24th May 2009: Fiona and David’s Wedding

What a beautiful weekend. The sun was shining and there was not a breath of wind as we awoke in Middlethorpe Hall. The Hall is a National Trust House that has been turned into a 5 star hotel and it is situated in the luscious, green rolling countryside just outside York. The house is surrounded by beautiful parkland and has a lawned area to the rear and a walled garden that has been designed on the same lines as those at the Palace of Villandry on the Loire River in France.
Fiona and David decided to keep the wedding party down to just 60 people, made up of close family members and old friends. As the weather was so beautiful the reception was set up out in the gardens and we all felt very home in these grand surroundings. The wedding ceremony took place at midday in a converted barn that was attached to the main hotel buildings. As Fiona lost her Father a couple of years ago the duty of giving her away fell to her Brother Julian. The service was very emotional with David’s daughter Kelly and Fiona’s Sister Edwina reading poems, one about friendship and one about marriage. We later found out that Kelly had written her poem herself –clever girl. David’s sons were the ring bearers. Fiona was happy, in love and focused throughout the ceremony, whilst David was the one who was shaky with emotion. It was lovely to witness.
Drinks and canopes were taken on the lawns while the endless photographs were posed and taken with the magnificent backdrop of the Hall. A buffet lunch was served in the gardens and it was really delicious. We wiled away the afternoon, eating, drinking and being merry. We played croquet (badly) and tried not to get too upset when Lizzie’s husband Niall decided to cheat! We were sitting in the gardens until 7 ish by which time we were all a little burnt from the sunshine and a little tired from the fresh air and the drinking. Saboohi and I retired to our room in the old stable block at about 7 pm and didn’t re emerge until the morning. It was the perfect day.

4 May 2009: Bridge over the River Kwai and The Tiger Temple

Today was the unexpected highlight of our trip. We were not leaving for the airport until mid evening so we decided to take a full day’s excursion up to the Kwai River to see where the famous Bridge over the River Kwai was built and to walk through the War Graves Cemetery where about 7000 British POWs were buried, after suffering at the hands of the Japanese Military. It was a very moving morning. At the Jeath Museum (name was made up from the letters of the nationalities of service personnel involved in the River Kwai railway construction – Japan, England, Australia, Thailand and Holland) we saw the awful conditions that our brave soldiers had to endure and some of the evil and mindless punishments that were handed out by the Japanese. I am surprised anyone survived it.
We had lunch at a floating restaurant on the River Kwai. To get there we took a fast jet boat up the river, which was exhilarating! Then this afternoon we visited the much awaited Tiger Temple. The temple is run by Buddhist Monks and over the years it has become a place of sanctuary for many injured wild animals. Tigers are still hunted and killed in Thailand and if the dead Tiger has any cubs they will be killed too by the hunters. In the past however, local people have managed to rescue Tiger cubs and bring them to the Temple for the protection. As a result there are now approximately 20 or more Tigers living in harmony with the Monks and their voluntary helpers, within the sanctuary. Although still wild animals they are used to being with humans and therefore they will allow visitors to stroke them (on their backs) and even be photographed with them with their heads on your lap!
Fortunately for us one of the Tigers had 5 cubs 6 weeks before our visit and just 3 days ago the Monks had decided to start a Cub Experience for visitors. For an extra charge of 1000 Baht (about £20) visitors can spend time feeding and playing with the cubs. We jumped at the chance of holding baby Tigers and so after the main group had moved down to the Canyon we went off to see the babies. There were just 5 visitors in the compound (one tiger each) and we had a truly magical experience bottle feeding the cubs, cuddling them and in Saboohi’s case, letting them nibble our toes (ouch!). We were with them for 45 minutes and it was one of the best experiences of my life.

