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Following two tranquil days cruising down the Mekong River we arrived back in Thailand where the trip had started over 2 months ago. Our first stop on our way back to Bangkok was Chiang Rai and what is known locally as 'the white temple'. Over the past 9 weeks we'd seen lots and lots of temples, but nothing like this. The premise of this temple was to depict good and evil and also the in between. This was displayed through pop culture and politics with film characters such as Freddie Kruger and more bizarrely Elvis and Superman. You couldn't argue about the skill and craft of the structures and artwork but who knows what was going on in the mind of the artist.
It was then on to Chiang Mai, a bustling city with a real heart in the form of its old quarter. Our plan was to have a couple of nights here and then go on to Bangkok for our final harrah but this was scuppered when the train was fully booked. On the plus side it gave us the opportunity to go on a cooking class and from 10am that day we watched, cooked and ate our way through 5 courses of fantastic thai cuisine. That evening was the last night that we were to be together as a group so we had all our bars organized in anticipation. The one slight stumbling block was that is was 'Buddha Day' which translates to no booze sold anywhere - you couldn't make it up!
After a dry quiet night the following day we travelled to Bangkok on the sleeper train. We had been mentally and physically altered by our previous 'local train experiences' and were psyching ourselves up for one last personality altering encounter. Thankfully Thai sleepers are more akin to UK ones so we were pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness, organization and comfort of the beds. Before dropping off we had a couple of beers and to relax had our phone playing music. A female train guard appeared selling crisps whilst having a boogie to Rhianna at the same time - it was a camcorder moment. She also told us that the buffet cart turns into to a disco at 9pm! I secured the first dance with her there and then but then bottled it as 9pm arrived.
And so we arrived into Bangkok which surprisingly felt like returning to see an old friend. Back where it all begin 10 weeks ago we had a couple of days left to finish the trip off on a high and this started with our hotel, The Banyan Tree. During the last 40 days we had stayed in some very ropey accommodation, where hot water and a mattress that wasn't made out of MDF were the exception rather than the rule. The Banyan Tree was 5 star and from the moment we arrived it didn't disappoint. We were instantly advised of an upgrade which moved us into a suite on the 57th floor. The panoramic views of Bangkok were as stunning as the suite itself; this was indeed the life. The next couple of days were spent catching some sun in the outdoor pool on the 21st floor and watching the sun go down over Bangkok from the bar on the roof of the hotel, it was true luxury and just the tonic we needed. As our flight was early the next morning we'd planned to have a quiet meal in the hotel and get a good nights sleep in preparation for the 15 hour flight. This soon changed when I heard back from a good friend who got in touch and we agreed to meet for a couple of quiet drinks (famous last words). Having not seem him for 5 or so years, the drinks flowed as he took us to a collection of randomly situated bars (in the questionable pat pong areas) that served killer cocktails. The tipping point came when we should have gone home but as we convinced ourselves that we should continue out and just not go to bed. After 5 strong Margaritas, this sounded like a sensible decision…
The next morning I was woken by a human alarm shouting 'oh my f*!cking god', 'oh my f*!cking god we've slept in!!!
We had indeed slept through two alarms and our flight was leaving in an hour and a half. The frenzy that happened in the next 10 minutes was reminiscent of the reveal scene in the film 'Hangover' when they wake up. Everything was flung into bags as we ran around the room like headless chickens clucking mindless profanities about our stupidity. I wrestled to close my bag as if it was a annoyed crocodile, finally getting it in a headlock and zipping its mouth shut. Teeth weren't brushed but we had checked out and were in the taxi. The taxi driver could see the state of us and after Isobel telling him to go as fast as he could we were on route. Regaling the close call, I casually asked Isobel where the passports were. Her face told me they weren't in the taxi. Back to the hotel we went and I sprinted in to the reception got the key and was back up to the room safe, by this point sweating pure tequila.
The journey to the airport should take about 40 minutes and we got there in 23 - the driver was a hero and disaster was narrowly avoided. We were homeward bound feeling peaky but very fortunate. The trip had been a real journey in more ways than one with new friendships made, experiences gained and the character and heart of a region that has suffered more than most in recent history an example to us all. There were tinges of sadness too but we were looking forward to seeing family and friends and the comfort of our own bed.
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