Namaste!

On a long tail boat on our way to a hidden lagoon. The scenery around the island is
breathtaking - and not very different to Halong Bay

For a very long time I had longed to do the ultimate cliché: yoga retreat on an island in Thailand.

After much research and eliminating those places that offered the "supreme spa, detox, luxury experience" at a five star resort costing the entirety of my remaining budget for a five day stay, as well as those that offered the "we smoke pot in a circle and call it yoga" type of retreats, I finally found a place that looked like a winner: Island Yoga at Ulmar's Nature Lodge in Koh Yao Noi. It was relatively easy to get to from Phuket, too, just get a speedboat from the eastern side of the island, Bangrong Pier.

Arriving at the Bangrong pier I felt the familiar sensation of excitement in the bottom of my stomach, the same feeling I have every time when I'm about to go to a new place and embark on my next adventure.

Monkey business
There were wild monkeys at the pier that had, like in many other places in Southeast Asia as well, found that food was much easier to come by around a human residence than deep in the forest. At first everyone thought it was cute and endearing, the little monkeys walking around the pavements drinking out of coke cans and snatching the unsuspecting tourists' bags of crisps, but after more tourists and more monkeys arrived at the scene, the monkeys started to get a bit more aggressive and ganging up, looking more and more scary and making growling noises similar to those of an aggressive dog. They were clearly not scared of the children as they were smaller in size; they even teamed up and robbed a poor child off his drink he was carrying in his hand, despite his best efforts to defend himself and his cola bottle. The locals had long sticks they used to try to scare the monkeys away but once there were three or four monkeys teamed up against one man at a time they were not one bit afraid anymore and instead of running away towards the forest they raised the hair on their backs and went into full on aggression mode, showing their long sharp fangs and hissing loudly and disgustingly at the people.

This was my cue to get the hell out of there and go and sit as far as possible from the commotion. I wasn't quite quick enough though. One of the monkeys had spotted the rattling plastic bag in one of the side pockets of my smaller backpack, and before I had a chance to react it was pulling it out! I was too shocked and scared to do anything about it; one look at his eyes and long yellow fangs was enough to paralyze me. So there went my can of mosquito repellent, into the hands and mouth of an eager, greedy monkey. I doubt he ever got into the contents of the aluminium container, but would probably been a good lesson if he had!

The speedboat ride to the island was pretty uneventful. As always, the boat was overcrowded and because I took my time recovering from the shock caused by my traumatic monkey business I was one of the last ones on the boat and had to find myself a spot outside on the deck, with all the luggage. I wasn't about to complain, with the sun in my face and the warm wind in my hair headed towards new adventures, life seemed to be on a pretty good track.

A seafood restaurant Pui Wah and I found one day we 
were exploring the island on a motorbike 

Koh Yao Noi
Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai are two Muslim fisherman islands between Phuket and Krabi and my yoga retreat took place on the smaller of them, Yao Noi.

My princess room

Koh Yao Noi is what I presume Phuket kind of looked like 20 years ago. Why these two islands are not more popular I don't know. For me, this is what this whole trip is all about, finding spots like this that haven't (yet) been inundated with tourists and the tourist crap selling shops, tailors, and sex. Ulmar's Nature Lodge where I stayed was located on the ocean front, surrounded by peace and quiet far away from the only town on the island. It was exactly what I needed after two lively weeks in Phuket. My bungalow was a very basic bamboo structure with my own outdoor toilet and shower. The mosquito net and the pink sheets made it even cuter, I felt like an island princess sleeping in my little princess bed!

Rock climbing

Getting geared up!

Island Yoga offered many activities you could fill your days with when you weren't in yoga class. Amongst other things you could rent a bicycle, or a motorbike, once a week they organised a kayaking trip, and occasionally they had different workshops for those who were keen.

The wall from the distance - with Conni half way up it

Another activity they offered at Island Yoga was rock climbing; a sport I was only vaguely familiar with. It's not a hobby that had ever aroused a real interest in me, probably because I thought it would be too hard physically for me to climb a vertical wall - and factoring in my fear of heights I wasn't really attracted by the idea of it. However, finally the yoga instructors assured me it was perfectly suited for complete beginners with a problem with heights. And after other first-timers also signed up I thought why not, we've all gotta die some day.

