travels with an ageing punkrocker/publisher
Soundtrack: “Khe Sanh”, Cold Chisel Having left day 15 on a cliff hanger, I can reveal that I was able to get up in time to head out and get my laundry just after 9am, so I won’t have to buy any new clothes anytime soon. While I’m travelling with a few treasured items, my green The Clouds t-shirt that […]
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Soundtrack: “Yellow”, Coldplay (sigh) Khao soi day. I dragged my slightly tired carcass out of bed, quick stop for some hotel noodle and egg breakfast, and then headed out to a laundry I’d spotted on my wanderings that offered 50 THB/kilo. I handed over my trusty orange laundry bag (it’s been with me since at least 2009) and was told […]
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Soundtrack: “Umbrella”, Rhianna Sunday in Chiang Mai. Managed to wake in time for breakfast, it wasn’t the best sleep as congestion and coughing was a pain. Hotel breakfast nothing much to speak of, no types of cheese, congee, rice, noodles, sausage, and eggs basically. I skipped the rice and the congee, as I wasn’t sure how long they’d been sitting […]
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Soundtrack: “Born This Way”, Lady Gaga / “Relax”, Frankie Goes to Hollywood The battle of the aircon continues. On one hand, Chiang Mai is starting its hot season, so daily temps are high 30s, mostly dry during the day but getting a bit more humid in the evening, so turning it off isn’t an option. But I’m yet to find […]
Read moreSoundtrack: “Nikita”, Elton John I’ll probably keep throwing occasional remembrances from Uzbekistan into these entries as they pop up in my thoughts and as I start to process the similarities and differences to other places. One that I completely missed mentioning is that Elton John’s “Nikita” possibly plays constantly on a loop in the background of Uzbekistan Airways flights. I […]
Read moreChiang Mai is the largest city in Thailand’s north, and while still quite large feels a lot less busy than Bangkok. Like many cities, it’s pretty quiet on Tuesday nights, so when L and I checked out the 6ixcret drag show, for the first half of the show we were the only audience before another couple wandered in. All credit […]
Read moreI get my kicks around the waistline sunshine. Especially when laughing a lot and being thoroughly entertained by the amazing and fabulous queens at Pangina’s House of Heals. The queens they use definitely excite, and we were treated to a fabulous show by Meanie Minaj, Zandy Cyanide, Gimhuay, Zebee, and the sublime Angele Anang. If in Bangkok just go, be […]
Read moreSMILE, YOU’RE TRAVELLING! goes the Henry Rollins quote/frequent catchphrase. Usually said ironically. It’s that time again, the eve of a much deserved and needed relaxation break across Thailand, starting with one night in Bangkok before Chiang Mai and Phuket. The single step on this journey is a sleepy one, as Clouds played the Rosemount Hotel last night, not ideal for […]
Read moreToday was a long day. As Mick Thomas wrote, “There’s no point writing postcards on your bad days”, so I’ll try to keep it short. L and I got almost no sleep last night. The combination of hard bed and threat of sleeping through alarms and missing the 7.20am train kept us restless. We made it to the train with […]
Read moreAfter 2 days in the jungle (well, not far from the main road, to be fair, but the accommodation was pretty basic) it was time for a relaxed, pampering day. We didn’t manage the sleep in, while our guest house has great, firm pillows, the firm bed is a bit too, well, firm, but we did manage to put off […]
Read moreElephants are amazing animals. A-maz-ing. Even to a cynical buffoon like me, elephants are something special. I’ve just had two of the most amazing days of my life, where from metaphorically dawn to dusk L and I were among 9 unchained, uncaged, free range elephants. Strictly speaking, we weren’t actually with them all of that time, it would be cruel […]
Read moreElephants! We’ve spent the day hanging out with 9 elephants. Our first cooking class of the day was banana sticky rice balls for our large four-legged friends, and chopping watermelon. Elephants are huge fans of most vegetarian options (except spicy food), and hand feeding elephants is a truly incredible experience, feeling the strength, flexibility, and dexterity of their trunks. Elephants […]
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