27th May, 2011

Well, Hen’s return is nigh. Ash cloud permitting she should be back early next week. And not a moment too soon. She and her travelling companion will have been shacked up in Bangkok for the last 10 days of their “adventure”. The lack of imagination was driving me mad, but it transpired after a certain amount of probing on my part – silly me for not guessing – that they are bust so took the decision to essentially bunker down. The Sitdhi Guesthouse costs Bht 250 a night ( £2.60 each ) and, in her words, “I really only need one meal a day cos we’re not particularly active” so 20 baht for food at a street stall is their only other daily expense. If you had the inclination to click on the link I provided I imagine you too would have shuddered as I did, but, thinking about it, she’ll probably pine for the place when winter winds rattle the windows of her student house in Leeds. And I suppose it is another useful lesson in life. A very lovely friend caught up with Hen and took her out to no doubt a much needed lunch this week. He tells me that all is well and she has obviously had a fantastic experience. However, I’m still not convinced that her mind has been properly engaged on soaking up all that Asia has to offer and the following email, the latest contribution to the blog I ask her to write that but which I am beginning to realise I have been keeping for her, hasn’t done much to ease my suspicions.

yo dava, one last thing for today, i was given a book by another traveller the other day and it was fantastic, apparently there is a whole series and so i looked it up, is there any chance you could possibly get them for me as i am completely obsessed ( already read the one i have like 2wice)
the series is called the rutshire series and it is by Jilly Cooper the books in the series are:

1. Riders
2. Rivals
3. Polo
4. The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous
5. Appassionata
6. Score!
7. Pandora
8. Wicked!
9. Jump!

i have rivals (the second one)
waddaya think???


Obsessed with Jilly Cooper??! How frustrated, middle aged and middle class can you get?! And this from the girl who last year told me she wanted to be Amish and three weeks ago was a Rastafarian with a nose piercing?


P.S. My tip for the 2010 Bordeaux En Primeur offering.....? Clos des Quatre Vents.......I would slip some of this into your cellar. Buy two cases and you will undoubtedly drink one for free.