And I am really happy I went, of course, don't regret it for one second! I only did two climbs, the first no higher than 5 metres but the second one probably 15 metres or so, at this stunning cliff rising vertically straight out of the sea. I was shocked and surprised by how easy it was physically to climb up a vertical cliff, and by how quickly I came to trust the equipment.

What a fabulous day!

Way up high!!!

Cycling
Not a real story in itself but an anecdote I don't want to forget: I also rented a bicycle one day to explore the island. I took one quick look at the map and saw that there was one main road that formed a circle, and that road went through the village where I wanted to get some "supplies" from (water, fruit, snacks). Easy enough, can't get lost. Don't bother bringing the map.

Good decision, dumb ass.

Getting to the village - no problem. Cycling back not the same way I came but continuing on the circle road which would eventually lead back to the bungalows - problem. My buttocks were already a bit sore from cycling to the village, which took about 30 minutes or so, so I should have thought about that and not taken any chances but this idiotic voice in my head kept saying "can't get lost, can't get lost" so I kept going.

And that idiotic voice didn't stop at the first blocked road sign either, instead it said "take a left onto this dirt track, I'm sure it's a shortcut."

Nor did it shut up at the second blocked road sign either, but told me to "ignore the locals who are laughing at your red sweaty face, and take right onto this other dirt track with the really steep hill that is in such a bad shape not even the best 4x4 could manage."

Half way up this hill (did I mention it was +35 degrees?) I saw a Thai man walking down and asked him if he could tell me how to get to my bungalow. With the help of a stick to draw a map on the ground with he demonstrated there was indeed no way back this way, and that I had successfully climbed a hill leading nowhere of course, and that the only way back was back through the village, same way I had come from. Phenomenal.

One of the streets in the adorable village

The whole way home the idiotic voice in my head kept asking what stupid moron listens to an imaginary voice in their head anyway; own ffffffing fault innit?!

That was over 3 hours on a bicycle, many desperate thoughts, many many swear words.

Bad memories aside, what I saw of the island was absolutely stunning, it was worth the pain and effort. Long, blonde, empty beaches, adorable rustic restaurants with handmade and handwritten signs, beautiful houses and gardens overflowing with big bushes of flowers and vegetation, and very friendly and happy locals.

The yoga
Yoga is something I have always wanted to try and to learn in a more serious way than just a class here and there since I knew it would help me with the aches and pains of everyday life. The way the retreat is set up is that there is yoga practice twice a day, at 7.30am and again at 4.30pm, and the classes are anywhere between 1.5 to 2.5 hours long and always include an aspect of meditation.

Already by day three I could feel the difference in my body. Waking up in the morning and getting out of bed happened smoothly and effortlessly, I felt my muscles and joints had become more stretched and flexible, my breathing had changed, and unless I was thinking about my pending masters application forms I was constantly in a happy, calm and relaxed state of mind (in the words of Cesar Millan! Woof!)

Meditation
I'm not going to lie. Some (not to say all) of the meditation exercises were a bit much for me. I'll put it down to the fact that I'm new at this and not at this stage capable of clearing my head altogether and focusing on.....oh that's right - nothing - when its 10am, we've done yoga for the past 2.5 hours and I can smell the breakfast being cooked next door. Had the teacher asked us to focus solely on an image of a fried egg that would have been different, I would probably have managed that.

One day we did Tai Chi and Chi Kung, pretending to have a ball of energy between our hands that we were moving around in a dance- like way, after which we did a few more "energy" exercises before coming together in a circle and going into a meditative state. Lying there quietly with my eyes closed I started feeling the bottom of my stomach and around my groin (we had just been focusing on that area) getting warmer and warmer and I thought "wow, so this is it!"

I couldn't believe I had accomplished this with the power of my mind and meditation, I could really feel it, physically! Finally curiosity took over and I had to open my eyes and look down.

So as it turns out it was the sun that was shining in through the window, the rays shining straight on that warm spot I had mistaken for successful meditation.

Almost had it!

The teacher was ecstatic afterwards explaining how he could feel the joint energy in the room, how much more powerful it was during class when everyone did it together as opposed to when he does it on his own. I gotta tell ya, other than the brief moment in the sun, the room nor I felt no different to me before, during, or after these exercises. Perhaps a bit more sweaty from the trance like dancing.

