With Shannon

Travel Journal

[withshannon]

Bangkok: 6th – 10th January 2020

For our last week in Thailand we decided to head back to Bangkok and try and experience the city one last time. We booked a small apartment on Airbnb to cook our own food etc. After our flight being delayed in Krabi we were happy to get to bed in our small cosy room. I remember getting such a good sleep and we were relatively happy with our apartment. The room didn’t have a separate kitchen area so you had to use the toilet sink to wash dishes etc. We only had a microwave and a kettle. This was enough to be self-sufficient though. The location was pretty good, from what I could gather we were in the business/ financial district and it was very clean and felt really safe. There was a 7/11 close to us and the sky train was a 5 min walk.

We decided to use our time in this apartment to exercise and get ready for our trip to Laos. There were several shopping centres in the vicinity and so we opted to go to the cinema to see the new Star Wars film. We grabbed a chicken kebab, sweeties and juice and booked a comfy couch to watch the film. It was so comfy, we loved it! In Thailand, they pay tribute to the King before the film is shown and out of respect you’re expected to stand during the tribute. This was an experience and something completely different to back home.

On our last day we needed to print out our e-visa for Laos and it was a pain especially in the area we were staying. We asked a couple of people to help us with no luck. However, I looked into different shopping centres to see if there were any printing shops. Ecoprint in Siam Paragon shopping mall seemed like the best bet. We used the sky train to get there and that was a wee adventure in itself. It so easy to use and it was a lot faster than using grab because the traffic is horrendous in the city. Siam Paragon is a massive shopping complex with all the designer shops and ecoprint was situated in the best stationary shop – I was in my element. The man in the shop printed our e-visa on good quality paper and we were ready for our 13-hour bus journey to Vientiane.

Bangkok’s bus station is huge and we opted for a grab to get us there because the sky train only took you so far then you’d need to get the bus. We weren’t really feeling the bus with our backpacks. I made sure to book it an hour earlier than the time we had to check in for the bus and I’m glad I did. Traffic in Bangkok is mental, it’s so busy I don’t know how anything moves. Our grab taxi was this guy’s little Nissan that hardly fit all our bags with his wee boy sleeping in the front, but he got us to the station no bother and it didn’t cost us a bomb. I think it was only £3 for almost an hour in traffic. Once we arrived at the station and checked in we only had an hour to go before we set off to country number 3!

[withshannon]

Ao Nang, Krabi: 2nd – 6th January 2020

Krabi province and in particular Railey Beach is a “must see” tourist attraction in the south of Thailand. I’ve been to Krabi town (mistake) and Railey Beach (beautiful but crowded) and I wanted to go somewhere different that gave me the “must see” feeling I was always reading about. We booked a hostel in Ao Nang which was described as a bustling place with plenty of bars/restaurants/markets and a lovely beach with limestone cliffs and a gateway to the other islands and beaches like Railey. After a fairly quick ferry journey we made it to Krabi. We loved our hostel the minute we arrived. It was brilliant. It had a pool, beautiful garden, spacious rooms, free breakfast, cooking facilities, water, a ping pong table, work out area, the list goes on. It had everything you needed to make a wee base for yourself. It wasn’t the cheapest but I found places in the south were pricier and it was generally the norm. The location was great, we were close to everything and about a 25 min walk to the beach. The hostel looked on to the limestone cliffs that I was always drawn to.

We only had 4 days to explore so on our first day we headed to the Ao Nang beach. I’m not going to lie I was slightly disappointed with the beach. It was crowded, covered in dirty leaves from trees and there was no room to swim because of all the long tail boats. The beach front was heaving in general; it must have been people still on holiday from Christmas and New Year. We didn’t really enjoy it. The following day at breakfast we decided to go to the Tiger Cave Temple. We met a couple from India who were also thinking of going to the temple that day. I explained that we would be going by songthaew (public bus) and making our own way there whilst they would be going by motorbike (remember we’re not allowed to go on them – Mr Meek's orders). Finding the bus stop was no problem and the driver took us straight to the entrance of the temple and it cost something like £3.50 per person each way for an hour’s bus journey – not too bad. We explored the temple and hiked up the 1260 steps to the viewpoint at the top of the hill. I had read so many reviews saying that it was a hard climb and it was very steep blah blah Mr Meek and I shrugged it off because how hard could it be? Well, I was profusely sweating because hiking in 30°C heat is not easy nor enjoyable. It was particularly steep in places but not impossible to climb! The view at the top was incredible and it was worth every sweaty step. I felt amazing at the top and it made me realise how much I missed hillwalking. We got beautiful pictures and some good footage but we didn’t have enough time to stay for the sunset as the last bus would leave at 18.20. The bus driver told us he would come back for us and to look out for his bus number. Our journey to and from the temple was so easy and it was a wee adventure that day.

