Thailand, then home

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This will be my final blog - I am writing it from my parent's house in Swansea, where I have been getting pampered while getting over the jetlag.

Anyway, we were just about to head over the Thai border at Chiang Kong...

Very straight forward this time - I don't even think they did more than glance at my picture. We are all completely exhausted after the boat ride and are looking forward to returning to land-based travel. Some of the group are staying in Chiang Mai, so this is our last night together as a group.

Our hotel is nice - my room is a bit odd, its right next to the store cupboard and I feel like I'm sleeping in there! We head straight out for dinner as soon as we've checked in and go to a nice place on the main street. It a nice meal and afterwards we head to a bar where we have a few drinks. The streets are deserted as we are walking back to the hotel and we realise that we are out past curfew...oops.

The next morning we head by minibus to Chiang Mai - it takes about 4 hours and on the way we stop at a cashew farm. They sell every kind of coated cashew you can possibly imagine... plus some you probably can't. I buy some tasty sesame coated ones for my Dad who loves them and then its back in the bus for the rest of the journey.

When we arrive in Chaing Mai we have a couple of hours before we are meeting for our final meal together as a group and as Anna is having her legs waxed, I use the time to have a pedicure. With purple sparkly toes I head back to the hotel and we set out to find a place for lunch.

I am very pleasantly surprised to find that we are booked into a Japanese restaurant... I love sushi! I gorge myself on edemame, ebi tempura maki rolls, miso soup and a spicy tuna handroll. I didn't realise how much I missed it until I was sitting there supping real Japanese green tea - I had the biggest grin the whole time. My next trip will definitely be to Japan! Check me out - planning my next trip already.

Anyway - I say a fond farewell to 6 of my 11 new friends and head off to the train station to catch the overnight train to Bangkok. I am relieved to find that its a nice clean train - nothing like the Vietnamese carriages of more recent weeks. I settle down with no hopes of sleep but at least I will be comfortable.

At 6.30am, when I draw back my curtain I am greeted by a smiling steward who offers me tea... well it doesn't get much better than that. We alight from the train and head to the Royal Hotel from where we started 30 days ago. We check in an I enjoy a few hours sleep to make up for the night on the train and then head out to Koh San Road to pick up some souvenirs and last minute gifts. I spend a good 4 hours typing up my blog and then at 6pm meet outside the restaurant for dinner.

Dinner is at the same restaurant where I'd ended the last trip and started the last - I order my favourite Beef Massaman curry and we share anecdotes about the trip and toast the rest of the group we'd left in Chiang Mai. Its sad that we're not all together on the official last night but never mind.

After dinner we head to a nice bar off Koh San Road and have some drinks and play pool until its time to say goodnight.

In the morning we meet for one final breakfast and then head out to Wat Po. Its strange going there again and everything is very familiar. Its still as hot and rather than going on to the Palace like I did last time, we headed back to the hotel and hit the pool. We enjoyed the last few rays of sunshine together and then it was time for me to leave.

As I wave goodbye to my new friends I am sad but also excited... I'm on my way home!

The flight went well - no incident, although I wasn't particularly comfortable in my middle seat. On arrival in Dubai I am very sleepy but only have 2 hours before I have to get on the next plane, so can't sleep.

The final leg is a 6 hour flight and I get settled in. At 3 hours I start to get really excited and am willing the time to pass - I listen to U2's new album and in no time it is 2 hours to go. They serve us breakfast and then yippee... just an hour to go. The captain announces our descent and then we land... woohoo!!!

I suspect my fellow passengers think I'm a bit special, but I am grinning like a cheshire cat and just can't wait to get off the plane. I smile at the immigration lady and then grab my bag and am through customs like I'm walking on air.

Neal and Sophie are waiting for me at the arrival gates and then we grab a tube back to the flat.

So, that's the end of my adventure... I return tanned, with 3,500 photos and a bag full of souvenirs from everywhere I have visited. I have met the most amazing people, made new friends and have memories that I will treasure forever.

I have seen how people's lives can be so different depending where you are born and have learned that I am fortunate to live in western society. In order to make sense of it all, I will try to always appreciate what I have and most importantly not waste the opportunities afforded to me.

Until my next trip....

M x

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