted to do that climb in pitch black!

We found Neel again at the bottom and began the journey back. Just like on the way traffic was awful and it took us 3 1/2 hours to get back!

In total a journey which should have taken 2-2 1/2 hours took nearly 4! This was all due to the 3 day buddist festival but it meant we were out 9am – 9pm!!

During the ride back, we had tried to plan the rest of our time in sri lanka and Neel had suggested him driving us around, arranging hotels and taking us to all the places we wanted to go. After experiencing the train and seeing the buses on the roads, we agreed as the thought of having to carry our bags everywhere and on public transport field us with dread! So that was sorted Neel would accompany us on a 5 day, 4 night tour taking us from Kandy to Adams peak. Then to Hatton where we would take the scenic train to Ella where he’d meet us with our bags. We’d have 2 nights in Ella to explore and climb Little Adams peak. Then he’d take us to Yala national park for a safari trip. Then drop us at Mirissa beach. From there we would decide what to do.

Yes it isn’t really back packing but it took away all the hassle of trains, buses and taxis! Espcially with 3 of us, it works out the best and it pretty common we found out when talking to others in our hotels.

So the next few days were set. We climbed into bed relived and ready for the next few days adventures.

30th April – Kandy – Adam’s peak

Neel picked us up at 10am from the hostel and we began our journey to Adams peak.

On the way we stopped several times:

First to a wood carving shop which had the most amazing wooden elephants! The guy showing us around explained how the natural paints were made all from rainbow wood and the colours were created using different techniques: adding boiling water for yellowy orange, adding an iron rod turned it purple, lemon juice turned it orange, and a chalk turned it back to a purple pink. We explored around the shop trying not to buy everything!! The guy was lovely and Sinead even sat on one of the huge elephant sculptures! In the end Nicole bought a mask which meant happiness, peace and prosperity.

Our second stop was to a souvenir shop which had lively paintings, cards, clothes and more.

Finally we stopped at a batik shop where we saw the women creating the batiks which was very impressive. It’s a long process and the batiks were beautiful. Of course we bought some!

Then it was back on our way but not before we each were given a cup of juice from a family on the street who were giving our free juice to everyone passing. Tuk tuks, taxis and passersby were all having a drink. It was all part of the 3 day buddist festival and we’d seen it on the drive the day before. Such a lovely idea!

Then we were off to Adam’s peak. It was about 2 hours of driving through tea plantations and mountains.

We made another stop at a tea shop where we were shown around rhe factory where they grind the tea. It was interesting to learn about the different blends and why some are stronger (more brown fibre) then others. After the tour, we were given 8 teas to try. There was a special white tea which is only found in sri lanka which was very light and sweet. Sinead and I loved the teas espcially the English breakfast and afternoon blends! After trying them black, we asked for some milk and then we were truly in tea heaven!

Into the car we jumped again and off we went past tea covered mountains and steep valleys! Apparently the buses would also come this way which scared us all as it’s very windy and thin! Sri Lanka driving also involved braking with no warning or break lights and overtaking on bends, hills or anywhere really!

Finally we arrived at the hotel near Adams peak called Punsisis. We checked in and then followed the porter (who was carrying mine and Nicole’s massive bags) up to our room. The room was on the 6th floor which was 6 sets of stairs! We were dying by the top and we hadn’t even been carrying our big bags! How the porter did it I don’t know!

The room was a double and a single bed and ensuite. It had a lovely balcony over looking the valley and hills which was great. It was nearly 5pm when we arrived and we hadn’t had lunch so we ordered dinner for 6.

At dinner, we had a great view of Adams peak which filled me with dread! I am not a hiker, I don’t really do exercise and that it a mountain!! I also was conscious that I would have to be up at 2am! Another thing I hate – lack of sleep! So I was a little anxious! After dinner, I headed to the room, showered and tried to sleep. Surprisingly, although it was only 7.30pm, I slept and when the alarm went off at 1.45am, I actually felt like I’d had a decent nights sleep.

1st May – Adam’s Peak – The climb

It was pitch black as we made our way out of the hotel. It was cooler but not freezing and we had leggings and t-shirts on. As we arrived at the street, we saw a couple with a guide on their way so we joined them for the beginning as we didn’t actually know where we were going! The lady at the hotel had just said go right past the black rock!! Everything looks black at 2am!

After about 20 minutes along slipped ground, we arrived at the entrance were there were some monks to bless our journey (for a donation) and then we were off.

At first it was slopes with 3 steps every so often. This was the warm up!

40 minutes in I saw a tea shop so I grabbed a strong cup of tea (I knew I’d need some tea strength to survive this)and on we went.

Soon though, the slopes stopped and steep stairs began! This was it..up was the only way we could go and up meant step after step!

Despite it being the middle of the night, we were already drenched in swear but we kept going. A few steps, stop, a few more, stop. Nicole listened to music, Sinead just marched on and I had the BBC drama ‘The archers’ in my ears. Many people would say music would be better but I knew the two omnibuses were 1 hour 15 each so if I could just keep walking until they finished, I would surely be near the top! And I soon got into the drama which helped to ignore the pains and exhaustion I felt!

Luckily for us the path and steps were lit by lights but we were told that yesterday had been the last day of the season so today was the last day of the lights! Climbing it without them would have been much harder! But this did explain why as we climbed only the one tea shop was open!

I kept looking up to see the lights ahead of me. It felt never ending but soon we could see we were close. Of course, this was when the steps became even stepper! But suddenly, there we were at the top – 2 hours 45 minutes after leaving the hotel! It was quite rhe miracle as I didn’t think I was going to get up half of it.

The top wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be. There were 2 buildings surrounded by steps and a fence covering one side. People were sat on the steps, some were sleeping next to the buildings. The temple where Buddha’s or Adams footprint was suppose to be was closed (again end of season) so it meant lots of people being in quite a small space. We’d arrived earlier then we thought so the sun wasn’t near rising yet. This meant after 5 minutes of waiting we were freezing. We had brought jackets and jumpers but still we had to huddle together to keep warm!

Slowly, the sun began to rise and people moved around the buildings trying to find a good spot for photos. It was more crowded then I would have liked but the views over the mountains were amazing and it was cool to see the clouds flowing like water over the mountain edges and into the valley.

The sky was a little hazy but we saw the colours of the sunrise chnage and glow before deciding it was time to try to head down.

To be honest, my legs hadn’t been too bad on the way up pain wise and as I began the decent I thought I was going to be okay. Well after 20 minutes, that all changed, my legs were like jelly and my calves were beginning to hurt.

The views down were great but somehow it seemed to feel like it was taking even longer then going up! Espcially the track between the tea shop and the monks blessing. It felt like double the distance and by that time I was nearly limping!

Finally after nearly 2 hours, we arrived back at the hotel only to have to climb another 4 flights to breakfast! But we’d done it! Looking up at the peak from breakfast I did feel a great sense of accomplishment amongst the pain and exhaustion.

We climbed the stairs very slowly back to our room and had time to shower and have a quick nap before we were back in the car and heading on to Hatton!

The drive there took about an hour. We had arranged with Neel that we would get the train from Hatton to Ella as this was supposed to be a really beautiful journey. He took our bags and we just kept our essentials. When we arrived ay the station, we were told there were no tickets but we could wait until 12.30 and get an open ticket for 2nd class. The ticket would mean we could get on and just look for a seat in 2nd or 3rd class. If we were lucky, there might be a seat. So we said goodbye to Neel and waited for 12.30 to come around to get a ticket. Nicole and I quickly ran into the town to grab some takeaway food and water for the journey. When we got back, Sinead had purchased the tickets for just 160 rupees each ($1.10). We still had a while to wait so ended up chatting to other forgers who were doing the same journey as use. Lots of them had been at Adam’s peak that morning as well and you could tell by the limps many had including myself! The train was due at 1.30pm but didn’t turn up until 2. As soon as it arrived, we arranged ourselves close to the doors and immediate jumped on board as soon as it stopped. Amazingly, we found a carriage with 3 seats free and each got one! Our eagerness had paid off!

We settled in for the ride and over the next 4 hours journeyed through some amazing scenery: vast valleys, lush green tea plantations and mountainous terrains. Lots of people hung out from the door (I say door but there aren’t actual doors there just open spaces) and sat on the ground with their feet dangling out – Sinead joined them most of the way! They just had to pull their heads in when we went through the various tunnels.

Finally, we arrived at Ella and were suddenly surrounded by a lot of tourists! Ella has become the place to go and has a very chilled almost hippie feel. As we searched through the crowd, we spotted Neel and soon were heading to our hotel. The hotel was called Rawanna and guess what?! It had lots of steps up to the restaurant and room! By this time my legs had started seizing up but I just about managed the stairs! We had dinner in the hotels restaurant before falling into bed exhausted! What a long day!!

2nd May – Ella

The next morning mine and Nicole’s legs were broken. I could hardly put any weight on them! Of course, Miss Energy e.g Sinead, was fine so she went off at 7.30am for another hike up to Ella’s Rock. This was an hour and half climb through tea plantations and forests. Altogether it was about a 15km round trip. She arranged a guide from the hotel so she had someone to show her where to go. Whilst she was gone, Nicole and I caught up on sleep, tried to massage our aching legs and had breakfast!

Sinead returned around 12 and we went for lunch in a local restaurant called 360. We had rotti wraps which were delicious and then enjoyed a few tea samples from the tea shop next door before heading back to the hotel to meet Neel.

Neel took us to th entrance of Little Adams Peak and off we went. This peak was much smaller but with legs not really working it got a little harder nearer the top. At first it was just a sloped road past tea plants and views of Ella’s rock and surrounding hills.

Nearer the top it turned into stairs – our nemesis but we coped and only 30 minutes after being dropped off we were at the top.

The top was more like what I thought Adams peak would be like – open flat ground.

We grabbed some pics, walked along the edge a bit then began the climb down.

Down was definitely worse on my legs but we made it.

Neel then dropped us up the road so we could walk a few km to the 9 arch bridge . Again this was hills up and down and some slippy mud paths!

It was a lovely view though of the railway track even though the train wasn’t due for a couple of hours.

We reached the tracks just as it began to rain. After taking a few pics, the rain really began to pour so we retreated halfway up the hill where there was a small shop to shelter in and before the mud paths became treacherous!

The rain really came down then! It was still beautiful to watch but we were drenched.

After waiting for about 20 minutes, we decided we’d try to get up the next slope to where we’d seen some tuk tuks parked who could take us back to the main road. Somehow we made it without incident and all pilled into a tuk tuk. The tuk tuk took off at break neck speed of course and was slipping and sliding up the hills. On one hill though the engine just couldn’t make it so Nicole and I had to get out and meet the tuk tuk at the top of the hill!!

We arrived on the main road and began to look for Neel’s car. We were covered in mud and soaking wet so all felt a bit bad as we climbed into the car as Neel has literally just spent 4 hours that morning cleaning it!

Back at the hotel, we showered, rested and waited for the rain to stop before heading into the town for dinner. We found a nice restaurant called ‘Chill’. It had 3 floors including a roof top bar area but it was FULL of foreigners! We could only find a seat at the bar but that wasn’t too bad. I ordered a chicken schitzell which was huge when it arrived ; I couldn’t even finish it which is saying something!! After enjoin the atmosphere of the place, we took a leisurely walk back stopping at the souvenir shops on the way.

3rd May – Ella – Tissamaharama

We woke around 8 and headed down for breakfast before meeting Neel at 10.30 to begin the journey towards Yala National park. The journey was much less windy once we were out the mountains and we just had one quick stop to see a waterfall where locals were bathing in! We were also asked several times by sellers if we had any little coins from our countries. They tried to ‘give’ us stones for free but we didn’t accept as we’d never have been able to get away without paying anything!

After about 2 hours, we arrived in Tissamaharama which is about 10 km from Yala National park. Neel took us striaght to a guy to buy our safari tickets. We had wanted to do it in the morning the next day but we were persuaded to do it that afternoon at 2pm. The cost was $50 each which afyer more research I think was a bit expensive but there wasn’t much we could do as Neel took us there! We did try for a discount but he said he didn’t understand! Hmm

Anyway, after securing the safari, we headed to a local restaurant for lunch. I had lasagne which was my first for months!! Very rich though so I couldn’t eat it all which was a shame!

We then dropped out bags at the hotel. This hotel was called ‘Peacock Feather’ and it was very fancy! We were welcomed with a welcome smoothie and our room was huge! 2 single beds and a double and so much space!

There was also a pool which we could use later after the safari. All of the hotels were organised by Neel so it was much fancier then we would ever have had being backpackers!

At 2pm, we were picked up in the safari jeep which has seats on different levels above the drivers seat so we had a great view. Then began a very bumpy, crazy drive to Yala park! It was great having the wind in our hair as we drive but the driver was quite irratic.

He’d speed up then break suddenly to go over a speech bump then speed up again before another bump! 20 minutes after leaving the hotel, we were in the park and could observe the many water buffalo roaming around as well as warthog and various birds.

We drove on and soon saw a group of jeeps stopped. We pulled up and there were about 10 female elephants with their babies. It was lovely to see them pulling up the turf, rolling it and eating it and to see so many babies!

We drove on spotting samba deer, a monitor lizard, mongoose and amazing birds.

Our guide explained to use when we stopped at the edge of the park which meets the sea that a few years ago a tsunami hit. When it got, it wiped out several drivers and their foreigner passengers. Our driver lost his brother to the tsunami and only escaped because his client had wanted to leave early as wasn’t feeling well!! It was so sad to hear and we saw the tsunami memorial which has been erected there.

I went to the loo and as we were getting back into the jeep, a huge male elephant came wandering into the clearing literally outside the toilet entrance! I was glad I’d gotten out before he was there or I’d have been stuck!

Back in the jeep we continued our tour. Suddenly, our jeep sped up and we seemed to be racing several other jeeps. It was like wacky races! Jeeps overtaking each other, reversing suddenly and taking all the different paths. We then saw a collection of jeeps which we headed towards and squeezed between. When the engine and jeep final stopped , we asked what it was and told there was a leopard in the bush to out right. Craning out necks, we could just make out the spots of the leopards skin. It was just chilling under the tree! There must have been over 20 jeeps though in the area all trying to get close enough to see it! Obviously it didn’t like the noise of all the jeeps so it moved after about 10 minutes which caused another mad dash as jeeps tried to work out which way it went! It was both ridiculous and hilarious but also pretty dangerous as these jeeps were missing each other by inches as they manoeuvred around.