The following day we were supposed to go to Railey Beach however Mr Meek wasn’t feeling the best and was a bit under the weather. We decided to chill out that day and relax by the pool and read. I didn’t realise how tired I was and I was thankful for the rest day. The next day was our last and we were flying back to Bangkok later in the evening, so we still had a day to try and visit Railey. I wanted to show Mr Meek one of the most popular beaches in Thailand and visit the viewpoint above the beach. Unfortunately he wasn’t feeling up to it and we decided to stay local until we went to the airport. If I’m honest he didn’t miss much in regards to going to Railey. We overhead at least 10 people going there that day and gave me an indication of how busy it was going to be. The beach is overcrowded with tourists and boats which spoil the scenery. I had looked into going to Koh Poda with the hope of it being less busy but to get onto the island you have to pay a 400 baht fee which is about £15. This fee is supposed to help maintain the island and to keep it clean, but from what I’ve read this isn’t the case. Plus it would cost us £50 for the fees and boats to visit the island and again that was just too pricey.

Ao Nang attracted a lot of western families and so there was an abundance of tour companies/agencies offering the tours and one that I couldn’t get over was a shooting range. I feel the south of Thailand is absolutely stunning but with the rise in tourism it’s beginning to mirror the all inclusive vibe you’d find in Tenerife.

[withshannon]

Ko Lanta: 27th December 2019 – 2nd January 2020

As we are past partying it up every night we opted to go to a quieter island to celebrate New Year. We were going to go to the Full Moon party or the Phi Phi islands and couldn’t think of anything worse than being overcrowded with drunk people. So we opted for Ko Lanta. We had a brilliant time and settled into island life quite the thing. We booked a hut with no air conditioning at the Arowana Resort on Airbnb. What a poor choice. We really underestimated how hot it was going to be and it was unbearably hot and uncomfortable especially in the hut. There was too many beasties like cockroaches and centipedes. The mosquito net had holes in it and our bed was covered in sand because we were at the beach most days. However, Ko Lanta was the perfect place to bring in 2020. Hogmanay was so different from what we usually get up to back home. We brought the New Year in on the beach watching hundreds of different fireworks displays going off at different times. I think people misjudged the time and set off the fireworks 2 mins to midnight and everyone followed suit. People’s disregard for health and safety makes me laugh. Fireworks were being set off a mere 2/3 metres from people and restaurants and you could feel the embers of fireworks coming down and slightly burning you. Thinking back, an accident could’ve happened quite easily but we were fine- and there’s no need to dwell! We watched people quite amusingly “try” and let go of their lanterns into the night sky. I don’t know how many people couldn't get the lantern to light and get enough air/oxygen to take off. One person (this still makes me laugh) directed the lantern inland, towards this wooden restaurant. He couldn’t get it to take a path upwards but rather diagonally towards some trees and in trying to get it up in the air he pushed the lantern with a silly force and watched it fly straight into a bunch of trees before falling on a wooden roof that caught fire 😂😂😂 I laugh at the sheer stupidity and how dangerous it was. The staff at the restaurant must be used to this sort of behaviour because they didn’t bat an eye and quickly put the fire out and resumed their work. A lot of people failed to get their lanterns floating in the sky that night and a large number of ruined and burnt out ones remained on the beach the following day. If you can’t use the lantern properly or have no clue what you’re doing just don’t bother with the hassle! Also, take your rubbish home!