Akiko, one of the teachers, before class

But I'll tell you what I did enjoy. Every time we formed a circle after class to come together to meditate, there was a feeling of unity that felt really good; and just being together with this group of people was an enjoyable experience in itself. During these moments (when we were supposed to not think) I often thought how nice it was - and how grateful I was - to feel welcomed in this place and into this group of people. It is a nice feeling when you're accepted without anyone knowing anything about you and you have nothing to live up to or prove. That's what makes travelling alone not a lonely experience at all.

Maybe I didn't get to meditate like some of the others did, but it doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the quiet moments just as much.

I'm not sure I'll ever "get it" when it comes to the talk about the chakras and the reiki and the energies, but I do believe the mind is a powerful thing and probably if you know how, you can change your mood and how you feel with the power of your mind. More than once I have caused myself a real headache from faking one. I remember one time in particular when I managed to get a headache so bad from trying really hard to fake one, that even the strongest of my pills didn't cure it. If the mind is capable of this I completely believe it is capable of the exact opposite.

It is the physical aspect of the yoga that I enjoyed the most during the retreat, it really agrees with my body and mind - although I know yoga is about much much more than "stretching on a piece of sticky rubber" like one of the teachers would say.

I got a lot out of the retreat. Whilst I'm not sure it's all down my alley, I learned about a million new things, met some wonderful people, felt amazing both physically and mentally, and hope I can remember this for the rest of my life.

Enjoying a family dinner together with others from the yoga retreat.

Family Dinner - twice a week we all got together to enjoy an evening in good company and food. Here, at an organic restaurant a Swiss woman has on the island. 

Phuket Afterthoughts

On the boat on our way back from our day at Raya Rai

My time in Phuket was every bit as good and enjoyable as all of the other places I've travelled to on my journey through Southeast Asia, the difference being that I quite strongly disliked the place itself. What made it so special was of course having the world's best mom there to visit me, and being able to spend quality time together with her, her lovely friend Merja, and my Pete.

Phuket is Thailand's biggest island and for that reason also very diverse and probably has a little something for everyone's taste; so I shouldn't be too judgmental and say its not a nice holiday destination. Except that its not a nice holiday destination. Or rather, I think there are a thousand and one other places to go to before choosing Phuket. Already two years ago when I came to Thailand on an epic and unforgettable holiday to visit my backpacking friend Anne I spent some time on Kata Beach, supposedly one of Phuket's best beaches. I wasn't too dazzled by it. Even then the impression I was left with is that Phuket caters for (to a great extent) the ignorant traveller, the one who seeks only sun, fun and convenience with no regard for the country itself nor its people nor culture. Those are the kind of people who give foreigners a bad reputation for being inconsiderate and disrespectful, and those are the type of tourists I found like to travel to destinations such as Phuket.

Tiger bar, where you could admire these classy
tigers whilst also admiring classy ladies and
ladyboys pole dancing on the tables.

Being in Patong Beach this time, that impression I had from last time was only reaffirmed. Phuket is built and perfected to please the tourist, with Patong Beach at the top of the list. You can get anything here. ANYTHING. So let's start with that. Sex. Probably holiday in paradise for the single man looking for a good time; who will be approached by tens of sexy exotic Thai at every bar, each more beautiful than the last - and as long as he is able to tell the women and the ladyboys apart (not an easy task and perhaps not even a necessary one provided he is not fussy) and as long as he knows its not for free....he can have a pretty good time, night after night.

Sex is on display everywhere, in the bars wrapped around the poles on the tables, walking and flirting down the streets, in the ping pong shows on every corner, and in many of the infamous massage parlours. In short, as a man you're not going to have a hard time getting any if that's what takes your fancy.

Phuket (and Patong) is catered to the tourist in many other ways too, which is probably why the beaches are so crowded they remind me of Costa del Sol in August. Good luck finding a free spot on the sand after about 8am. The beach is actually beautiful, the sand is white and the water is blue and clear. But for me it's off-putting to see that many people on the beach, I prefer the beaches in the Philippines where it was just me and myself. And Mr. Jenkins, of course. It's not like I even want to rent a jet ski or do other water sports, when the prices are THB 1,500 for 30 minutes, that's over £30....

