dicky and dobber's diaries.

Well, it's now less than 24 hours until we leave Thailand and start the mammoth journey home via the far east!
The last few days in Bangkok have been really good though and a definite eye opener!
On friday we went to the famed "MBK" shopping centre to stock up on Jeans (Sho) and numerous cd's and dvd's. The place was absoloutely massive! At the end of the day we went to see Shrek the Third in the cinema there. Is it out in the UK yet?? Anyway, it was pretty funny and We'd reccommend it.
Yesterday we went to the weekend market, the size of which I have never seen before. Imagine Hull city centre, under cover with 100,000 (actual figures) people and thousands of stalls in 35 degree heat. It was excellent but really tiring. We only lasted maybe four hours, maximum, before we had to retire to the air conditioning of our hotel.
Shonah decided that she'd like a suit made for job interviews when we return so we found a reallly nice little tailors shop near to our hotel which seemed really genuine, and a far cry from the dodgy ones you read so much about in the Lonely Planet. She's decided on it all and has had her 2nd fitting, with today being the collection day! I have to say, it looked brilliant! In addition, I had another two shirts made up (as did shonah), which I hadn't intended on doing, but the prices are unbelievable and the quality is top notch. I figured I might as well do it now before im even poorer at the end of my masters and need shirts for interviews etc.
Anyway, today I'm noty sure what were doing. One big task is trying to figure out how to pack all the stuff we've bought and accumulated. I think a new cheap bag might be needed!
Can't wait to see everyone. Even max!! haha.
See you all soon,
Rich and Sho

Today we travelled from Koh Tao to Bangkok after a long 3 weeks on the beach. We were certainly ready to move on and what we have seen of Bangkok so far looks really interesting. We are staying in the main backpacker area called 'Kao San Road' which is full of stalls selling all kinds of things. Think I will have to be careful with my purse strings!!!!

Tomorrow we are heading to a shopping centre called "MBK' and apparantly it is one of the best in Thailand. It's more of a big indoor market we think.

Not alot more to say really, but we are looking forward to home soon. Only 3 days left... I can't believe it!

Hope all is well

Love Sho and Rich
xxxxxxxxxx

P.S : Mum Tulip - Did you manage to get my car MOT'd. Would be a great help!

Well, I'l be honest, this is a kind of retrospective look back on what we've done so far (and I hope it doesn't come across as really cliche, and patronising and sickly), as today, for probably the first time, the realisation that we now have under two weeks left of our trip has really hit home. It's not in any way that we're not wanting to come back - of course we miss our parents, friends and brothers and sisters, as well as sausages (proper sausages, not little orange things full of gristle), beds with duvets, (not blankets full of bed bugs and the now familiar, and admittedly, quite comforting, fusty smell), pillows with no lumps and pillow cases, and being able to cook our own food without having to pay for it every evening. But would we have changed any part of it? Not a chance. Would we have done anything different?No way. But why? When we consider that we've both been really ill - shonah really really ill, and have been on some horrible journeys, eaten some absolutely foul (but enlightening) food, we have both had such an amazing time that we wouldn't change one thing. Not even eating that fateful curry in India that gave me gastroenteritis, or Shonah eating that doomed Tuna Sandwich, which resulted in me having to pull her off the floor, unconscious, of the dirtiest bathroom floor in India, or even having the migraine which crippled me with blinding pain for 36 hours in Sri Lanka. Not even losing our backpacks as the train we arrived at the malaysian border on left as soon as we got off to sort our visas. Why? Because it's all been a massive part of the trip, and these, as well as the beautiful beaches, trekking amongst 8000 metre peaks, seeing the burning ghats in Varanasi and not to mention the dozens of people we have met, some of whom I hope we will keep in touch with for a long time to come, are just as valid memories, and in a way, high lights of our trip. It was easy at the "bad" times to think, "oh shit, this can't get any worse, why are we even here?", but in retrospect, every crap day, was proceeded by a day where we saw something that we'd never seen before, or had only seen as pictures in books and they completely blew us away. In a sense, making all the shit that we'd been through the day before, the haggling for train tickets or whatever it was, was definitely worth it.
Again, this probably all sounds sickly and typical traveller waffle, but we both agree that it is the best thing we've ever done.
Working 70 hour weeks in Halfords? Well worth it! Missing out on a night in the pub to save a few quid? Not even a chore now!

We have just had to come to use the internet for bit as it is sweltering outside. Think it's one of the hottest days yet. Nothing much to say as we haven't really done very much since I wrote the other day!

Rosa: It's a shame about your interview! Can't you try to get them to interview you on another date? I'm sure they would understand with you having a final exam? Not long now till you are hitting the beach! All that hard work for your exams will be worth it when you get on that plane to sunny Spain. Did you and Barry buy a new car? Love Sho xxx

Jim: Have a fab hol and good luck in your exam Pleased the jacket fit you! We went round nearly every shop in Pokorah trying to find a decent one. So you failed in your challenge to drink the box of wine! you lightweight you! Did you fall asleep in the garden like I did at Rich's B'day? lol! Love Sho xxxx

Mum Tulip: Is there any chance you could get my car M.O.T'd for me at the end of May. There should be no problems with it. Perhaps it could go to Gowlands? Just that I want to insure it as soon as I can when I get back and it's gonna be quite hectic as the peas start in June.

Dad: I will call you. Will you be in tonight or at Grans? I'll text you anyway ! Lots of love. Hope Gran is a bit better!

Loads of love from Shonah and Rich
xxxxxxx

Messages from Rich: -
Jim - There is no fight to be won regarding the double bedroom! I went out and bought the decorating stuff, and helped to strip it. Therefore for this summer the double room is mine!! Also, whilst I was at uni, i had to use the single room when i was back over summer etc, this means that you have to follow suit im afraid! You'd best get used to a single bed! Lol.

Hello,

We passed our 'Open water Padi diving course'! The exam was pretty easy I must admit as you can tell from our marks (97%). The last day diving was awesome as we did 2 eighteen meter dives amongst some amazing reef. The second dive was cut short as Rich seems to go through his oxygen quicker than most people (think he must have huge lungs). The instructor was even surprised as he had never seen a tank go down so quickly. I had 90 bar left in my oxygen tank, the instructor had about 80 but Rich only had 17 by the time we reached the surface.

Is this the same course as you did Dave?

We had a few well earned drinks that night to celebrate. The beach bar here has a happy our from 4 till 7 so that suited us a treat. We ended up going straight from sunbathing to enjoying cocktails and watching the sun go down. It was lovely!

Yeasterday we hired a quad bike and we went exploring the rest of the Island. It was great fun but I'm so pleased we had a quad and not a normal bike as the roads (mud tracks) were terrible. We went to the south of the Island to discover some of the beaches. One of these beaches is called 'Shark Bay' and we did actually see some sharks swimming there. Scarily only about 10 meters away from a couple of snorkellers!

Today we are back on the beach sunning it but it's seriously hot so we had to get into the internet cafe for an air con fix.

Hope all is well

Love form Shonah and Rich

xxx