Day 11 & 12

Today is Monday, it’s hard to keep track of the actual day of the week! 

Tonight I’m going to watch Mauy Thai, and it doesn’t start till 9.30! This is quite late for me as I’ve been in bed most nights by 9 😬 so I’m going to have to pace myself 😂

My mornings normally start with a cup of tea and some French butter biscuits, (the real deal this time Tracy, StMichel Galettes! 😍) purchased from a fancy shop at the Mall, and they come in handy little 4 biscuit packets. I then make a start on my blog. It’s nice sitting out here watching things wake up, guests heading out, grabbing food, sitting drinking their coffee, the staff pottering about. 

I have decided today to head down to  Chang Puak Gate. 

The Old City is in a square which was once surrounded by a wall, much of the wall is missing but there are still the four gates remaining. Chang Puak Gate is to the left and round the corner to my Gate, Thapae Gate. 

I jumped in a Red Bus for the journey, to try and save my aching feet! 

My aim is to just have a wander and explore what’s in the area. Once I arrived it wasn’t really much to see, more shops, much like the area I’m staying in, only less interesting. 

So I decided to walk back the way I’d come and try and grab a coffee. On the way I stumbled on a Cat Cafe! 😻 obviously I went in! OMG such pretty cats, my absolute favourite was a huge white Main Coon Cat, who just looked so regal and in charge! He also had mixed eye colours, one green, one blue. I stayed for a while, chilling with the moggies then went in my way. 

The next place I stumbled on was The Ginger House, this is a very fancy, colonial style restaurant, bar and shop complex. It was extremely lovely inside, beautiful decor and fresh flowers, unfortunately or fortunately the shop was closed for renovations. I simply sat and had a coffee, chatted to the charming waiter then went on my way. 

I ended up walking all the way back to Thapae Gate, by which time my ankle was really sore. Im a numpty! I came back to the hotel, ordered some Vegetable Rice from over the road and got changed for the pool. 

Today my rice didn’t get delivered in a horrid plastic container, instead it came on a proper plate with proper cutlery, how fancy, I think they like me! 🥰

I spent the afternoon chilling by the pool and reading. Bliss.

I had Dinner at Kats Kitchen, and thought I’d try “Drunken Noodles” they  look like Singapore Noodles. I asked for medium spice…….the Noodles were Fucking Spicy! 🌶 🌶🌶🌶🥵 The first few mouthfuls were OK, but it just got hotter & hotter! I managed to eat a fair amount but then it just felt like my mouth was going to catch on fire, so I had to stop! 

I think it’s back to “Mimi Prik” (little spice) for me! 

I am feeling a little nervous about the Mauy Thai, as I don’t know what to expect. I’m not worried about the fighting bit, as I used to love watching boxing, so it’s not the violence that bothers me, it’s just everything else 😬 

Well suffice to say I absolutely bloody loved it! No need to have been nervous! 

The whole atmosphere is great, the traditional music is fantastic, it’s called, Sarama. 

Sarama is played by an ensemble that typically consists of 4 musicians, referred to as a Pi Chawa Klong Khaek ensemble. The instruments include 2 Thai drums (Klong Khaek กลองแขก), finger cymbals (Ching ฉิ่ง) but the sound is most characterized by the nasal pitch of the oboe wind instrument (Pi Chawa ปี่ชวา). 

This music changes in tempo as the fight changes, or possibly influences the fighters to up their game! 

My seat was excellent, ringside. The evening consisted of male and female fights starting with younger age groups then up to adults. 

There were 6 fights, 3 male 3 female, the best fights were the first one, which left the blue corner unable to come out for round 4, he looked half dead 😬 The last 2 fights were also epic, the best was the last fight between a Thai female and a Singaporean Female, it was a really good fight. The Singaporean Lady won, although I’d say it was a pretty even match (I’m obviously now an expert!! 😂😂) 

All in all a cracking good night! I think I might go again before I leave! 

Tuesday has been a very relaxed day, I have done very little except lounge around, reading, eating, relaxing. 

The good news is my ankle isn’t hurting at all. The bad news is I’ve been bitten a fair bit. It rained late in the afternoon, I stayed outside my room chatting to a couple who are staying here, Gareth & Dominique and that’s when they got me! 

An interesting fact:

I actually saw a mosquito on my arm, biting me (fucker) I brushed it off and immediately covered the area in my white tiger balm, those bites have come to nothing, just tiny little bumps, not itchy and no reaction! unlike the others that I wasn’t aware of, so didn’t immediately put balm on, those are much worse. 

Dinner at Kats, Khao Soi again, delicious, then a cheeky Almond Magnum from 7/11 on the way home 😍😍

Books read so far this trip:

How to build a Girl. Caitlin Moran. Very good, funny. 

The Heights. Louise Candlish. OK

**Where the Cawdads Sing. Delia Owens. Excellent, loved it, beautiful imagery.  

The Mermaid Chair. Sue Monk-Kidd. Good

When we believed in Mermaids. Barbara O’Neal. Very good, I enjoyed it. 

Look for Me. Lisa Gardner. OK/Good

** Bookies, what did you think? 

Happy Wednesday.

😘❤️😘❤️