It's not only the water sports that are pricy. EVERYTHING in Phuket is at least 30% and sometimes as much as 100% more expensive than on Koh Tao for example, which is also a touristy destination and therefore more expensive than the average in Thailand. Phuket made a big dent in my budget, that's for sure.

LONKERO!!

Now I'm not going to lie, I was over the top excited to get my hands on lots of things I hadn't had in months, like Spanish Jamon Serrano, some quality olives, Danish blue cheese, and some Wasa sourdough crispy bread - and best of all, an ice cold Lonkero in a Finnish bar - but the fact that I was able to find this just goes to show that the kind of thing tourists here seek are the same goods they'd consume at home which is why they're available. I didn't see one - not one - Thai food only restaurant. All of them do the pizzas and the hamburgers tourists crave. Supply and demand; ECON-101.

In terms of shopping, Patong is also the perfect place. Once more you can get anything and everything there, and even though it may be more expensive than in other destinations in Thailand, it's still cheaper than getting it in Europe. Fake Rolexes, handbags, wallets, clothing; real sparkly diamonds and tailor-made cashmere and silk suits. And anything in between. Every single shop in this town is dedicated to pleasing the tourist, and seeing how they (should probably say we) flock here month after month, year after year, I don't see this changing anytime soon.

Our entertainers singing at dinner to us by
the pool at Cape Sienna

Not everyone who travels to Phuket is rude, ignorant, or looking for sex of course. Many people like to travel here because the beaches are truly beautiful, there are many fun day trips available, and also a big reason is that it is easier to get by if you're not an experienced traveller or confident in English, as it's very easy to find services in your own language and everything is easier and more convenient than perhaps in other places in Thailand.


And boy are the hotels nice or WHAT?! Cape Sienna on Kamala Beach is where my mom and her friend Merja stayed, and despite of being one of the nicest hotels I've ever seen its not even close to being the finest of the hotels in Phuket.

Sunset from the hotel room

The Vanilla Sky Bar on the rooftop on Cape Siena is about the most luxurious place to watch the sunset with a cocktail in your hand. But does it beat sunsets on Koh Tao's beach loungers with your feet dipped in the ocean, or on a desert beach in the Philippines? Ah, it's a tricky one.... But I do know it beats "watching the sunset" through a thick dark rain cloud through an office window sat in front of my computer dreading the commute back home that will probably take an hour and a half due to snow, signal failure, or a person on the rails...

Plum Restaurant - our table!

Cape Sienna also had a pretty damn nice restaurant, Plum, where we all had dinner one night at sunset. It was one of those restaurants you wish you had the chance to experience even once in your lifetime, so spectacular that when you're there all you can do is repeat "OMG I can't believe how nice this is!" over and over again. What made it such an amazing experience was the table we had, which was sunk into the infinity pool surrounding the rooftop restaurant. We were essentially sitting right at the edge of the restaurant over the sea, in the pool , with the sun setting right behind us, drinking fabulous wine and eating gorgeous food. The dining experience was quite Mediterranean but some of the dishes had a Thai touch to them. It was all very chic and stunning, couldn't really go wrong.... The quirks of flashpacking ;)

But my flashpacking days are now behind me, as I have left my mom and her fancy hotel in Phuket and moved on towards new exciting experiences. It is a strange feeling, not having anything at all planned for the remainder of my trip other than a few vague ideas of what I'd perhaps like to do. It's liberating yet scary; I feel free but not quite sure what to do next or where to go. But I don't feel alone - I am really enjoying the thought of being able to enjoy some alone time for a while.

Dinner at Plum. Instead of a traditional "book style" menu,
each diner gets their own iPad where they can read t
heir interactive menu from.

And my backpack is about 5kg lighter after I offloaded a whole lot for my mom to take home with her. Heavenly!

Thank you mom, love you buckets!

My mom, Merja, and I went on a snorkeling trip to Raya Rai Island. I have never in my life
seen water so clear, and sand so white; absolute paradise. 

Last night in Phuket - PIZZA NIGHT! Mamma Mia makes them the best. Ever. 

Tailor Made Suit

Before being in Bangkok and being taken to a tailor shop partly against my will by an eager Tuk Tuk driver the thought of having a tailor made suit had never crossed my mind. I mean, I had always wanted one but it had been more like a "when I grow up" type of desire.

