Koh Samui

This past week I have been in Koh Samui, Thailand's largest island. My impressions? A little too trashy, too many old white guys with beer guts parading around with their beautiful youthful Thai mistresses, and music that is played way too loud too late in the night. Maybe I'm getting to be an old prude in my age haha. Or maybe I'm just a loner at heart and like my peace and quiet. But having said that, the beaches are nice and the scenery beyond the towns is lovely and tropical and I am doing what I came here to do... soak in some much needed sun and heat and swim to my heart's content after the wintery conditions of Europe (even though it was summer and early autumn when I was there). I feel so relaxed (and brown!) and am really looking forward to my sister arriving in three weeks time. I haven't seen her since the very beginning of January and that is what I am spending most of my time here thinking about, at least that is when I am not absorbed in the couple of great books that I have been reading of late. Love you Jenna!

A Quick Trip To Ireland

So I am finally back in Asia, earlier than I had originally planned (I missed it too much that I rebooked my flight... twice!). After Scotland I popped over to Ireland for a week, as too many people that I had encountered on my travels advised against me going to Morocco on my own. I hung out at Dingle in County Kerry for a few days before heading eastwards to Cork. The Dingle Peninsula was stunning! It was exactly how I pictured Ireland to look. I spent the days roaming the brighter-than-bright-green country side and the nights at the various cute and colourful pubs in the small fishing village with two Israeli boys and a German guy that shared my dorm with me. The locals, who I discovered actually speak Gaelic to one another, were so friendly and a great laugh. I can understand why my sister, who visited Dingle earlier in the year, fell in love with the place. Cork was, well, not the prettiest of cities although it had a great student vibe to it. An Irish girl that I met who was also named Lisa took me out to a few of the student hangouts in Cork on my last night in Ireland and introduced me to many of her friends. I have always loved Irish guys, like most girls, but I learnt that night just how much of ladies' men they really are. They are great fun though. I spent the night laughing my heart out with a glass of Irish whisky in hand.

But as much as I liked Ireland and Europe as a whole, I am so so so happy to be back in Asia. My heart is deeply entrenched in this part of the world and I don't think nothing will change that. I feel at home with the spicy food, the pungent scents, the crazy driving, the climate... everything. For me there is nothing better than sitting in a little crumbling street stall eating a bowl of rice and whatever as small sweat beads build up on my forehead and watching entire families on single mopeds drive past, women setting up their market displays for the day ahead, etc. The simple pleasures that this part of the world has to offer are why I continue to come back and always will, time and time again.