Fly my pretty, fly ....... again!

OK decided to go again.  I can't just sit here day in, day out, waiting for something to happen!  So I'm off to Thailand for Operation Madonna 2014 (as in Bridget Jones teaching the Thai female prisoners to sing Like A Virgin lol)!

This time I have booked and arranged the trip myself - not bad for a 53 year old going on 29!  All those Open University research tips have come in handy and I think, well I hope, I have done a good job.

So why Thailand?  Well since moving to Cosy Cottage in May I have started to explore Buddhism and see where that journey takes me.  So far I have gained a great deal from it so decided that I needed to see Buddhist Temples - hence Thailand.

So a quick overview.  I leave the UK on Friday 31 January, which is Megan's 20th Birthday.  I fly at 20:10 with Ethihad Airways to Abu Dhabi.  I did not know where that was lol but now know its is part of the UAE.  Then from there after two hours I fly to Bangkok.

I am having six nights in Bangkok and have booked myself into a traditional Thai guest house.  Which is a mattress on the floor and no shoes in the house - how great is that.  I will have breakfast included there and the whole six nights have cost £49! A bargain.  So have a look on Tripadvisor - its called the Khaosan Baan Thai and it has good reviews.  I am staying in the single room and will be exploring Bangkok from there.  I will be taking in as many Temples as I can as well as having a Thai cookery lesson, Thai massage, some yoga classes and also I am thinking of taking a trip to see the railway that was built by the POWs in the Second World War - time permitting.  Oh as well as the Ladyboys and nightlife, I will have to go and have a look at what is going on.

Then I will get a bus from Bangkok to a place called Trat which is fairly near to the Cambodian boarder.  On arrival here I will catch either a boat, speedboat or catamaran to a small island that is only 16 miles wide called Ko Mak.  Here I will be staying at the Bamboo Hideaway Resort with accommodation looking over the sea.  Whilst at Ko Mak I want to be riding and washing elephants, something Megan has always wanted to do, some more Thai cookery a Temple on the island as well as a school; both I wish to make contact with.  

I leave Ko Mak on 14 February - the anniversary of my Father's death and arrive back in Manchester on Saturday 15 February.  So a lovely little adventure.

Once again I will be keeping this blog, posting photos and ranting way at the cultural differences I will experience.  I hope you will be sharing this journey with me once again.

Karen