We told our driver we were okay to go elsewhere rather than wait to try and spot it again so off we went along the endless tracks. As we drove, we spotted a crocodile basking in the sun and then without warning our driver braked suddenly, reversed and there in the undergrowth were two bears! A mother and cub! He explained they were super rare to see so we were very lucky! As we began to exit the park, he took us up to a dried up waterfall complete with skulls from the animals who have entered the water when it was full and not escaped! We also saw another male elephant just as we were leaving which was great! They are such majestic creatures!

Once back at the hotel, we relaxed, had dinner and used the pool which I had thought would help my sore legs but no, it was very painful to swim! Then it was time to enjoy our huge room before we moved on again the next day!

4th May – Tissamaharama -Mirissa

We left the hotel at 10.30 to drive to Mirissa the beach town. We arrived around 12.30 and it was time to bid farewell to Neel.

We were back to reality as we checked into ‘Space Garden hostel’ for 2 nights. But it actually wasn’t too bad as we ended up having a 4 bed room to ourselves as it was low season. That afternoon, we were back in our swim wear and heading to the beach. It was a great beach, not too busy and with soft sand but wow the waves were huge. We knew sri lanka was known for surfing and could see why with the waves! So different to the Maldives!

After sun bathing and relaxing, we headed to the hostel for dinner. A lot of places were shut in Mirissa due to it being low season which made dinner choices limited but the hostel did a wrap type thing called a pindala which was great!

After food, we returned to the beach which was now set up with candle lit tables and enjoyed a beer to the sounds of the waves.

5th May – Mirissa

We had a very lazy morning and only left the hostel at 11! We ended up at local café where we enjoyed a rotti breakfast. I had a chicken one and chocolate and banana! It was delicious and only $1 each was super cheap!

Then we headed to the beach for a day fo reading, sun bathing and swimming.

The reading and sunbathing went well but the swimming ended up a bit of a fail. Nicole and I had watched many others enter the water and the waves did look huge but manageable so we headed in. At first we were fine and we managed to get beyond the breaking point – we thought! Suddenly there was a massive wave coming so we ducked down under it and came up fine. But then another came and it was even bigger. We both swam down but this one caught us both. I was spun around underwater like a washing machine and was very conscious of having to hold my breathe before I thought it was okay to surface! It was pretty scary but my first thought was where was Nicole. She had had the same thing happen and we immediately began to return to the beach!!

Of course this was easier said then done and we kept being battered by the waves! Bikinis are definetly not suitable for such waves! I nearly lost it all on several occasions! But we scrambled back to the shore and got out. We were covered in sand and panting. That was the end of our swimming adventures in Sri lanka! This is probably why they have season as the waves would be too big and strong even for some surfers!

Later on I climbed the rock at the end of the beach which have beautiful views over the bay and into the waves beyond – forgot my camera though!

Then we headed back to the hotel to try to de-sand! Even after a shower there was sand EVERYWHERE!! Nicole managed to remove a whole pile of sand from her swimsuit in the morning!!

We headed to the beach to watch the sunset and then had dinner in the hostel.

It was a slightly sad evening as the next day we had to say goodbye to Sinead as she was staying in sri lanka for a week of surfing and Nicole and I were heading to Malaysia. It has been quite an adventure the last few weeks as the three of us travelled together so it would be different again!

We enjoyed an evening of listening to music and chilling in our room.

6th May – Mirissa – Colombo

Today we split up. We waved Sinead away to her surf camp before Nicole and I headed to the train station. We had to get two tuk tuks as we have so much stuff!! The mirissa station was tiny so it wasn’t difficult to get a ticket (220 rupees – $1.50) and when the train arrived it was pretty empty so we could get a group of 4 seats for our bags and us and then we sat back and enjoyed rhe 4 hour ride, up the coast, to Colombo Fort.

The journey was great. Nicole stood by the door most of the time waving at the locals as we passed. It was great to see so many people going about their daily lives as well as passing the various houses and businesses which line the track! It was great!

Things I’ve noticed about sri lanka:

1. Most middle aged men and above wear a type of wrap around skirt and shirt rather than trousers

2. Women of all ages have really long hair which they weave down their backs.

3. Unlike Thailand and Vientam, hardly anyone wears hats or cover their bodies from the sun – a lot of men walk around top less

4. People walk along the train tracks as if they are normal paths

5. The tuk tuks are actually 3 wheeled vehicles and all have a covered roof

6. Tax and service charge are added on to your bill at the end – makes everything that little but more expensive

7. The people are lovely but they expect a tip for all services

At 6pm, we arrived in Colombo. We had journeyed up the coast with the waves just metres from the tracks. Lining the track were also rows of houses. It looked like a shanty town as the quality of houses was low. People sat less than a metre from the train’s path and as we hung out the door we had to jeep pulling our heads in as we thought we’d hit something.

At the station, I went to find out when the next train to Negombo was as we were staying near the airport. It wasn’t until 8.20pm so we decided we’d grab a tuk tuk instead. Amazingly we fitted in one with all our bags and zoomed off for an hours drive weaving through traffic and near misses!

We arrived at ‘The Hangover hostel’ and found our beds. We had a room to ourselves as the hostel was really quiet. The rooms were made from containers like those found on the back of lorries which was cool. The bed was comfy and there were loads of showers. We felt disgusting after a day on the trains so it was great to get washed and just chill. I ended up watching ‘Forest Gump’ as I’ve never seen it (shocking I know!). Then it was off to sleep ready for our flight to Kuala Lumpur the next morning. The hostel arranged tuk tuks to the airport so we had nothing to worry about which was great.

11 days in Sri Lanka done. A county full of colour, amazing tea covered mountains, jungles, windy roads and friendly people! It had been great and now we were ready for what was to come in Malaysia!

The Maldives as a backpacker

“We’re going to the Maldives,”

*Face of disbelief* “Wow that’s expensive and off the backpacker route!”

Yep it is but we’re going! Of course we had our own questions and worries…could we do the Maldives justice on a budget? Could we even afford a night there? Would it be the same if we didn’t stay in a 5* resort?

So a bit of background info:

We’re 3 girls from Ireland (Sinead), England (Me- Mim) and America (Nicole) who met in Thailand where we were teaching English together in a Primary school. Before we met, we’d all planned to travel after teaching so as we discussed these plans,  more and more ideas were added and suddenly we were planning to met in Kuala Lumpur a month and a half after finishing our term to head to the Maldives!

We are just 3 ordinary girls having the most extraordinary holiday!! Read below for our adventures over the next 10 days as well as the costs of doing it…Yes the Maldives isn’t a backpacking destination but it isn’t just a pipe dream…We’re here and you could be too!

Flight day

We were coming from Cambodia so we took a flight from Siem Reap – Kuala Lumpur (2 hours – $90)

We then waited for the day in the airport until our evening flight to Male the capital of the Maldives ( Flight time – 4 hours – $76.50)

We arrived at the airport at 9.30pm and off we went to see if we could find a taxi. After walking past the numerous resort stands, it became apparent there were no taxi ranks. We were staying in Hulhumale rather than Male so we walked past the ferry port and ended up at the bus stop, waiting for a local bus into the town.  How we stood out with our bags but it felt exciting to be going into the city using the public transport rather than by a resort pickup!

After about 20 minutes, a bus arrived but we were not as ready or as quick as the locals and so by the time we got to the doors it was full! Time to wait for the next one.

Another 30 minutes past and this time we were prepared and on we traipsed. “Stop 5 please,” we asked as we’d looked it up on the map. “We only stop twice! ” was the reply. Okay, stop 2 it is! We didn’t know where that would drop us but it was an adventure so off we went. And the bus ticket – 20 Maldivian Ruffyaa (just $1.10)

When we stopped, we managed to find our bearings by heading towards the sea about 10 minutes  we arrived at our hotel (Fern Botique Hotel). We definitely got a look of surprise when we entered the hotel with all our bags (not the usual crowd) but soon we were checking in, receiving a welcome drink and dumping our bags in our room –  our Maldives adventure had truly begun!

3 in a room was a little tight but we were given a proper 3rd single bed on the floor and having control of the air con and fan, our own bathroom and even a hair dryer was amazing – after weeks in hostels, it’s the small things! We were exhausted so soon were sleeping soundly in a super comfy bed!

Day 1 Hulamale

Despite being tired, we woke early around 6am which meant we caught the sunrise and wow what a sunrise! Just beautiful! What a way to start the holiday.

After a bit more sleep, we got up and enjoyed our free breakfast at the hotel. It was an interesting mix of curry, traditional Maldivian food as well as baked beans and sausages with toast. We filled up and then we were off to find the bikini beach.

*The Maldives is a Muslim country so unless you’re on the designated beaches or resorts, you need shoulders and knees covered. At first we were a little worried about this but it was easy in the end to make sure we were covered and it’s just about being sensitive to the culture you are in.*

About 15 minutes from the hotel we found the beach which is for tourists only and even had a guard who drove up and down on his motorbike and checked up on us throughout the day.

So we read, dipped in the sea and sun bathed. It was hot, had very few people on it and was a great start. All was well until we began to realise that we were all burning even with suncream on so it was time to find shelter, food and water.

This proved a little harder as the side of the island where we were had a lot of construction happening and very few shops. Eventually we found a cafe and a shop for water. We stood out a mile as the only 3 foreigners in the area but the people were friendly and lots said hello.

After lunch, it was nearly 3pm, we began our journey back with as quick stop at a cake shop! We also found a booth selling day trips so decided we’d do an excursion the next day which was very exciting.

We relaxed at the hotel and tended to our very red bodies before heading to the roof to see the sunset! It was spectacular even though we were on the opposite side of the island from it. Then we headed downstairs and onto the beach for dinner with the sea just metres away! A great end to the first day!

Costs day 1

Breakfast – free

Lunch – $5

Dinner $5

Total day 1 – $10

Day 2 Hulhumale

Unfortunately, today we woke to rain…not really what we wanted in paradise and we’d booked a boat trip all day..what to do? We decided we’d still go for it and hoped for the best.

We were taken in a car to the ferry port and greeted by our guide Issa_by who told us that it would just be the 3 of us on the boat for the trip and we would just be dropping a family off at one of the resorts on the way! A private boat – YES we’ll take that!

As we began to drive out of the bay, the rain stopped and off we went out into the crystal blue ocean. After about 40 minutes, we arrived at Paradise resort to drop off the family who would be spending the fay enjoying the resort’s facilities, beach and pool.

*Resorts can cost anywhere from a few hundred to several thousands of pounds a night! But you can go as as a day guest to enjoy the facilities for around $150 – some with just buffet lunch, some all inclusive*

 

Then we were off to the sandbank. The sun came out and as we cruised along at the front of the boat taking in the views, a huge pod of dolphins suddenly appeared! They were jumping, diving and swimming next to the boat – it was incredible!

After watching them in awe for a while, we continued to the sandbank only to find it a little submerged but in we jumped anyway! What a feeling to be stood in knee height turquoise blue water in the middle of the ocean!

Then it was on to Snorkeling. We geared up and soon were leaping into the water and wow what an experience.

I have never swum in such clear water before. Instantly, we   were hit with the wonder of the ocean. Everywhere we looked there were fish and just 10 minutes in, we spotted an eel, then a minute later white and black tipped sharks came into view!!  The array of fish was breathtaking and just as we thought it couldn’t get better two eagle rays came out of the depths into view and even a sea turtle swam past! It was just magical!

After a good hour or so, we headed back to the boat with huge smiles on our faces!

We then drove to a local island called Himmafushi where we had a lunch of chicken fried rice and visited a little stop to the souvenir shop.

Back on the boat, we journeyed on past other resort islands and bungalows over the sea to the 2nd snorkel area – sting ray point. In we jumped and within minutes were face to face with numerous sting rays! The fish factory just next to the point, throws left over tuna carcasses back into the water which attracts and feeds the rays and fish in the area. Unfortunately, they had also pumped in some other food for the fish so it was a little murky but still amazing to see so many rays in one place!

Finally, we got out of the water and began the journey home but not before more dolphin spotting!

All in all, the day was just fantastic and to see so much wildlife in one place was incredible.

We were exhausted by the time we got back and the rain began again whilst we were changing so dinner was taken downstairs inside the hotel.

Day 2 costs

Breakfast – free

Lunch – included on trip

Dinner – $6

Souvenirs – $4

Excursion $75

Total Day 2 = $85

Day 3 Hulhumale – Gulhi

We enjoyed our final breakfast at the hotel before heading out to find a post office for our post cards. We walked the opposite direction from the tourist beach and found a much more lively hub of shops, cafes and people going about their days. This was the centre of Hulhumale and if we’d had more time, we would have explored here further.

But soon it was time to check out and pay.

*All hotels have additional fees on top of the room rate. Including 12%  VAT, environmental fees of $3 per person per person night, 10% Service charge and $4 per person per stay for a transfer fee – make sure to add these to the room costs before coming so it is not a surprise*

We knew this beforehand so had tried to budget for it. In total we paid $80 each for 3 nights at the ‘Fern Boquete Hotel’ – not too bad really!

We then grabbed a taxi (the boot not closing because of our bags) and headed to the ferry port. The ferry to Male leaves every 15 minutes so we didn’t wait long before we were boarding. The ticket cost just 5.5 MR or 36 cents and the journey was about 20 minutes. Male is the capital and a lot busier then Hulhumale. We grabbed another taxi there and headed to the Villingulhi ferry terminal passing lots of motorbikes ( which reminded me of Thailand) and passing through very narrow lanes. When we arrived we got our ticket to Gulhi for  just 22 MR ($1.40). Our ferry was due to leave arrived 3pm so we had time to walk around a bit and grab some food.

Luckily for us, a man asked if we were heading to Gulhi around 2.40pm and signaled the boat in front of us which had begun boarding 10 minutes before was ours. We hadn’t realised even when others began to board as we’d heard that it was  going to Maafushi which is the stop after Gulhi -woops!

On we struggled with out ridiculous bags, much to the amusement of those on the boat and settled in for the 80 minute journey.

