The Thai woman who runs this brilliant little vegan cafe also had breast cancer almost the exact same time I did, I found out the other day – as in, I go there most days and chat to her. Her lovely Swedish sailor husband told me, then we were discussing chemo…he said she had it after a mastectomy but it was mild as her hair didn’t fall out. He then went out the back and she comes over to me and says ‘I no have chemo – I just lied him I did’. I absolutely cracked up laughing. After he left to go out, she went on to explain that post surgery it was stage one, she didn’t feel she needed chemo, he was travelling at that time so once a month for 3 months she would pretend she was in the hospital. (This is the lovely woman who brought me to the Muay Thai place today)

A few days ago I was in a shop buying some beautiful, cotton clothes when I ended up having a wonderful dinner made for me by the stoned, mad, Kabala practising Israeli shop owner. Spent 3 hours with him – a wonderful break to the constant sadness that was then. Love it.

I was having a massage yesterday, same place as every day for the last week or so, its costs about £8 for an hour and a half. Next to me an Australian woman, just came in (the massage beds are separated by curtains) and starts off, speaking quickly but pleasantly: ‘Can you be careful of my knee, I have had 3 operations, and lots of focus please on my ankle?’. The masseuse goes to get someone else to translate. The translator listens to the same thing again and replies with: ‘So, back massage?’. Aussie woman tries again, to be met with: ‘Back massage with oil? 300 Thai bhats’. ‘OK, thank you, back massage with oil’ she concedes defeat. ‘Shall I take my clothes off?’. ‘Back massage with oil’ comes the response. At this point I am giggling. Finally, 2 minutes later, ‘What is that you are using, is it oil?’ Met with: ‘No, balm, I am using balm for you – good?’. I lost it, to the point my masseuse, who is also giggling, tells me I have to stop.

After I left, I realised all the food places seemed to be shut, so wandered around for a bit, needing quite specific food to sort of, kind of, stick to the detox, but not really although I feel like I may have if I eat rice, garlic, and egg. Found a place, had a large plate of that which was actually great, with a bottle of water and a take away fresh pineapple juice – all for £2.50. Lunch on the other hand, in an organic, calm, beautifully designed place, was £13.50. I love the contrasts and dipping in and out of both worlds. That was lunch with just one of the women, since the other (who I got on with much better) returned to the US a few days ago. This was the one whose wife died a month ago from cancer.

And before that again, I went to get the wound (note, singular now) dressed. Removing the dressing removed the top layer of the burn..fun…but it is much, much smaller and better. Then I asked them for an epi pen. Which seems to be something that arrived from Mars given the confused reactions. 1 hour, 4 nurses and 1 doctor later, I am clutching said epi pen in hand…after having politely refused the head nurse’s suggestion that she inject me with it before I leave. They clearly understood the concept of anaphylaxis and epi pens. Anytime I need a random shot of adrenalin, I know where to go.

And today, paid an exorbitant amount, by Thai standards, for an acupressure massage from a visiting Chinese man (recommended by detox guy, who is Irish. But I won’t marry him).  Who turns out was adopted, Mexican mother who worked for the UN, he doesn’t speak or cook Chinese (to qualify, particularly about the cooking, he told me all this unsolicited) but cooks great Indian food. And spoke, incessantly, for the whole 2 hours. From his knife scars from when he was on the streets from age 11 – 15 years old, to his time as a monk in Tibet, to the Russians he treats in another resort, to repeatedly inviting me to his house on mainland Thailand. And pretty much everything else under the sun. Did I mention he talked NON STOP? Absolutely nuts -funny though…