And relax ....

After a haircut, a rather tense Thai massage, where the poor woman took ages and all her strength to release the tension in my shoulders and a few more evening beers,  all the stress of London feels a million miles away. Hilariously met up for a beer last night with a colleague from work, who we only discovered last week just before we left that we would be in Chaing Mai at the same time!
I have now embarked on the Sarah solo adventure part of my trip, as my Bangkok friends flew back yesterday and I have just spent five hours in a mini van today heading north west to the small town of Mae Hong Son, near the Burmese border.  It's 35 degrees now in the summer sun, so I keep seeking shady  temples to escape the heat. Just heading down to the lake to watch sunset. 

Chiang Mai Revisited

 
Thank goodness for being able to lie down on my bunk on the train, considering that the previous two nights have been spent on overnight flights. After consuming a strange western breakfast and pondering on why they always have to beautify a sausage into a flower shape, we are ready to disembark. 
Ou had booked the most amazing hotel, set around a leafy tropical garden with birds offering hellos and whistles as you walk past.  For three days we are the only guests, as Thai new year has just finished and many travellers have left. We lap up the luxury and breakfast daily in our own veranda, raised up in the middle of the garden and not having to share the facilities with anyone. 
We Head off to the usual haunts, the ever expanding night market and escape the heat in the vast array of coffee shops that have sprouted up across the city.  Now new boutique shops cater for the high end Bangkok visitors and more malls are springing up. 
Still many things stay the same; visiting amazing noodle shops by the road side, following the devout up the steep 300 steps to Doi Suthep temple and drinking beer at one of the lovely riverside restaurant and listening to live music ... Chiang Mai has it all. 

How I know I'm in Thailand.....

It's suddenly 25 degrees
I've seen a monk
And I'm no longer stuck in Doha airport.
So my adventure begins.After successfully meet Ou at the airport and spending the day in Bangkok my holiday has officially started. Interesting cuisine highlight of the day was eating a deep fried duck bill at a local Market. When we met up with Match in the evening to get the overnight train to Chaing Mai the hottest venue was the 'disco' restaurant car, where of course we spent most of the evening. Catching up and drinking over priced beer with our voices drowned out by the Thai disco versions of classic madonna hits made for a memorable first night.
In Thailand I soon remembered - it's  all about the food ....

The terminal

I Have never wanted to see the film the terminal and I now feel that I have stared in it. Spending 13 hours in Doha airport was certainly not the first adventure I anticipated, but at least there was another plane the same day. There's only so many times you can wonder through duty free but with free wifi I could easily send the message of my revised Bangkok arrival time via Facebook. How simple the world has become. 
Still had to be on standby on the flight, as it was overbooked by 15, so there was a lot of tense pacing around in the final hour before departure, but at least I was awake! 

An unexpected day in Doha airport ......

And this is a first..... Was so tired when I arrived at Doha I relaxed for a nap and fell asleep. Then like a scene from a movie I woke  up with all the chairs around me empty and my flight had gone. No-one woke me up. I now have a 12 hour wait for stand by on an already overbooked flight to bangkok on Friday night!!!!! In all my years of travel I have never missed a flight, so all my joking of scouting around potential football sights here has come back to haunt me. My free food voucher has got me egg and chips and a cup of tea. Wow I can't wait for lunch and dinner :( 

It's time to pack.....

And I have dusted down the back pack, spent a fortune at Boots and organised my 2011/12 annual travel insurance.  Just four days of work and then a travellers life it will be for me !!!!!

Countdown to lift off

tick - Ticket - and of course it's an e-ticket!
tick- Lonely planet guides got
tick - sorted out amazing travel ops with Thai friends
just a matter of waiting for the tock, as I feel I definately don't want to peak too soon.  Still just over three weeks to go......