Ko Lanta is a rising star in terms of Thailand’s islands, it’s appealing to backpackers, families, couples and solo travellers. With that being said, there is a lot more commercialisation and things being sold to you. There were countless travel agents/agencies all offering the same 4 island and Emeral cave snorkelling tour. This tour was setting you back £45 per person. By travelling standards that’s extremely pricey and almost a full day’s budget for 2 people. At first I was sucked into the idea of snorkelling in crystal clear water in the hope of seeing the sea turtle advertised on the leaflet and on multiple posters. After careful thought and having just been snorkelling in Phuket for free we decided to try and avoid these package holiday types trips. After researching, the chances of seeing sea turtles snorkelling are very slim and so would require scuba diving which again is ridiculously pricey and the depth you would go to (Mr Meek has never been scuba diving and I’ve not been since I was 10 so we would be on a beginner’s trip) still wouldn’t be enough to see the turtles in this part of the ocean. We decided to do our own thing and we still had a brilliant time. We got drunk on 3 cocktails at happy hour and wandered about the beach, we tried special brownies and went to bed far too early, we bought a Frisbee and played on the beach, we watched countless sunsets and experienced the most beautiful one I’ve ever seen on New Year’s Eve.

Ko Lanta is the perfect place to give you a bit of everything. It’s not as crazy as Koh Phangan or the Phi Phi islands but there are some places to party if that’s what you’re after. There are plenty of places to eat and a good variety of different types of food to try. 7 11 was our best friend in Ko Lanta for its air con and ability to sit and cool down whilst you ate.

I really enjoyed my time in Ko Lanta and would recommend it to anyone, my only piece of advice would be: always go for air conditioning regardless of the price 👍.

[withshannon]

Phuket: 13th – 27th December 2019

Naiharn

As we descended into Phuket airport I could see the turquoise sea and stretches of white sandy beaches, I was so looking forward to our “holiday” part of the trip. The last time I was in Phuket, it wasn’t a very good experience so I was hoping it would be different this time round. We got the most beautiful condo booked and picked one of the nicer beaches to stay close to – Naiharn, which is in the South of the Island and about an hour’s drive away. When we finally arrived at the condominium we had to pay a hefty deposit of £250 in cash for the apartment. We had to do an inventory and make sure everything was counted and documented. A bit excessive if you ask me. It was silly things like a frog ornament they counted. It was funny looking back at how anal they were. The apartment was massive and it had two pools and a free shuttle bus down to the beach. I didn’t realise how handy this would be considering how ridiculously expensive transport is in Phuket. I later found out the mafia control the taxis and tuk tuks. The public Songthaew buses stop after a certain time and there are no signs telling you where the buses pick up or drop off. They make it so difficult to use public transport and so you’re forced to get a motorbike or use the taxis. We made the best decision choosing Naiharn beach. It was so clean and the water was so clear and was perfect for snorkelling. We generally had a brilliant time playing in the sea and jumping over the waves. We were sad to move on to our next destination in time for Christmas- Rawai.

We had another condo in time for Rawai which was supposed to be the best one yet but we were a bit disappointed in it. It was nice but not as good as the one in Naiharn. We decided because it was Christmas to go on a boat trip to the James Bond Island. Pha Nga bay was somewhere I really wanted to visit and so we done this on Christmas Eve. We had the best day and it was good to do something different from our usual back home. I wasn’t even homesick because we had such a lovely time just the two of us! Mr Meek bought me a new portable speaker for Christmas, it's possibly one of my all time favourite presents! It's just what we needed for our trip and it plays music so loudly. We also went out for a lovely meal on Christmas evening and had the best dinner we'd had in months! Fresh prawns, steak and apple pie for dessert 🤤. On boxing day Mr Meek had a personal one to one Thai boxing session which I was a spectator of. It looked hard especially in the heat.

All in all, we really enjoyed our time in Phuket. The cost of transport was annoying and the south is dominated by Russian tourists and so there is very little English spoken but we didn’t mind that too much. Having stayed in Patong, Naiharn and Rawai, I would say Naiharn is by far the most beautiful and definitely worth a visit.

