Jax, what can I say? I've just copied all your reports into a word document, printed it (15 pages - in small font!) and read it with such enormous pleasure. (Am sure my boss is delighted that I am reading it on his time, but it looks like an important document ... and it is! ... so he is none the wiser)

What an amazing trip ... I absolutely adored reading about your adventures. I quite literally laughed out loud at the thought of the rat in the waiter's jacket. Zara and I can TOTALLY relate to wine time at Tesco Lotus, and killing time wandering around aimlessly looking and useless products - once we even got into an argument with the wine clerk there as the cash register said 11:02 am but her watch said 10:58.

Now, the buttery icing birthday cake ... I had one in Bangkok a couple of years ago ... delivered on the stroke of midnight by two room service waiters, complete with lit candles and a very sweet rendition of Happy Birthday to You ... had I not been fast asleep and in considerable pain after a visit to the dentist, it would have been delightful! Now, Zara had her birthday in Samui last year, and she too got a buttery icing cake from the Muang Samui management (which, like you, we smuggled out into the bins over the course of a few days) but this year when I had MY birthday in Samui ... NO CAKE - or any acknowledgement from Muang Samui! I was a bit hurt to be honest! Perhaps you only get cakes when it's high season and you are paying more!

I nearly choked when reading the Viagra story - too, too funny. Thank you for sharing it with us.

I'm sorry we didn't manage to catch up in Samui ... I know you were busy and had friends travelling with you so I wasn't alarmed when we didn't hear from you. Hopefully next time!

Sounds like you had a wonderful trip, and I really hope you both manage to get some work so you can start dreaming of another trip next year.

I do sympathise with the post-holiday-depression syndrome ... I've been suffering since late May! It's so cold and miserable at the moment here in Melbourne and not a day goes by when I don't long to be back in Thailand.

Thank you for the wonderful reports.
DB xx