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Published: April 3rd 2007
The final day arrives at last. Not that I have been looking forward to leaving, I have had a brilliant time here. I'm looking forward to the next great round of globe trotting. Like I've said many times 'It's not that I want to leave, it's just that I have a schedule to keep!'. Next stop, Shanghai.
Now that all the packing is done and my beautiful apartment is back to being the empty shell it once was, I can turn my attention to the possibly over-stuffed backpack. Packing is an art form I have never mastered. I made a good start with my things to ship home.. I was methodical and careful, diligently wrapping my books before arranging them in an orderly manner in the box.. halfway through filling the first box I gave up and started chucking things in. It was a bit down hill from there... Thankfully, Khun Jeeranan from ConAir (not a name that inspires confidence, but they are cheap and apparently they do deliver)will repack everything (at least that's what I understand, she does try her best but even on a good day, I can't understand half the things she says!). As for the
The Million Dollar View
Uninterupted by tall buildings, one of the finest views in Bangkok. And all from my own private balcony.backpack, I have reached that point where I don't particularly care what I pack as long as I have my passport, credit/debit cards and cameras... clothes will be cheap in China, it's all made there anyway!!! I'm half tempted to take just a handbag and nothing else!
This journey is the completion of a round-the-world trip that started in 2004. I'm actually going back the way I intended, via the Trans-Siberian. I will also be making my first return to China since leaving as a child in the mid-80s. It will be something of a pilgrimage. I only found my old address in Beijing on a map, for the first time, a few months ago. It's a funny feeling to suddenly realise that you never actually knew where you lived! I was also named after my birthplace, so I've always known the name and I have some memories of the place, but I never knew where Xiang Shan was located! Now I do, because the Rough Guide China and Let's Go! were good enough to print everything in English and Pingyin so that I could read it!
It's been one hell of a lead-up to my departure. My
My Bachelorette Pad
All the packing is done and now my flat is back to a shell *sniff* friend Kate's birthday weekend was quite the marathon. (Mostly eating for me -- and mostly drinking for others!) Then there were my leaving parties. I should do about a month’s detox to get rid of all the 'stuff' I've consumed! Then again, my whole stay in Bangkok has had little to do with moderation or modest living. I’ve soaked up beauty salons, spas, buffets, shopping... and all on an English teacher’s salary. Goodbye high life, hello pauperdom... in Essex, the 'Sunshine Coast' that makes grey look cheerful! But before that I have 3 months of great tramping ahead.
My life here in Bangkok has had more positives than negatives. It has been a pleasant break from reality.
Things I will miss: my apartment at Baan Chaopraya (the million dollar view, the gym and pools, the receptionist giving me my key, the saluting guards, the private boat...); the Ananda Spa; Be My Guest restaurant; Klong San market; 199 baht bags and shoes; sticky rice, som tum and fried chicken (one of the all time greatest meals - forget green curry!); express ferries; Bao at Nancy's; cheap shampoos and styles; Blue Cup Cafe; Scala cinema; nail art; the Saphan Thaksin
Be My Guest
The last meal at what I consider to be one of the gems of Bangkok - Be My Guest restaurant by the river. dogs and puppies pack; Suan Lum Night Bazaar; watching the sun rise and set from my balcony.
Things I will NOT miss: the banks; crazy cab drivers; soi dogs that need to be put down; 43C and 100%!h(MISSING)umidity; torrential downpours; traffic jams; the ‘nobody fails’ policy; meandering crowds; firecrackers at dawn (something to do with the temple next door...); the neighbour's wailing cat!
So, onwards and northwards to cooler climes. All on board ('all' in this case means my friend Jessica) for a loopy XYZ whirlwind tour to bag as many sights and sounds as we can. Here's a brief run down of our planned pit-stops: Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanjing, Huangshang, Hangzhou, Wulingyuan, Three-gorges, Chongqing, Xian, Chengdu, Lhasa, Shigatse, Everest base camp, Kunming, Guilin, Beijing, Great Wall, Urumqi, Ulaanbaatur, Moscow, St. Petersburg.
Then, England. Home. Books. Student life. Yippee.
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