Finally the trip begins (1st Stop Thailand)

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BANGKOK, THAILAND - (March 2007)

- (Monday 19th -to Thursday 22nd March) -

Finally the long trip back to the UK began and I flew out of Australia................. for good?......... time will tell!

There had been a time not so long ago when I did wonder whether I could actually board the plane and leave. Right at the back of my mind, I had visions of getting to the airport and not being able to get on the plane. I've had such a fantastic time and met some fantastic people while in Australia, certainly over the last year, that I wondered whether I was doing the right thing.

However, when the time came, I wasn't as sad as I thought I would be. This may have been because I'd finished work a week or so earlier and had been hanging about for a while still seeing people before actually departing. I'd seen some people so many times after my actual 'leaving do' that they must have thought I’d never go!

At this stage, I've not really thought too much about what it is going to be like living and working back in England again. It is going to be fantastic to see family and friends back in the UK, especially my newly born nephew who I’ve not yet seen, but how much I will miss the weather and the outdoor life style of Australia and just being able to pop down to the beach at weekend remains to be seen - Bryon Bay and Surfers Paradise…… or…… Blackpool and Morecambe........... Hmm!!

However, I suppose the real reason that I wasn't as sad as I could have been about leaving was that ahead of me was 6 months of travelling............... FANTASTIC!!!

After a nine hour flight from Melbourne, I landed in Bangkok around 8pm Thai time. Although I've now been to South East Asia countless times, arriving was still a bit of a culture shock. Straight off the plane and through immigration and the shouting starts straight away from the mob that descends on you - You want "TAXI?, HOTEL? MONEY CHANGE, TAXI?" - All of which I did in fact need.

Long gone are the days when I'd be determined to get into the centre of town to a cheap place recommended by Lonely Planet using the local buses, which would inevitably take at least twice as long as it would have done using a taxi, probably longer, while saving me the equivalent of all of 50cents!

So for the first few days of these travels, I decided that it would be nice to book into a good hotel in the centre of Bangkok with a swimming pool. And this particular one had a gym………., but I'm on holiday so there was no need to make use of that facility!

There’s not much to say about my time in Bangkok really. I’ve been plenty of times before, as I’m pretty sure most people reading this blog have. The traffic is still as bad as ever, I did a bit a sight seeing but not too much as I've seen most thing before, nevertheless all the temples were as impressive as ever.

The majority of the time I just spent relaxing, sitting by the pool and buying a few cheap fake things at the night market like a fake Tag Heuer watch which lasted all of 2 hours. Fair play to the guy though, although I din't get a receipt when I bought the watch, I went back the night after and I got a replacement watch ...... and at this moment in time, about a week later, it is still working!

After three days getting acclimatised in Bangkok, I decided that it was time that the real journey began. So at 6:30pm on Thursday 22nd of March 2007, I left Bangkok on an over night train to the Thai boarder town of Nong Khai on the Laos Boarder to properly begin my trip back to the UK!

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Photos

Bangkok Temples
Wat Pho - dating from the 16th century, the oldest and largest temple in Bangkok

Bangkok Traffic
The Bangkok traffic is still as bad as I remember it from my first visit ten years ago

The Reclining Buddha
The Reclining Buddha, 46m long and 15m high, illustrating the passing of the Buddha to Nirvana

Wat Benchamabophit
Wat Benchamabophit or the Marble Temple - built in 1899

Comments

[V]

Fly over Malaysia
Hey Mike, good luck with your travels. Will try to keep up to date as much as I can. 1st stop Thailand? Sounds like another one of your 'go to Bangkok then fly over Malaysia and miss it completely' advice you gave Tony! :-). See you in a few months...V

[Burnley Mike]

Thailand v Malaysia
That's not entirely correct. I didn't tell Tony to miss Malaysia. I just told him Thailand was better. Still both are very nice. Take care.

[Michelle]

Looks wonderful
Hey Mike, I've never been to Thailand, but it looks beautiful, maybe that will be our next trip. Keep on Keepin on.