[withshannon]

Chiang Mai: 28th November – 13th December 2019

We decided to get condominiums for accommodation for cooking our own food, to have a fridge and our own washing machine. It was a wee home away from home. It was nice to have a bit more space and our own freedom. It was a lot cheaper than the hotels and hostels because there’s two of us and by the time you add up two beds in a dorm, you’re better paying the extra couple of pounds to have your own apartment. Plus, I value privacy and it was something we needed for our own mental health after Nepal. In the first one we stayed about 15/20 minutes (walking distance) from the night Bazar where there are hundreds of food choices at the night markets. I loved the Ploen Ruedee night market, it had an edgy vibe to it like the ones in Copenhagen. It had the best Chicken Kebabs and mango sticky rice. We were a minute's walk from a Mini Big C supermarket and a 711 so we really lucked out with the location. The second one was close to the festival shopping centre and this was a lovely apartment with a smart TV, a pool and a gym. We were in our element. It was a bit further from the centre but it was a short grab journey away and the shopping centre had everything we needed food wise. A wee tip – the festival shopping malls have a cheap Thai food court with tasty food. You just need a card which can be picked up at the information desk and topped up with however much you want/need and you can go to different food stations and there is a decent variety. We used this quite a lot during our stay because we were about a 10 min walk away. The pool was absolutely freezing so we couldn’t go in, but we sat beside the pool and read books and chilled out. It was brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed this condo and it was so cheap!

During our stay in the north we went to the Elephant Nature Park. After carefully researching different Elephant Sanctuaries we finally decided to go to the Elephant Nature Park 🐘 Only an hour’s drive from Central Chiang Mai, this park provides refuge to retired elephants who were used in the logging industry, performed in shows and those who have injuries from abuse 😭 the park also has a cat sanctuary and literally hundreds of rescued dogs. Each elephant has a caretaker who looks after them and ensures their wellbeing- what a dream job, chilling with your elephant bestie every day! If you're thinking of visiting Thailand please please please don't ride the elephants. The park no longer offers mud baths/bathing opportunities with the elephants to help with their rehabilitation and to allow a closer reality to living in the wild. I have so much respect for this park and their efforts to rescue and care for these animals. The elephants pictured are mum and son. It was incredible being so close to these incredibly intelligent animals, something I'll never forget.

In my last visit to Thailand we missed the north and focussed on the south because of my love for beaches. So, this time I was desperate to see what the North had to offer. I desperately wanted to see the White Temple in Chiang Rai. Chiang Rai is about 3-4 hours from Chiang Mai and we weren’t comfortable using the scooters/motorbikes and as Mr Meek eloquently put it “if you can’t use a scooter back home, you certainly can’t use one in Thailand”. We made the decision to go on a day trip to Chiang Rai and explore this beautiful temple with a guide. We knew we wouldn’t really explore Chiang Rai as much as we could because we wouldn’t go near the scooters so this was a cheap and decent alternative. It was a long and tiring day but worth it. We used the KKDay app to book our tour which was pretty cheap and included transfers and lunch for £20 each. If you need someone to organise everything for you when you’re short on time this is a great app. We also visited the Blue Temple which had the most stunning interior and design. It was a brilliant day but the Temples were so busy and Thailand is becoming so increasingly popular it’s hard to get that picture perfect moment where there isn’t anyone around.

We thoroughly enjoyed Chiang Mai and it was good to rest and recover, however, were really looking forward to the beaches of the south to celebrate Christmas and New Year.

[withshannon]

Bangkok: 25th - 28th November 2019

We started like most and decided to stay close to the Grand Palace but it was also the street behind Khao San Road. Thumping music, horrendous cover singers and karaoke was what we needed after Nepal. I thought my illness would miraculously just go away the minute we left Kathmandu. We were bed bound for the first four days in Thailand and we had to go and buy antibiotics. Azythromizin is a definite must and make sure to get a 6 day course! We didn’t go to the Grand Palace and it was going to cost us £30 for the two of us to visit so we saved a bit of cash. We did however manage to go to Thai Boxing match at the Lupinee Stadium. I was surprised with how much I enjoyed it. I thought I’d bought standard admission tickets but I ended up getting us ring side seats and had the pleasure of feeling the fighters sweat as if it were drizzly rain. As much as I enjoyed the luxury of being ring side the locals were screaming in the stands at the younger fighters and having an absolute ball. I felt like we were missing out on all the crazy fun. My advice would be to get the cheaper ticket and sit in the stands and watch as people lose their minds.

