Chapter 3: Thailand (Bangkok) 8-Sep-08 to 9-Sep-08 +ve spin rating: 9 out of 10

Nepal is done and done, 1 month just like that! I'm writing this now while waiting for my bus to Ko Phangan which is coming at sometime today supposedly. I want to go back to see Umbrella Foundation in Nepal again at some stage within the next few years... I hope its still there when I return, they have many difficulties to face.

I had a really good final weekend, which involved a lot of napping and watching Tom and Jerry with the kids. Tom and Jerry is awesome but let's be honest, 1 hour and 45 minutes of Tom and Jerry in one sitting is just too much! To combat this I napped at regular intervals during the many episodes. Napping springs to mind now I guess not only for the reason that I did in fact nap a lot but also that I'd really like to nap now, I didn't sleep very much on the overnight bus... actually a shower would be quite nice too, I stink!

Also included in the weekend was a smashing night out on Saturday for Margot's last night and my penultimate night. We went into Thamel to a bar called Tom & Jerry's (oh God!) to consume a little beer and a little Irish Coffee, hmm! After that we boarded a few rickshaws that took us to the nearest party which proved quite far away actually because everywhere was closed. It required a secret coded knock to get entry that fortunately one of the rickshaw drivers knew. Partied till all hours then returned to the volunteer house (more rickshaws except I did the cycling, some walking and surfing a taxi). The next day was non-productive for most, but not me, I had my hyper hangover you all know and love.

I hung out with the kids again that evening (napped quite a bit again) and then got a good sleep in preparation for my send off that would be the next morning. The pictures will describe hope they sent me off, it was very very touching but took a while for the occasion to hit me, when I was waiting for my flight in the airport to be precise. It was also sad to say goodbye to the great bunch of volunteers who were left, with the group being smaller we got a lot closer. I miss them.

I landed in Bangkok on Monday evening around 6.30pm. This time round was a huge contrast from the arriving on 29-July, this time round I didn't feel like a scared, lonely, nervous, sole backpacker! I had arranged to meet my cousin, Mark Quinn, and my mates Mark Barrett and his girlfriend Cathy on Khaosan Rd after I got myself checked in and it worked grand. It wasn't hard to spot Mark Q even though I hadn't seen him in years, Quinns have a very distinct look about them. Barrett and Cathy arrived soon after and it turned out the three of them were on the same flight, how bizarre. Basically we got on it, Mark Q ordered a Guinness on Khaosan (so much to learn Mark) whereas the rest of us stuck to the tried and tested.

The next day we met up again with very weary heads on us, Barrett would not stop whinging about the heat, the humidity, everything basically. To get away from him (and to give him and Cathy a break fro me - I'm with them till 16-Sep) I decided to go for a cut throat Razor shave...

Now I must confess something which was probably inevitably going to happen but I never knew when... I got my hair cut in a place that was not The Barber Shop in Burnage, Manchester. It kind of 'just happened', I was assured by the woman who shaved my 'beard' that I also needed a hair cut, she pressured me into a decision I wasn't ready to make. 'You hair long, better short yes, me cut hair after shave okay!' - like I said I was tired and hungover and couldn't gather the courage to simply say no. So the nervous enough experience of the shave finished, and then the guilty experience of the non Barber Shop haircut began.

The barber was a woman, she wasn't called Tony, MounTsey wasn't there beside me, non of the other barbers were called Lee, I didn't get offered a brew, racist jokes weren't being cracked... the list of unwanted differences goes on and on. She asked me what style I wanted so I replied 'the usual', and she didn't know what I meant?! I noticed every strand of hair being cut too, it like being back to pre The Barber Shop days, so uncomfortable, worse than being at the dentist. The haircut isn't great as to be expected so to soften the pain I had a one hour massage, dealt!

Now during all this Mark Q didn't really know what he was going to do with himself. It started to monsoon it down so he decided to have a foot massage in the same place. He enjoyed that so much he then had a Thai massage too, this is probably a daily routine for him now for his remaining days in Bangkok.

I got a few bits and bobs sorted out and then it was time to say goodbye to Mark Q and go get the overnight train to Ko Phangan. After a 45 minute pollution filled tuk tuk journey during rush hour to the train station, I arrived, only to be told the trains were not running so I had to get a bus... Nigs!

This has taken a while to complete, keeping my blog updated whilst being on the move more often is proving difficult. Nonetheless I will do my utmost to keep all those interested filled in. Ko Phangan (partied out), Hat Ton Sai (climbing paradise) and Ko PhiPhi (divers paradise and generally class) stories to follow at some stage.