Footprints in the sand

5 months after flying off into the unknown, we are coming home!

It's been an incredible journey; I've seen amazing places, met wonderful people and learned a lot about myself.

Before I left I could only dream about being on the road and hopefully living somewhere different for a change. I spent my days dreaming, not sure how to make it a reality.

Now, I can honestly say it takes losing everything to find out what you really want, and whilst a life on the road isn't for me, I've still had a wonderful time.

We are about to pack up our tired and worn out belongings for the last time, so I've been thinking about my best memories from our journey. There are a lot, but here is my top ten!

1. Mui Ne, Vietnam

Mui Ne will always be special to me as its where we recharged our batteries after a stressful and emotional start to our trip. In Mui Ne we found good food, cold beers and a very chilled out vibe. It was just what the doctor ordered.

2. Hoi An, Vietnam

Walking into old Hoi An was a magical experience and one I wasn't prepared for. It was quintessential of the orient and had everything I had been craving to see; ancient temples, lanterns and even a tea house.

3. Halong Bay, Vietnam

Sailing through the cliffs of Halong Bay is top of many peoples top ten, I imagine. Travelling by boat is a firm favourite of mine too and I can't imagine a better end to our time in Vietnam.

4. Angkor temples, Cambodia

The hot weather, bugs and incredibly early start didn't dampen our wonderful day at the temples of Angkor one bit. I loved exploring the ruins and seeing the sun rise over Angkor Wat.

5. Songkran, Thailand

Celebrating a festival with the locals from across the street! On Songkran we shared beers, food and laughs with the families opposite our beach bungalows and loved every minute of it! There was also a German man, but I don't know where he came from!

6. Pad Thai on Ko Phangnan, Thailand

Surprisingly the best Pad Thai we has was in a little hut restaurant on a quiet stretch of road near Haad Yeo beach. It was so ridiculously cheap and ridiculously amazing we went back for more!

7. Monkey forest in Ubud, Bali

Real monkeys stealing my bananas and sitting on my shoulder like I'm Captain Barbossa! Enough said!

8. Catching waves in Kuta Bali


I loved getting sporty (and an awesome tan) on the beach in Kuta. The water was deep and clean. There is nothing like the rush of riding a wave all the way to shore.

9. Eating pizza in Naples, Italy

7 days and I-dont-know-how-many pizzas! That was some very good eating and definitely the best thing about Naples.

10. Living like a local in Santo Stefano, Italy

Finding the real Italy after spending so much time in the cities. The life and culture in our corner of Piedmont is traditional and rich. I have always wanted to live in Italy and I'm so proud that I've had the chance to do so in such a wonderful place!







Thank you everyone for sharing the journey with me through this blog! I'll be posting about my future and past adventures as they come up so keep a weather eye on the horizon!

Ko Samui and Songkran

12-19 April

After a 24 hour door to door journey from Bangkok, we finally arrived at our destination on Ko Samui.

We had decided to stay in a bungalow on the beach for the week; cabanas a bit like those we stayed in in Tulum. We weren't disappointed. The bar and restaurant area opened onto stunning views of the turquoise blue sea and Ko Phangnan on the horizon.

We relaxed on the beach for the afternoon and had a great dinner of red and penang curry for dinner.

Beautiful view from Island Hoppers bar

The following day was something we had been waiting for with some anticipation since hearing about it in Hue. It was Thai New Year which they celebrate with a festival called Songkran. We had been warned that the minute we left our room we would be fair game for a splashing. Everything seemed calm at first so we set up on the beach, but loud dance music started across the street and eventually lured us out.

What had been a sleepy fruit stand was now a hive of activity where kids with water pistols and teenagers with buckets drowned passers by on their mopeds or sat in the back of pick up trucks. We were soon invited to their side to join the party and share the beer, the owner telling us today is a free day. One woman down the road, an American called Donna, was helping slow the traffic by hula hooping in the middle of the road! It really was crazy!

After some chicken feet red curry and noodles, the teenagers started loading water buckets into a pick up and next thing I knew, Mark had bargained us a couple of seats and we were driving towards Cheweng hurling water at anything that moved. Driving down the street it was clear everyone got involved today; even the guarded 5 star resorts had their guests and staff at the gate with hoses.

We ended the day with a yummy BBQ at the rasta bar a few doors down, exhausted! It was a day I will never forget...

..because is the morning I woke up with terrible stomach cramps like I've never has before. Luckily they were only pain, though excruciating, so I didn't need a Pharmacy and I think I am right in saying it was the amount of potentially unclean water I would have ingested the previous day.

Our pink bike. Well, it was me driving after all!

The next few days were spent relaxing, recovering (for me) and getting reacquainted with a slower pace of life. We'd been on the move for over a month by now, so knowing we had 7 days somewhere was very welcome. 

After recovering, we decided to hire a bike for the day. I had broken 2 pairs of flip flops and Mark was in great need of a haircut. I must admit I was a little nervous getting back on a moped after 5 or so years, but I soon got back in the swing of it. It was great to be on the road again and that evening we found a secluded beach with stunning sunset views for dinner.

Swing time at Freedom Beach for sunset

Before we knew it, it was time to pack our bags again and head off to our next stop, Ko Phangnan!