The Thai boxing match was all we could manage before getting our flight up to Chiang Mai. We were really poorly. The day of our flight was hilarious, because I hadn’t eaten anything, I was feeling faint and I was dramatically running back to my bed after my shower. The bed was soaking and I could feel Mr Meek's eyes rolling at me. At the time I was dying and couldn’t see myself getting up let alone getting on a flight. However, Mr Meek was right in saying we couldn’t miss this flight and I just had to get up and deal with it. Which I did and we made it on to the flight. Oh and I almost forgot about this specific flight! It was with Vietjet Air and they have the world’s ugliest uniforms and after take-off they all performed a choreographed dance. Mr Meek and I don’t do well with mega cringe and I wish I’d taken a video. Hey ho it will live on in our memories.

After my drama of the morning we landed in Chiang Mai that afternoon. It was so much cooler in the north and more bearable for Mr Meek. I knew the moment we met the taxi driver we were going to love it up here. ❤️

[withshannon]

Thailand - a backpackers paradise or an all inclusive rival to Tenerife? 🇹🇭

I have travelled to Thailand before but I spent most of my time partying and bevvying in each new destination with killer hangovers that dominated my memories. It was fun at the time but I fell into the same trap all backpackers do when they head to South East Asia. In each destination there are “must see” tourist traps and guided tours where you have limited time to explore and are at the mercy of someone else dictating your itinerary for the day. All of these “must see” activities are overrun with fellow backpackers with the same idea of wanting to escape reality and experience a new culture. But you’re not really experiencing a new culture by going to see elephants chained up and humans riding/bathing them, or by snorkeling in a lagoon where its environment has been ruined by the influx of tourism- looking at you Maya Bay. If you truly want to enjoy Thailand – the real Thailand pay attention to what the locals do around you. The people of Thailand are extremely hard-working and family are important pillars to their society. Life comes alive mostly when it’s cooler in either early morning or evening and night markets dominate areas of the cities or islands. It’s too hot to function during the day, you’ll only ever see western tourists out for a run in the sweltering heat at 1 in the afternoon. Locals will start training after 4 when the sun is retreating for the day. Backpackers or tourists have only one type of Thailand advertised to them and that’s the all-inclusive rival to Tenerife.

There is so much more to Thailand than Khao San Road, Patong beach, Maya Bay, Railey Beach and overpriced tuk tuks. As tourists we are “targets” for highly degrading ping pong shows, Scorpions on sticks and buckets of drink to obliterate our nights. If you go beyond the advertised party nights, you’ll find incredibly delicious street food that’s not just chicken kebabs. You’ll find groups of locals all sitting together as a family with a picnic of foods after work enjoying a Chiang in the local park or at the beach. That is the life if you ask me.

[withshannon]

Life lessons from trekking in Nepal: #5

All decorum/shamefulness is gone especially between a couple and within your group

Forget about dignity on this trek. You’re in such close proximity to your fellow trekkers it’s hard not to take notice when one of you becomes sick or if you’re just a bit moody that day. If you’re sharing a room with your bestie, to give you a heads up the walls are paper thin and so privacy is a thing of the past. I had to quickly get over any embarrassment of bodily functions with Mr Meek.

As I’ve mentioned before I became pretty sick in the last few days of the trek (Nepal really scarred me when it comes to my health) and there was no way I could keep an ounce of decorum when my belly was literally dancing.

Just embrace it. You are not the first nor last person to have a dodgy belly. This is just part of the experience of trekking in harsh climates.

The first picture 🤢 my god! This was 8 days without a shower and check my hair 😂 We were together through every stage of the trek and we embraced the experience together without embarrassment. There was absolutely no need to waste time being embarrassed!

