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Published: December 7th 2005
This was our last day of the trip. On the way to the Chiang Mai airport in the morning, Ole asked if we all had our passports. Uh... no. I had left mine in my luggage, not thinking I would need it for an intra-country flight. Poor Ole had a heart attack and called his friend (I think Ole is friends with half of Thailand) at the airport, telling him to keep our baggage set aside. I quickly found my passport once we arrived at the airport, but then was held up at security because I had my Swiss army knife in my carry-on backpack. I just didn't get off to a very good start. Too early and not enough coffee.
The flight to Bangkok didn't take long, about an hour and 15 minutes. Nancy chatted with Don the entire way about the wolves in Yellowstone. It was more information than I could handle that early, so I rested my head against the window and napped.
Once in Bangkok, we had a little free time before we visited the Grand Palace, so I walked along the streets of Chinatown, getting in a few last purchases and photos.
The
Elephant Bags
We had to buy bags for all the souvenirs we bought!Grand Palace was truly grand. Ole had saved the best for last. This compound had once been the royal residence, but the current monarch and his family live a few miles outside of Bangkok. The Grand Palace temples and buildings are intensely ornate structures. Ole told us the significance of many of the structures, but I don't remember much. I was just awestruck by the incredible beauty.
We enjoyed a farewell dinner on the Chaophraya River. Our rice boat was strung with white lights and we had all dressed up for the occasion. I wore one of the Thai silk dresses I had purchased. Dinner was another Thai feast, and we all shared a few words about how much we enjoyed the trip and Ole's fine leadership.
We had to leave for the airport at 3 a.m., so it was a very short night. I loved the trip, but I was eager to head home, too. We met for breakfast, then loaded onto the bus for one last roadtrip to the airport.
It took about 30 hours of total travel time to get back to Lincoln. Paul and Audrey greeted me at Eppley Airport in Omaha, then
we headed to my mom's for leftover Thanksgiving fixins. It tasted great!
For several days, I couldn't stay awake after 9 p.m. and I kept waking up around 4 am. Jet lag is a drag, but the trip was well worth it. Thailand is a friendly, warm and safe country to visit. I hope to visit again someday.
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