Mon 30th Nov - Today is the beginning of a long trip to the UK and back to spend
Christmas and New Year with family. As has happened on past journeys, the day
is a bit strained as I will be away for a long time, and emotions are flying. To
make matters more complicated, we have a guest from Saudi Arabia staying at the
house in Silang at present, who is learning English with us for a couple of
weeks, whilst his wife and son are on holiday in Egypt. The past week since he
arrived has been a bit messy due to the teaching commitment, and need to
provide some entertainment, but he will still be there for a few more days
after I leave, before going home to Jeddah.
Before the UK
I am spending some time in Bangkok to coincide with the King's birthday
celebrations, and a few days in Spain visiting a mate from the UK, which I will
cover later.
First off,
the usual trip to the airport that I have been through many times now. Cebu
pacific flight 5J931, leaving at 21:35 and arriving in Bangkok at 23:50 local time. One of the
things I am tired of now is the continual currency hassles. Carrying 3 or more
currencies, and making losses on the exchange along the way, but there is
little alternative. Check-in was a little more
colourful than usual, with the staff wearing Christmas hats and some with
festive ears. In some ways I will miss not being here for Christmas, but cannot
be in both places at the same time, and felt the need to go to the UK this
time.
The
past few days have been marred by a recurring right shoulder pain, which meant
having to go to the doctors and have an X-Ray. It turns out that I have
suspected Arthritis, and have been put on a course of Steroids and pain
killers. They are working already and the pain has subsided totally. Hope it
doesn't recur as it has been agony, and almost driven me to tears.
The
flight went without much excitement. I was so tired I dosed for most of it,
apart from the loud snoring from a guy in the seat in front of me. I think
everyone wanted to kill him.
The
well rehearsed taxi journey to my usual backpacker lodge in Sukhumvit are by
meter taxi (25baht + 45baht tolls plus 210baht taxi plus 50baht fixed fee). Hit
my dorm bed as soon as I could and out like a light....zzzz....
Tue 1st Dec - Is it December already? My god, hasn't this year flown
by!
Woke
up still in a bit of a daze, climbed clumsily out of bed and cut my leg on the
corner of the bed....now that was silly wasn't it?
Breakfast
at my usual haunt at the Elefin café whilst I caught up with mail and what to
do next. One of the reasons for timing this visit was the King's birthday and
associated events from 3rd to 5th December. As such, it is busier than normal,
plus plenty of travelers are around for the Full Moon party on the 2nd. Getting
accommodation isn't as easy as usual, and so I had to spend a little time
searching around for contingencies. I always go to the same place, and it is
good to change occasionally. I also need some sleep and staying in a dorm isn't
ideal for that.
Out
for the evening with a guy from the US who leaves tomorrow, who had been here
for 45 days and had plenty of opinions about the country, which made for an
interesting evening of conversation.
Wed 2nd Dec - Felt like getting some sleep for a few days, so decided
to relocate somewhere a bit more up market and have a private room for a
change. 700 baht instead of 350 baht is a jump, but still ok as everywhere else
here seems to be 1000 baht plus. Got chatting to a nice lady from Vancouver who
is treating herself to a 50th birthday exotic trip. Something I can relate to,
as I am 50 next year and no how important it is.
Relaxed
and did a little shopping during the day. A friend from Chiang Mai has decided
to join me for a few days to coincide with the king's birthday celebrations
here. It may be my last time in Thailand for a considerable time as next year
revolves around other places and Thailand does not fit in with the scheme of
things. So it will be nice to catch up with her again.
Things
are also getting organized for my few day visit to Visit a friend in Spain on
my way to the UK. The weather sounds bleak, and I have pre-ordered a coat and
some thermal underwear for use on arrival! It might be my last winter ever in
the UK and Europe!
As
the evening edged its way out of daytime, I felt like checking out Lumphini
park. It was quiet as the aerobics had finished and the only real sounds were
those of the traffic droning in the distance. Time for some reflection before
the craziness of the next few day's activities.
Thu 3rd Dec – I hadn’t been to the Grand palace for a long time. I have
covered this place before a few times. Entry is 350Bt and a stunning place for
photography. Being the King’s birthday celebrations are on, the main stage area
around Sanam Luang, traditional Thai dancing and singing concert from 7pm
onwards. Other side shows going on, and made a visit to the National museum for
a break. Getting out of area Was crazy after the concert. The taxis didn’t want
to know and even if they did, wanted an extortionate price for it as soon as
they saw a foreign face appear! Ended up getting a Tuk-tuk to Ratchedewi
station.
Fri 4th Dec – One of my usual walks to the MBK centre passes the Erewan
shrine. Went to see the Christmas carol movie at the IMAX cinema at Siam
Paragon for 300Bt. Superb in 3D.
An evening of Salsa dancing at
the Dream hotel in Soi 15. Burnt off a bit of energy!