[withshannon]

Life lessons from trekking in Nepal: #4

Your mind is a powerful thing

I’ve said once and I’ll continue to say it, your mind is an incredibly powerful thing. If you believe you can do something, you’ll do it. Positive thoughts are key motivators for me. However, one negative thought/worry sends me into turmoil. I go into the black hole and I struggle to see the finish line. My mood is really low and I begin to become resentful. This happened a few times for me especially when I had a pounding headache or a dodgy belly. You need to concentrate on walking and so sometimes you could walk in silence for hours. This is where your mind can be your friend or the enemy. Whenever my mind was slipping into negativity I focussed on where I was and how I could see Everest. Not everyday could you say you were walking in the Himalayas, I really should've appreciated that more.

I took control of the negative thoughts and began reminiscing on things that I’ve got up to over the years. I thought about my first job and how I used to save even at 13 – this proved to be helpful saving for our trip. I thought about how much my confidence has grown since leaving school and even Uni. I made sure to keep my thoughts positive and it gave me motivation.

These particular days were tough but I kept a positive mind and took time to look up and around me which gave me all the motivation I needed. I mean look at those views!

[withshannon]

Life lessons from trekking in Nepal #3:

You can really accomplish anything physically challenging by just putting one foot in front of the other

As long as you maintain a decent level of fitness this trek can easily be accomplished. People who don’t work out but have willpower will also succeed in completing this trek. It’s funny I’ve never been so physically exhausted but have been able to continue walking at altitude for another 5 miles. My feet have ached to the point where I was close to tears, yet I’ve continued stomping along until I reached my destination. Will power and determination are key ingredients to finishing this trek. If you have that then you’ll find this a breeze!

Like I said before I love hillwalking and I found that this was the best way to prepare for the trek. The first picture is from The Ring of Steall- the longest and hardest walk I've done in Scotland but a good walk to test your physical and mental toughness. The second is on the route down from completing Beinn Eighe which was another challenging ridge. It was covered in cloud and I couldn't see a thing all day so again this was a good walk to help with staying positive and to keep going!

[withshannon]

Life lessons from trekking in Nepal #2:

Cleanliness and hygiene shouldn't be underestimated

Being clean is something I take pride in. I love getting washed and being squeaky clean. I wash my hair every day without fail, I feel awful if I don’t. I know it’s a bit obsessive. So now you know how important it was for me staying clean on this trek. Hot showers were available until Namche Bazar and the final one I got was in Gokyo. At a price of £3 you could get a hot shower powered by gas. The problem with getting higher was that supplying villages with gas was more difficult and it takes a while for them to get stuff. It’s either carried up by locals on their back, transport by mules and yaks or sometimes in rare occasions they are brought up in helicopters. In addition to this, it’s so cold the higher you go and the thought of having wet hair in -10°C wasn’t appealing and I wanted to avoid head colds as much as possible. So baby wipe washes became the norm.

The longest I went without a hot shower was 8 days and Mr Meek 9 days. We were ripe. My hair looked wet with grease. It was literally a worst nightmare! One of the girls on the trek brought Vics vapour rub and we used it as perfume to mask our smell and to stop us from smelling each other. Best life hack when doing treks/ultra-marathons!

Being smelly is part of the experience however the lack of hygiene for yourself and everyone else is a problem. Not having appropriate hand wash/sanitiser can really make or break your experience. We tried hard to be careful yet on the last 2 days I got really sick. My belly was literally dancing and I was really dehydrated. I think the lack of cleanliness in Gorak Shep was the reason I fell unwell. You can only trust that the food being prepared in the teahouses are to a good standard and to be honest I didn’t have a problem until the later end of the trek where it was busier with trekkers. Gorak Shep was manky, people had peed on the floor which then turned to ice which makes for a horrendous experience to the toilet at 3AM.

I had a dodgy belly for about 2 weeks and had to get antibiotics. Azithromycin is your friend in Asia. After 6 days of tablets I was feeling myself again. Mr Meek had a delayed illness and had to get antibiotics as well. We were both sick during our first week in Thailand which wasn’t ideal.

Don’t underestimate dirty water, poor hygiene and manky people. We both got hit with a parasite and has taken us weeks to recover.

