No rest for the wicked!!!

On Monday we went along to Wat Po and then had lunch at the Oriental followed by drinks on the terrace. It was really lovely sipping cocktails and watching the boats scoot up and down the river - it was also bloody expensive but definately worth doing!! (Although when we had dinner that night Derek commented that Moon's cooking was better than the food we had had at the hotel - I must say that I agreed with him!!).

On Tuesday Jo and I were supposed to be going to visit the Fatima Centre but there was a bit of a mix up and it was postponed so we went along to Crepes and Co and had a lovely relaxing lunch before Tracey and Derek headed off for their romantic night at the Oriental (They had booked it before coming and Chris and I had decided that we would treat Jo to a lovely dinner at Rang Mahal for her birthday). I took her along to Take Care Beauty Salon (on Soi 33 if anyone is interested) and we had a manicure and pedicure. It was hilarious - she is the first person I have taken that didn't enjoy the experience (Half way through she was threatening to do a Godzilla impression - roar, stand up and shake them off!!) although she did decide that she wanted her nails to match her phone and caused much amusement round the shop as the girl who was doing her nails wondered off with her phone to get the right colour!! We had a nice meal that evening but I think we were all a bit too tired to really appreciate it - we were in bed by about 10pm (It's all this wild living - we're not used to it!!)

On Wednesday Jo and I went along to the Erawan Shrine at Chit Lom. It really is a sight to behold....the story goes that when building the Erawan Hotel (This is now the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel) the foundations were placed on the wrong date causing a series of mishaps including cost overruns, injured labourers and the loss of a shipload of Italian marble intended for the building. An astrologer was brought in who said that they needed to build a shrine with the four-headed image of Brahma, or Phra Phrom in Thai. The shrine was unveiled on the 9th of November 1956 and that was the end of the building problems. It is now famous for bringing good fortune and people go there to give offerings of flower garlands, incense, light candles and, if a wish has been granted, the spirits are thanked by donating teak elephants or by commissioning the classical Thai dancers that are there. We had a lovely morning people watching then we headed to the Erawan Tearoom for lunch - If you have not been you really must!! It's lovely and was apparently the first restaurant in Bangkok to serve Chocolate cake!! We met up with Tracey and Derek at MBK (had more yummy puddings) then spent the rest of the afternoon getting prints done from my original drawings to take to Pandora's.

On Thursday Tracey and Derek visited the Erawan Shrine, Tearoom and then went to Lumpini Park whilst Jo and I went along to the BWG Coffee morning that was being hosted at Pandora's and then visited the Fatima Centre. The coffee was a strange one!!! It was actually in the Indian Restaurant next to Pandora's (the shop is too small for everyone to fit into) - I thought that Wellie was going to give a talk on setting up a business in Thailand (you know....a hints and tips sort of thing) then everyone was going to have a chance to do some shopping (hence the reason I was trying to get all my prints organised!!) but it wasn't!! She ended up splitting us up into groups and running a workshop come training course - which didn't really answer any questions about how to set up a business in Thailand but highlighted how difficult it was (which most of us already knew!!). People were coming up to me at the end saying 'I didn't get to do any shopping - I was going to buy one of your drawings but now I have to go!!' which was a bit of a bummer. (I was hoping to raise some money so I could pay for the framing I need to get done prior to the exhibition). When I mentioned it to Wellie she said that the morning had not been about shopping which is fair enough but I think she missed a great opportunity to make some money!! After the coffee Jo, Carolyn, Louise (Carolyn's daughter), Lynne, Debbie and Jasmine (Debbie's daughter) all headed over to the Fatima Centre. Sister Louise gave us a tour and Jo got to see one of the projects that is currently being run here.

On Friday I spent the day trying to plough through all the e-mails that had been building up since my internet provider had decided that we didn't live here anymore and had terminated our access!! Jo, Tracey and Derek headed off to Ayutthaya for the day.

Jo, Tracey and Derek

We have been having an absolute hoot.....I don't think we have stopped laughing since their arrival!! The plane arrived on schedule and I went and picked them up at the airport (no wrong day's this time!!) when we got home Moon had made the most amazing lunch - Tom Yum Gai, a lovely fish dish which sounds something like Chock Chai (I really need to get the proper name from her) and steamed rice. Jo, Tracey and Derek brought us loads of wine, some Pimms and a Cat toilet!! (It's called Litter Kwitter and it trains your cat to use the toilet.....how cool is that!! I can't wait to watch the DVD). We then went a wee wonder up Sukhumvit Road, met up with Chris in our local bar on Soi 8 then headed to Cabbages and Condoms for dinner (Yes the lights are made of condoms and the man's clothes from birth control pills!!). Jo was most taken with the fact that we had ordered blue/purple food and just had to take a photo!!







The following day we headed out to Jim Thomson's house (Jo bought the most beautiful bag.....I have bag envy) we had lunch there and then went over to MBK where we did a bit of shopping then went to the food court for pudding. (Jo took a photo......this is starting to become a habit!!). Then we went to the mobile phone section - for those who have not been this really is a sight to behold.....I didn't know that you could get so many phones!! - and Jo bought the most truly....erm....actually words fail me.....here is a photo so you can see for yourself!! (I do not have phone envy!! Oh and I will explain the story of the pig fan at a later date!!). We headed home and then went into the new spa, Lavana, that has opened across the road.....we all decided to go for the full body massage with hot herbal ball. It was divine although Jo and I creased up when we saw the black net pant things that we had been asked to wear!! I think we all slept like logs that night!!

On Thursday they headed out on their own - I had a BWG Committee meeting and had to take the cats to the vet (That was traumatic....lugs still has ear mites (He had them before we got him) which means that we have to clean his ears morning and night for the next two weeks and they both had to have blood tests and shots). When I got home they had gone for a look around, had eaten at Crepes and Co (and could now recommend a few dishes that I had not tried before) and Derek was having a little nap. We then headed out to the Night Market and the Joe Lewis Puppet Theatre - Chris joined us after the show and we all laughed at the incredibly dense waiter that was serving us (actually, serving is technically correct but not what actually happened.....it was a little experience). We got Tuk Tuk's home.....Jo and Derek loved them....Tracey was not so sure but I think that had more to do with the fact that the air con is playing havoc with her sinuses and the pollution wasn't actually helping!!