Suddenly, however, out of the blue I thought this seemed like a good opportunity to get one! I mean, I was going to have to work again at some point, maybe a having a new suit at a job interview would give me a boost of self confidence?

Either way, I wanted one. Since I didn't have time to make it happen in Bangkok I took the chance and made it happen in Phuket where I stayed for two weeks, more than enough time to get it done. So one night when Pete and I had had a few beers and were wondering down random streets in Patong we saw a tailor shop and decided to have a quick look.

After about five minutes of looking through the latest Hugo Boss and Armani catalogues and feeling the cashmere and silk fabric mixes I was sold! Well, not before some serious price negotiations of course. I ended up agreeing on THB 7,500 or £160 for a beautiful grey skirt, trousers, and jacket combo; the last time I bought a two-piece suit I paid well over £300 and that was on sale!

"Make the jacket this long, with two buttons, in a little from here, out from
there, curve the edges like this, make the skirt a bit longer, more pencil
shaped, a bit higher, no a bit lower, no no higher again..."

Getting measured was an interesting experience I'm not sure I enjoyed very much. I felt very self conscious, didn't know how I was meant to stand, and wished for the life of me I had been wearing trousers rather than a skirt. They measured absolutely everything, even things I really didn't think were important. But I now know how far apart my nipples are.

I had a fitting two days later when I got to try on the half ready clothes to see what adjustments needed to be made. Now this I enjoyed! I loved being able to decide the exact shape and length of the skirt, design of the jacket, and fit of the trousers. Got me so excited I decided to get a shirt made, too!

Having to wait for another two days before my suit and shirt were done felt like two weeks, but it was worth the wait. They delivered the clothes to my hotel room and I had my very own catwalk show on the balcony, as you'd expect.

Step aside bitches, the job is mine.

Phuket, Phuket's ladyboys, Phuket's day trips, Phuket's beaches, and other Phuket charms

Getting to Phuket
I was sad to leave the beautiful Koh Tao but excited to go to Phuket as it meant meeting up with my mom who I hadn't seen in over six months! And you never know, perhaps I'd be back in that neck of the woods sooner rather than later as I had been looking into going to Koh Phangan for a week or two after Phuket. The beauty of backpacking with no concrete plan is that you can do whatever takes your fancy; after my mom's visit I'd be free to do whateeeeever I feel like, although staying in Thailand would mean doing a visa run to probably Myanmar as my 30 day visa free stay would be up at the end of February.

Getting to Phuket involved nothing less than one taxi, two ferries, two buses, and a minivan. In total we ended up travelling for 13 hours; and having had no proper food all day (just gross potato crisps and other junk food), arriving at our hotel in Patong Beach felt like heaven. Fresh delicious dinner, long hot shower, and bed will never feel as good as it does after a day like that.

Cocktail time

Seeing my mom after such a long time was just amazing. I had never before been on holiday with her so I knew we were going to have big time fun together. I immediately hit it off with her friend Merja as well, and there was no doubt in my mind the next two weeks were going to be filled with laughter and good times. Despite the language barrier Pete fitted into the group of giggling Finnish women pretty well I thought!


Simon Cabaret

Simon Cabaret is a 'must see' when in Phuket. Men, women, and ladyboys performing entertaining dances in outrageous outfits lip syncing to songs in different languages. It is advertised everywhere and recommended to us by people who had seen it so we thought we'd give it a go. Plus its one of the top activities in Phuket on Tripadvisor so it's gotta be good right?

Is it a boy? Is it a girl?

After having been to some of the top London shows, I'm afraid to me Simon Cabaret was a bit of a disappointment. The costumes were impressive I suppose but other than that there wasn't much about the show that was fantastic. I'm glad I went though, I did think it was a fun experience overall. The thing that kept me most entertained was trying to guess which of the dancers were ladyboys and which were women, which isn't always easy!

The lip syncing wasn't great, most of the time the dancers clearly didn't even know the words to the songs. As for the dancing, some of it was pretty amazing I thought - especially the performances of the lead dancers, although most of the time it seemed to me that the showgirls (and boys) were rather unenthusiastically going through the motions with no passion in their performance, and looking like they'd rather be anywhere else but on that stage. Like remembering the movements as if reading them from a piece of paper and following through: "one step left, one step right, left arm up, and shake it all about... now smile." I think it would have helped if the dancers had managed to be in sync, at least during one of the dances...