These pictures remind me of the most memorable "smelly days". My hat was literally glued to my head. I refused to take it off. The first picture was the second last night of the trek and the worst I felt on the trip. I was so cold and shivering even with my two hot water bottles. It was a hard day and I just remember feeling so sorry for myself #dramaqueen. We both look absolutely knackered in these pictures and I'm glad I took them to remind myself of the horrible smelly times and not gloss over it 😅

[withshannon]

Life lessons from trekking in Nepal: #1

As I mentioned before I am a world class worrier. I tend to overthink everything and play out every scenario- while this isn't always a bad thing it has an impact on my mental well being. This played a massive role during my time on the trek. I found myself all teary eyed and my belly was doing all kinds of acrobats the night before the trek. It was a mixture of different things. First of all I was worried about the "lost" fitness over the previous week because I was unwell. I genuinely thought because I was in bed my legs got weak...I know, the logic is astounding. Secondly, I was petrified of altitude sickness. I had read so many reviews, blogs and articles I just diagnosed myself with it before we even left for Lukla. Thirdly, I had planned this trek ages ago and I hadn't thought about the enormity of the task at hand. I didn't stop and think about what I signed myself up for. Yet I had no problem telling everyone I was doing a Himalayan trek and how amazing it was going to be. The night before, it hit me all at once, and once again I was all 'square-chinned' (this is the face I have when I'm howling according to Mr Meek) and bubbling.

After a pep talk from my family on Skype and the best encouragement/cuddles/chats from Mr Meek I calmed down and the worry turned to excitement!

The trek itself was incredible. I will be completely honest about my whole experience because I don't feel a lot of people are. It was the most rewarding, demanding and challenging thing I've ever done in my life both physically and mentally. I love hillwalking and this was intense. Everyday you ascend and descend and it's physically demanding. The altitude makes everything harder; tying your boots up is a breathless exercise over 4000m. I suffered from a lot of bad headaches which was mostly due to the cold. I mistook them for altitude sickness but it was because I didn't keep my head warm enough. I know this because of the fact that the pain went away once I got into the heat, went for a sleep and had some hot food and tea.

Mental toughness is a genuine thing. I had the best support and this trek confirmed marrying Mr Meek was the best decision of my life. He was the best, he never left my side and made sure I was safe and well. Mr Meek is an excellent motivator and he was one of the reasons the trek was enjoyable and he gave me the confidence in myself to complete it. We have incredible memories that will last a life time and I won’t be quick to forget them- even all the bad parts!

So, hindsight is a wonderful thing. But life would be boring if we knew everything beforehand and anticipate reactions/ outcomes. A heads-up however is something I appreciate. I’ve come up with a list of 'life lessons' I learned whilst on the trek, some of them are so obvious but really think about it:

1. Don't worry or be anxious about stupid things.

This was a big thing for me. I worried about everything. I worried about my boots not being tied up properly and falling and breaking my ankle, I worried about altitude sickness and having to be evacuated by helicopter, I worried about the cuts on my scalp because I scratched my head from worry and they were weeping- on top of that I couldn’t get washed as much and worried about getting an infection. I was anxious about the distance and the difficulty of the walks every day and my inability to complete it. I thought I would struggle much more than I actually did physically. So my mind was overthinking everything and I would talk it out with Mr Meek who always listened and never scolded me for worrying. He would let me speak about my fears and he would reason with me.

What I learned is I wasted a lot of time worrying about the “what if's” and things that didn’t require a second thought. I decided to stop worry scratching and let my cuts heal. I embraced being minging and smelly. I triple checked my boots every morning but decided to forget about breaking my ankle and focussed on the spectacular views.

I’m so happy I worked out before starting the trek. I am not crazy fit but my legs weren’t sore until the end of the 14 days trekking and more so after the Cho La pass which was a scramble. I managed just fine and again wasted a lot of energy worrying about it. If you can hillwalk a couple of hills one day, then be able to head out the following day without being sore/tired then that’s a good indication you’ll manage fine!

This was a memorable day on the trek, it was the day we climbed over 3000m - the highest any of us had been! It was a day where we saw Everest for the first time and a day where I worried about everything and anything. After I reached 3000m I put things into perspective and bitch slapped myself to stop worrying and appreciate where I was.

[withshannon]

Nepal 🇳🇵- I seriously underestimated you.

