Winding down and Revving Up

Turns out, the whole 'I dont want to do any work' feeling that comes with the end of term in Ireland is not just for students. We have one week of classes left before we break for exams, and although I have really loved working here in Rattanaburi, I am feeling the itch to move on. So, the plan for the week is easy classes of games and sweets, coupled with a ton of research on the places I plan on visiting over the next three months.

For this weekend though, I decided to see a little more of the area I am in, and along with a friend from a nearby town we headed off to stay with a fellow ESL teacher in the busy little town of Sikoraphum, about 1 hour drive in a car (which means 2 in a bus) from where I live. We spent the weekend eating incredible Thai food (nom nom Som Tam) and biking around the area. We made a quick visit to a local ruined Hindu temple, drank the strangest green tea I have ever had, and followed all of this with jelly tots and wine gums, drinking cheap Thai beer and planning our travelling together. It was a very productive weekend, and after booking a flight down south in time for my birthday in March and outlining the locations we wish to visit, I have come to the conclusion that come June I will be very well travelled but also very well broke. In fairness though, what's the point in having money in a bank. May as well be spent on hostels, planes and tours.

The plan so far consists of this; Koh Samet for starters, then onto Bangkok for a flight down south, and then the Koh Mook in the Trang islands for my birthday (see incredible pic below .... yes, that really is how beautiful it is), moving on to Phuket, up to Phi Phi island (where 'The Beach' was filmed), then over to Koh Samui, see Koh Phangan, and then on to Phetchaburi before heading to Bangkok for a few days. For Thai New Year in April I will hopefully be in Chiang Mai up north, then a quick visit to Chiang Rai before heading over the scary border on an incredibly long bus journey to Cambodia. Between April 18th and June 6th, I plan to cover Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and hopefully Indonesia (although I may be too broke after Malaysia. We will see how good my budgeting skills are).

To say I am excited is an understatement. To also say I am utterly terrified is also an understatement. Considering that booking the flight down south last night nearly gave me an ulcer shows how I deal with making travel plans. There is always the fear of not pressing the right button, or making sure you have enough time to get to whatever airport before the flight, or maybe you put in the wrong passport details or the wrong date, not to mention organising currency and visas all in another language that you have a beginners grasp of ..... The only hope I have is that the Thai idea of mai pen rai (don't worry, be happy) will rub off on me during my three weeks beach hopping in March.

Here is a photo of where I am spending my birthday. May I just mention three nights accommodation here is costing me 19 euro thanks to Agoda's half price promotions. Living in a second world country with squatters toilets and a lack of cheese its not often I get to say this, but I think I will revel in it just this once; jealous much? :-)