Chang Mai - Back to School!

Chang Mai, that was the place I wanted to go most and here I am.... and yes yes yes I am loving it :D It reminds me of Ubud in Bali only bigger and noiser lol There is no comparison with Bangkok well I dont think, in Chang Mai you can easily walk around without feeling completely lost. It s very human size and people here are exremly friendly.
It s full of little streets hiding little restaurants.. it s very peaceful as you happen to eat next to a water fountain...
And I want to make the most of this place, today I have been touring around, collection information of every kind... and the result is I will be taking a Thai Cooking Course (market tour, 7 dishes, recipe book) on saturday and from Monday I will be starting my Thai Massage Classe.
It will last for 5 days with 6 hours a day, so I wont be leaving Chang Mai before more than a week. I will be doing it in ITM (Internation Training Massage) I went there today and saw they got very good teachers and equipment (3500 Baths - 70 euros). After that I will have to find some time to get the Oil Massage course but for sure I wont leave Thailand before getting that course too.
I am very delighted about it, my brain is getting a bit lazy lately .. well I am on holiday lol so it will be very enjoyable to learn new things!

A special Thank You to Erika who welped me to find this school ;)

The Smoke Jumper - Nicholas Evans

I just finished reading this book, which I got advised from Dani (an Italian friend I met during my 1st year in Dublin). I started reading it in October but for some reasons never went further than the first 50 pages. So I brought it with me to Thailand and really enjoyed reading it. All in english, it was easy to read and didn't ask for a double effort to understand and create the books universe in my mind. A beautiful story of friendship, love and real facts (War Kid Soldiers in Uganda).
I am now looking for advises on a next book to read, would you recommend me anything?
Merci :D

Sukhothai

Before heading to Chang Mai, we stopped for 2 nights in Sukhothai. Nothing exciting about this little town located half way between Bangkok and Chang Mau but worth a visit to its historical park. The Meuang Kao (old city) features 45 sq km of temple ruins. Following few recommendations we rented bicycles and cycled around for the all day well 9am to 3pm. The ruins were very impressive and we managed to make our way around very easily. Of course we kept the best for the end: Wat Si Chum - buddha statute of 11.30 metres wide!
By then my bum was getting too painful to carry on. Happily I brought back the bike and hoped in the first taxi-truck to get back to the guest house. A siesta seemed the perfect deal to end that day. We staied in Baan Thai guest house, I would highly recommend it, very friendly and relaxing with a lovely front garden with a few "beds" where I could lay down to read.
No more cycling plan for at least another week :D

Bangkok

The question is how to feel comfortable in this estrange city which counts over 8 million inhabitants. My answer was once again to head to the backpacker district. We then went to Ranmbuttri Road for accomodation. There we got cheap rooms and warm water shower, a little heaven compared to the bungalow where we staied on Ko Chang. But that street isnt only made of guest houses there are also loads of resataurant bars as well as street restaurants and bars (cheaper option). My menu: anything appart from Western Food!!!

To entertain our nights, smoking shisha in the roof terrace of a bar looking over Khao San, a movie at my home guest house (where we met loads of good people and heard loads of interesting stories) and also dancing (for me) with the thai girls in Gulliver and meeting loads of people from all around the world!

That s what my life in Bangkok was for the last 4 days.

And to keep our days busy, we first got into one of those tourist trap (but it got us to see 3 places in 1 day) anyway, we went to the floating Market (2 hours away from Bangkok, it s like a floating town which became a very touristy attraction... on a boat, you are stuck in traffic jams between other boats full of tourist but also boats full of handicrafts or food), then the Bridge on the river and finally the Tiger Temple.

Next day: The weekend Market... Damn that is some mad place indeed!!! It said on my Lonely Planet there you could buy anything well I confirm from clothes, shoes, glasses, sun glasses, handicrafts, antiques, jewellery, puppies, fishes, birds, cats, food, drinks... all that at very good prices... This place is huge and packed with people if you want to go there, try to get early in the Morning as from 2PM it really starts getting hotter and hotter!
I bought only 2 tops, I am not a shopping addict and could find similar clothes on Khao San :D

We finally spent our last day touring a little around Bangkok and saw the very well known temple: Wat PO.