Nepal is the country home to vivacious culture, powered by religion and lets not forget the Himalayas. Kathmandu was a culture shock I thought I was anticipating, however it hit me and it hit me hard. The chaos of immigration and just leaving the airport is tiring. The lack of rules when driving on the roads give you the genuine "fear". I also made a monumental and devastating mistake that shaped the rest of my time in Nepal and my first fews weeks in Thailand - I brushed my teeth with the tap water. What a faux pas...or just plain stupidity? Lets go with STUPIDITY (we later found out that you cannot even let the shower water touch your lips because it's polluted). In my defense, we had been travelling for almost 24 hours and I was in desperate need of my bed and a wash. After finding out we weren't going into our private room, we were papped in a dorm style bedroom with millions of beasties. This counts towards my defense for being so stupid. After sharing a tiny single bottom bunk bed with Mr Meek, I woke up to severe nausea and the inability to stand up without fainting. What a great start to the trip.

We did however move into our private room- success! Days went by where I was bed bound and food gave me the boak. Mr Meek was subjected to my dramatic hysterical moments where I told him on day 3 I couldn't last a year and I wanted to go home before Christmas. I wasn't lying when I say I was dramatic. But I got better, I was able to start eating and soon I was ready for the trek.

The thing I really underestimated about Kathmandu was the smog. You swear by Lonley Planet's guide book as if you're a cultured travel blogger yourself; yet when Lonley Planet and almost every guide book/website/forum advises the air pollution in Kathmandu is bad- I kind of skipped over that minor detail. I thought they were being dramatic. Within five minutes of walking around the backpacker area of Thamel you are greeted with a splitting sore head, a groggy cough and gritty eyes. Exploring the city was hard and we eventually found masks to wear around the city the day before the trek, a little too late. Something we should bear in mind is that Nepal is one of the 48 least developed countries in the world. As a westerner who's used to tap water from the local hills, rigid road rules and intense immigration protocols, Kathmandu really gave me a fright.

The first week in Nepal was a bit of a write off and as a world class worrier I panicked the whole week thinking I'd lose my level of fitness I worked pretty hard to achieve. Nonetheless, we made it to the fancy Hotel Mulberry for our pre trek briefing to meet our guide and the rest of the group we'd be trekking with. I'm pleased to report back that our guide was the loveliest and most competent person for the job. There was only two other people heading on the trek with us- brilliant. They were lovely as well! I knew there and then we'd be just fine.

In all honesty I would not return to Kathmandu. The city really didn't agree with me. This saddens me as there are 7 UNESCO world heritage sites in the city alone. The city is steeped in history and exploring the different religions sites was something I desperately wanted to do. Don't let this put you off, honestly please don't. Just don't be a stupid as me 👍 The real beauty and draw of Nepal for me was the Himalayas. I've been fascinated with mountains and craggy rock formations since the first time I ventured up north in Scotland. Being home to the largest mountains in the world was a no brainer to see for myself.

I have a few tips/life lessons from my time in Nepal, I'll share them in my next post 😄

[withshannon]

What am I up to?

Hello I'm Shannon 😘

I am from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 and I am currently travelling the world with my husband, Mr Meek 🌏 Think of this as our long awaited, delayed and extended honeymoon!

I love being outdoors and I'm drawn to the mountains 🏔️ which I think has a lot to do with where I come from. At the weekend you'll catch me hillwalking when the sun's splitting the trees ☀️ or when the rain is smacking you sideways 🌧️ I love to explore my home country but I'll have plenty of time to float about Scotland when I come back.

This trip wasn't just thought of and planned on a whim. I've always been fascinated with other countries and the geography of the world. Different cultures, customs and languages are so foreign to me I love learning all about them. This trip was something I needed to do before "I settle down". I'm not saying you can't travel when you do "settle down", I'm just talking from my personal point of view. I know right now, this is the best time for me to explore as much as possible with my bestie and not have to worry about proper "adult" stuff like buying a house etc. I don't think I'll ever stop exploring but I've got the year off work to go and get this period out of my system 💁

I love my family and my family home ❤️ leaving that was hard and emotional 😢 However, Mr Meek is great company 😎

Our first stop is Nepal 🇳🇵 where we will tackle the Everest Base Camp trek via Gokyo Ri.