Of course, I had a nap whilst the others grabbed selfies with the locals!

Finally, we arrived and were greeted by the Yann ( a hotel clerk from ‘Tropic Tree Hotel’) who placed our bags on a cart and led us to the hotel. It was a wonderful welcome with drinks and an information briefing about the island.

We also met another couple from Borneo and together decided we’d head out the next day on a snorkel and sandbank trip.

After dropping off our bags in our deluxe triple room, we headed out to explore.

*Gulhi has around 90 dwelling and about 300 people living on the island.*

As we walked, we were greeted by the locals (everyone was so friendly and just so chilled – it was great!) and within 5 minutes we found the bikini beach. The water against the sky was incredible and soon we were in the water as the sun began to set.

Finally, we headed back to the hotel where the dining area was set up for us and enjoyed our first dinner on this amazing island.

Day 3 costs

Breakfast – free

Lunch – 72 RM – $4.80

Dinner – $16

Taxi to the ferry – 12 RM each – $1

Ferry to Male – 5.5RM – 36 cents

Taxi on Male – 50 RM $3.40

Ferry to Gulhi – 22 RM – $1.30

Total day 3 = $26.86

Day 4 Gulhi

We woke early and headed down for breakfast. Tea and coffee was offered immediately then the fruit came out and juice. We were then able to order anything off an extensive menu including cheese omelettes, toast and we even shared some pancakes with heaps of Nutella – delicious!

 

After our breakfast, we headed out for our snorkel trip and climbed aboard a small speed boat (owned by the brother of the hotel clerk). Off we sped through the waves – an exhilarating experience.

Then out of the blue, we spotted the yellow sand and crystal waters of the sandbank! The captain expertly maneuvered the boat through the shallow water and then out we jumped for sandbank photos shoot no.2!

After a while, we headed off to the snorkel point and again were awestruck by the array of fish and corals. We went to 3 sights in total including the reef just off of Gulhi!

It felt like it has been a  whole day and it had only been 4 hours – we had the rest of the day for more activities!

We headed straight to the bikini beach and enjoyed relaxing in the free sun loungers and taking dips in the water.

We had lunch at the restaurant on the beach which was really well priced and just the perfect location for spending as much time as possible on the beach.

On the beach there was one water sports shop offering jet skis, wake boarding , kayaking and more. They also had an inflatable unicorn float which of course I wanted a go on! Well. ..it looks easier than it is to get on! But we entertained the beach!

 

Eventually, we headed back to the the hotel for showers and dinner.

As we had had a bit of time before dinner, we watched the sunset from the roof terrace as well as the other activities around the island: football, volleyball and people just hanging out on the various hanging chairs around the island. Sinead and I decided to go for a walk and ended up being invited into into a wedding party by some of the locals! They pilled food on our plates and brought over all 3 drink options of water, chocolate milk and ice tea! We sat and chatted with the family and friends of the bride and groom, many who live in their capital male, about life on the islands. They were incredibly welcoming and again just so relaxed about everything.

 

Finally, we headed back for dinner where we received a complimentary fruit smoothie just because it was our last night!

Another amazing day in paradise.

Day 4 costs

Breakfast – free

Lunch – $6

Dinner – $6

Snorkel trip -$30

Total -$42

Day 5 Gulhi – Maafushi

Today we were heading for Maafushi island but not until 4.20pm when the ferry arrived (the same on the we got from Male to Gulhi) so we had the whole day to relax and enjoy the beach. Yann said we could keep the room until we needed to leave which was amazing as we could enjoy the day and have time to shower and sort our bags before we left.

We headed to the beach equipped with oars for kayaking. (Tropic Tree have their own kayak which they let let us use for free!)

We swam and kayaked around the reef taking in the incredible blues of the water and the vast amounts of fish.

I only had one incident in the water…

I’d been told in Thailand about giant or Titan Trigger fish being quite aggressive during mating season and during my dives in Thailand I’d been quite wary of them. Well they are everywhere in the Maldives but usually far enough away not to be a bother – I keep a distance when I spot them anyway! So when I was snorkeling the water was really shallow which was okay but you are close to a lot! I spotted a triggerfish on my right and immediately turned my back on it to swim away. That’s when I felt a tug on my fin and when I looked back the trigger was definitely staring right at me! I freaked out and swam as fast as I could away! Glad I wasn’t diving as my breathing was all over the place!! Whether it did bite my fin, I won’t know but they still scare me and are the main hazard I look for in the sea – never mind the sharks and rays!

After pushing our time in the water to the absolute limit, we headed back to the hotel and had a quick lunch at a local restaurant. Of course, we were ready in good time and waiting at the desk to checkout earlier then needed (we hadn’t quite got into the relaxed chilled way of life of the Maldivians yet). After 10 minutes, Yann strolled in super chilled and told us just to relax we had ages and he was coming to the ferry anyway as new guests were arriving!

We paid for our stay -$80 each for the room +$30 for snorkeling. When we went to pay for our meals, Yann informed us our meal last night was complimentary – a treat from them! Just amazing! So we only paid for our first nights meal which was great!

Then it was time to load up the cart with our bags and head to the ferry. We even had time to relax in the hanging chairs before boarding and say goodbye to Yann and the staff which was hard as we had just had the best time!

 

The ferry arrived and on we got. The ticket was 22 MR ($1.42) and took about 30 minutes.

When we arrived, we were greeted by an attendant from Kuredhi Beach Inn and off we went to hotel number 3. Again we had a triple room which was even bigger than Tropic Tree and even comfier beds!

*Maafushi is a slightly larger island to Gulhi and much more tourist based. There are numerous water sports shops and several dive centers. It also has a bank and ATM.*

We headed out to explore and ended up at Maafushi Dive centre where I was able to book dives in for the next day. The girls also booked a package deal with the centre which included para-sailing, jet skis, paddle boarding or kayaking and a discovery scuba diving dive – very exciting!

 

We then headed for dinner and ended up at a table for 3 on the beach front! Perfect end to the day.

Day 5 – Costs

Breakfast – free

Lunch – $5

Dinner – $7

Ferry – 22 MR – $1.42

Total – $13.42

Kuredhi Hotel – two nights = $60 paid when we arrived.

Day 6 Maafushi

I was up early, having dreamt of Trigger fish all night, and headed down for breakfast. It was buffet style of local dishes and some baked beans and toast. It was an okay breakfast but nothing compared to Tropic Tree. But I filled up and headed to the dive centre.

Once I had squeezed myself into my wet suit, we headed to the boat. It was a spacious boat and there were just 9 of us diving plus several instructors. Off we went and just 20 minutes later, we were getting ready to jump.

Just like everywhere we have snorkled, the water was incredibly clear and soon we were descending to the reef. It’s hard to describe diving as it was just amazing! During this dive we saw whole schools of reef sharks, rays, a huge variety of fish and several sea turtles.

The turtles were amazing as they were just chilled out on the bottom, eating and observing! Incredible creatures!

 

It was quite quite a challenging dive for me as there was quite a current and it was only my 5th dive ever but completing it felt incredible!

The crew and instructors were so chilled out and just great fun to be around! Between dives, I swam a bit and joined the others jumping from from the boat – resulting in a nose full of water – but great fun!

Then it was on to the second dive site. After being a little nervous on the first dive, this one felt much more normal and I could relax and enjoy it. Currents were quite strong again but we just drifted with them taking in the views.

After the dive, it was time to head to shore for lunch accompanied by a very inquisitive cat!

 

Maafushi has several restaurants at reasonable prices so I was soon tucking into a chicken sandwich and chips. Then it was back to the dive centre to meet the girls and go off for the 3rd dive. They had had a fabulous morning jet skiing and para-sailing and although they were both nervous about the dive, the excitement was building and the crew all helped keep the mood light and make them feel at ease.

Nicole had never scuba dived before and Sinead had only done it once so it was great to be able to go with them and see then get kitted up in all the gear.

It was just me, an Italian guy called Nik and our instructor who were diving with the girls so after getting ready, we jumped in and off we went.

This dive was a wall reef dive! We descended around 15 metres and slowly swam along taking in all of the fish and corals. I really felt like little mermaid on this one and was just in awe of everything I could see above and below me! The first and second dives were great for the big creatures but this one was just amazing for variety!!

 

When we surfaced, we picked up the girls who were both beaming from the experience! They had had a great dive as well and all the nerves which had been present were gone!

 

Back on the boat, the instructors were in high spirits and at one point, we just heard Sinead’s laugh as she was being taken to the edge of the boat and dangled off the back! We were then all dropped in and spent the rest of the journey hanging there in fits of laughter!

 

Eventually we arrived back and went to the dive shop so I could get the pics off the Gopro I’d hired. Whilst we were just chilling in the shop, the boys suggested a night snorkel so we said yes and within an hour ,having not showered or eaten, we were back in the water.

None of us had snorkeled at night before and it was quite an experience. There are less fish around but we saw eels, lion fish, a bioluminous squid and an octopus! Having just a torch to show us where to go was also a bit scary but not as bad as I first thought! We snorkel for about 2 hours under the stars until eventually it was time to head back.

By this time is was 8pm and I’d done 3 dives and a snorkel in one day! Starving, we headed for food at one of the restaurants down the road along with our instructors and the Nik from the dive.

As we ate, we heard about a boat off the shore where you can go for a bit of a party and dance. So even though we were tired and unshowered, off we went! The boat was great fun and we danced the night away before returning to shore just after midnight!

 

It was an incredibly long and exhausting day but I was buzzing from all of the activities and experiences we had done during the day! It was another day of laughter, fun and adventure!

Costs day 6

Breakfast – free

Lunch – $7

Dinner – (paid for our guide) -$20

Diving – $40 x 3 – $120

Snorkeling – free

Boat drinks – $12

Total – $159

Day 7 Maafushi to Fulidhoo

During the planning of this trip, I had looked up all the local ferries and had made sure we were on the islands on the right days for when the ferry ran. This was quite complicated as there are next to no ferries on Fridays and others run on alternate days. Up until now all the ferry had run as planned but moving from Maafushi to Fulidhoo was the first time we hit a problem. It was monday and no ferries go to Fulidhoo on Mondays.

I had figured this out a few days before and with all the hotels, I began messaging them either by email or most by whatsapp about the best ways to get to the island and to confirm I was getting the correct ferry! Therefore, the hotel in Fulidhoo had already told me that the ferry wouldn’t be running so gave us the option of a speedboat transfer.

We had read online that speedboat transfers can range from $30-$300 per person so I was a little worried about getting the speed boat! But they said it would be $50 each and as we had no other option other than to chnage hotel bookings we agreed! Looking back now, it was a great idea as it was just the 3 of us and Sinead ended up driving the boat most of the way – wouldn’t have happened on a ferry!!

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After about 40 minutes we arrived at Fulidhoo and wow what a view to arrive at. The water was all the different blues and turquoise and the island sat in the middle of it covered in trees and very few houses could be seen.

This was quite a contrast to the other islands which were more developed and had less vegetation. The boat pulled up on the sand and we hopped out. We were then guided across the island (about 5 minutes) to the guest house.

The guest house was called ‘Le Perla’ and had 3 rooms. We had a triple bed room which was probably our most basic room but it was adequate, had aircon and comfy beds so we were all good!

Majid (our boat driver) was also the local guide to the guest house and informed us (didn’t really ask, just told us to come!) that in 20 minutes he would take us for a walk around the island.

So after dropping off our bags, off we went.

The island was even smaller than Gulhi and had only one main road through it.

There were a few restaurants and cafes and a mosque and that was about it. But the shop sold quite a bit including magnum ice creams which we all devoured in the heat of the day! Oh there was also one clinic/hospital which actually had an ambulance. Not sure how they would drive it on the island but it was there anyway (apparently the government gave every island an ambulance!)

So we walked around and saw the bikini beach on the island. There were also a few fishermen taking the suckers off octopuses they had caught and others feeding sting rays from the shore! We even saw huge schools of fish being herded towards the shore by other larger fish who would then suddenly attack! It was amazing to see!

Finally we settled at a cafe for lunch and had the option of rice of spaghetti. We chose spaghetti and after quite a while we were given huge plates of spaghetti Neapolitana and lovely cold water to drink. It was yummy and only 70 MR each ($4.53) which was great!

Once we had eaten, we headed back to the hotel but there was no rest for us. About 40 minutes later, we were off again with Majid leading us off for a snorkel around the reef! This snorkel ended up being 2 hours long which was great as we saw lots of incredible reef life including a huge sting ray but we were pretty tired from the day before. But Majid just kept pushing us onwards and encouraging us to do lots of activities!

When we got back after snorkeling, we had dinner at the hotel which was $12 each. Both the lunch and dinner at the hotel are $12 so a little more expensive then the cafe. But we had a huge bowl of chicken and rice, tuna fillets, salad, juice and fruit. As soon as we were done, Majid was back taking us on a night walk to the see the plankton. Unfortunately, the moon was a bit too bright so we couldn’t see them but we sat under the stars and enjoyed the coolness of the evening. Finally, all exhausted, we fell into bed but not before we promised we’d do a snorkling trip the next day!

Costs day 7

Breakfast – free

Lunch – $5

Dinner – $12

Ice cream and water – 47 MR $3

Speed boat to Fulidhoo – $50 each

Total cost $70

Day 8 Fulidhoo

We had arranged for breakfast at 8 and just beforehand we heard the little knock on the door saying it was ready.

We could have continental or Maldivian. The continental consisted of 3 pieces of toast, an omelette and a sausage. The Maldivain option was tuna with chipattis.

It was basic but it filled us up ready for the snorkel trip. We were also joined by another couple and soon were jumping on the speed boat and heading out.

Our first stop was by a resort and at first it just looked like we were snorkeling near a dock but then when we jumped in we realised this was the feeding place of lots of nurse sharks and huge trevally! We were literally swimming within metres of the huge creatures as they just swam around and nestled on the bottom of the reef.

Eventually, we dragged ourselves away and were off to another snorkel sight.

This one just appeared in the middle of the sea and grew and grew as we explored and the underwater wildlife was again amazing! We saw a couple of turtles which were close enough to nearly touch them! And of course so many fish varieties – I’m just not good yet at remembering what they are or identifying them again in the guides! I’ll get better!

