My friend Rach has been travelling for the last five months – she has been as far as the Cook Islands, New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia – where she spent time researching her families history in the hill stations of Tai Ping.

We had kept in touch with the occasional email while we have both been away, with a lose agreement to try and meet each other in Penang in February. Gav and I had recently decided that we would not be going to Sumatra so another trip to Penang was not on the cards (especially after the exhaustion of the last visa run). So we extended an invitation for Rach to visit with us here in Hua Hin.

Rach arrived on the 11th of Feb and stayed until today. We had an amazing visit with her and we are all really glad that she made the trip North through Thailand to visit with us. The week was spent with a few visits to local swimming pools, a visit to Wat Khao Takiab and shopping, the rest of the time was spent relaxing at the house and doing an awful lot of talking. Rach is one of the only people I know that can equal me in the chat stakes……

Tehya has such a wonderful time that she ended taking a few days off school so that she did not miss out on any fun – they painted together, played with play dough and dolly’s solidly for the whole week. Rach is officially Tehya’s new best friend and after the week we spent together she is also officially aa even dearer friend of mine and Gavin’s as well.

For the first time since we saw our sisters we felt able to go out and have some time on our own and leave Tehya. We also got a few morning lay in’s – and I can’t honestly remember the last time we got one of those.

We said our goodbyes at the railway station – while Rach set off on a mammoth two day journey south to Singapore to get her flight to Africa. We parted with sincere promises to keep in touch and to see each other on our return.

I can’t wait……….!!!!

Dear Rachel, thank you for coming to stay with us. We loved your visit – it was a pleasure to spend so much time with you, we look forward to cups of tea on all of our return!!!