At the mid point between Bali and Bangkok we found ourselves in Singapore airport with ten hours to kill. Anywhere else in the world this would have been a grueling experience, but not in Singapore my friends. During this overnight stay we strolled freely from internet stands, to massage chairs, to entertainment areas packed with games consoles and a cinema! In the early hours of the morning we found ourselves touring the airports' terminals via the on site skytrain, as you do. We found endless retail outlets, a gym, a swimming pool and western food! Shamefully, after two months of eating local foods across Asia, McDonalds drew us in twice during our stop over. With our stomachs full to the brim with Big Mac's and soggy fries we decided to take a little innocent nap on the airport floor. Much to his surprise, Will was woken by a scary collection of armed guards, "show me your papers please.." Just making sure we weren't homeless seeking shelter! Luckily a few hours later we were air born once more bound for Bangkok.
Arrived in Khao San, the backpacker ghetto of Bangkok, surrounded by markets, internet cafes and massage facilities. Despite the tiring amount of offers for a 'massaaaaaage', we ended up settling for a room above one of the sketchier looking parlours near the main strip. By day these narrow streets flooded with westerners hungry for a bargain. We all fell victim to the remarkably affordable clothes, accessories, games, and refreshments on offer. As the sun went down the party-goers came out, and Chang began to flow. Chang (at "6.4%") is widely and openly known as a beer which varies from three to thirteen percent alcohol volume. But there's no telling what you have in your bottle. You could be drinking a pint of alcopop, you could be drinking a pint of wine! After sampling a few Changs ourselves we dabbled in the night life of this crazy city several times. After watching an enthralling Welsh victory over England we went out clubbing to celebrate Wales' defense of the six nations title (too soon?). This night taught us a great deal about the locals, specifically the 'ladies'. The research carried out by Thorps and I suggests that that there are three kinds of Thai women. Some in particular were lovely and would spend the whole night with you before revealing that they had a BOYFRIEND IN THE U.S ARMY CURRENTLY FIGHTING IN AFGHANISTAN. Others would drag you miles across town for a 'cuddle' and then send you home only hours later. The others my friends, are not women! Conclusion: it isn't worth the pursuit. And so in Bangkok the Lady Boy Watch began.
On a more positive mood, a highlight for me was the opportunity to reunite with our long lost friend Becky Price and travelling buddy Jess. We spent a long evening in Silom catching up, exchanging stories and swigging a few premium Singha's. Only at the beginning of their journey, the girls left us jealous of that feeling when you first find your feet. With so much ahead, the girls moved north as we turned south making way for the infamous Samui Islands and the full moon party.
At one point it seemed unlikely that we'd ever reach Koh Samui. After nearly 20 hours on buses, boats and minivans we finally arrived at our destination where we would chill out for a few days. Chaweng beach boasted a 3km stretch of white sand and clear turquoise ocean, a perfect place to relax we thought to ourselves. During our quiet night in, our game of pool was interrupted by three Hertfordshire girls wondering where we were going out that night. But as I said, we were having a quiet night in. So three hours later, there we were, six boozed up brits abroad dancing on tables on the beach with buckets in hand. Confused as to what happened, we tried to resemble what a quiet night entailed. One more night wasn't too bad... The following day brought the arrival of Jake and Zach, two lads who to this day we hold responsible for the current state of our livers. After being introduced, it was rude not to join them on their first night out in Koh Samui. We were now eight. This epic night kicked off a chain reaction of alcohol fuelled days and nights which sported some of the finest british banter, a sense of humour we'd struggled to find thus far. Despite this frequent behaviour we did manage to add some new experiences to our list. Shaan and Will bravely hired scooters for the day and took off for a tour of the island, passing waterfalls, secluded beaches and untouched landscape. With a nasty hangover I turned against the idea and went for a walk taking pictures as I slowly recovered back to normality. Less refreshed than expected we hopped from one island to the next. Koh Phangan and the full moon follows. Watch this space!
Rhys
Arrived in Khao San, the backpacker ghetto of Bangkok, surrounded by markets, internet cafes and massage facilities. Despite the tiring amount of offers for a 'massaaaaaage', we ended up settling for a room above one of the sketchier looking parlours near the main strip. By day these narrow streets flooded with westerners hungry for a bargain. We all fell victim to the remarkably affordable clothes, accessories, games, and refreshments on offer. As the sun went down the party-goers came out, and Chang began to flow. Chang (at "6.4%") is widely and openly known as a beer which varies from three to thirteen percent alcohol volume. But there's no telling what you have in your bottle. You could be drinking a pint of alcopop, you could be drinking a pint of wine! After sampling a few Changs ourselves we dabbled in the night life of this crazy city several times. After watching an enthralling Welsh victory over England we went out clubbing to celebrate Wales' defense of the six nations title (too soon?). This night taught us a great deal about the locals, specifically the 'ladies'. The research carried out by Thorps and I suggests that that there are three kinds of Thai women. Some in particular were lovely and would spend the whole night with you before revealing that they had a BOYFRIEND IN THE U.S ARMY CURRENTLY FIGHTING IN AFGHANISTAN. Others would drag you miles across town for a 'cuddle' and then send you home only hours later. The others my friends, are not women! Conclusion: it isn't worth the pursuit. And so in Bangkok the Lady Boy Watch began.
On a more positive mood, a highlight for me was the opportunity to reunite with our long lost friend Becky Price and travelling buddy Jess. We spent a long evening in Silom catching up, exchanging stories and swigging a few premium Singha's. Only at the beginning of their journey, the girls left us jealous of that feeling when you first find your feet. With so much ahead, the girls moved north as we turned south making way for the infamous Samui Islands and the full moon party.
At one point it seemed unlikely that we'd ever reach Koh Samui. After nearly 20 hours on buses, boats and minivans we finally arrived at our destination where we would chill out for a few days. Chaweng beach boasted a 3km stretch of white sand and clear turquoise ocean, a perfect place to relax we thought to ourselves. During our quiet night in, our game of pool was interrupted by three Hertfordshire girls wondering where we were going out that night. But as I said, we were having a quiet night in. So three hours later, there we were, six boozed up brits abroad dancing on tables on the beach with buckets in hand. Confused as to what happened, we tried to resemble what a quiet night entailed. One more night wasn't too bad... The following day brought the arrival of Jake and Zach, two lads who to this day we hold responsible for the current state of our livers. After being introduced, it was rude not to join them on their first night out in Koh Samui. We were now eight. This epic night kicked off a chain reaction of alcohol fuelled days and nights which sported some of the finest british banter, a sense of humour we'd struggled to find thus far. Despite this frequent behaviour we did manage to add some new experiences to our list. Shaan and Will bravely hired scooters for the day and took off for a tour of the island, passing waterfalls, secluded beaches and untouched landscape. With a nasty hangover I turned against the idea and went for a walk taking pictures as I slowly recovered back to normality. Less refreshed than expected we hopped from one island to the next. Koh Phangan and the full moon follows. Watch this space!
Rhys
Love the photos on this one, bit scary to Will on a bike though knowing how accident prone he is!!
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