Again, we dragged ourselves away and headed off toward the sandbank. Unfortunately, it was just at this point as we passed the rows of luxury bungalows of the resorts when the engine died! The rest of the journey was much slower with just one engine working but still enjoyable. There is so much to see, it’s great. Finally, we arrived at the sandbank which was the largest one we’d been to and was a long snaking band of sand. What’s crazy is that these sandbanks just appear in the middle of the ocean – one minute it’s super deep water, the next you’re touching sand!

After a another photoshoot (although  this one with less energy from Nicole and I as we were just exhausted)., we returned to the boat to head back to Fulidhoo. The journey was quite a bit longer than before as the engine was still not working but eventually we were nearly to shore. That’s when we saw them…a group of dolphins in the water just meters from the island. Quickly, we put our snorkel gear on and jumped in. Well I’ve never swam so fast and hard in my life trying to catch them and just when I thought we’d lost them, I looked down and there they were swimming just below us!! So off we went again, trying to follow them and we did well. They would appear below us or next to us and it was just amazing to see them swim through the water gracefully. Having been tired already from all the activities over the last 3 days, I was now beyond exhausted so signaled to the boat to get me and soon the others were also climbing up ready to head home.

Once we were back, I passed out on my bed whilst the girls relaxed and caught up on their journals. We didn’t actually get back until 2.30 and then weren’t ready to move until 4! We’d missed lunch so just ate some biscuits and crisps to see us through. Around 5pm, we began to emerge and went to see the sunset and what was happening across the island. The evening is when the island seems to come alive and there were children playing in the sand whilst groups of women chatted and men fished. It was lovely to see.

 

We had dinner at 7pm again at the hotel and then guess what… Majid was back persuading (telling) us that we could go feed the string rays tonight, see a drum show and go swimming!! Although we were tired, we agreed and off we went to the shore with a bag full of fish bits ready to feed the rays.

Wow what an experience. Majid showed us how to play with the food so the rays came out of the water. It was amazing! They do this everyday so the rays aren’t too afraid of people and allowed us to touch them. One was pregnant too! Around the rays were lots of little fish who were equally inquisitive and some even nicked the fish from my hands before the rays could get it!

 

After feeding time, we headed to a local cafe as Majid said it was time for coffee! So in the Maldives everyone drinks coffee. Guess it the substitute for alcohol but they drink it really late into the night. Majid said he only sleeps for 3 hours a night and other Maldivians we met said they go to bed at 2/3 am and again will drink coffee into the night. I think it must be because it’s so hot in the day that not many people go outside so staying up late means they can socialise and not be melting in the heat!

So we all had a coffee..even Nicole who doesn’t even drink it! Well we couldn’t say no, just with everything else, once Majid told us we were doing it, we were doing it!

Then we heard the drums begin and headed to the islands little stage area. The show was put on for guest from a livaboard cruise but we were allowed to join them. It was a high energy show of singing and drumming and some very enthusiastic dancing from the boats chef! Luckily we had the coffee so we had some energy to join in!

Then of course, it was time to swim! Even though we were tired, we all jumped in the water and enjoyed just bobbing about under the stars. It really was magical and beautiful!

Finally, at about 11.30pm, we returned to the hotel – what a day!! Exhausted, we collapsed on our beds!

Day 8 costs

Breakfast – free

Lunch – skipped it

Icecream and water 47 MR -$2.35

Dinner $12

Snorkeling trip – $40

Total -$54.35

Day 9 Fulidhoo – Maafushi

Now, I was so tired that I slept up until 9am when we had schedule breakfast but Sinead being the one with most energy was up at 5.30am to see the sunrise! And then she went off with Majid for a morning snorkel! How she did it I don’t know but she was off until 10am!

We had planned to get the local ferry back to Maafushi at 11am but during breakfast the hotel manager came to us and told us his friends were heading to Maafushi on their speedboat and did we want a lift for just $20 each. This would reduce the journey from 1 hour 45 minutes to just 40 so we agreed and soon were packing up, checking out and heading for the boat.

Our total bill for the room was $189 each which was for the room (2 nights) , transfer to Fulidhoo ($50), dinner x 2 ($24) transfer back to Maafushi ($20) and the snorkel trip ($40).

The waves were bit stronger on the way back so the journey took nearly an hour – it would have been soo slow if we’d gone by ferry! The speedboat even had music blasting all the way and again it was just us so we were living the dream!

We arrived back in Maafushi at 11.30 and saw the delivery boats of food and water. I’ve never seen so many water bottles! It was quite incredible but also worrying as where are those bottles going after they are used??? Luckily, we haven’t seen much rubbish in the sea here but I know from traveling to  Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam and seeing the pictures online, the oceans are filling up quickly with waste!

 

When we were leaving Fulidhoo, I’d tried to contact the next hotel through email and whatsapp and asked the hotel to ring them but hadn’t had a response so we prepared ourselves to carry our bags to the hotel. This was a great plan in theory but even after walking 2 minutes we were dripping in sweat. Thankfully, as we walked past a hut, a porter came out holding a sign for a our hotel and soon our bags were being loaded onto the cart and taken to the hotel! Phew! #princessproblems

So our final hotel was called Water Breeze. We had booked a room for 3 but as we drank our welcome drink, we saw them trying to fit a 3rd bed into the room unsuccessfully so they ended up giving us two rooms! Perfect!

After having a little rest and trying to update all our journals and blogs, we grabbed our swim stuff and headed to the dive shop – with a quick lunch stop of pizza and rice!

We arrived at the shop are were greeted by all the boys we’d made friends with before and soon were heading to the boat. This time we rode on the back of the dive truck to the boat!

We headed off and again it was just me and a couple diving whilst the girls were going to snorkel above the reef.

This dive was a ship wreck and reef dive! And it ended up just being me and the instructor Po going together whilst the other diver went a slightly different route. We went all along the ship and it was amazing to see the corals and fish who now inhabited it! We then swam along the reef wall which was full of life I saw a huge moray eel which was a bit scary and of course my nemesis the Trigger fish but there was also huge anemones and anemone fish (like Nemo) and other bright, colourful fish! Just beautiful! At times, I’d look up and see the girls swimming above us which was cool!

After 49 minutes, we surfaced and headed back to shore. Po invited me to go on a jet ski with him so, as I’ve never done it before, I jumped at the opportunity and soon was off riding across the waves! It was so much fun and we took it in turns to drive which was amazing! It was hard to judge sometimes the best route and we’d come crashing down after a huge wave resulting in a massive face full of water but it was exhilarating! Finally, we came back to shore to meet the others and headed to dinner on the beach front as the sun began to set!

Of course, the activities weren’t over yet and once the sun had set, we were back in our snorkel gear heading into the sea for another night snorkel. We’re definitely getting braver as we all swam straight in and were guiding ourselves! Again we saw lots of a lion fish, an eel, an octopus and even a little shark! We also swam to the edge of the reef where the water was darker and turned the torches off as then we could see the plankton in the water! As you waved your hands around, little flashes of blue would appear – so cool!

After about an hour, we headed back to the dive shop, gathered our stuff and headed to our hotel! Another full day in the Maldives!!

Day 9 costs

Breakfast – free

Lunch – $6

Dinner – $6

Dive – $40

Speed boat transfer – $20

Total – $72

Day 10 – Maafushi to Male

We awoke about 8 and were very thankful that we’d decided to just pay a bit more and get a later ferry to Male rather than get the local ferry at 7.30am! Our flight to Sri Lanka wasn’t until 10 pm so we had the whole day and from what we’d heard, Male was just a busy, crowded city so we thought we’d stay on Maafushi for the day.

Breakfast was toast with egg and sausage again, juice and watermelon but it was adequate and the staff were super friendly.

We packed up our bags and got a day bag ready before heading to the bikini beach to finally take time to just rest and read our books! But the thoughts of leaving were beginning to dawn on us and the reality of it was pretty hard!

We chilled on the beach for a while, checked out and had lunch before returning to the dive shop to pay and say goodbye! They’d been a massive part of our time in Maafushi so it was a hard goodbye!

Then we returned to the hotel to collect our bags..  well they carried them for us on a cart to the speedboat centre.

The speedboat took 45 minutes and stopped first at Male then at the airport so we didn’t even have to worry about finding a taxi and another ferry to the airport. It cost $25 but it was worth it.

Then it was time to check in to our flight and bid the Maldives goodbye – it had been just the most magical, wonderful experience of all of our lives! How would the rest of our travels weigh up?!

3 girls, 6 bags and a lifetime of memories! We love the Maldives!

How would I sum up the Maldives?

The best holiday of my life! It was adventures, fun and so much laughter! I don’t think I’ve laughed or smiled so much in a very long time!!

Who would I suggest comes to the Maldives?

Everyone! It really is the most beautiful location I’ve ever been to and a diver/snorkelers heaven! But I’d also say this is the perfect destination for a girls holiday. Being a group 3 girls, we did stand out but this meant we also made incredible friends and connections with the people we met and we experienced more. Sometimes in a couple you are in a bubble so miss opportunities but we didn’t have that. Being a 3 meant we could go off to different activities but never be alone and encouraged each other to do different activities even if we were scared. Together we worked as a team to get the pictures we had envied from Instagram and laughed everyday! We were friendly and appreciative of the amazing welcome and service we received at each hotel ( everything was amazing after the hostels) and just enjoyed the company of the locals. The Maldives is seen as once in a lifetime holiday and this was the best holiday I’ve ever had but it won’t be the last time…I’ll already planning to come back..so don’t delay, come as soon as you can as you won’t regret it!

Summary of costs – here’s what you really want to know….

Flights to the Maldives from Kuala Lumpur -$76.50 (with baggage)

Flight to Sri Lanka – $124 (with baggage)

Total accommodation costs per person – $303 or $30 per person per night (inclusive of all fees)

I paid for all accommodations in cash and came to the Maldives with $800 so taking away the accommodation, I spent about around $500 on everything else. (Excursions, food ,transport, tips)

I used my credit card only for the dives –$152 (4 in total)

So grand total for 10 days in the Maldives = $1185 or £846 or €964

So that’s approximately £85 a day – not bad when we were in the water everyday and were enjoying ourselves to the max! So what you waiting for??

How to keep it cheap and top tips?

☆Stay on local islands not resorts

☆Share the room costs – come as a group of 3!

☆Use the local ferries (check timings before booking rooms and ensure your dates match)

☆Make sure breakfast is included in the room rate

☆ Eat cheap – rice and chicken or local dishes will fill you up to get you through the day and drink water (no alcohol here anyway)

☆ Make friends with other foreigners and share excursions

☆ Make friends with the locals!

Where to go?

Every island had a unique element

Hulamale – best sunrise and sunset and amazing snorkeling with Maldives watersports but not many tourists

Gulhi – really local island. Super chilled, beautiful beach and amazing people.

Maafushi – amazing dive opportunities, amazing vibe and great locals

Fulidhoo – stunning remote location, sting rays, sharks and dolphins!

I’d suggest hopping islands. We did 4 in 10 days and had between 2/3 nights on each. This was ideal and it felt like we were here for much longer! These were all local islands and more and more guest houses are popping up all over the islands so go explore – each one will bring it’s own element and every day will be your BEST DAY EVER!

 

Christmas and New Year in Thailand

When I planned my trip to Thailand, I didn’t really think about  the details of Christmas and what it would be like orb how I would feel. I knew if I had access to the internet, I’d be video calling home and that was good enough for me! Well, it’s been different, my emotions have been tested but it’s been  brilliant in its own way! Here’s a taster of Christmas in Thailand!

My big surprise

A couple of weeks ago, I walked down to get my bike on my way to school to be called in by the landlady and given two purple packages. I didn’t have time to open them  so I dropped them in my room and left for school. When I did open them that evening, I got the biggest surprise! Inside were cards and beautifully wrapped presents. And not just one of to but several! I instantly burst into tears as I realised they were from the staff at my school in the UK! I was overwhelmed by their generosity and support for me! Suddenly, Christmas had arrived!! When I had pulled myself together, I was able to video call Amelle (the fantastic organiser!) and say thank you and then started crying again! Couldn’t thank them enough!!

Later that week, I also got a stocking from my brother and sister-in-law with individually wrapped presents inside! All I had to do now was have self-control and wait until the big day to open them!

The week before Christmas

We began hearing rumours about events,  shows and activities happening during Christmas a week before the day but nothing really made sense or was confirmed to us. On Monday 17th, we were told there would be a Christmas show on Friday 22nd rather than on the 25th. I heard it was because some of the teachers/director was in Bangkok on the 25th.  We were told that there would be activities on the day but we didn’t know what activities meant as in Thailand, activities can be songs, dances, field trips or anything off timetable.  It also sounded like we might have to put on an activity for the children to go to. At one point, it sounded like all the children would be rotating around the classes and we would have to teaching them all!! Very confusing!

This week was supposed to be the week we submitted grades for all the students so I was giving out tests but on Tuesday I had a very odd conversation, which was confused due to translation issues, about getting my yr 6 students to copy a piece of writing about Christmas. It literally was a paragraph written in English explaining Christmas traditions.  I was also told to make Christmas cards for the display for Friday and to make a display. In the end, despite not really understanding, I decided to scrap the tests and started teaching my students about Christmas as well as making them create Christmas writing and cards for the display.
On Wednesday lunch time, one of the yr 5 teachers spoke to me and asked/told me that on Friday the foreign teachers should do a dance and we should dance to Panama. I hadn’t heard Panama before but the others did. When I asked if the other Thai teachers would be dancing, she laughed and said no..just the foreign teachers! Great! However, as this was the most definite thing we had heard we decided to learn a routine from YouTube ready for Friday.  We were also told we could all dress up on Friday so Nicole and I headed to the 2nd hand clothes market and after a lot of rummaging found two jumpers!

