Birthdays "Thai-style"

Well, I've reached the magic age of 25 - a quarter of a century - where everything reportedly "goes down hill from here". I don't believe a word of it. This year I got to celebrate my birthday Thai-style on the island of Kho Pha Ngan. Thai-style really means the same as in Adelaide, but the beer is cheaper and the friends much newer. On my "birthday-eve" Bol and I went out for dinner and then met up with mates to visit some bars as the countdown to midnight began. The bar we were in was short on spirits, and s0 for the big midnight birthday cheers the group of us sat around having shots of beer! I awoke the following day on my actual birthday to find our bungalow had been decorated in balloons. The girls we had been hanging out with for little more than 24 hours had gone to the effort of hanging them in the middle of the night as a surprise. You can't get much nicer than that! The people you meet when you travel ....

Our decorated bungalow - after a few balloons had popped

Not a bad spot for a birthday breakfast

So after a bit of a sleep-in, Bol and I jumped on the motorbike and went for a cruise to find the perfect place for my birthday breakfast. We stopped at a gorgeous bar on the beach for some fresh juice before heading to another beach to have burgers at a resort. I spent the afternoon getting a full-body Thai massage and then a second birthday dinner was held at "Kop Shop" - a gorgeous island restaurant with the nicest owner you'll ever meet. It was also the 30th of another one of the girls - Donna - so we had a big double birthday dinner and then of course, stayed up drinking and chatting into the early hours.

Bol gets creative taking photos of the birthday girls

Our cake was made out of dragonfruit and banana

Tineke, Bol, me, Karen and Donna having evening birthday drinks

All in all, it was a fantastic birthday - but I did miss all my family and friends from home. Thanks for all your phone calls and emails. XXXXXXXXXXXX