A Damn Expensive Home-Cooked Dinner! May 26, 2006
Posted by Martin in : Thailand , 1 comment so far
Tik’s been the one studying hard for the past few weeks and I’d been meaning to treat her to a home-cooked meal for some time now. I got a little excited when we visited Villa Supermarket that they had fresh imported aubergines for sale.
I’ve long craved the taste of a well-made stuffed aubergine dish so 10 minutes and over 3,000 baht later I filled my basket with imported ingredients. Half my money went on completely unnecessary cheeses as it’s been a while since I’ve been able to sit down with a varied cheeseboard after dinner but a lot of money went on vegetables I’d not really need but had an impulsive craving for. A box of a dozen ‘button mushrooms’ came to over 400 baht (over $10) but I bought them with not a tinge of responsibility.
Some Lovely Engagement Photos Online May 21, 2006
Posted by Martin in : Family, Thailand , 2comments
After Tik and I got engaged last March we got 30 professional photographs taken in a wedding studio in Khon Kaen.
The photos were of myself, Tik’s parents and her two sisters.
I have added about 9 of these photos to my gallery today and will add some more later this week when I get the time to scan them.
View our Engagement Photos Here
The World’s Most Disgusting Bolster May 16, 2006
Posted by Martin in : Thailand , add a commentAfter 4 and a half years of faithful service I am reluctantly throwing away my original bolster.
Tik convinced me that it is well beyond redemption and does not look good next to our perfectly white alternatives.
It may well take another 4 and a half years to wear in the new replacement. I’m going to miss it.
The Long Journey Home May 14, 2006
Posted by Martin in : travel , add a commentWe were not especially to wake up at 6:30 but we wanted to get today’s travels out of the way and get back to Bangkok as early as possible.
As we waited outside for our minibus Tik got to sample a (presumably) typical Cambodian hotdog for 1,000 riel (10 baht). This was our main experience of traditional Cambodian food as the locals might eat. Not to my taste but fun to try once.
A Lazy Day in Siam Reap May 13, 2006
Posted by Martin in : travel , add a commentAfter such an exhausting day we woke up about 10:30. We literally had nothing planned for the day. Tik suggested that perhaps we rent some bikes and cycle around the town but as soon as we stepped into the heat and dust of the street both of us pretended to have forgotten completely about that idea.
(more…)
The Temple Tours May 12, 2006
Posted by Martin in : travel , add a commentWe were met by our driver outside our guesthouse at 4:30.
Our tour guide was called Liv and he was an experienced guide with a clear American accent and a great vocabulary. He’s worked as a tour guide for five years and was very knowledgable about every question we could fire at him.
We began at Angkor Wat – certainly the most famous of all the temples in the area. It is famous for being the largest temple in the area, at about 1 square kilometre. Liv explained to us that Cambodia has a long religious history of Hinduism and Buddhism and religious allegiances switch depending on the reigning monarch. Angkor Wat is a predominantly Hindu temple.
The Road to Siam Reap May 11, 2006
Posted by Martin in : travel , comments closedI woke about 4:00 today after getting to bed only a couple of hours earlier. Tik, rather sensibly had a few hours more rest than me although neither of us had made much progress packing before the alarm woke us up.
We travelled light, with only a 5 litre backpack between us. This trip was Tik’s first experience as a backpacker and she wanted to get used to the idea before we head round Europe later this year. I always love to think of myself as a confident backpacker yet this time my sleep deprivation cost me the mental acument to pack any t-shirts.
Angkor Wat May 10, 2006
Posted by Martin in : travel , add a commentTik and I are getting organized for a few days in Siam Reap, Cambodia to visit Angkor Wat. We had a few options to consider when organizing it all but we’ve decided to have some fun as backpackers and to brave the big bad world without laptops, room service and concierges.
We’ll be back Sunday or Monday,
Wish us luck x x x
Nearly Up-to-Date May 9, 2006
Posted by Martin in : Current Blog , add a commentSorry for the long delay and with the hastiness of writing the last updates.
Our web designers who were responsible for upgrading the site went way over schedule and there are still a few loose ends still needing to be tied up.
I have taken some time to re-arrange the photo gallery although it still needs a bit more sorting out. Here’s some links to help you find what you might have missed.
Most of my recent Thailand Holiday Photos are now arranged in Reverse-Chronology.
View All Thailand Photo Albums Here
Photos of Lisa’s Holiday last month can be found here.
Photos of Barry’s Holiday in February 06 can be found here
I shall go back through all my diaries over the next month so that I can add thumbnails where appropriate. My main concern was to at least get the older pictures up for you all to see. I’ll also sort out any bad grammar and spelling where I’ve rushed things.
Enjoy
Some Sneaky Money-Saving Tips in Thailand May 5, 2006
Posted by Martin in : Thailand , add a commentOver the last few weeks Tik and I have stumbled on some interesting ways of saving money if you are a tourist here… (more…)
Easing into (yet another) New Routine May 1, 2006
Posted by Martin in : Thailand , add a commentSo we got rid of Lisa and now Tik and I can spend some private time together in our newly-shared home. Now that Tik is no longer working we are really enjoying being together 24-7.
We make a great team and in over 14 months we have not had one fight nor diagreement. Now we must work hard to keep ourselves active, moving forward and healthy despite the obvious fact that we have very little we need to do.
Exercise is our main duty right now. We’ve had a few days of early morning swims (Tik’s idea), we’ve been at the gym an hour each day, we are playing squash three times a week, had a few games of golf at the driving range and I’ve just begun Aikido again.
Next week Tik begins her English writing course and i will resume Thai lessons each day. I’ve decided against returning to my gemology course as the next module would have little world value to me as I’ve got little intention of entering the industry. I may study the diamond grading course in a month though.