On Thursday, I walked over to the Yr 5 building to give them the cards I had made and was told that they already had cards! Theirs were much better than mine! But now I had nearly 100 cards for no reason! Thursdays are also the day I teach Yr 6 so I went to get ready for my 9am class; I still wasn’t sure if I needed to do the writing task or not so had prepared a few ideas just in case!  I waited in my classroom but noone appeared so at 9:15 I went looking for them. I found Pe Nok and she laughed and said there was no classes this morning – news to me! I was about to leave when she asked if I could watch her class whilst she went to buy candy and prizes for tomorrow. I agreed as they were only making Christmas cards anyway! What I didn’t realise was that she’d be gone for 2 1/2 hours and there’s only so long you can make cards for! But we listened to music and I showed them how to make snowflakes and paper chains. Then it was lunch! After lunch I went again to my classroom only to find the time table had changed – this has happened 3 times in the last 2 months! After speaking to Pe Nok, she asked me again to watch her class (1-2pm) and then pointed out that I actually had them English 2-3pm! So I spent another 2 hours with the same students. Luckily,  they weren’t too bad. Just loud! I taught them some Christmas vocabulary and we played games using the words but 3/4 of the way through I was done. Having not had anytime to prepare anything for this double lesson, I was making it up as I went along!  I ended the lesson a little early and then went to my desk. Beside my desk was a mountain of crisps, sweets and drinks which was what Pe Nok had bought for tomorrow!

As soon as I arrived downstairs, I was also told to go into the other office and write instructions on how to make a paper santa. I had no idea what Pe Nok meant but went in to find all the other P6 Thai teachers doing oragami and making Santas.

 

I watched, then joined in and then was told to write the instructions for it. This actually was quite tricky as I was trying to make it simple for everyone to understand. I then was shown a picture of bananas covered in chocolate and sprinkles and asked to write down how they were made. This one I could make up quite easily. Next, I was given the Christmas cards the students I’d looked after this morning had made to judge and pick the top 3 ! I had to sign all of them to show I had judged them. I was also given 8 stack loads of paper which contained the students writing. It was the random christmas passage copied out by every child in yr 6! The Thai teachers got them to do it so I hadn’t needed to worry! I had to judge the top 3 from each class. Then top 3 over all! Outside there was also plenty going on with scaffolding going up on the stage, ribbon being strung across it and lettering being attached.  I stayed around to help out, taught 5 p6 students how to read the instructions I had written and was given a chocolate covered banana to try!

 

Eventually it was time to go home and I left feeling quite excited/ intrigued about the next day!

Friday!

Christmas had arrived! I wore my Christmas jumper along with my santa headband and tinsel around round my neck and ankles! The kids just stared at me!!

We arrived  at school and were greeted with Christmas music blasting out, stalls being set up around the assembly area and hundreds of kids dressed as Santa. I got excited very quickly and wandered  around  taking it  all in!  When  I entered my office,  I was given print outs of the banana instructions I had created and asked to put them on a board which was then taken around to a stall outside.

 

The show began with several Yr 6 kids being master of ceremony and speaking in both Thai and English welcoming us all! The show consisted of various children dancing to Jingle bells, Jingle bell rock and We wish you a merry Christmas as well as a mini production of Snow white by the Yr 5 students (in English) and a Santa costume competition! The show went on for a couple of hours and was chaos at various points with kids standing up, talking through, going to the stalls around the edge, chasing one of the teachers dressed as Santa because he was giving out sweets and at one point  most of the students just disappeared – maybe  to their classrooms? Who know!? We danced and sang along and were the only ones clapping as it’s not that common here!

 

We knew we would be performing our dance at some point but weren’t sure when. We were planning on getting some kids to sort out the music before we went on when suddenly we were told, we were up!! I panicked a little and asked where we could sort out the music.  I was pointed around the back so raced to get the music sorted. As I was plugging in my phone, I heard Alyssa start speaking! I raced up the steps and we all said what we liked about Christmas before saying we had a surprise for them. The music started and the kids went crazy! They love panama!  We planned to go through the routine once before getting them to dance but the music repeats three times and noone stopped it so we danced it through 3 times!! It was great fun! At the end, we managed to get a selfie with all of the students – all 2600 of them!!

The rest of the morning involved many more rounds of Panama, Jingle bells and We wish you a merry Christmas! Kids came and went as they wished. The stalls sold food and played games and the noise was crazy! Around 11, some students came up to me asking me to study with them as in I had a class! I tried to say no before I tried to disappear so noone else could ask! No way was I teaching that morning!
I met the others and we headed out of school to have food at Bun’s restaurant for lunch. None of us fancied risking the school dinners today….to many Friday’s it has been chicken feet!

Unfortunately, after lunch we were told we had to teach normal lessons! None of us were that thrilled as we all knew the kids were full of sugar and hyped up by the morning. Luckily for me, I waited for my class but noone turned up so I headed home early!

That evening, we went to Alyssa’s room, ate ginger bread biscuits and watched Elf – keeping it Christmassy!

Saturday

We had a chilled day before heading to Holly’s house for a Christmas party!  They had decorated the house amazingly!  I even managed to make mulled wine so I was happy!!

 

Sunday (Christmas eve)

Yesterday,  Alyssa and I had organised a brunch. She bought a little cooker and we borrowed one from Bun. We had croissants, fruit and then made and egg casserole with sausage, bacon,  onion, pepper and cut up hash brown. Amazingly it worked and was yummy! It was a lovely start to the morning despite a few sore heads from last night’s party.

A few of us then headed to the pool! My first ever Christmas eve in the sun!

 

In the evening we were invited to Danny’s apartment for dinner which was lovely! A great Christmas eve with everyone!

Sunday (Christmas day)

I woke early so I had time to finally open all my presents – I’d managed to keep most unwrapped but had eaten some of the more edible gifts! It was amazing having them and Nicole joined me so it felt more like Christmas day! I was given earrings, a christmas top and head band from Sian so I decided to wear all of them to school despite knowing the kids and staff wouldn’t be dressed up!

It was hard when we arrived arrived it was just a normal school day. Everyone was slightly emotional and missing home. During assembly,  we were told some of the yr 5 kids were at another school’s Christmas show. I teach yr 5 on Mondays so hoped my classes were cancelled. I also teach kindergarten on Monday so thought  I couldn’t  go to the show. Then a few minutes later, they told me they were all going to go so I could too!  That helped my mood as no teaching for me! I headed over to kindergarten who were dressed up in Christmas clothes and learning about Christmas. I joined in their assembly singing ‘We wish you a merry christmas’. Then I taught my class who were extremely cute dressed up as mini Santas!!

I returned to my office to see yr 5 and yr 6 students waiting by the road.  Then a bus arrived and somehow half the kids got onto it! I don’t even know how they all fitted! So off a bus load of kids went with no teachers with them! Hopefully there were teachers the other side to keep an eye on them!

I was offered a lift in one of the teacher’s car and off we went to one of the secondary schools in town. The school was set up like a fair with stalls around the grounds which had different activities in them. Lots of them were English based and the kids got a stamp for completing them. There were also food stalls and music. As I walked around, I saw lots of the kids I teach and they came up and showed me what they had bought or won.  It was completely random but it saved me from having to teach on Christmas day!

 

 

I was told to meet the teachers at 11am and then we began trying to find all the students. This took over an hour – Yr 5 has over 350 students in it so is quite a task finding them all!! Kids just wandered up without a care! Somehow the teachers were aware of how many kids were left as at one point we had 4 kids left to find!
The others had gone to Bun’s for lunch but I was a bit late so Nicole brought me back some basil pork and rice! Again noone fancied school food! In the afternoon,  we had normal lessons which was hard but not awful.  I had Christmas word searches and games for the kids to do so time went quickly!

After school, a Nicole and I watched a film before getting ready and heading to Ben’s for our meal! I continued to wear as much Christmas themed clothing as possible!

 

The bar was packed with people and we tucked into a three course meal! I had been craving potatoes so was happy to have roasted potatoes and Yorkshire puddings!!

 

After the meal I headed home and was able to video call my friends and family! I loved seeing them all! And they had received my parcel so could open it with me there!

Despite the festivities,  it was interesting how we all dealt with the emotions of the day. Some people hadn’t been able to talk about the day or get christmassy until the actual day, some just felt sad on the day, some expressed how much they missed home, some didn’t. I hadn’t been sad or missing anyone but had a moment in the morning when I was at assembly and suddenly needed to cry and then straight after the meal, I needed to again but I wasn’t super sad. I guess by being with so many others at this time where we were all talking about what we normally do at Christmas and what we miss, you begin taking on the emotions of others too! However, once I saw my family I was just pleased and grateful to be able to share in this time together! Thank goodness for technology!! And I  felt so grateful to everyone who sent messages! I really have been supported amazingly on this adventure!

Rest of the week

From Tuesday it was back to normal schoolwise although my room continues to have christmas decorations around it – these will be up until I leave in Feb! I was also able to video call home again and join in with my family opening more presents on boxing day!

However, normal isn’t really normal in Thai schools!

Wednesday morning Nicole and I headed to kindergarten to teach only to find they were going to the zoo so no lessons! I was asked if I wanted to go! Yes! But unfortunately I had to teach yr 5 too and we wouldn’t be back in time! So I had 2 hours to wait until my next class. Milly (who teaches the special English programme kids) had been told the yr 1s were having a party so I waited to join in with them! However, it was raining so apparently they couldn’t start yet as they didn’t want to walk in the rain!

Wednesday evening came and I found a checkered top at the 2nd hand market to wear! We arrived and the hall was decorated with lights,  balloons and tables for each year group. The yr 6 and yr 2 teachers were dressed in cowboy clothes whilst other year groups had masks and were dressed in matching outfits! The kindergarten team were dressed in football kits!

 

There was so much food – a buffet! My favourite! We ate and listened to numerous teachers singing karaoke on the stage. Then it was each year groups time to perform.  Some danced, some sang and then afterwards they took a number from a pot and got a prize! Prizes ranged from towels and plastic pots to a brand new bike!

 

This went on for hours with lots of additional singing and dancing between each group! We had been told that we would be performing our dance  again although this time,  we were given Thai skirts to wear! Eventually it was our time and it was great to see all the teachers join in!

My gift was 3 ceramic pots! Just what I need when travelling!! At 10 pm,  it was still going but we were exhausted so said our goodbyes and left!

Friday

There had been New a year parties happening across the school throughout the week so I asked if yr 6 had a party and was told no but the yr 6 teachers had a lunch together on Friday!  I headed to my room for my first class and waited. Noone turned up! I went to look for my class and found them in another room. I found them by themselves basically having free time. Some kids wanted to have an English lesson so I began to give out the test and review the work I had planned. However, that’s where it got even more complicated as I had given tests to my Thursday p6 classes but now the classes were mixed up again so some of the kids infront of me had done the test already but some hadn’t!  I ended up just playing vocabulary games with those who wanted to but it was difficult as outside the room the yr 2 classes were having a christmas party of their own!!

 

I went back to my room and found a class waiting for me so taught them my planned lesson although noone really was in the mood for learning!. After that lesson, I went searching for my group 8 class. The group 8 children are in a special programme called SMP (science and maths programme). They pay more and know more English then my other students. When I arrived, all the SMP kids were having their own new Year party! The games they were playing were crazy!

 

Then it was lunch so I headed back to meet the other yr 6 teachers! I was lucky I didn’t have school lunch as again it was chicken feet! During the lunch, one of the teachers took orders for coffees.  We then ate and chatted.  Well I just sat there and had very brief conversations as they all spoke Thai! We also got a little gift from one of the teachers which meant another photo shoot! And we had cake so I was happy!!

 

At 1pm (end of lunch) noone seemed bothered about leaving and I was told to wait for the coffees to arrive! At 1.45pm,  they finally arrived! During that time,  I’d ended up having a conversation with the teachers about trying took find an English boyfriend for one of them! And one of the teachers started showing me pictures of her sons! The match making has begun!

Finally my drink arrived and I wandered around the classrooms! Each room was full of students blasting out music, eating crisps,  sweets and  other snacks and drinking fizzy drinks!  They were in full party mood!

 

I joined Pe Nok in her class and it was time to give out presents. Each student had brought in a present. The students then pulled out a number and that student gave them their gift! It’s a really nice idea as everyone gets something. When 45 was pulled out, Pe Nok gave a gift to the student who pulled put the number -500 baht! Quite a prize! 

Apart from the gift giving,  the students had been pretty much by themselves all day! So different to the parties we have in the UK!

Friday evening we were all exhausted so headed to bed  early as tomorrow we headed to Bangkok!

Saturday

We caught the 8.15 am bus to Bangkok. Nicole and I decided to walk to the bus station. as it’s only 15 minutes walk away.  As we passed our local restaurant, the lady who runs it shouted to us in Thai where were we going. We said bus station, Bangkok then carried on walking.  A minutes later she pulled up on the motorbike beckoning us to get on so Nicole does and off she goes to the station! I carried on walking and saw her drive back but she didn’t see me so zoomed past. I continued and then suddenly she was back so I jumped on and was dropped at the station! It was so kind and random!

5 hours later,  we arrived in Bangkok, grabbed an Uber and headed to Khaosan road.

 

We stayed at Khaosan palace which is right in the middle of the street. The rooms were tiny but it had a rooftop pool and the location was perfect!

Making new friends..

 

New Years eve

We had breakfast then headed to Chatuchak market! There were 5 of us in the taxi so Alyssa sat on the floor!! Luckily, at the police stop,  noone noticed! The driver was also trying to charge us more than what our App (Grab) said! We gave him 100 baht and thankfully he didn’t say anything! The market was massive! Rows and rows of stalls! We stuck together as we would never have found each other again!

 

After a few hours,  we ordered another taxi. Again all 5 of us squeezing in! Between us we manged to have quite  a good coversation with the driver using all the Thai we have learnt.

 

 

We spent the rest of the day by the pool.

 

 

After a nap, we headed out for new year! It was crazy busy but so much fun! I loved the fact I was still in shorts and flipflops, there was a brilliant atmosphere and I had a great bunch of people with me.

 

 

We squeezed through the crowds holding onto each other in a train and still lost people but it was okay as we all met up after the countdown at one of the bars.

 

The count down was different as I’ve been with close friends the last few years but it was quite an experience to say the least!

Monday 1st Jan 2018!

Today we spent the day by the pool! A fantastic way to start the year! In the evening,  a few of us searched for an Italian as a treat! For pudding,  I decided I’d try an scorpion on Khaosan road! I only managed a little one and it wasn’t  too bad but the skin stayed in my teeth for ages!

 

 

 

 

Then it was time to head back to our little town of Chaiyaphum and back to work!

So that was my crazy Thailand Christmas and new year! Different but equally exciting and very memorable! 2018 is going to be a very exciting year!!

