Asia, my favorite place in the world!!

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Ok, the day to leave Vietnam!! I think the taxi driver that I got was totally off his face when he was driving me to the airport, scary..... Firstly when I got to the taxi he wasn’t there, he was off visiting a shop nearby. When he came back he couldn’t quite work out how to get the car out from behind another one, not a very good start!! As we were driving along he must have stalled the car 5 times, everytime we stopped at the traffic lights he stalled. Not used to a manual I am sure, as we were slowing down I felt like shouting “change gears, you are going to stall” but what is the point, may as well just sit back and enjoy the view. So we stop at a set of traffic lights, they change and he doesn’t go forward, but the bike behind us does! So “Bang!!” the bike runs into the back of the taxi, meat, fruit and veggies all over the road. The driver gets out, yells at the bike, gets back in and drives off! Well that was easy, I thought I was going to have to find another taxi, but as there is no car insurance in Vietnam everyone just fixes their own vehicle. Well, the rest of the trip was uneventful, but he has got the loudest, busiest horn on that car that I have ever heard!!

At the airport, now where to go??? The signs were not particularly helpful and no where could I see an Air Asia sign of information. Luckily I spotted Amy, a NZ girl who was also looking a bit lost. We teamed up for awhile so we could work out where to check in and where to go to get on the flight. Signage is not the best in the airport and so it leaves a bit of guess work. Anyway we made it with time to spare to do some more shopping, of course!!!

On the plane, feeling two things – excited to be going on to Thailand, and sad about leaving Vietnam. Though I know I will be back to Vietnam, because I have only just begun to explore this wonderful country and I would love to do it before it becomes over commercialised!!

So flying towards Thailand, ready for an adventure of a different kind, bit like going home as it is my 7^th trip to Thailand and I feel really comfortable and relaxed here. Peter and I had it all worked out he was going to meet me at the airport and then we were going to head off to Pattaya to meet up with Ray. Ok, so arrive at the airport, walk out into the arrivals hall, no Peter. Wander around, upstairs, downstairs, outside, inside, no Peter!! Then I think I will ring him, oh no he doesn’t have international roam turned on. Can’t message him on Facebook as I don’t have the internet! Now we are in trouble!! Then my phone rings, strange number and it is Peter with a new sim card, he says he is on level 2, so I head off again. Get to level 2, no Peter, go to 3 and back to 1 no Peter!! Finally I work it out, we are at different airports!! Bangkok has 2 international airports and Air Asia flies into the old one and Peter was at the new one!! So Peter headed off to the bar at the Novotel and I headed for the shuttle bus to take me to the right airport. Disaster averted!!!

Finally I made it to the Novotel bar and had a well deserved glass of Tiger beer to cool me down!!

We then jumped on a bus, after making our way back to the airport and working out where the buses were. We had a moment where I had the trolley with all the bags on it, Peter had offered to push it but I had “no it’s easy I will do it” we went on an escalator and the trolley took off with me and all Peter could do was laugh and I was heading towards the tourists about to bowl them over like bowling pins!! Lucky Peter managed to get himself under control and help me stop the thing. All good, we head off eager to get to Pattaya and get this holiday on the road!!

After an hour and half we arrived in Pattaya, dropped on the side of the road, with no idea where we were, so jumped in the back of a local bus and gave the driver the address and kept our fingers crossed we get there. After a couple of false alarms we finally made it to Ray and Tutka’s cafe called DAT Coffee shop and it was great to see Ray and Michael again after about 10 years for Ray, and Michael about 30 years!! We explored Pattaya in the evening, and went to my first (and last) Go Go Bar where I was amazed at the sights I saw. Felt actually quite sad for the girls as they all looked liked they wished they were not there and not enjoying it. I think that is the difference for me between Vietnam and Thailand. The exploitation of the girls in Thailand is rife and in Vietnam it does not appear to be that advanced. Maybe it was the areas I was in, in Vietnam but nowhere were there the bars and the obvious sex haunts of European mean like in Thailand, and I really hope Vietnam doesn’t go down that path. Every main tourist area in Thailand has the girly bars, and I guess that is what their economy survives on, well for me I am looking forward to the beach in Koh Samui, though Pattaya has been an experience.

We have spent time with Ray, Michael and Tutka, eating at their cafe and reminiscing about old times. Of course everyone who was supposed to come is now jealous and commenting on Facebook, still we are going to have a great time and can’t wait to lie by the pool or the beach, have a massage or two and totally unwind.

I guess the travel blog will not be as regular as in Vietnam because one day will drift into the other with not much exploring being done, but I will keep sending through updates even if it is just to make you wish you were here!!!

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