Let Loose

Thailand is incredible. Hands down one of the best experiences of my entire life and I've only been here for eight days. We got to Chiang Mai on Thursday of last week and found our hostel successfully. The people who were in our dorm are all such lovely human beings, it amazes me that eight or nine people that get on that well would all wind up in a dorm together. 

We've trekked through the jungle up a 12 layer waterfall, ridden elephants, walked for hours around a zoo set at the bottom of Chiang Mai's mountains and drunk what some would say is too much Chang, honestly though you can't have too much Chang.

Chiang Mai is my favourite place I've ever had the good fortune of visitng. It's a city, and you can't forget that, the fact is forced upon you fairly harshly. However a twenty minute drive and you are surrounded by jungle and mountain and empty roads. Even though it's a city there's an air of calm, you know that everything is somehow going to work out for the best, I love it there, genuine love. There's something for everyone, posh hotels to shoddy hostels whose showers don't even reach luke warm, bars that make you relaxed just by walking in and clubs which you could lose hours dancing in. I cannot recommend the city and it's surrounding area enough. I don't want to romanticise it, it has it's downfalls, it's loud and there's a military presence for sure, but it's easy enough to look past the cons when there are so many pros.

We are in Phuket now, and heading to Phi Phi tomorrow. This is exciting, I'm constantly on my feet in an ever changing new environments, it's good, it's incredible. 

Katie. xx

We're Not In Kansas Anymore

We got off the plane full of relief, neither of us being the best of fliers. I hate the take off, Isabel hates the landing, and I don't particularly like being 35,000ft above the ground.. I only do it for the destination. Basically there was always one of us in constant fear of death. 

After a rather unresearch trip of overground train, underground train, tuktuk and a wander around, we found a bar. We had no plans, no idea, not much money due to my card not working initially, but everything was ok, we were both pretty content. We searched around and found a hotel, dropped our bags, had a quick shower then headed for Khao San road. Khao San is amazing, everything you hear it's going to be and more. You're told it will be lively, but not fully. There are people everywhere, it feels like a festival, everyone is happy and talkative and there are hundreds maybe, probably, even thousands of them. The only thing that did strike me as unwanted is the smell. Bangkok for its clean streets and hygienic reputation smells absolutely rancid. There's an overall sulfurous smell, like rotten eggs, mixed with a bit of sewage. It comes in waves though, mainly around food markets.

I will make full on posts of each area I visit as and when I can, maybe when I'm home. At the moment I'm on a train, it's a train that takes 17 hours. It's taking me from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, and it's acceptable. There's dead flies and mosquitos all over my bed, the sheets kind of smell like pee and I can't sleep, but yet again it's ok, everything is ok. It's funny how travelling bestows that contented feeling on you, as if you have no worries or cares in the world. I mean occasionally you lose something, or end up somewhere dodgy and the mini heart attacks set in, but apart from that it's lovely. This is coming from a very anxious person, I highly recommend travelling, it's the most relaxing I've ever done. 

Katie. xx

Sixty Litres Is Not Enough Space

On Saturday I packed a months worth of clothes into a backpack and this morning I said goodbye to my mum and cats and set off for London, in order to get to Gatwick for 7am on Monday morning. 

My friend Isabel and I decided at some point last year that we wanted to travel, and we were fed up of talking about things that never happen and so we booked two return flights to Thailand and began to read guide books and blog posts and hostel reviews. Suddenly we're here, the penultimate day before our flights, backpacks packed and minds full of plans and ideas. 

While I've been on holiday before I've never really travelled. Most of my holidays have consisted of school trips or lying in the sun, so this is all completely new. We have things we want to do and places we want to see but no itinerary, no booked hostels, absolutely no set plans, for the most-part we are just having an adventure, thousands of miles from home. I'm excited, albeit anxious, but I know this will be incredible and so I'm trying to fight my nerves and just enjoy myself.

Katie. xx