 

 

Chaiyaphum – the first month

It’s December! I’ve lived in Chaiyaphum for a whole month! Here’s what I’ve been up to…
Saturday (October 28th)

 

We woke early and headed to the bus station where I managed to find us a bus and soon we were sitting back and enjoying a comfortable 6 hour ride to Chaiyaphum!!

We made good time having left at 9, we arrived at 2pm and were dropped at a small bus station in our new town. We had contact Narm our Mediakids consultant and within 5 minutes of arriving, we were picked up and taken to view two potential properties to rent. The first was very basic although a little bigger than the 2nd but the 2nd was close to our school, clean and there were quite a few other foreign teachers living there so we snapped it up. The rent is 3500 baht a month (£80) plus the bills. After dropping off all of our bags, we were taken to our local Tesco! Yep we have a large Tesco with a home and clothes section! I’m happy!  Should have brought my Tesco club card!  So we quickly equipped ourselves with bedding for our rooms and headed back. We indulged in a KFC as a reward for getting there!!

We chilled out in the eve and I was able to video call home which was amazing!!

Sunday

We lazed around for the morning and unpacked all of our stuff which was great! Feels more like a home now!

This is my new room featuring Nicole!

Then Narm picked us up and took us to the only western bar in the city where we ate an amazing lunch – a bagette! Yes! And then we rented our first motorbikes since being here! We had a bit of a practise first to get used to it but soon they were ours and we were joining the traffic and exploring the city!

We found a beautiful lake near our home! Yay!

In the evening,  we headed back to ‘1bar’ for a pub quiz….Unfortunately, our team came 4th but it was a great night and we were able to bond with the new and returning teachers across Chaiyaphum!

Across the road from the bar, is a nightly bazaar selling clothes, toys and food!  It was a bit overwhelming at first as we had to decipher the Thai words/ look for whatever looked tasty. Amazingly, we ended up managing to order basil pork and rice which was perfect!

Monday/Tuesday

We spent the next two days settling into our new city exploring and getting ready for heading to school.

I’m teaching kindergarten so I decided I’d make a little sock puppet to help with teaching…We’ll see if it works!

Some toilet signs from the local bar…

Our local lake at sunset…

So we began school which was an experience but good!  Read my ‘School life’ blog for more info!

Throughout the month, we continued to explore, got to know the other foreign teachers and establish a routine.

Loy krathong festival (3rd Nov)

This is a festival  where people gather around lakes, rivers and canals to pay respect to the goddess of water by releasing beautiful lotus shaped rafts, decorated candles, incense and flowers onto the water. They also release lanterns into the sky.

We had been told that there may not be an lanterns this year due to the King’s death and health and safety concerns. However,  we arrived at our local lake to find lanterns being sold and set off so we joined in.
Our first attempt setting off our lantern nearly killed 3 people as it didn’t rise enough and when it eventually got above the heads of the crowd it landed straight into the water! Quite embarrassing!!

 

 

For some reason minions and cartoons were on all of the lanterns – not quite as traditional as the floating flowers!

Our second attempt was more successful! Up it went into the night along with hundreds of other lanterns. We watched the festivities for hours and were a little pleased when it wasn’t just us having lanterns difficulties…many a lantern went into the trees surrounding the lake or nearly landed on the people in the crowd! It was a health and safety nightmare but beautiful to watch.
Second weekend adventure

Mo hin khao

Today we traveled in convoy to Mo hin Khao which is called the ‘Stonehenge of Thailand’. It was about 45km away from Chaiyamphum so the longest ride I had done yet which at first was a little scary as we were going faster than I normally went around town but after I while I relaxed into it and wow…what amazing views we had on route! Mountains in the background, open fields and bright blue skies! Travelling as a group was really fun too and just added to the adventure.

 

We arrived after about an hour and found the ‘Stone henge’. There were 6 large rocks  which were impressive in height but weren’t quite the stone henge from the UK.But they were good to see and we were joined by a wedding party having photos taken.

 

 

I will try not to be a loud noise!!

The viewpoint

A little further along from the stone henge was the view point which was beautiful! I could have sat and looked at the view for hours!

Feeling on top of the world

Third weekend

Time to relax by the pool! The pool is at a local hotel resort and for 100 baht we could spend the whole day there! Just what was needed on a very hot day!

Joe came to visit!

Joe (the guy who interviewed me for the TEFL and works for Mediakids) came to visit us this weekend which was great!

We chilled out eating lots of western food at Ben’s bar before heading to one of the 2 clubs in Chaiyaphum called Oasis. Thai clubs are interesting as they mix DJ sets with live music.  There also isn’t really a dance floor but your group will have a table and you’ll dance near it. I really enjoyed it despite not knowing any words!

 

 

The sign in the girl’s toilet!

Sunday

We decided to explore a bit and found another lake. We drove onto it and found a little herd of cows who were actually a little scary to drive past! When we stopped they started coming to investigate us! The cows here are so bony!!

Specially made lamb kebab! Yum!

Found this guy on the car outside my apartment! Bit bigger than the ones I had as class pets last year!

 

Thanksgiving (Thursday 30th Nov)

I experienced my first ever Thanksgiving here in Thailand although it was put on by a Brit (Ben the owner of One bar) so it was more of an English roast than a proper American Thanksgiving (according to the Americans! It should be mashed potato and turkey and no veg!)  Turkey is also banned from being imported so we had ham instead. It was delicious! Yorkshire puddings! Roast potatoes! Cauliflower cheese!! I tried to eat apple pie for pudding and it sent me over the edge! I was stuffed! But it was a brilliant evening and lovely to have so many foreigners together at one time! My new Chaiyaphum family!

This is nearly all the foreign teachers in Chaiyaphum. Some have been here for 1 or 2 semesters already, some are new like me! So good to have so many here!!

Badminton

Next to the night bizaar there is a sports hall which is open every day and has nets for badminton always set up. It’s free to go so some of us have started  going. Having not played since secondary school,  I had forgotten how much I like it! I just need to buy a racket now so I don’t always have to share but the Thai people who go are great and welcome us to play with them all! You just have to watch the floor sometimes as a little broken in places!

Fourth weekend

Farmsook

We headed 30 minutes out of town to an organic farm where Breigh had been to before. It was beautifully set up with tents, hay bails, wooden seating areas, drinks and food available and farm animals to pet or feed. It was a really relaxing place to be in although because there were so many of us, we ended up being asked to pose for quite a few photos!

Driving in convoy and making sure we have everyone still!

Apparently the USA and UK flags are bohemian which is why they’re at the farm!

Still haven’t quite mastered it!

I went and found this little guy and he was so cute!

Just one of many asked for pictures!

Evening stroll around the lake!

Coffee Tree – local coffee shop by the lake

A few of us headed to Cofee Tree to do ‘work’ but ended up planning the next adventure when we finish teaching!! There are so many plans!!

I was able to read my book (I’m borrowing them from one bar and am on my third already) and enjoy some pizza bread!

Breakfast at Bun’s

Bun’s is a restaurant run by a Thai lady who is married to an Australian. She sells Thai and western food and it has become a sunday morning hang out for all the foreign teachers!

Tat ton waterfalls (2nd December)

A group of us decided to head to the waterfalls this weekend which was about 30 minutes away. There were two teachers visit Chaiyaphum for the weekend so I took one on the back of my bike. It was a little harder to drive as the bike was heavier and it was quite windy but we made it!! I’ve started listening to music as I ride which is amazing and you feel so free as you ride along with the sun shining down and the wind rushing past!

I loved being by the waterfalls and stayed in the water for hours! We weren’t quite sure whether we could wear just bikinis as Thai people do like to be covered up so we ended up staying in our shorts and t-shirts most of the time ( we tried to get a little bit of a tan in one of the pools!) We already drew a lot of attention just being there so if we were showing off our white white bodies – wow there would have been quite a crowd!! Still makes me laugh when your realise you’re having a photo taken off you but really sneakily…I just think…where are all these photos??  Sometimes we just turn and wave!!

This was our group just as we left for the waterfall. Two minutes before this was taken a small green snake had slithered out of my bike front pocket and up my arm. I had noticed and thrown it on the floor!! Quite a shock for the morning and my heart was still pounding for half the journey there!! First snake I’ve seen in Thailand!

In the evening we headed to the 2nd of the two clubs in Chaiyaphum. On the way my bike got a puncture but it thought my bike was really broken at it was making such a loud noise! Least it’s easy to fix!

 

So that’s the first month done! I’ve survived school, explored my new town and am continuing having a great time!  Roll on December!

P.s As you can see, the arms are getting a good tan…the legs and rest of the body need more work! 

School life

Here’s a little insight into what’s been happening  since I started teaching…

First day of school!!!

What a day! We arrived at school at 7.30am and tried to find out where to go. I’m teaching the ECD programme which is teaching English to each class once a week. After walking around for a while, we were directed to a room to wait. At around 8am  we were greeted and taken to another meeting room. Here we waited until we were invited to introduce ourselves to all of the students…all 2500 of them!!

After a bit of a nervous hello from each of us (there are 7 new foreign teachers in the school), we headed back to be welcomed by the director and get to know our co-teachers.

 

The first 30 minutes of the meeting was all in Thai so we just sat there and tried to look interested and laugh when the Thai teachers laughed! Whilst this was going on, lots of the Thai teachers were taking pictures but not subtly. They would stand up and take some (with the camera sound on) then ask their friends to take a picture of them at the meeting or with us in the background.  It was just quite funny as it was so obvious and loud during an important meeting. The last part of the meeting was in English and we were introduced to the other teachers.

Then suddenly the meeting was over and I was being taken to the kindergarten area and told I would be teaching 2 class now 10-10:20, 10:20-11 and then teaching P5 (yr 5) 11-12! It was a bit crazy but soon I was welcoming 25 super cute 4 year olds and singing endless rounds of ‘head, shoulders, knees and toes’ and ‘5 little ducks’. They were really cute and although they  screamed at my sock puppet,  they were able to listen and begin to respond in English back to me! Then I raced over to another building and into a class of 45 yr 5 kids! Luckily,  they were a nice class who wanted to learn and soon they were introducing themselves and playing introduction games.

I was very grateful when 12 o’clock came and it was lunchtime!! The school provides lunch for the teachers at 150 baht (£4) per month! Everyone was alittle shell shocked but we had survived the morning and I just had to get through 2 more lessons!

By 3, I was finished teaching and it had been quite challenging but the children responded to competition so putting them in teams helped keep them engaged. At 4.30 we headed home with nothing to prepare as I’ll be repeating my lesson to each class!

My timetable: Tuesdays and a Thursdays are great!

Thursday/Friday 

It’s been interesting to say the least. Behaviour varies hugely from class to class so it’s been difficult working out what strategy will work to get 50 kids’ attention especially when they’re shouting in thai to each other! Names – of course each Thai child has their Thai name but they know westerns won’t be able to say them so they’ve adopted nicknames which can be equally hard to pronounce so I’ve had fun with it and just laughed my way through the register with the kids. Names include: Boss, Beam, Done, Ice (said eye), champoo (noone pronounces sh!) , phuem  (said pem), plai, fai, baiteuy  (said bay tee o) , max (said ma) and custard apple. At least being called Mim is easy for them. Nicole’s children are calling her Micole! And if all else fails we are just teacher, teacher, teacher!

We have also had to get used to working alongside other thai teachers. I’m lucky as I have been given own desk and computer in the year 6 office but the others are having to share computers or bring in their own laptops. Some teachers have thai teachers with them in class. This sometimes benefits them as the Thai teacher can keep the children quiet but doesn’t always help. I have noone with me which I don’t mind and although some children have been quiet cheeky, others help translate what’s being said or keep the others in line. I just have to use a lot of actions and few words! Quiet a challenge for me!!

On Friday, I was told that on Monday my office was moving upstairs and children and staff began to move things – there is soo much stuff: books, paper, ornaments,  random objects, just stuff everywhere! Also, finding a bin is near impossible.  There are hardly any bins in the building and around Thailand. Or they’re just not very obvious to us! So this might account for all the ‘stuff’ in the office! We’ll see what happens on monday!

I have two great thai teachers supporting me called Pee Nok and Pee Po. They’re really lovely and keep giving me things like lemons, a milk drink, sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves and passionfuit! It’s very kind!  At times,  things get lost in translation but we get there in the end but I do have to listen in carefully. You start zoning out when surrounded with thai voices. Then suddenly I’ll hear “teacher Mim” and I know I’m about to be questioned on something.

 

I currently have to find the children I’m teaching as each class has their home room so I’m doing a lot of walking around – good exercise I guess!! But each classroom varies on resources. Sometimes there’s a blackboard; sometimes it’s a white board. And the quality of the room sometimes correlates to the behaviour and ability of the children. Some classes have desks covered in writing and Tipex, rubbish on the floor and broken chairs and others have posters on the walls and clean desks.

We found out the ‘8 ‘classes pay a bit more money so they have their own floor in the Yr 5 building,  nice desks, white boards and a microphone! They also were the best behaved and highest ability class so it shows what money can buy.

By Friday I was tired but optimistic for this term. It’s going to be different and very hot but like this whole trip, an experience!

Last Friday

I was just sorting out my resources for my final lesson after lunch when I was told there wasn’t going to be class as all the year 6 children and teachers were to go to a meeting with the director (big boss) of the school or province. It was quite a big deal and we even joked about putting on makeup! We entered the meeting room and I spent the next hour listening to different teachers talking to the yr 6 students. They were very restless and loud during the talk and so many of them were getting up and going to the toilet!

After an hour, the director arrived and then he started talking to the children.  Again in Thai although he did say good afternoon to me which was shock as suddenly all the heads of the kids turned towards me and I had to say good afternoon back. I was the only foreigner in the room so I stuck out! After listening to him and another man for 40 minutes,  it was picture time. Guess who was told to stand next to the director!  Yep – there I was sweaty and covered in chalk from teaching and now stood next to the director trying to have a bit of a conversation! Finally,  at 3 the meeting finished!  I was exhausted!!

School life over the last 2 weeks…

Thai schools are always LOUD! All the time, loud!  They have speakers which begin playing ‘come to assembly’ music from 8.10 -8.30 (it takes 20 minutes for them all to sit down) and it’s the same song everyday and it’s just so loud. They also have music between each class to indicate lesson change over which is blasted out every hour. Finally,  the kids are loud! It seems rather than making them quiet, a lot of the time the teachers go over them using a microphone or shouting.  This makes it hard in class as they’re used to that level of noise so trying to make all 50 of them quiet is tricky!

