Hayley & Johns trip to Thailand!

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It's been a long few months at work for both me and my sister and it's not over yet but as much as we enjoy our jobs we are both definitely counting down the days until we leave for Thailand. Flying out on the 28th of December via Bahrain the trip is fully booked and we are pretty much ready to go. Hayley mentioned going to Thailand in about August and between us we have done pretty well to make it happen - Flights, Insurance, and a one nights stay at a hotel on arrival in Bangkok! The hotel the Sawasdee Bangkok Inn - ("Sawasdee" meaning hello in Thai) - Which is quite ironic being the first place we stay, isn't too far from the Chao Phraya River in the Banglamphu district northwest of downtown Bangkok and shouldn't take us to long to get to from the airport. We will travel from Thailand International Airport to the hotel probably via a Tuk Tuk which hopefully should only cost us about 50 Thai Baht which works out to less than a pound in the UK at 60B to every Ł1. Apparently you really have to haggle with the drivers and make sure you agree on a price before you get in otherwise they will sting you at the other end.

Rather than remembering things we need to take with us we are realising everyday to take less and less - most of the things we will need from clothes to camping gear are ridiculously cheaper in Thailand than they would be if we purchased them here. The hotels location is pretty ideal for our first couple of days as there are plenty of places to stock up on clothes etc and get a feel of Bangkok with two temples nearby which can be easily accessed via the river - "The temple of the Reclining Buddha and The temple of Dawn" The temple of the Reclining Buddha is one of the oldest temples within Bangkok and is something I am really looking forward to seeing. It was built before the city itself even existed and is still used by monks today, basically as a university!

After the first few nights we will be finding our way south (hopefully on the river) to Koh Phangan for "The Full Moon Party" quite well known commercially (and probably quite well known by the local Thais) The party is held every month when there is a full moon and we will be there by the 31st December for the new years eve party. Over 50000 people are expected to attend so I am quite nervous as I'm not the biggest party animal but I know my sister is going to LOVE it and fingers crossed I will too! Wherever we wake up the next day we will have to decide where to go next as we have not planned anything else. As long as we get to see as much as we can in the time we have it doesn't matter! We are definitely going to travel around and hopefully visit Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia as well before finding our way back to Thailand for our flight home at the end of February!

(Well that's the plan anyway!) Someone said "whatever begins always ends" and as much as I am going to miss home I'm not looking forward to the trip ending! With most of my best buddies away at the moment when we are all home next year im sure the travelling bug with be biting and fingers crossed we will all be off somewhere as a group - Jeff we are gate crashing your mums. Ivan you are letting us stay with you! And I'm sure we can find a few more places to go too :D

38 days till we leave... Roll on Xmas :oD