Toast or Duck noodles for breakfast?

 Everywhere seems to have been gentrified, it’s all too standard to pop the words boutique hotel on to the end of your hotel name.  And yes I am staying in a boutique hotel, but questioning the benefits as we don’t even have a kettle in our room. It’s in my favourite area of Banglamphu, near the river and full of temples and great restaurants. We were directed to have breakfast on the canal edge at the restaurant linked to our hotel. Yes the coffee, eggs and toast did look appealing but the bigger draw was the duck noodle restaurant on the other side of the bridge. We ate a really hearty breakfast, including squares of boiled ducks blood and this couldn’t have been a better first breakfast of my trip! 

What a warm welcome

 The reason for coming back to Thailand now is to mark the 25th anniversary of me having worked here and undertaken some amazing project visits with Help Age International. Here I met Match and Bea at the central office in Chiang Mai mid 1997 and with Match embarked on incredible adventures of visiting a lepar colony, hill tribes where they had only ever seen one other white person, and other local projects. 

Apparently I have not lost my enthusiasm or zeal for life! And I am so proud to have these wonderful women as friends, along with Ou, who lodged with me in London whilst she completed her MA at SOAS. Our reunion is going to be fun, as we have not been altogether since my last trip to Thailand 11 years ago. 

It’s always the underwire

 Going through security is always tricky. My camera equipment can sometimes cause an alert, but the biggest issue is always the substantial support of the underwire in my bra that sets off alarms. Had to have one of the special arms up body scan and was then swiftly ushered through to pick up my shoes I’d had to remove and collect my carry on luggage. It’s appears I am no longer a threat to airport security! 

Leaving Cornwall tomorrow

When I lived in London, getting away was a breeze. Book a taxi and then in 40 mins I’ll be at the Heathrow terminal! So now I live 280 miles away, so there’s room for an adventure in between. I’ve almost packed and am now back from the pub. Thank goodness my car has been repaired from my recent crash (first time I’ve ever hit another car in 35 years of driving!). So I’m ready for my early morning swim, work in the morning then drive to Winchester for my stop off adventure. Will I miss the button handbrake of the curtesy car? 

Let the planning for Thailand commence!

 For the first time since lock down I’m planning an overseas adventure. 

Twenty five years ago I gave up my job in a post production company in Soho and took my rucksack to the other side of the world. I went to a friends wedding in Australia and then after three months there I embarked on a six month adventure through South East Asia. Before I left I took my photography portfolio to a few International Charities and arranged to work with Help Age International and Bookaid International to undertake photography and case study collation with local projects along my travels, adding an amazing element, so that I could support their great work and on a personal level really connect on a different level where I was. 

So now it’s time to plan my trip back to Thailand. Plane ticket booked and my old lonely planet guide has been dusted off and the road less travelled itinerary gave me inspiration. 

Make way for the fish sellers

I always love to head to a local market to really see how the local people live. To see what they buy, to gauge the real price of things and to experience the buzz. 

Near where I’m staying in Mumbai is Sasoon fish market. On the coast the fishing boats fill the harbour and the market pulses early morning with the frenzied activity of buying selling the catch of the day. Both men and women masterfully balance full bowls of fish on their heads as they traverse the slippery pathways. Luckily I kept my balance, as it would have been horrible to find yourself on the floor with the fish juice! However there was rightfully a lot of pushing and shoving, as I carried my camera aloft trying to capture the best image. 

Feeding the seagulls

It was fantastic to catch the firsts glimpse of both The Taj hotel and the Gateway of India. I joined a long queue of other weekend Bombay tourists to get a boat out in to harbour to see them from the sea.

 

Once the boat arrived the waiting hoard rushed to board and in true Indian style we had to pay 10 rupees more to sit up top. Once out on the open water I could understand why the birds were flocking around the boat. Then the crisp seller came round and soon they were thrown into the air, and the gulls drive bombed to catch a snack, creating a huge frenzy.