Bangkok - Vol. 2: The End


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August 11th 2006
Published: September 10th 2006
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Quest For The Golden CarrotQuest For The Golden CarrotQuest For The Golden Carrot

Here's our journey. Six months of our lives and thousands of pounds of our savings. And what do we have to show for it? 5,000 photos and a millon memories...
So here it is, the final chapter of our amazing, often scary and dangerous, but always fascinating and interesting, journey. I had arrived in Bangkok, my final destination.

Having extended my ticket, I timed my return to England to coincide not with my friends Tim and Nic being in Bangkok (as I had them believe), but perfectly with the depletion of my bank account. I arrived back in Thailand with only £30 and Colin, my under-used credit card. (Now I'm back in England that isn't so much the case!)

An enjoyable couple of days was spent with the couple from Warwick. Drinks in Khao San Road one day, a visit to the National Museum the next, and an afternoon walking through the narrow bustling markets of Chinatown. Before dinner we found a nice green to lie down on, and as per usual were forced to stand to pay our respects to the National Anthem as it was belted out over the speakers.

The rest of the evening consisted of dinner at a riverside seafood restaurant, before more drinks and a farewell. Seconds after their departure, an elephant appeared. But he started to bore me so I went off and found some locals to play barefoot midnight street football with.

I had to treat myself to a Thai massage on the final day; everybody I'd spoken to had raved about them. Word of advice: don't go in there expecting any sort of friendly back rub. I got absolutely pummelled! Fists, knees, elbows - whatever was bony and could cause pain, this guy would dig into, prod, and generally assault me with. People say "But you feel great afterwards!". Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's from the relief of not being beaten up any more.....

My last few hours away were tainted by the news that there was chaos at Heathrow, but my flight proceeded unaffected as I happily strolled on, liquids and all.






And so the Quest is over! Eleni and myself have returned safe and sound, and are 'enjoying' the return to normality.

Although I myself failed to find the Carrot, with Eleni completing the Quest I'm sure it won't be long before we are both being head-hunted by the country's major employers. This is what the map promised. You know, the one Eleni found in her attic.

We've
Elephant turns upElephant turns upElephant turns up

Think he fancies a drink...
had a fantastic time and would gladly repeat the entire experience, and would like to thank all of you who have taken the time to read our blog. You get extra points if you wrote a comment too. It was always nice to know that people were looking over our shoulders, following our adventures, and (I suspect) skipping most of what we'd written to drool over our photos instead!

We will leave you with a selection of our highlights, so that if you ever travel to one of these places you know where to go.

Brazil - Rio de Janeiro, Iguassu Falls, Pantanal

Bolivia - Sucre, Uyuni salt flats, La Paz

Peru - Lake Titicaca, Inca trail to Machu Picchu, White-water rafting in Cusco, Sand-boarding in Pisco

Chile - Vicuña observatory, Santiago

New Zealand - Queenstown, Glacier walking in Franz Josef, Akaroa & Kaikoura, Tongariro one-day trek, Bay of Islands cruise

Fiji - the Yasawa Islands

Australia - Melbourne, Great Ocean Road, Sydney, Fraser Island, cruise on the Whitsunday Islands, diving near the Great Barrier Reef

Singapore - Chinatown, Clark Quay

Thailand - temples in Bangkok, trek in Chiang Mai, serenity of Pai

Laos - Luang Prabang, Plain of Jars, Si Phan Don (4000 islands)

Cambodia - Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Phnom Penh

Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh city, cruise of Halong Bay, trek in Sapa, Hanoi

Japan - Kabuki theatre, Tea ceremony, Sanjusangendo Temple, Geisha in Kyoto and the Great Buddha in Nara




Additional photos below
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Petrol station by dayPetrol station by day
Petrol station by day

Bar restaurant by night. Hygienic?
Street footballStreet football
Street football

I'm just glad the guy next to me has got his shirt on...
Going home!Going home!
Going home!

There's my plane!


12th September 2006

Welcome home!
Ok folks so I'm writing this about a month after Eric's return, but the effort is there!!!Welcome home - it's good to have you both back!!!! xxxxxxxxxxxx

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