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profoundly in love with one another it was the ideal display of what the "honeymoon period" should have to show for. It was crazy, young and energetic, just what it should be between two blossoming lovers.
The following morning we left the Princess Hotel, no longer under any of Jeffrey's financial privileges or control so to speak, continuing our love spree in another dwelling of our own accord. Three days later when we finally showed our face for the first time since checking in downstairs in the new hotel lobby, besides to request fresh sheets and towels, the entire staff of the hotel had a good laugh at our expenditure, from their reaction it must've been nice to see a couple so affectionately fond of each other.
Now we wanted to have another type of fun, Robbie had visited a tourist agent by himself before we got hitched to book a honeymoon itinerary for us to explore Thailand and beyond together, another surprise he had in store for me. We left early in the morning and joined the crowded bus for our journey beyond the border of Thailand to a village in the war torn nation of Laos. When we got through the extremely armored visa office eight hours off the beaten path, we then had to cross a flooding river from a recent heavy downpour of rain in a slim banana boat that looked like it could barely handle our weight let alone the excess of my luggage that Robbie was so kind to trek around the world for me.
Unbelievably we did make it to the other side only to find that my honeymoon in the tropics wasn't exactly how it had been explained to me. Naked children ran through the dirty streets, with one boy that decided to release his bladder on the pathway where we were walking as we passed by him on the way to our hotel. My doubts of his choice in destinations became apparent after that sight. Robbie was getting hungry after we hadn't eaten the entire duration of the trip and being such a rugged man he could digest just about anything. Deciding to stop on the side of the road he ordered some kind of seafood dish...daring I thought, settling for some toast and jam, something safer I thought. Then I saw the lady behind the counter dip some plates in a dirty bucket full of dirty water and then rinse in another bucket of water that didn't look as bad as the previous mud drenched one and then further proceeded to put my toast and his food on top of them serving it to us all in a clear view. I just couldn't bring myself to even fathom it "I can't eat that!" I mouthed in a hushed voice trying to quietly make my point clear but was made public with his loud mouth outburst of "Why not? Looks fine to me. You have to try and eat something, you haven't eaten all day!" I know it was just his caring side that was trying to force me and to top it off he is Sicilian and they're all about eating so it was our first debate and now we were officially married with many more marital conflicts to subsequently follow. Two head strong and stubborn people both with the right

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intentions but still recovering from old wounds. It was only natural and important that we fought just as much as we made passionate love together. Countlessly proving to one another the true intentions of each other loves but sometimes in not so seemingly actions.
Finally arriving at the hotel it was like a scene out of a horror flick. We were showed up to the room that looked like someone had been brutally killed in. The bed sheets were torn apart and the bed was stained with blood from some poor helpless victim. Nearly vomiting at the pure sight of the room and the stench that accompanied it, I was now tearing at the thought of even staying here for a single moment longer. "No way!" I told my new husband and from the tone in my voice he knew I was serious. Not that I was not denying the fact I have never been an outback type of girl. I was fine with that impression, I am no snob but give me the simple luxuries of a clean bed and a shower then I'll make myself at home, but this was just the epitome of filth and even possibly an act of a horrendous event but who knows, the lady who showed us to the room seemed fine with it passing it off as a hooker on her period. In some ways that was even worse..."Yuk...Okay Robbie it's time to go...now!" we were heading back down hill back to the passport center declaring our passage back into Thailand. Considering us a risk due to the short time we spent crossing the border and back, the officials held us at gunpoint while others rummaged through our luggage for drugs or whatnot.
Finding nothing of course they released us and stamped our passports, making us good for another three months if we wanted. We were thankful for escaping with our lives alone, although we had nothing to hide but still an endearing experience nonetheless in the first days of our honeymoon of all days.

Chapter 23

Arriving in Koh Samui for finally a bit of relaxation in the tropics, it was my idea of how a holiday should be, sunny warm, and clean... well, clean enough. We lived it up like kings for the next six weeks. Making it an ideal way for two strangers to properly get acquainted. Dancing into the wee hours of the night and making love in the blistering heat of the sunny days we discovered everything on that island... mostly being each other. We made friends of all sorts, mostly travelers, but everyone the same in being taken aback by our fairytale romance. With our captivated eyes never straying too far from one another anyone could easily see the strong chemistry between us.
Trying to find the woman in me wasn't difficult, as I took to the bounds of marriage with such ease, no longer a girl I loved the idea of being a

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