 

 

• Songs work! I love singing so it’s not hard for me but the Thai children respond well to singing so I try to sing in every class! We’ve taught them a banana song and hello song which I use alot but I need to diversify! Roll out some classic campfire songs! 

• Health and safety – it’s a little different here. The floors are incredibly slippy when wet, the  surfaces really uneven, there are dogs roaming the grounds, children play near open water canals and the children complete some DIY tasks which in the UK adults would do..E.g hammering a wire for the water station around the door whilst stood on a stool on a table!  

 

 

 

 

Some random building work next to my office

Hello Mr Pigeon inside

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  Electricity wires running through the corridor

  Photocopying – as every teacher will know, the photocopier is a life saver but also the most time consuming and frustrating object in the office! I’m trying not to use too many worksheets as I want them talking English more than writing it but when I have created one, I then need hundreds of copies of it for all my classes! Each year group has its own photocopier which means lots more walking! The first time I used it, the toner was running out and it cut off half the page so I had to get help but it was still very confusing and didn’t work half the time. We also haven’t worked out the paper situation. We were given two packs of A4 paper but that won’t last long when I’m doing 400 copies at a time! But we’re not sure where we get paper from after that as it seems  that each teacher has their own supply!

• Food – the children are eating all the time! There is a tuck shop on site and kids are eating icecream and sweets at 7.30am. This might account for their behaviour! So far I’ve only had one class where some of the boys were eating mango so I had to explain that eating = no team points!! But they have access to the tuck shop at lunch and everything is high in sugar! It’s the pre-Jamie Oliver stage in the UK!
• Lunch time -what is nice is that there is a teacher’s room for lunch with air-conditioning! The food is presented in large dishes and we help ourselves. We’ve learnt to always separate the dishes into separate bowls as you never know how spicy it will be – many people have been caught out!! Food can vary from day to day. There’s a lot of fish dishes and usually chicken as the other option. There was one day where it was chicken feet in a curry sauce! None of us were brave enough! 
  

  

  
• Behaviour – what I’ve noticed is that there isn’t a clear behaviour policy or steps. Sometimes the teachers are disiplining the children, sometimes they don’t.  In assembly, most of the teachers stand at the edges ignoring the children hitting each other, eating, talking and just messing around but some teachers will walk amongst the children telling them off but it’s not consistent. I find it a little hard at times so I’ve taken to giving the children messing around a good stare until they stop and listen. It works sometimes for about 30 seconds so only really effective for 5/2500 kids! But it helps me as at least 5 more children are listening!

 

 

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• Assemblies – Assemblies are every morning from 8:30-9am. The children sit whilst the teachers stand around the edge. It always starts with the Thai National Anthem and some prayers. Then we listen to one of the teachers talk. On Tuesdays, we (the foreign teachers) lead it. We’ve decided to sing every week! Just easier! Then on Thursdays it seems to be the day for giving out awards. This can take a very long time though! We never really know what’s going on but seem to end up being asked to stand for photos!! It happens all the time! Every award ceremony involves all the teachers taking pictures with the children and sometimes us! 
  

  
• Class sizes – my classes are huge! 47 kids in each! We’re supposed to assess each child which is pretty tricky when you have 800 kids! I’ve been trying to write notes on the register whenever a child says anything and making some worksheets but again, that’s 800 worksheets to mark! The kids love games so I’m trying out new activities and seeing which work and which don’t!
• Gate duty – once a week 2 falang teachets have to stand at the front gate welcoming the students. They bow and wai at us, we nod and say good morning. I said good morning over 100 times from 7.30-8am. I was exhausted before the day began. Of course we also had to pose for pictures with the Thai teachers who were there too!
• Dogs  – there are random dogs walking through the school, drinking from the pond or chasing each other around the field everyday! They are also quite mangy dogs so I’m staying clear of them!

 

 

 

So that’s just some of what’s been going on in school!

Update:

I now have my own classroom with a microphone. I’m waiting for a computer and projector to hopefully be installed but I’m not sure when or if that will happen!  During week 4, I had to go and get the p5 children ands they hadn’t been to the new classroom! This was very tiring but took up 15 minutes of each class so the lessons went quickly! Hopefully they’ll remember next week! The room is in a pretty bad state so I’ve decided to try to ‘decorate’ with the limited resources available – no big stationary order for me!! I’ve rearranged the desks into a horseshoe with allows more space for games and just is easier to get to children at the back.

I wasn’t sure what to expect and it’s been tough. However,  I feel that as we get into a routine,as I start getting to know my 800 kids, it’ll help and hopefully get easier! We’ll see…..

 

Laos visa run

We began our journey at 9.20am as we tried to find a tuk tuk to take us to the bus station. Unfortunately, after walking for ages, we couldn’t find one and we knew we’d missed the 10am bus so we would have to wait now until 12. We headed to Ben’s bar to wait it out and I was able to explore a bit of the the side streets around the bar. I hadn’t walked much around chaiyamphum as we drive everywhere so it was nice to see what there was including a 20 baht shop (50p)!! 

Just as I was trying to flag down a tuk tuk, Ben pulled up in a truck and said he was heading towards the bus station so he could drop us off. Even better once we were driving  he said he was going go Khon kaen..a city that the bus we would have caught from chaiyamphum would have gone through so he could take us there which was perfect!  
An hour and a half later, we arrived in Khon Kaen and were dropped off by the mall. We grabbed some food before heading to the minibus station to get a minibus to Udon Thanin and then from there we would go onto Nong Krai. At 3pm  on we got a very crowded mini bus but at least it only cost 80 baht and there was aircon! I was sat by the door so had to jump in and out as we let people on and off. When we first got on the driver started talking to me in Thai. I was saying I didn’t understand but he persisted and it seemed he wanted me to copy him so I did. He laughed and shut the door. As the door shut, a guy behind us said, ” Excuse me, that word means I love you!” Wonderful!! The journey began and oh what a journey. There was some very irratic driving going on and we were flying over bumps and pot holes!! I quickly plugged in my headphones and enjoyed the whole soundtrack of Les Miserable before we arrived in Udon Thanin 2 hours later. 
As the doors opened, we were greeted with and man asking if we were heading to Nong Krai.  

We nodded and were directed to pay 50 baht and then immediately got onto another minibus. This one was a little smoother than the first. At one point the other passengers were talking to the driver. I guessed that they were saying where they needed dropping off. Then I heard the driver speak and heard “falang” and the front row of passengers turned towards us so I guessed they wanted to know where we wanted dropping off. We only knew we needed the bus station so just said that which seemed to work. 

An hour and a bit later, we arrived in Nong Krai. I tried too find our hotel on my maps but it kept saying two different locations which was a little confusing. We got off at too the bus station and were immediately greeted by a tuk tuk driver. I tried to show him the hotel location but from his actions it sounded and looked like either he couldn’t read the map as it was English or he couldn’t really see – bad eyes. This wasn’t hugely reassuring but when we said the name of the hotel he seemed to know where it was so even though we thought he was pretty sight impaired and didn’t really know if he knew where we needed to go, we got on!! As you do in Thailand! The tuk tuk was pretty old and he drove quite slowly again confirming the eye problem but I tracked us on my map and we got to our hotel 15 minutes later! 

Once we arrived, we found our room which was pretty big. The hotel had been booked through our Mediakids consultant so we hadn’t known what to expect but there were 3 beds, a big TV and air conditioning. The bathroom was slightly less pleasant with hair in the drain and the fact the walls were paper thin and the window for the bathroom went out on the main corridor!! We relaxed for a bit and flicked through the hundreds of thai TV channels but none were in English!  Then we met our visa agent to give them our documents and pay them. 

Back on my tefl course, the company had photocopied all my paperwork needed including my passport, university certificate and transcripts and DBS check. They also helped us get our photos done for the visa (the ugliest photo I think I’ve ever had in my life! ) and then once we started working our Mediakids consultant got the contract from the school and a letter saying we work there. So all of these documents were sorted for us which made the visa run a lot easier. We handed our documents to the agent and 5500 baht which covers accommodation,  transport and food in laos.  We were then told to meet her tomorrow at 6am by 7/11. 

We then explored Nong Krai a bit and found a huge night market. It was one of the biggest I’d been to and was like and rabbit warren.  You got stuck on the path as it weaved round and along but there was yummy food and many stalls to look at. I had rice with slow cooked pork and cabbage. It was lovely! We continued exploring and Nicole found a Bluetooth speaker for just 180 baht. I bought one from tesco the other day for 400 baht! But it’s very useful in class so worth it. We also found a shoe stall and amazingly they had some Toms style shoes in my size so I grabbed them for just 80 baht as I need a few other pairs of shoes here. After a while,  we headed back to the hotel to relax and sleep and I was able to skype my cousin. However,  despite being in the corridor the girls said they could hear everything so probably kept some people up woops! 

We were up at 5.30am, packed up and walked round the corner to the border where we were supposed to meet 100 or so other people to go through the crossing with. There were people and we saw a huge crowd begin walking towards the bridge at 6am but we couldn’t see our group (people with red badges) so we waited and waited. 

 At 6.20 am,  we were a little worried we had been left or robbed of our money but suddenly a girl pulled up on her motorbike and beckoned us to follow her towards the bridge.  We didn’t know who she was but she seems to know us so we followed and found ourselves queuing by passport control. Luckily, we also found ourselves with the rest of our group! After 20 minutes, I got to the front and handed my passport in. The departure card I had received when I arrived in Thailand was taken and my passport was stamped. I was then ushered through the door to a table where they wanted my passport. Of course, we’re always told to never lose/give your passport to anyone so that was a little worrying.  I was given a ticket which I thought was for my passport but no that was a bus ticket and about 3 seconds later I had to give that ticket to a man so I had no passport and was being directed into a very large crowd, luckily with Brieh and Nicole, when the bus arrived. We were directed to get on the bus and we did, all 100 of us. We crammed in and I was at the very front on the steps  squished up against the window and still one more guy got on before the door was shut. So that’s how I entered Laos, no passport and trying not to lean on the people around me. We bumped over the bridge to Laos and after 5 minutes or so we arrived at Laos’ immigration. We had no idea what to do next and so copied the other red badge holders and waited.  

About 40 minutes later, there was sudden movement and we were being directed towards a minivan. Still no passport. On we got and enjoyed a 40 minute drive into Vientiane. When we stopped, we were at the embassy and we joined the large queue which was already there. We waited about 30 minutes when suddenly we heard ‘chaiyamphum’. That’s our city so we responded and were taken out the queue, past the other people and to chairs at the front.  Then our consultant was there asking us to sign some paperwork..Apparently the form which we had submitted was out of date so she had re-written our details on a new form. I was able to see my passport at this point and given it for about 10 minutes before the queue started moving and we were directed to a table where we handed in our passport and the paperwork and were given a ticket number for tomorrow’s collection. 

We were told to leave the embassy and taken to a local restuarant to wait for our ride to the hotel. Noone actually told us what we had to do; we just waited until someone spoke to us again! 

20 minutes later, we were directed to a minivan and taken to our hotel which was called Memory Hotel.

 We weren’t sure what we needed to do the next day to get our visa so I asked the driver who said he’d pick us up at 12 tomorrow. When we checked in, we were told we could have breakfast now (it was only 9.30ish) and then dinner was at 6pm and we would have breakfast tomorrow.  Once we had dropped off our bags in our rooms (which were actually quite nice and one each was a bonus! ) we headed for breakfast. French toast was on the menu so that was a definite option! There was a sauce on the table which I think is condensed milk (the label said tea creamer) which I put on my toast. It was yummy!! Super sugary but lovely! I also had a good old cup of tea so I was happy even if the milk seemed more like cream! 

Afterwards we all rested and then headed out to explore Vientiane. 

Due to the French colonization, there is quite a lot of French influence in the city with tree lined avenues, french cuisine and what excited me most…bagettes!! Our accommodation, breakfast, transport and dinner was included in our agency fee but we needed lunch so we had to get our heads around using Lao Kip. It was roughly 10,000 kip = 50 baht but we found food was quite expensive when converted to baht – most meals being 100 baht where we would normally pay 40.  Luckily, the shops and stalls in Vientiane take baht so we didnt have to change our money; we just got kip as change! During the aftwrnoon, we wandered the streets passing the precidential palace, beautiful temples and many little cafes and bars before we arrived at the COPE visitor centre. 

The centre is with a compound which helps to rehabilitate and aid those with a disability.  The centre explained how the American government had dropped millions of cluster bombs between 1965 – 1975 over laos in an attempt to stop supplies going not Vietnam.  Millions detonated but millions did not so now laos is covered in unexploded bombs also called bombies. These can detonate when hut by farming tools, played with by children or when someone is cooking above ground and the heat explodes them. The centre helps to support those affected by these bombs and to help clear land to make it safe for those living there. Such a sad reminder and legacy of war and destruction. I’ve been so lucky to live in such a safe country and it just makes me sad that as a human race we have such a love for destruction, selfishness and violence. To create such evil devices which are only getting more powerful and sophisticated is to me such are waste of human inguinity. Surely, if we can create such evil, we can use that knowledge for good, for prace,  for unity? ! Anyway, rant over but it puts the little moans and grumbles we have in perspective. These are innocent people living their lives and then being blown up and having to cope without limbs and I complain when I’m a bit hot and need air con! 

After the centre, we grabbed a tuk tuk back to the hotel and rested. Nicole and I took a wander around the local streets to find a pharmacy (Nicole’s not feeling great) but we ended up finding a supermarket which sold everything including many western products and lots of Christmas items!! They were even playing Christmas music!! Hearing ‘Let is snow’ in 30 degree heat is a little odd! We then went back to the hotel for dinner which turned out to be a buffet with spag bol, fried chicken and even beef stew! It was great! My first spag bol since being in Thailand! 

A little later, went joined some of the other foreigners we had met at the border and went for a drink at a local bar which has views over the Mekong river (the river separating Thailand and Laos). I tried the Lao beer as it is brewed in Vientiane which was good but I didn’t like it as much as Chang. 

