mike[space] dot net

[for the really big news, feel free to scroll down, but if you have the time, why not enjoy the holiday with me?]

Several weeks back (and what feels like many moons ago), Claire and I did something pretty special. For the first time ever, we went on a summer holiday together. Generally, I'm more of a winter holiday kinda guy, and I had somehow managed to keep Claire on this path for 3.5 years. But sadly I gave in and we were jetting off (sorry planet) to Thailand.

Of course, I wasn't actually upset by this, I love Thailand, and was looking forward to going back there for the first time in about 7 years. We flew via Doha on Qatar airlines. Qatar have good seating space, and good in-flight entertainment. Unfortunately their screens are too reflective, which makes watching anything quite dark a bit rubbish, and Doha (the hub that all flights go through) is a *very* dull airport. There was also a serious communication failure on the return flight around delays on the second leg, which basically leaves me grading them as a big fat *FAIL* as an airline, and I won't be recommending them to anyone.

But that's enough negativity, let's talk about the fun stuff!! When we got into Bangkok, we were whisked to our hotel in a plush Mercedes, complete with bottles of mineral water and cool towels to mop our heated brows with. As a birthday treat, we were lucky enough to be spending a couple of nights at the Plaza Athenee, a glorious 5 star hotel with brilliant rooms and service, a fantastic pool area and eye-popping breakfast buffet.

Outside the hotel

The view from our room

We spent a couple of days there, using it as a great base of operations to wander the streets of the city, which was as busy as I remembered. Taxis, tuk-tuks and mopeds all vied for space on the multi-lane arteries of the city, diving into tiny gaps with the minimum of fuss. The moped is clearly the best way of whizzing about, but also the most dangerous - we spent much of our time on foot, although Claire and I did grab a tuk tuk one evening for the fun of it. We had eaten at Harmonique, a gorgeous little Thai restaurant over near the river, and then walked over to Pat Pong with the aim of going to Radio City - a brilliant bar I had visited last time I'd been there. Having promised Claire the joy of seeing a Thai Elvis, we were gutted to find that it had closed down. But we still got to enjoy the night market, and watch various Brits abroad getting pictures with the lady boy in the small bar that we popped into for a quick drink. It felt like we had to try out the Tuk Tuk once, in spite of Claire's misgivings. Of course, random reversing on busy highways and an insane sense of speed ensued, and we loved every minute of it.

Being the rainy season, we also got to enjoy some spectacular storms; we were woken up on our second night to find our usual view completely obscured by the torrential downpour. Dramatic flashes of lightening crazing through the blackened skyline gave us our only glimpses of the washed out streets below.

After a couple of days in Bangkok, it was time to head off to Phuket, where we would be staying at the luxurious Marriot Vacation Club. We were booked onto the night train that would take us down to Surat Thani, after which we would take a 5 hour bus ride to Phuket. Having pissed off the cab driver by giving him a fairly miserly tip (I imagine he had far greater expectations given the hotel we were picked up at), we were enveloped in the bustle of the train station. It had much the same feel as Paddington on a Friday night, the strange mix of hollow echo and crowded bustle that transport hubs have. Thai television blasted out to the patiently waiting locals, as various westerners with overstuffed back packs wandered around trying to work out what they were doing. Of course, we had no trouble at all, and we even found time to pick up a copy of the Guardian before boarding the train!

An English Wooly Liberal abroad!

The night train platform

The train itself was great, there is a romance and a joy to long distance rail travel; you feel so much more a part of the journey when you really experience the distance involved and stay in contact with the ground. Watching flashes of light from dwellings beside the track as we clicked and clack through the outskirts of the city, a genuine sense of adventure took hold. After some faffing around, we eventually secured a bloody good meal for next to nothing; brought to our seats where a table was deftly constructed from kit form. We hadn't been able to secure a first class cabin, but second class still offered air conditioning, and seats that turned into beds. There was some paranoia about our suitcases which meant we had them at the end of our beds instead of in the aisle, but we needn't have bothered given that we failed to get even a wink of sleep. The lighting remained on throughout the night, and the flimsy curtain they provided did nothing to block it. In fact, all it did was prevent the air conditioning from circulating over our bed, leaving us a little hot and grumpy.

All this was soon forgotten as dawn broke, and we were able to watch the countryside rattle by. Cows snuffled in the rich grass by the tracks, not even glancing up at clanking mechanical beast rolling along beside them. Orange-robed monks shuffled down dusty tracks, and rough looking shacks dotted the landscape. Time seemed to slow down as we clanked our way through villages and towns, the clean, damp air a welcome change after the cloying dirt of Bangkok. One of my favourite memories of the entire trip is standing by the open doorway of the carriage, soaking up the beautiful Thai countryside.

The bus leg of the journey was not quite so exciting. Exhausted, I soon passed out for most of the journey. A tepid, cloying, drifting sleep enveloped me, catching brief snatches of rude shacks and beautiful but tired looking temples. The sun streamed through the glass, beating out the air conditioning to leave my eyes gritty and my tongue like sandpaper. I was glad to finally arrive in Phuket.

After a slightly angry debate with a taxi driver who didn't seem to understand the principles of haggling, we eventually arrived at our destination, about as exhausted as when we had arrived in Bangkok. But, greeted with garlands of flowers and the most refreshing drink I have ever tasted, we soon bounced back. The resort was beautiful, even if there was a sense of it being something of a compound, with no easy access to anything outside of it. The apartment we stayed in was fantastic, and the service second to none. A beautiful place, it suited my plan perfectly.

THE BIG NEWS BIT:

After a couple of days settling in, enjoying the various pools, drinking the lovely cocktails and soaking up the sunshine, I proposed a sunset walk along the beach. The horizon glowed a fiery orange, the odd cloud drifed darkly over the the still pale sky. It couldn't be more perfect, so I took Claire's hand and tried to explain all that I felt without waffling too much. Then I went down on one knee, and popped the question.

And she said yes! A great relief, as the holiday might have been a bit awkward had she decided otherwise! Of course, this was the highlight of the holiday, and we celebrated it with cocktails and a fantastic meal out at the Italian restaurant in the resort. We wanted to try and tell as many people in person or at least over the phone, which is why I've been keeping it quiet online, but this weekend was our cut off point for seeing people, and so we can now talk about it openly!

The sunset view not long after I asked

Cocktails to the right!

The rest of the holiday was brilliant. We talked a lot about our plans of course, and we drank waaaay too much. We discovered Shuffle Board in the local pub, I mocked Claire's inability to play pool (I was still very popular for asking the right question, so I could get away with it ;-) We stayed in the resort for a week, and it was utter bliss. Beach massage, lying around in the sunshine, hiding in the apartment watching the rain coming thundering down, honestly it was brilliant.

After Phuket, we headed back to Bangkok, and had another great time there. We had ordered some tailor-made suits while we there, and enjoyed getting those finished off, and also watched the England win the Ashes. This was possibly more fun for me than it was for Claire:

There's more still to say, but if you've even made it this far I'm impressed. It was a brilliant, brilliant holiday. Thanks to Dad & Jane for everything, and thank you to Claire for saying yes!!!!