11th January, 2017

Well apologies as it has been some time since I last posted and you may well be wondering what has happened to us. Fear not, I am not lost in the market, down with a tummy bug or unable to function due to an over abundance of spa treatments. It is just rather too easy simply to chill out and completely relax, which is no bad thing.

We have not been completely slacking and Sunday saw us head into the old city for the famous Walking Street market. This only happens on Sunday evenings (though there is another one on Saturday in a different street outside the city) and they effectively close off the main street and a number of side streets to traffic and hundreds of stalls appear with yet more goods and food for sale. I thought it was better than the Night Market in quality and we were tempted by a few items, but had to resist due to luggage restrictions. It starts at about 4pm with the stallholders setting up all the way down The street which is about a kilometre long with stalls on each side and even a double row down the middle. We arrived about 4.30pm and it was already crowded as we made our way all the way down to the far end and back again. Naturally enough, we spotted Val’s new watch at a lower price than we paid – and to think that the lady who sold it to us honestly looked as though we were taking her livelihood away! By the time we got back to our starting point it was getting very busy indeed and this was only 6pm.

There some wonderful sights to see not least the myriad temples en route, bathed in glorious late-afternoon sunshine. As you will see from the following snaps, you can get the whole family on a motorbike and even cats love them! The array of colour on parade, is, as ever, stunning. In case you are wondering, those flower-like things are carved from soap.

We then then dashed off for a bite to eat in a lovely restaurant called ‘Cooking Love’ – excellent food in a nicely downmarket decor. Highly recommended! And only 500 baht (about £12.50) for 3 dishes and a large beer. Note that it would have been the equivalent of £10 last year! Thank you Brexit! I apologise for taking photos of the meal and please do not imagine that the portions are rather small, it is just that we kept forgetting to take a photo, so had already helped ourselves to some. A note regarding the wonderful fried bananas – we initially asked for a helping each, but our waiter looked so surprised we asked if that might be too much, with which he concurred. I think you will agree, looking at the photo (and this time we’d taken the photo first), he was right! Please also excuse the cheesy photos of us. A nice one of Val, but apparently, that is what I look like……..

We headed back to the end of the street where the market is and it was almost standing room only. Reports are that you can barely move above a shuffle assuming you can move at all, so we were glad we went early. It is wonderfully vibrant with lights and music and smells and street performers, so do go if you can. Getting across the busy road was not as bad as it seemed as there were some wonderfully energetic policemen blowing their whistles and letting us across every now and then. Val went a bit before me, hence her on the other side from me – in the pink! There was a stage just outside the city gate with various musicians performing. All excellent!

We decided to explore a bit locally to the hotel on Monday and ended up in the local shopping mall. A few snacks to tide us over from the supermarket and then back for our respective visits to the gym and swimming pool before another excellent massage and a meal, in a local restaurant. The latter was ok, if not exactly a world beater – and I can hardly complain as I decided to try the pork burger. All part of my continuing research into ‘burgers of the world’. Well, someone has to do it!

Tuesday was very rainy and today, Wednesday is also not looking brilliant, but we don’t mind. We did venture out to the mall again for supper – Val for something local plus a fresh coconut and I was lucky enough to find a Pizza Hut! Now, I know what you are saying, but 3 months of Asian cuisine is a long time for my taste buds!

Other than that, we are into some fiercely fought battles  of Yahtzee with the current state of play being Val with a bit of a lead after 348 games of 177 and me trailing at 167. It could be worse and indeed it was with Val asserting a lead of 18 games, but I have just come back with 8 games in a row, so am right back in contention. Only one game of Scrabble where I prevailed and have opened up a 15-3 lead. I will keep you posted – I am sure you are all enthralled!

Ok, time to publish! Enjoy!