In the morning, we headed down do breakfast (French toast again!) and had time to explore a little more along the river and back. 

 

We also found a bagette stand so grabbed one for lunch.

 Then it was time to head back to the embassy. We arrived at 12.30pm. It was pretty quiet so we could get a seat and then we waited.

 By 1.30pm,  the embassy was pretty full but then the numbers began to be called. 

Due to our queue jump the day before we were 37,39 and 40 so within 10 minutes of the counters opening, we were at the front. Just before the counter,  our agency handed us 2000 baht to pay for the visa. It was a very quick process. We signed a paper, gave in the money and got our passport back with our new visa inside.  

The agency lady asked for our red badge back so we gave it to her and she said to go to the minivan with the group. So we head out but are immediately hassled by several minivan drivers telling us it’s 100 baht each to go. We were a little confused as thought we would get a lift with the agency. Luckily, Nicole spotted the minivan driver from before so we went towards him. We had to explain how we didn’t have badges but thankfully he let us on! Again, our passports were taken but we were in a van so had to go with it! Halfway towards the border, we’re pulled over and a random lady got in. I think she was to do with the agency?! 

We arrived at the border and were told told meet again in 30 minutes so we’re headed to duty free for the air conditoning -it’s been a very hot day and I was a sweaty mess after being in the van! 

We met the man later and he handed us our passports which had been stamped saying we were departing Laos and he gave us a departure card to fill in.

☆ You can see the number of passports were being collected below and this was just one group out of many! ☆

 We weren’t exactly sure what to do so we began to walk towards the departure area.

 We skipped one queue and nearly queued in another before realising we didn’t need to as our passport was stamped so we headed towards the bus stand. The man had given us a ticket which we handed in and joined a huge crowd waiting for a bus. When it arrived, we again squeezed on and headed back to Thailand this time with a passport. 

When we arrived we followed the crowd and got our new thai and stamp. Then we were back! It felt like coming home especially as I had data again! 

We decided to get some food as knew it was going to be a while on the vans back to Khon Kaen. We had sent our visa pics to our consultant and as we were eating I got a text saying my visa had been stamped wrong!! I needed 90 days not 60! I was told to go back and ask an officer! That was daunting as I knew this would been difficult in the UK yet alone thailand! So I tried. I walked back through the doors, jumped in the front of the queue with the same guy who stamped it and tried to explain it was wrong…amazingly, it worked and he restamped it!! Phew!! I’d been a bit nervous but thankfully all was sorted in 5 mins!  

Then our journey back began! We took our first minivan from Nong Krai to Udon Thanin which took just over an hour. We then hopped into another van took khon kaen.  This took about 2 hours as the driver seemed took be some some extra errands on the way such as picking up a package fro a random guy on the street. He also was a little irratic in his driving and had his phone hooked on the rear view mirror which he was using to make numerous calls and play music through Youtube. He didn’t wear a seat belt the whole way except when he saw a police road block so he quickly put his on and made the front passenger put his on as we drove past the officer.  We weren’t stopped so as soon as we past it, the seatbelt came off! 

We managed to get dropped off at central plaza after I had another of my conversations where I guess what they’re saying in Thai at about 7.50pm.  I had found a cheap and near hotel online so we walked for about 20 minutes to get there. We arrived and asked for 2 rooms. They said it would be 350 baht per room but I’d seen online at 290 baht so tried to show them. In the end we got it for 300 baht a night (£8). The hotel reminded me of the classic horror film hotels! The rooms opened onto a carpark in the centre and the facilities were a little bare and basic but it was cheap! Amazingly there was also American TV!  This is the first hotel with English programmes so that was a bonus! 

In the end I actually slept quite well and despite the bathroom door not being able to lock/shut properly, it was alright! We headed out about 9.30am and found a local coffee shop where we enjoyed smoothies and waffles. 

Then we walked back to Central plaza, browsed a few shops (I bought some Christmas headwear as it’s the first place in Thailand I’ve seen selling christmas products) and then went to the minivan stand where we were able to catch a minibus straightaway to Chaiyaphum! Just as we were getting into the van, we’re heard shouts and there was Sinead from school and Reka from our Tefl heading off themselves to do their visa run!! 

We got back to chaiyamphum around 2pm and it felt like we were home! It’s been a busy and a little haphazard the last two days but we succeeded..we now have our Non-B visa!!

 Time for a rest before school tomorrow!! 

Bangkok!

*For some reason only some pictures are uploading! Not sure why!*

Monday
We were up at 5am to begin our journey to the capital! Lugging all of our luggage was a massive task but with a bit of help from the others, we were soon relaxing on our very comfy coach!!

Just one of my many bags!

Our route!  Although in a coach it’s more like 10 hours!

Our pile of bags!

I binged on animation films: Angry Birds, Moana, Ballerina and Sing!!

After 10 hours, we arrived and were picked up by two representatives from Media Kids who took us to the hotel.

Reka and I were sharing a room which was spacious although we were greeted with a little surprise in the bathroom….

Luckily the usher was able to remove the creature for us!

We had arrived at the hotel around 6.30pm so soon were ready to find some food and just a few metres down the road we found a little restuarant and could enjoy a good meal and a refreshing beer!

Tuesday

Today we began our 2 day orientation with the company placing us in schools called Mediakids. There were 50 teachers attending: some new like us and some renewing their contracts for another semester.  During the day, we were given information about getting a working visa, we set up a bank card and were given the curriculum for the next semester.

After the course, we decided that we would head to the infamous Khaosan road. Due to the late king’s cremation we would only be able the go out tonight because from tomorrow everything would be shut for a few days…the king died last year and on Thursday it is his cremation and nearly all shops will be shut whilst 100,000 visitors + those living in Bangkok will watch the royal procession and cremation! Everyone in Bangkok has been wearing only black or white in respect for him!

So we headed out. The road was really quiet again because of the cremation but we made the most of it and enjoyed buckets or cocktails and an amazing chicken kebab! Fact of the day – in the USA they don’t have kebabs!

Wednesday

Waking up the morning after was a little less enjoyable for many people but we survived the rest of the course which included playing games, singing songs and creating a lesson in 10 minutes about food. We also got time to talk to our area consultants and ask all the questions we had about starting at our new school.
I found out that in my school I’ll be teaching classes of children in Kindergarten 1/2 (3-5 year olds) and Phatom 5/6 which is Years 5 and 6 so it’s going to be interesting jumping from one to other! But it’s exciting and very real now! 

At the end of the course we had to begin to say goodbye as this was it..our group was splitting up and spreading out across Thailand! What a brilliant group of people to have met! I’ve been very lucky and I’m excited to be able to visit their new homes and explore even more of Thailand!

Nicole and I then headed over to Abby’s new apartment  (Abby isn’t with Mediakids but found her own job in Bangkok). Her apartment was amazing with  a spectacular view over the city! 

Cecelia had invited us all for a final meal at her hotel as her room had cooking facilities so Abby, Nicole and I headed over there and we all spent a final evening together before everyone headed off to their new homes.

We stuffed ourselves on pasta and chicken and cookies it Nutella! It was my first pasta meal in over a month! 

We headed back to Abby’s whose bed is soo big all 3 of us could share it! It was the comfiest bed I’ve slept in so far in Thailand! BLISS! 

 

Today was the day of the cremation. We had a lazy morning and enjoyed eggs with cheese and ham (cooked by our verybown Doug who had slept on the sofa) and a fruit bowl.

Then we began to watch the ceremony and procession on TV. It was being played on every channel! ! 

We knew a the shops would be shut so we headed to the pool in Abby’s complex for a few hours.

In the evening we had another homemade pasta meal before continuing to watch the cremation ceremony which went on late into the night!
Friday

Abby headed off to work and Nicole and I had a lazy morning before heading to a local mall. There we found an amazing pancake cafe! We couldn’t resist!

We returned to Abby’s and bid her farewell as she was off to Krabi for the weekend and then we ventured out again. We managed to work our the underground (MTR) and soon we were aseekendgain Terminal 21 – a shopping centre where each floor is decorated to represent a city from around the world. It was really impressive.

We ate some cheese tarts but they were more like custard tarts and very sweet. After our pancake lunch, we were in need of savoury not sweet so we ended up going to a mexican restuarant for dinner.

We then grabbed an Uber to take us over to Wat Pro and the Grand palace. However, as we were getting closer the traffic was awful and then we found out the road was shut so we got out of the car and found ourselves in a huge flower memorial/walkway which had been built to remember the king! It was incredibly busy and we were the only foreigners there! But it was amazing!

Once we had walked through the whole structure, we carried on down the road and were able to see Wat pho before finding a riverside restaurant where we had a cocktail with a beautiful view over the water and of Wat Arun!

Getting a taxi home was a little more challenging but we managed to use the Grab app and get one. It took ages! So much traffic around!

Once we were back at the flat, it was time to repack our bags ready for our journey tomorrow! Banglok has been great and I’m looking forward to visiting Abby again over the next few months!

So off we go to Chaiyaphum tomorrow! It’ll take a 6 hour coach ride but soon we will be in our new home and ready to start our new life!

Chiang Mai – Week 4

The final week….

Tuesday 

Today we had time to plan our final two lessons. I had simple past tense in the context of going to the beach and then a monsters lesson. I managed to get them done and then I could help the others. 

Some of the group only had 30 day visas which they got at the airport so today they had to go and extend them. This cost 1900 baht and took over 4 hours so a little annoying to have to do! When we start working, we’ll have to do a visa run which means we have to go to Laos to get our working visa – just a casual 12 hour drive!  

In the evening, we were all pretty tired and just wanted to chill. So after 3 weeks here, Nicole and I worked out how her fire stick works and we were able to watch Netflix. So far I’ve been using youtube to watch TV,  mainly ‘Mock the week’ and ‘Bake off’ as that’s all that seems to be available. Oh and a crazy tattoo program called “Just Tattoo of us” it’s awfull! So Netflix was a luxury and we could watch it on my TV so it was a big screen. We ended up watching Jack Whithall taking a gap year in Thailand and then Jurassic World! 

Wednesday 

We were up bright and early for our 5th lesson. As I was first, I was done by 9.30 which was great as then I could just relax. The kids found the past tense hard “yesterday I..walking/drinks?!”  so it took a bit longer to get the lesson going but they got there in the end! 

Everytime we go to the school they give us snacks and drinks which have varied alot!! Today they gave us coconuts. They were different to ones I have had before and the skin you pierced with a straw was squishy and a bit like a brain!! Unfortunately, I didn’t like it but didn’t want to waste it so luckily I could donate to Doug! 

^ This is the sweaty mess look!!^ 

We headed back to class to finish planning our final lesson and then a few of us jumped in a red truck and headed to an art gallery I have read about. It was called ‘Art in Paradise’ and specialised in creating optical illusions. The paintings were painted on the walls and ceilings and you were encouraged to stand on the painting to create a 3D image. It was quite amazing! Only slight hitch was that we hadn’t realised we needed to download an app which brought the paintings alive but we soon downloaded it and could experience the full effect! 

Thursday 

Our final day on the course!! We headed to school and I had a brilliant lesson on monsters. The children were brilliant which meant we could have a laugh and enjoyable lesson. It was and great end to the course! Oh and the snack today was donuts!! I accidently ate 3! 

All the children who came to school over the last few days were all volunteers as it’s actually the holidays!

So a month later and we’re all certified ESL teachers ready to start! If anyone’s interested in doing the course and trying out teaching here in Thailand , let me know! 

 We finished up and then headed back to our hotel to chill before all heading out to Ram bar. 

Friday 

It was lovely to wake up and and not have to go anywhere! We had a lazy morning, did some laundry and then headed for a massage! This time I had an aroma therapy massage…it was bliss!! Although I did have to ask for her to do it a little more gently at times!! 

We ended out hour massage with a cup of blue tea! No idea what it was but it tasted amazing! 

We enjoyed an evening by the pool and a final visit to Ram bar! 

Saturday 
This morning, we were picked up by the Thai teachers from last Friday and headed to a local temple called Wat Suan Dok. 

Here were learnt some more Thai as well as information about temples and buddhism. 

We were treated to lunch by the teachers. 

We were dropped off in Old town and after wandering  around for a while we found a couple of other temples to explore.

 

Sunday 

Time to pack!  I seem to have gained stuff and my bags seem to have shrunk!  But I’ve just about managed to get everything in my bags ready for the trip to Bangkok tomorrow!  

Nicole and I headed to Maya Mall where I got an extra rucksack (extra room!) and some new flipflops and then enjoyed browsing the shops – some sell some quite interesting products!  

What are these?!?! 

You can ride these around the mall! 

We enjoyed a little break at Starbucks before walking back.

Then I headed off to church..took an Uber today as a little luxury! After chuch I met the others at Srifaa’s for our final meal and we said goodbye to Ang who runs it. 

So the first month is done! Chiang Mai has been brillaint and a great introduction to Thailand! 

Things I’ve learnt:

☆ Always have toilet roll on you and be prepared to squat! Also the bum gun isn’t that scary! 

☆Be confident crossing the road. Yes you might have to walk out infront of bikes and cars but don’t hesitate midway, just walk and they’ll stop! 

☆Always keep you eyes on the path in front.  There are many random holes and  drains which you might trip on! 

☆ Red trucks are brilliant but don’t pay more than 30baht in town but get Uber or Grab to make it even easier to get around! 

☆ Get a Thai sim card early on and get unlimited data (300 baht/month)

☆Carry an umbrella during rainy season and be careful what you wear. The rain arrives suddenly and you’ll be drenched/see through if not prepared! 

☆ Gradually begin to eat street food but try it as it’s great! Rottis are amazing! But if you’re craving bread rather than rice, head to 7/11 for a cheese and ham toastie!! 

☆ Use the water stations to fill up your water bottles! For 1/2 baht you can get 4 litres of water! And it means you’re recycling some of the many plastic bottles which are being used by everyone! Also, you’ll be given a plastic bag for everything -no 5p rule here! 

☆ The electricity lines are crazy! Just watch out for the random wires dangling down in your path!

☆ You will have a sensory overload just walking down the streets which are lined with stalls selling everything from raw meat to clothing but it’s amazing! 

I can’t wait to see Bangkok then head onto Chaiyaphum!! 

Kob khan ka for reading! 

Sawadee ka!