Toyboy, Thailand and stuff

Well, I've not updated this in a while, obviously, but given the number of people who've said to me since I got back that they read it but don't comment, I thought I may as well bring it up to date.

We'll start with the Toyboy, because EVERY SINGLE PERSON I saw once I got back asked about him first. I don't know, I travel thousands of miles, I witness revolutions, I climb the world's highest mountains, and all anyone is interested in is the fact that I got laid. I blame Heat magazine myself. And no, I don't have any cellulite photos to put up.

So, yes, I got laid (please don't read this installment, parents). Much shagging, all over the Himalayas. Yes, the sex was fantastic thank you. I made the first move - he's quite shy, and I, as you know, am not. I actually waited a few days (which is unlike me) on the basis that we'd got a three week trek to do together and it was going to be really awkward if I'd got it wrong. Obviously, soon enough, my natural inability to keep my gob shut triumphed and fortunately he was enthusiastic about the suggestion.

He's 27. Yes, I'm obviously having some sort of mid-life crisis from, but frankly, on present evidence, I welcome it wholeheartedly. All the bad press must be coming from the misogynist agenda of people who don't like to see middle-aged women having fun. I recommend mid-life crises to you all!

The Toyboy's from Wiltshire, speaks Japanese, is grumpier than Phil and is now in Sydney, about to fly to New Zealand to see his emigre sibling with small offspring (apparently these are obligatory before they will sell you a round the world ticket). He also reads fantasy books and we spent many entertaining hours casting the Himalayan scenery as wizards' castles and mystical rivers and ourselves as adventurers on a quest. Yes I am a sad nerd, I communicate science for a living, what's surprising here? We had a totally fantastic time and I think he made me laugh more than anyone I've ever met.

After he left Kathmandu (next stage on his RTW ticket - Bangkok) I got really bored and we were talking to each other on MSN loads, etc and he said he was an idiot for leaving and now he was miserable and he should have just changed his ticket. So I bought a plane ticket to Bangkok. One friend thought this was a bad idea, because you should never let a boy know you like him, and it would give him all the power. I thought 1) He already knows I like him, 2) Give him the power? Hahahaha and 3) Do I want to spent the next two weeks having sex on a beautiful tropical island or not? Actually, I thought 3 first.

So I flew to Bangkok - I will spare you the gory details. However, what I did notice about Thailand was how weirdly developped it is - coming from Nepal it seemed like another planet. I was walking around going, 'but...but...but, look, there's no potholes in that road! Everything looks really shiny!' And ATMs, everywhere. There's probably more ATMs on Kao San Road (sp?) than in the whole of Nepal. Also, millions of club 18-30 type British holidaymakers. It freaked me out.

The other freaky thing was how much the Thais are really into their King. There were giant photos of him hanging from the side of buildings. Like 50ft high photos and multistory buildings. Very Big Brother. People even had photos of him in their shops and workplaces. Really dodgy photos of him in naff catalogue poses. In my favourite he's holding a pair of binoculars and pointing at the middle distance. Seriously!

But apart from that, had a fantastic time in Thailand. Spent half the time in Kanchanaburi (can I just point out, I've spent half of today doing html stuff and putting web pages up for 'I'm a Councillor', in this week's learn-a-random-new-skill scenario, and I did that tag without using the button at the top or cutting and pasting!) But yes, Kanchanaburi is where The Bridge Over the River Kwai was, and there was lots of cheery things like a big POW cemetery to go and see. And strangely many Japanese tourists. It's also, I later discovered, where Crusty Al stayed for a bit years ago and was dating the Chief of Police's daughter, as you do.

We spent the rest of the time on Koh Pha Ngan, avoiding the full moon party full of club 18-30ers and luxuriating in tropical paradiseness. It was well tropical paradise.

And that will have to be it for now. Will do more catching up soon.