3 May 2009: The Palaces of Bangkok

We awoke to a very hot and humid morning in Bangkok. At 8.00 a.m. the national anthem was played through tannoys situated around the outside of the hotel and by the sound of it this was a ritual carried out all across the city. It was repeated again at about 5.00pm. This morning we went out on a half day city tour and spent time in the magnificent palaces of the old kings of Thailand. Thailand was ruled by a monarchy until 1932 and their wealth can still be seen today in the bejewelled towers and buildings that adorn the Grand Palace and other temples in the city. We visited the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (a solid emerald statue that was hidden for many years in a block of concrete) and Wat Po where there is a huge reclining Buddha (about 20 ft high and 60 ft in length). There is a constant clinking sound of coins being dropped into metal dishes as people move in line and send out prayers as they drop a coin into each dish. Saboohi and purchased 80 coins each (only 20 baht – about 50p) and joined the line of pilgrims.
This afternoon we were so overwhelmed by the humidity that we stayed by the Hotel Pool and relaxed. Tonight however we took the bus into town and went to a very nice restaurant called The Mango Tree (it was recommended to us by our guide Jenny). We tried to sit outside to eat but eventually had to give in and move into the air conditioned interior. We caught a taxi home and had a good nights sleep.

2 May 2009: Leaving Sydney

We had the morning free today to do a little last minute sightseeing in this beautiful city before leaving for Bangkok. As it was a Saturday we walked down to The Rocks for the Saturday market and to find Maureen and Donna’s friend – Ronnie – who has her own stall there. Ronnie is a graphic designer by trade and produces her own art work which she sells on her stall. I particularly liked her ink block prints and so I purchased one of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House, a fitting reminder of our stay in this fabulous city.
Our flight to Bangkok was about 8 hours and we landed in time to go to bed! We were so exhausted as our body clock time was about 5 in the morning and I hadn’t slept at all on the flight. It was probably the worst flight that Saboohi had experienced too as she suffered from motion sickness for most of the journey and was very ill.

1 May 2009: The Bridge Walk and Opera House

What a glorious sunny day we had today, the only sunny day forecast this week and thankfully it came on the day we scaled the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The bridge was opened in 1932 and cost 20 million dollars (a debt which took 60 years for the city to pay off!). Today we walked up the arches to reach the top point on the bridge (134 metres above sea level). The 360 degree views of the harbour were fantastic and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. We all wore protective overalls and were attached to wires that ran up and over the bridge, for added safety. When the bridge was being built though, the 1500 engineers had no harnesses at all and had over 2 million hot rivets to hammer into the great structure. Amazingly only 15 men lost their lives during the building of the bridge. The climb was a great experience and a good investment of 3.5 hours.
The second highlight of the day was a tour around the Sydney Opera House. Designed by a previously unknown Danish Architect, Jorn Utzon, the Opera House cost 104 million dollars to build when the original estimate was only 7 million. Inside it has 4 main auditoriums and many smaller workshops. We sat in the main auditorium which has a huge organ at the far end with over 1500 pipes. The most remarkable aspect of the Opera house for me is the way in which the magnificent 180 degree view of the harbour has been brought into the building by the use of giant sheets of glass. We saw it just as the sun was setting and it was truly beautiful. We both agreed that we would love to return to Sydney and see a concert here in the main auditorium.

30 April 2009: Sydney

Our first full day in Sydney and we started with the usual half day city tour with the rest of the group. It was a very wet morning and I was relieved to have my waterproof hiking jacket with me! We visited prime locations in the city including: the rocks, darling harbour, Bondi Beach and a place called Woolloomooloo. We also had a picture stop at Mrs Macquarie’s seat – she was the wife of the first non Navy Governor to be elected in the city (he took over from Captain Blyth of “Mutiny on the Bounty” fame. She was used to the high society of London and found the primitive life in the newly founded town of Sydney quite a shock to the system. She requested that a road be built from the Governor’s house out to a pretty lookout point further along the bay and there she had a seat made for her so that she could sit and read on her own and enjoy the view of the harbour. If she was here today she would now be looking over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.
This afternoon Saboohi and I did some shopping and then visited the Sydney Museum to trace the story of Sydney from the moment the first fleet arrived in the 1700’s. This evening we went to the IMAX cinema to see a 3d film called “Under the Sea”. Sydney has the largest IMAX screen in the world – we have seen a 3D film at the IMAX in Wimbledon but it was nothing like this one! It appeared as though you were actually diving in the sea with the fish and they swam right up to your face. One seal actually comes up and kisses you on the nose –I found myself reaching out to touch them it was so realistic.