The costumes were impressive, although there was some room for improvement when it came to...well, all the rest

Best unplanned day trip
I have really taken a liking to day trips in Southeast Asia which I have generally found to be really interesting and usually very good value for money. The trip to the Golden Triangle in northern Thailand is the first day trip I did and think because it was so good I got hooked from the getgo! Even though there are day trips that can be same same they will also always be different; no island hopping day is going to be the same no matter how many you've done! But when it came to choosing a day trip to do in Phuket Pete and I were a little hesitant as to the appeal of the ones that were available. They all seemed extremely crowded and touristy (like Phuket itself is) so we decided to do some exploring on our own instead.

Best. Decision. Ever.

Me feeding Nicole Kidman

We ended up having the most amazing day! On our own, no guides, no timetable to keep, no other annoying tourists. Just us and a rented motorbike - no map, no plan. We drove down to Karon Beach for lunch, then further to Kata Beach for some shopping which I remembered from last time was very good. A new dress and two new bikinis later we headed off to the Big Buddha viewpoint, and it was on our way up the hill that we spotted a baby elephant and I got to do something I had never done before, touch and feed an elephant! Her name was Nicole Kidman and she was two years old; weighed 500 kg and ate 100kg of bananas a day. She was adorable and I immediately began planning a way to bring her home with me.

Abort! Abort!

They also had a snake, an animal which scares the crap out of me. I had never touched one before, and after the girls convinced me it was a perfectly friendly snake I agreed to hold it - I could do this, it's not like it was a balloon.

I knew I'd have to deal with my irrational fear of balloons at some point in my life, but I decided to start with the snake.

Unfortunately however, I failed. I never really did manage to hold the snake properly, as when I was lifting it closer to me it looked straight at me and I could see in its eyes it was planning to attack my neck, strangle me to death and eat me whole so I freaked out and put it away. I'll probably have nightmares about this human devouring beast for years to come. Shiver.

At this point it was all still going well

Rather terrified lifting the snake up

Phuket's Patong and Kamla beaches
I'd be lying if I said I didn't find Patong's craziness fascinating. Loud music, bright lights, masses of tourists; imagine a cheap and disorganised version of Las Vegas transferred to the beaches of Thailand. But after almost a week of ladyboys, ping pong show offers, and being harassed by street vendors I was quite happy to move to Kamala beach. Pete had continued his onward journey to Singapore so I moved in with my mom and her friend Merja to continue with my flashpacking lifestyle I had grown accustomed to. Kamala Beach reminds me of the Thailand islands of Koh Samui and Koh Tao more than of the rest of Phuket, but instead of young backpackers you have the older holiday-makers and their children you are surrounded by. If you want to experience the quieter and calmer side of Phuket, Kamala is your place.

The wonders of 7-Eleven
There are 7-Eleven shops on every corner in Thailand. Other than providing an air-conditioned heaven when you need a break from the heat, every single time I enter one of these shops I get caught up by the fascinating world of exotic products stacked on the shelves.

One of these products was Siamsato which my mom spotted next to the Singha beer in the fridge. With its 8% alcohol content and 20 baht (£0.50) price tag for a one litre bottle she decided it deserved to be tried. As it turns out, Sato is a traditional northeastern Thailand drink that has been made for centuries from rice and is commonly called Thai rice wine.

Very rarely do I waste a perfectly good alcoholic drink by spitting it out (probably explains my behaviour at most wine tastings I go to), but on this occasion the wine found its way into the sink very quickly and the rest of the contents of the bottle soon followed down the drain. None of us enjoyed the extremely sugary rice drink; traditional or not.

Jasmine Rice balls, crisps, green pea snacks,
and Thai Custard Bun

Other products that had caught my eye and raised my curiosity were different shaped buns filled with fluorescent green, purple, or yellow pastes. Every time I went into one of the 7-Elevens I had to stop to admire them, and wonder what they'd taste like.

One day when Pete and I were heading back to our hotel we stopped to buy water in one of the 7-Elevens, and in my usual manner I was immediately drawn to the snack section to see what bizarre goodies this particular shop had to offer. After seeing the selection of nibbles on display I couldn't take it anymore, and decided it was time to satisfy my curiosity! And we went beyond the buns, and grabbed some garlic flavoured fried rice balls, as well as a bag of green pea snacks, whatever that was!

