Today we have said our goodbyes to Thailand and moved on to the next part of our adventure. It’s been an incredible 5 weeks in such an amazing country that has everything. Apart from enough toilet paper. It needs way more of that.

We worked out yesterday that if you were to take the combined time in which Soph and I have been away on holiday together you would get 5 weeks. Yet these 5 weeks have flown by like it was a short weekend break. I can’t imagine how quick the last 9 days have been for Hartfield. A blink of the eye I suppose.

Anyway it was Hartfield’s birthday yesterday and surprisingly, we spent it down the beach. He was so excited to have a sunny, hot birthday for the first time ever. He couldn’t sleep a wink the night before. So I suppose it was destined to be the only day it rained. But as Brits, we were never going to let a little bit of rain spoil a great day. Us boys went straight down the pub while Soph went back to the hostel to pick up some more cash.

We thought Soph would be a while but she really did take ages. Turns out she’d bumped into another puppy along the way and couldn’t move on until, I imagine, the owner had to pick up his little baby pug and run. Eventually, when she did meet us, we scoffed down a light lunch before hitting the beach again, now soaked in Sunshine. We stayed until the Sun went down and took a few pictures to remember the day by. Feel free to stick this one in your August pull out for next year’s calendar. Everyone will want one.

When we got back to the hostel we wanted to shower away the remainder of sand before hitting a bar or two for some birthday drinks. With an early night needed too, we were looking for a sharp turn around. But lo and behold the pattern of the day continued when we got back to find all the water was off. Nothing was working at all. We can deal with a lack of hot water but it’s extremely difficult to wash with no water at all. Try it. You’ll see.

Once out we took our place on our usual stools outside our favourite cocktail bar. Next door is another small bar packed with Thai woman all wearing skirts shorter than a hamster’s shin bone. Both bars are outside, right on the main road of restaurants that everybody walks past on their way out to dinner. Now this bar is always busy. Mainly with Thai woman as I said, but also with the odd, older gentleman.

All the female employees that are sitting at this bar having a drink are local. They are also very interested in getting seemingly single men to come and have a drink with them. They scream in your face as you walk past if you look remotely without female company. We’ve been watching them all week, wondering why they need so many staff on for just a handful of customers. They are very helpful though. We often see them giving their customers lifts home on their scooters. Very nice.

Yesterday however we saw an even friendlier stance. One member of staff was more than happy to allow the 70 year old man drinking with her, to twist and pull at her nipples. We’ve been to many pubs in the 8 years since we turned 18, but never, not once have we been offered this service. Maybe it’s just a Thai thing. We shall have to ask next time we visit the local Beafeater restaurant.

We were catching a taxi at 5am this morning to make sure we got to the airport on time. As you know Soph and I would usually take a train or lengthy bus ride to our next destination. But to keep Sam company and to give us a little rest from what would have been about 16 hours of continuous overland travel, we decided to catch a flight. Well two actually.

So, although Hartfield’s birthday, an early night was needed. Again I suppose it was meant to be that this very night happened to be our latest, and probably most alcohol filled. But hey, it’s a birthday after all. We can sleep on the plane.

We arrived at Phuket airport just before 6am, checked all our bags in and waited for our gate to open. It was a pleasure having Hartfield with us for the past 9 days. It’s always great to see him, but for us to be able to share a portion of this adventure with him, is bloody fantastic. So cheers for the company mate. See you in about 5 months.

And then there two. Again.

Before we left England we went to visit my Grandad to say goodbye and all that. We told him we would be passing through Kuala Lumpur on our way to Singapore, spending a couple of days exploring the city. But he told us that when he was out here, he much preferred the island of Penang to the big KL. So, Grandad, here we are.

It took an early morning taxi, a flight from Phuket to KL and then a connecting flight back up to Penang island. Plus the packed bus journey followed by another taxi. But we are here. Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.

It may sound stupid but we really felt that we had entered a totally different country once we walked out through the Penang airport doors. Obviously we had but we expected it to be almost identical to any Thai city. Manic roads, desperate taxi drivers, woman shouting massage at you. But it was nothing like that. The taxi drivers pointed us towards the bus stop. The bus driver was really rather welcoming. Even the taxi driver from the bus stop to the hostel was extremely helpful in pointing out where to go in the city, without trying to get further business from us. It was a very pleasant surprise.

It’s quite difficult trying to convert money though. I’m having to convert to pounds and then to Thai just to work out whether something is a good deal or not. Sure we will get used to it though. Just before we have to move on I suppose.

After dropping our bags in our room we took a walk to a large shopping centre at the bottom of our road to grab some food. Now we’re not sure whether we are simply getting a little sick of Asian food or if perhaps Malaysian dishes are simply not to our liking as Thai ones were. But following today’s lunch of gristley chicken and slimey noodles, were are seriously craving a McDonald’s. We’ve lasted 5 weeks without any western fast food. Mainly by pretending to look down on those that have traveled half way around the globe just to eat McDonald’s. Today however, we seem to be getting pulled further and further under old Ronald’s magically greasy spell. Hopefully we can last a little longer at least.

Tonight, after an early evening siesta, we popped out to see where the Christmas songs that we could hear being destroyed by someone outside were coming from. Turns out next to the hostel is a square of live entertainment with lots of different food stands around the outside. All of which made us want to throw up. Perhaps we are the only ones in the world who don’t like a fish head curry or  a boiled frog porridge, but we don’t care.

So now we are back in our hostel ready for bed. We are now 8 hours in the future here. I see if I can find the UK lottery number  and send them to you. Can’t lose.

Thanks for following x