Well, that was fun

I've told myself off for not updating my blog, consider this my penance. Actually, I've got a few things lined up to write about but I wanted to round off the holiday first.

Thailand has become a lot more expensive than I remember. Local prices seem to have risen by a not insignificant percentage while the exchange rate has pushed everything way up for the visitor. It was gloomy reading to be in a bank and see the sign on the wall showing their interest rates akin to our own here in in England - current account: 0.5%, 30-day account: 0.65%, long term savings: a whopping 1% - it wasn't that way when we left. I didn't understand why the Bangkok Post and The Nation newspapers seemed much thinner until I worked out it was because their usual job vacancy supplements were, pardon the expression, paper thin. The entire globe has taken a cruel left to the chin.

That didn't stop the Mrs make a innocent mistake when she bought a bottle of wine for 34 quid, accidentally miscalculating it as £3.40. Want insult with that injury? It was plonk. Want salt in that wound? Try chrimble's twitter feed the next morning exclaiming that "Tesco has 3 bottles of wine for a tenner!". Great, thanks mate.

It was wonderful to see family again. My sisters-in-law were all resplendent as usual and my two young nephews were predictably loud and boisterous. We waved sister Lek goodbye for two years, she's gone to the University of Washington to continue her climb up the medical ladder though first she is trying to understand why Seattleites wear t-shirts when the sun comes out while she shuffles around in a thick jacket and ear muffs. It hit 44°C during our stay in Bangkok, she won't experience much of that in the Great Northwest.

It was fantastic to return to Saxophone, the jazz and blues bar just off Victory Monument that Daeng and I previously frequented. Hoochie Coochie managed to be even better than I remember them and it was a pleasant surprise to hear Pure Band play too; the last time I saw them they were playing Bohemian Rhapsody at our wedding. Seeing Nacho and Joy in the Bull's Head was brilliant too, I miss those guys.

The real highlight of the trip though - even better than feeding the hippos at Samut Prakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo - was our trip with perfect friends, Suki and Nooh, to Koh Samet. I've been to a few of the islands before but this was my first trip there and it was well worth the wait. Sitting on a paradise beach for a few days - doing nothing - while others bring you ice cold beer and fantastic food (the laab moo was exceptional) really does something fantastic for the soul.

It was a struggle to leave, it really, really was.