Ties from Thais

Now I know I haven't finished my chrimbo holiday blog updates and for this I apologize, it may appear in the near ish future I still have some notes, lots of picture and memories so there is a good chance it'll be back. But I have something interesting to write now so rather than waiting that's what I'm going to do.

(I have not finished the spell check on this I'll do it asap - so until then just live with it OK?)

I have just returned from Thailand. Its a really very nice country, which might not sound like a ringing endorsement but really it is. The people are incredibly friendly, noe this may be because of a contrast with people in Japan who are less than friendly at many times. However (which is a good way to start a sentence) my negative feelings about Japanese people have been proven very very wrong. As I was flying back from Bangkok I had that brief sinking feeling when the person who sits next to you wants to chat for the whole flight. But my seat mate turned out to be a truly fantastic person. Noriko is her name and with her husband she runs an import export company between Japan and Thailand. We chatted about many things, and for the first time, perhaps because it was totally free of any kind of work situation, I was able to talk to the locals about things more interesting than shopping and other senseless nothings. When we arrived at Kansai airport Noriko introduced me to her husband, after saying hello I started to fret a little because it was rather late and I needed to catch the first possible train, but they kept talking and talking, eventually I started to make my excuses to leave. But they were having none of it and marched me off to the car park, to cut it short I was driven by these wonderful people all the way back to my door a good hour or hour and a half out of their way! What nicer welcome could you ask for, than all your bad thoughts being thoroughly contradicted?

So I made it safely home with my large bag of shopping. Fifteen new CD's brought for the price of one CD on Grafton Street and three futon/cushion/mini-sofa type of things and a pile of new Thais (irresistible joke - sorry). And all this and some more for less than fifty quid, a rather economical country if that is what you need.

(Peter Stringer has just put Ireland in the lead again - thank phew)

So about my trip which is probably more interesting than my return and shopping... I arrived in Bangkok and met up with Pippa and her friend Suzy they had arrived form India the day before and by a fantastic piece of karmic luck wangled themselves a place in a five star hotel for the night so were very refreshed. We spent a night carousing in the seedier parts of the Thai capital, meeting amongst other interesting personages a man who claimed to have been a Gay Porn star but turned out to have done a little shoe modeling, and an Irish jockey who was torn between a desire to lope off with the certainty of the hooker leaning on his shoulder and a desire not to look sleazy in front of the lovely Irish girls (Pip and Suze) he had just met. He stayed with us.

We then headed on down along the gulf of Thailand towards Cambodia in a Thai public bus. Now this isn't the National Express, these are fantastic busses you get snacks and drinks and very comfy seats all for almost no money, and service with a smile, except when girls in short skirts splay their legs across the seats. We arrived in Trat and took a rickety taxi down to Laem Ngop on the coast. Laem Ngop is mainly just a portal to Koh Chang our destination a few miles off the coast but we rather enjoyed ourselves, we had a cracking meal on the side of the road. By now I was really beginging to enjoy the heat and the slight disorganisation compared to Japan, but really the heat waqs fantastic. After dinner we took a wander down the pier to watch the fishing boats loading up with ice, although this might not sound so interesting seeing a man stick his leg into a machine that was happily turning 6x3 blocks of ice into cubes you cant fail to enjoy yourself!

finally the next morning we made it to Koh Chang our island paradise. I had been told that this was a virtually undeveloped place, things had certainly changed. We stayed on lonely beach, which really wasn't very lonely, but it was lovely. Long white sand and not too many people I think int the aftermath of the Tsunami the Islands in the gulf are much busier than normal. I developed a small tan by the end of the trip largely due to the care taken of me by the girls looking exasperated when I tried to sunbathe without sun block. Mostly lots of time was spent chilling and eating and enjoying some reasonably priced drinks. But we also did a little activity, one day we spent four hours Kayaking out to some pretty islands in the bay, on one we met some really cheerful artists from just outside Bangkok. Another day saw us risking life and limb speeding round the island on Mopeds, the last time I drove one was on exchange in France and I ended up in a ditch. We discovered a beutiful restaurant on the other (much more peaceful) side of the island where myself Pippa and Pia a Sweedish girl we had met had some relly spendid food only slightly spoiled by a phycotic cat. So a most relaxing time was had wich has made it even harder to come back to the drudgery of Nova. I also partook of a Thai Oil Massage, ohhhh, very relaxing, I did get the giggles a few times as the massage got closer and closer to my more 'nether' regions I hadn't realised how tickelish my inner thighs were. The most disturbing thin was the elderly German in speedos ohhing and ahhing all the time only a few inches to my left. I fely thouraghly revitalised at the end despoite my giggles.

There were probably many other intersting things I should add to this but it is now late and I want to focus on the last few moments of Irelands rather lame perfomance aganst Italy, if you want more details, and I'm happy to give them, e-mail me; I like it or leave a message I like that too.

All the best keep well,
Roger

p.s Better news I think Hickie has it sealed but why would you ask me for Rugby results.