We arrived today in Sukhothai for another 2 nights before heading to Chang Mai (which will be my culture week, I wanna see, learn, try everything!)

Bye Bye Koh Chang, Hello Bangkok

After spending 4 days in Koh Chang, enjoyed the weather, swam in the warm sea, worked on my tan, met a few lovely people, ate loads of thai food, drunk few fruit shakes, smoke loads of shisha (apple and grape flavours) having shared my bathroom with a family of frog (mum, dad and their child lol)... we finally took the ferry back to the Mainland to start with the real Thailand!

Staying in Bangkok for the next three days (visit of the floating market, bridge of the river kwai, the weekend market, Wat Pho...) we will then head North and I will surely keep you updated with the places we will visit :D

But to my biggest surprise... look who I found this time on Khao San Road... amazing no?

Full Moon Party

Ah la la we all heard over and over again about the Full Moon Party held in Koh Pah-Ngan..

Well as we only arrived in Thailand on the 17th and the full Moon Party was on the 22nd I have to say I didnt yet feel ready about going there... which is why I chose Koh Chang to start our Thai Adventure.

But The full Moon Party is also on every island that night, so it was in Koh Chang..

With a few beaches separated by loads of kilometres we had to chose on where would be the best to party and we happened to meet some Crazy American/Swedish who dragged us with them to Lonely beach only to find that the party was the following day (euh?) but we took a 10 minutes path which led us to Siam beach where all the party goers were dancing drinking off buckets and for a few of them swimming...

It probably wasnt the best party I have ever been too, but how cool is that to dance in the sand!!!

That little adventure also reminded me of Inaki always looking for a party in Dublin lol

Sunset on the beach

Breathtaking...

Koh Chang

After Bangkok we headed to Koh Chang, I was in need of beach and sun :) After an 8 hour journey (bus, boat, taxi) we arrived at what is famously called: White Sand Beaches.

Well I have to say that there isn't much white sand, maybe more grey?

Anyway it's really beautiful but full of Germans who all have their personal Thai girls to keep them company.. it doesn't make me feel comfortable at all, so after a few hours I booked a boat to another island: Koh Mak (which is a lot smaller and supposed to be even more beautiful)...

I wouldn't advise anybody to stay on White Sand Beach it s smelly and noisy as they are building loads and loads of resorts

Bye Bye Bangkok

Well, we didn't get to see much of Bangkok as we schedule to stay there before Pete goes (for like 4 to 5 days) and then with Ivan before he goes too... I will also get my own time there and follow Erika s steps to take Thai Massage lessons :D
So as my bikini couldnt wait any longer we made our way to Ko Chang, only arrived few hours ago but very busy too!
Will certainly rent a bike tomorrow to explore a bit of the island

Pictures of sunsets, beautiful beaches to come soon.

The party street: Khao San Road

I have to say I have heard a lot about this street also called the backpacker street. Finally what people told me and the image I got from them was the perfect description for this street.
In a few words: backpackers, crowd, noise and shopping

You would almost forget you are in Thailand if it wasn't for the Tuk Tuk drivers grabing your attention every two minutes as they would like to give you a tour of the city and bring you to their mates place lol

We didn't last long there only time for Pete to find some sunglasses and a new top (sleeveless ahah).

The heat gets us and we finally decide to relax for a while, we sit down in a little eatery on Rambutti Road to finally meet an English girl who has recently spent 7 weeks travelling around South Asia and 12 months in Australia. A few beers later she is joined by 2 canadian friends and they dragg us back to Khao San for some drinking in the streets. We encounter 2 lovely thai litlle girls selling roses, we are charmed by their confidence, their sense of humour and their love...

Bangkok me voila !!!