Green paste bun

Imagine my disappointment when the green paste filled bun didn't actually taste of anything special. There was no projectile vomiting, no scandalous reactions, not even a comment of disgust. It was actually OK. I mean, it was a bun made of white flour mixed with water, with a sugary custardy paste in the middle. Throw in some E- numbers and you've got yourself a green sugary custardy paste.

Moving on.

The garlic rice balls were yum! But of course, they contained the magical ingredient, garlic. I'll be buying these again for sure. 5 out of 5 stars.

And finally my verdict on the green pea snack: well, they were green and tasted of pea (some good E number work again) and had the texture of potato crisps. Edible I suppose but weird taste-to-texture mix. I like my peas fresh, in a cup, right next to my fish and chips!

That's it for now, more Phuket adventures to follow!

Mom and Merja in a Tuk Tuk in Patong

The flashpacking continues....

The Turtle Island of Koh Tao

Adorable backstreets in Koh Tao

Turtle island was every bit of the paradise island I was told it would be. It was the kind of place I could see myself staying in for a long, long time. What I loved the most was the laid back village feel the island had about it; a couple of chaotic main streets hiding numerous small side streets full of disorganised cuteness. The moment I went for a wonder about town I knew I was sold, everyone there looked so relaxed and happy. The number one activity the island offers is diving, so every other shop on the adorable narrow little side streets is a dive shop. The rest is a mix of boutique hotels, bungalows, bars, restaurants, and Internet cafes/travel agencies.

The food is to die for, I had some of the best meals of my trip so far. I don't know if it was the warm breeze from the sea and enjoying the meals on the beach that created the sensation of being in foodie-heaven; or the Parmesan garlic and tomato bruschetta. Or the grilled giant tiger garlic prawns. Or the mixed meat and veg BBQ kebab stick.

In addition to the food, a highlight of Koh Tao for me was snorkelling, especially on Koh Nang Yuan, an island located a 20 minute longtail taxi-boat ride away from Sairee Beach where we stayed. The visibility in the turquoise crystal clear waters is near perfect, and the underwater world is so fascinating I could spend hours lying face down in the water just observing the multicoloured fish and incredible reefs and elaborate coral formations. It's an incredible sensation to be surrounded by the friendly fish that interact with you as if you belonged there. One did bite me though; not cool bro, not cool.

Longtail boat - taxi on our way to Koh Nang Yuan to spend
the day with a lovely Swedish couple Emmelie and Johan

One of the many drinks on the beach at sunset

I really thought that at some point sooner rather than later I'd get very bored of not doing anything "productive," that at some point I would miss having a daily routine and a structure in my life again. Well, that point has certainly not arrived yet. It was surprisingly easy to fill up my days on Koh Tao, all seven of them, with nothing in particular whilst still feeling anything but bored. There were snorkelling trips, island hopping, getting absorbed into my book, talking to other travellers, drinking cocktails, walks on the beach, striking sunsets....

Zoom and enhance.

The perfect day for me was waking up late, lazy breakfast, a walk on the beach, sunbathing by the pool, lunch at a beach lounge restaurant, afternoon yoga, reading my book and having a tea at sunset - on the beach of course - and finishing the perfect day off with BBQ dinner watching a fire show. Being bored is not a worry of mine. Managing to ever successfully settle back into my London routine is.

Pete put up a happy birthday banner over our door
before I woke up on my birthday :)

Oh, and Happy birthday to me!
As a birthday surprise Pete had booked us a hotel / resort to celebrate my birthday in style. I think that over the last two months I've spent more time in hotel-resort type accommodation than I have in backpackers dorms.

I'm officially flashpacking.

Birthday Champagne

The room we had at Simple Life was stunning, it was huge and we had our own terrace - and what made it even better was the fact that the pool was just a few steps away from the front door, score! My actual birthday I spent by the pool sunbathing and drinking mind-blowingly expensive champagne. With my birthday being in January I have never before managed to do this, but it is clear to me it is the only acceptable way to celebrate.

Pete and I out celebrating my birthday, me proudly
parading around with my "Birthday Girl" badge