Minirolls Musings

Today is my Thai Culture Day. I feel a bit guilty that I’ve not really seen much in the way of cultural sights yet. So today I set out to learn as much as I could about it from the most important place in the Thai Kingdom, the Grand Palace in Bangkok.

This is a huge ornately decorated compound in the centre of Bangkok that has been used for centuries. It’s the historic and current seat of King Vajiralongkorn, or Rama X, who only recently inherited the position after his father’s death in 2016. The King holds few powers of government, much like the UK, Thailand is a constitutional monarchy.

Continue reading Temple Torture

Today was my last day in Chiang Mai. This is somewhere I felt really at home, I will miss it. The exceptional hostel helped but mostly because the people were really nice, relaxed and helpful. The food was great. There was just enough of a party to be had if you wanted it and plenty of history and activities to keep you entertained.

Continue reading Getting Roasted In Chiang Mai

A trend has emerged the last few days. I seem to be getting double the days per 24 hour period. Its partly due to me rising earlier than the day should reasonably be started, and partly due to me ending the day, tomorrow after it began. If I were in spain this would be called a siesta and be perfectly acceptable. Yesterday evening had in fact finished early today, a mix of alcohol, talcum powder and persuasive Thai ladies to blame. So starting today, after this mornings yesterday was hard work.

Continue reading Jungle Flight

Late night, drunken decisions, I’ve discovered, are great! (providing there are no inky needles in sight) Yesterday when I stopped in a small town for lunch, I met a Liverpudlian called Tom who was cycling around asia, like, all of it. He was inspirational in the level of determination and self reliance and was headed towards Chiang Mai on the route I’d just travelled. We swapped road condition information. He also told me of a place that was great to watch the sunrise from in Pai, so I made a note of this and promised to do it. Continue reading Pai Direct Route

No matter how hard I try to travel like a normal person, I just can’t do it when I see a map with a road like the one leading to Pai. I’d been instructed to go to Pai by several people and it was most definitely an instruction. Fitting all these places in its now becoming a problem, but an interesting one.  Continue reading Pai Scenic Route

After getting in at 2am, getting up wasn’t fun, or early. I met Ted and after a long breakfast we went to the treetop bar, that had nothing to do with being at the top of any trees. Here we just chilled and nursed heavy (Ted) and light (me) hangovers with fruit shakes and relaxing music till it was time for me to depart.

Continue reading Lucky Hostel

We had arranged some more diving this morning, for a change… I’d suggested the Profun Divers shop however we wanted to dive on a wreck. Kari and Ted hadn’t done the wreck with Phil and I in Koh Tao and I think wished they had done after they saw the photos. Profun would have sorted us out, but it would have been via longtail boat. I can’t imagine climbing in and out of a wobbly little longtail with all the heavy diving gear on. It was hard enough without all that when we went Snorkeling yesterday. Instead we signed up with Island Divers who had a proper full sized boat going out. Awkwardly, I bumped into my guide from Profun, Vera, that morning at the bakery getting breakfast…

Continue reading Dive Bar

After my early night I rose surprisingly late to find Dan packing as quietly as he could. There is no mistaking the sound of quickdraws in the morning. In that long moment between sleeping and waking I was transported back to my university climbing days. The warm balsam of nostalgia evaporated like the morning dew as I became aware of my surroundings. Dan was leaving today, off on a boat trip around the islands before his ferry back to the mainland, so we didn’t get to do any more climbing.

Continue reading Boots n Boats

When I travel to a place, I deliberately don’t do much research. Realistically, there is so much going on in the world I’m not going to see all of it. Doing research gives you loads of options but because I like to experience everything, I’d end up having to choose and missing out on other things because of the limited time I have. Personally I’d rather not know about the things I’m missing, but focus my energy on the things I’m doing. And if, when I get home, someone says, “did you see…” and I didn’t, I start a list of what to see when I go back one day.

I like to get recommendations of what to, it’s a great way of picking the best things to do and avoiding the crap. It makes my life easier, and so far I’ve only had good experiences because of it.

Continue reading Jaws