Up early again this morning with a 6.30am breakfast and pick up at 7.00am to be driven close to the Tiger Kingdom and Orchid place to visit the Eagle Trek Zip wires. Mum was planning to do it but once we got there she decided against it and dropped out. Felt a bit guilty carrying on and having her get up early to join us but with hindsight it probably was the best decision and I think she was okay anyway.
We got kitted out and then jumped on a jeep to the start and Mum came along for that, it was clear that within the jungle there was no way she’d be able to follow us and she went back to base camp for cups of tea etc. And when she saw the first zip wires we went on she was pleased she’d not agreed to do it!!
We signed up for the Gold trek after a lot of umming and ahhing last night and it was definitely correct, we had such a good time and when we got to the Bronze finish line it would have been very disappointing to have stopped then!
So we spent most of the time zip-lining through the trees, longer & longer stretches and it was fantastic fun, it was just the 5 of us with two instructors and they were both excellent and good fun. Making the usual type of jokes about going and then panicking when someone set out as if they weren’t strapped in! There were a few cargo nets and walkways but the majority of it was wires.
A couple of stand-out lines were across the paddy fields and the views were brilliant, that was the highlight for me if I am honest and I think for all of us. There was also a couple of drops, not the Leap of Faith variety but more a controlled abseil down from high, 20 metres and then the very last finishing ones was 40 metres by a waterfall. We had a great time and so pleased we did it. One of the very long paddy field wires took us over the camp and we saw Mum underneath and she was also at the end so it was nice to feel she had some involvement.
Back to camp for some food, which we didn’t really need as it was only 10.30am and a catch up and chat and they then drove us back to the hotel. We all slept on the way and once changed went and sat by the pool which is where I am typing this from now!! And it’s bloody hot!! It’s overcast but the sun is out right now during a break in the clouds but when it’s out it’s amazing weather. And this is their winter!!
That’s one thing that’s surprised us a bit, we’ve not had much rain at all. None yesterday and so far none today. We’ll see how the rest of today goes, if it carries on like this then that will be wonderful!!
Played Lewis at crib and he beat me convincingly – got a 20 score, not bad…I let him win of course.
Got ready in 15 minutes and went out at 4.15pm to go and visit some temples in the Old City but it was still far too hot and Charlotte was hungry so we stopped at the first restaurant we saw and had our dinner, coming out it was overcast and a lot cooler so we wandered down the road and stopped at one temple which was really nice, looked around the side of it and saw the temple that we SHOULD have been at – amazing building where the monks were chanting and praying and around the back of that were the ruins of an ancient one and that was even more impressive. Once done we walked towards the Walking Street Market which is all homemade stuff and it went on and on and on..it was so long and lots of side stalls as well.
It was hot in there because there was no breeze and the number of people crowded there, we saw loads of things to buy and it was so reasonable there was no need to haggle or barter so we just accepted the prices that were offered. Everyone managed to buy something they liked, except me as I wanted a t-shirt in one of the first stalls but waited and waited and thinking we were going to return through the market ended up missing out as we didn’t return, instead we stopped for a drink at a side restaurant and then got a taxi back to our road of the hotel.
Tash and Lewis changed some money and we then went into one of those fish pedicure shops, never again! It was the strangest feeling and we were all shrieking as these fish were nibbling away at our feet. It wasn’t painful or anything like that, just felt like vibrations but not relaxing at all for any of us! Glad to have done it but won’t be in a hurry to ever do it again!!
Walking down this road was an eye-opener as it was a lively road that was full of girls or boys looking very much like girls enticing us in. As a family I suspect we weren’t worth bothering so it wasn’t hassle and more interesting if anything. What was interesting was that whether these were Lady boys or not they were very pretty/attractive so it would be so hard to make a guess as to the sexuality of them, perhaps I’m doing them a disservice and they were all girls who were desperate for a new life or purely for money. The number of European men, older than me, in these bars being paid attention by the girls was fascinating.
We stopped at one bar that looked fairly ‘normal’ and watched some of the telly (Premier League) and chatted to the owner who was American and a nice bloke, and then went a little further down the road to a side street that housed the Thai Boxing Fight that was taking place – we didn’t pay to go and watch but we could hear it all ‘kicking’ off. Good atmosphere. It was here that we stopped at another bar and this one was a little more seedier than the other one, there were a couple of men and loads of girls offering their attention to anyone that passed by. Lewis and Jack played pool and they were both shortly surrounded which was funny! We only stayed for one drink, it wasn’t intimidating at all and I would have loved to stay longer but it wasn’t to be!
Made our way home and another day and night over with! A great day though.
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