We finally landed in Bangkok at 5pm (10am in Ireland)... the flight went very well but the movie selection wasn't so good lol
We took a taxi to Rambutti Road (parallele to Kho San Road) and easily found a place where to stay nothing fancy but quite cheap.
So here we are gathering around (I bought my first pair of flip flops :))) in the middle of all those backpackers...
It s very hot ah la la but so good.
For this post no picture yet I will start tomorrow, right now I am only thinking Pad Thai and dodo :D

Leaving Tomorrow

While my facebook countdown now shows 23 hours left before the start of my trip, the excitement is going up and up and up....
I left Douce France last Sunday to return to Dublin, a last Goodbye to my family I will probably not see them for another year.. and I am already back to Dublin, it doesnt feel as if I left a month ago..
Tiphaine welcomed me like nobody would and I am very thankful ma titi :) MERCI
And here I am running around Dublin sorting out my last bits and pieces meeting with some of the people who made Dublin so special for me (Caro, Inaki, Nacho, John, Ivan...) it feels good to be with them they give me loads of positive energy to start the trip :)
And I also have a special thoughts for the few I didnt get the chance to meet...
Well I am ready well I think, my backpack is winking at me lol, getting impatient lolol
I am thinking to create a mini poll on that blog with the question:
Do you think Lilie will stay in OZ?
According to most of yous it's yes so far.... well we ll say but to be honest it's not part of my plans (so is saying Lilie who was only supposed to stay in Dublin 5 months lololol)
Bye Bye Europe and see you sooon :)
Next Blog Entry from Bangkok :D

Quote to follow

le passe ne t'appartient plus, vis aujourd'hui car c'est le reve de demain

2 WEEKS LEFT

In exactly 2 weeks, I will finally arrive in Bangkok and start my world tour. But for now I feel like only at that moment I will realise I have left everything to live a real adventure... Well real adventure is a big word for someone travelling to Thailand and Australia mostly but it's my big adventure which took me 2 years to "organise"...


Although Pete will be with me, my closest friends will become my Lonely Planet, my backpack and a diairy (I have never wrote a diairy in my life but few people advised me to do so and I am going to follow their advise!!!) + this blog which I will make sure to update each time I will reach a computer...


For now I am still in France, during the winter time there is not much to do so I get loads and loads of information and prepare myself (dentists, insurances, doctor, injections...) but I am also starting in making a little Itinary...


With Pete starting this world trip with me he is also going to fly earlier than I to OZ which could leave me spending 2 weeks alone. I am not really scared to the idea to be on my own because it's Thailand and for sure it will be hard not to meet people!!! Anyway for those 2 weeks my timetable is already booked... It says: Thai Massage Courses, Aromatherapy, Thai Cuisine Classes, Maybe Yoga Classes (probably around the Chiang Mai Province) and Visit of Angkor Wat... After that I should have a week left in Thailand so I intend to meet Ivan who will be in Phuket I now have to suggest him wether he would or not be interested in going to the Full Moon Party which will be on the 22nd...


So that's for my second part in Thailand, for the first with Pete we plan to enjoy the sun, the beaches and visit some temples... just have to decide on where... I am open to any suggestion :D


I am now officially starting a Countdown :D

My facebook shows:
12 Days 19 Hours 10 Minutes

Happy New Year

I wish you all the very best for this new year, may your life be filled with Happiness and Love...
And also loads of new adventures!
I hope you are ready to follow me for 1 year on this blog:)
Loads of Love
xxx
Lilie

PARIS

Paris, Capital of Food, Designers, Romance and architecture...



When you visit this city, it isn't 1 second spent you don't spoil your eyes with the beauty of the French Capital...



Myself from Brittany and having been to Paris a good few times, it was then a big pleasure for me to give a little tour of this city to a very good friend.



Landing back from Madrid in Paris Beauvais around 7.30pm, after a bus, few metro lines, a warm shower and finding Marie Eve on Place Saint Michel. We decided to take Michael to a very typical french food restaurant on the menu: Snails and Raclette hmmm. We then headed to a cosy French Pub with not so many french dickheads which made the night quite perfect :D



The next day... no time to waste, with a sunny day we had to make the most of the only day we could spend sightseeing... Montmarte.. Le Cafe d'Amelie... Les Champs Elysees... L'Arc de Triomphe... La Tour Eiffel... Les bateaux Parisiens... not so so bad in like 6 hours :) and plenty of excellent pictures !!!!

Finally we had our last dinner... onion soup and duck confit.... Very heavy food but it s so so nice hmmm :D + I had to make sure that apart from the english talking it will be the only non french thing we would do that weekend !!!



And it was already time for the Goodbyes... 1 year will fly quick and we will have a lot more to talk about when we will meet again :)



Time for me to go home....The next day... Christmas with my family