Sat 5th Dec – The main event of the day is the King’s 82nd
birthday celebration. Had to Sit cross-legged on the pavement. Feet must be
tucked in like for respect to Buddha and the King. Exactly 6pm we had to stand
up in respect of the king, but no sound, just stood for 1 minute. The trees
along Ratchedamnoen were illuminated very pretty. At 6pm the royal family passed
along Ratchedamnoen towards the palace. The king apparently came out this
morning, but will not make an appearance in evening. At about 6:15pm the
'Royal' procession came past...so fast you could barely see who it was. A white
rolls like our queen uses. After quite a long wait surrounded by Pink T-shirts
and waving flags, it was over in the blink of an eye. Plenty of people talking
about the rare sight of a 'Farang' in the crowd. Straight on the move again to
be by the palace for the light show. A band was already up and running on
stage, followed by a variety of artistes whilst the lighting on the palace
changed colours...funky to the sound of a sax beat. we then had to struggle to
get a space...must have been a million Thai's vying for a space to put
themselves and then sit down on the floor on a plastic sheet. A sea of Pink
again and the palace a few hundred metres away. I continue to be frustrated by
the treatment of foreigners. You want water...10baht for the locals, but they
wanted to charge me 100! was about to get a Tuk-tuk earlier who wanted 300 when
it should have been 60. Everyone around me is constantly using the term Farang,
in almost every sentence. It wears you down, no matter how tolerant you are. I
used to think i could live here, but now i am not so sure. Also, the constant
expectation to pay for everything wherever i go. Not one occasion when i am
bought something. If i make an issue of it, i am almost put down for being
stingy or something. At 7pm the 4D sound & light show at palace followed at
8pm the fireworks over the Golden mount. Hard to see it all, as it was all
spread out, but nice enough. Another crazy escape from the area by Moto-taxi to
a sky station along the crowded roads. lights and banners everywhere.
Sun 6th Dec –
My friend returned to Chiang Mai this morning and I returned to the Soi 1 backpackers
for the night before leaving Bangkok.
Mon 7th Dec - Flight AB7151 bound for Dusseldorf in Germany was due to
depart at 11:55 and so I had a nice usual start to the day. Up for breakfast at
7:30am at the Elefin café across the road, and then a taxi ride to the airport
along empty roads. Check-in opened 3hrs ahead of departure, so I didn't have to
wait long. It is noticeable when you are standing in a queue of people from a
specific country or region of the world how we all differ. You come from the
streets of Bangkok for example, where everyone is either Thai or mixed, to a
queue of Europeans, with not a single Asian. All white skinned or with a
noticeable tan.
A few hours to kill now, so had a
coffee and some internet time at one of the cafes after going through passport
control.
Another change now as I had to
change my remaining Baht into Euros. It seems ages since i last used the euro
currency. I think it was about 3 1/2 years ago, and felt a little strange. Will
have to get some British pounds in a few days, so will mess with currency a
bit, and lose in the process. The main problem is that my brain is now
programmed to think Asian prices, and i am now going back into expensive
territory. I expect it will kill me to have to pay the prices for some things,
and will have to keep everything to a minimum. Cannot afford to do anything
else, as don't have the money. It doesn't bode well for any future visits
west...this might be the last for a considerable time and i haven't got there
yet!
Very efficient boarding as
expected of Air Berlin, aboard an A330 wide bodied plane. I had a Dutch guy for
company, who had been on vacation for 3 weeks. A maintenance engineer for an
aircon company.
The meals were good quality. The
first one was accompanied by some red wine and followed by a glass of Bailey's
liquor or cognac. The later meal was also good. Plenty of coffee/tea and water
and could buy snacks in between if you wished. Nice service i thought. Usual
in-flight prices in Euros (€2.5 for a drink or snack on average). In-flight
movies would have been good if they gave out headphones, but you had to buy
them, so didn't bother. Free newspapers if you could read German. I had to make
do with my book and the Bangkok post. The other entertainment was from the guy
next to me who was bored and kept huffing and puffing. He should have brought a
book or something but had nothing to do and couldn't sleep either. And another
guy behind me who kept farting and letting out the most awful smells that were
so unfair on an airplane!
We are going back 6 hours in time
zone change to Germany/Spain. Departed at 11:55am (actually just after noon),
and arrive at 18:15. So that's 6 1/4hrs plus the 6hrs time difference, making
it a 12 hour or so flight! I reckon that i woke up about 7am and so was awake
for 5 hours before take-off, making it 18hours without sleep by that time. I
then have until 6am before the next flight to Alicante departs. So that is
another 11 hours after arrival. Then a 2hr 35 min flight followed by say
another 1 hour minimum to Simon's place. Making it a grand total of maybe 33
hours without sleep. I think i will just die tomorrow!
I finished my book the 'Hardship
Postings Volume 2' with 5 hours still to go, and that's why i have time to mess
around making silly notes now. I will go nuts at Dusseldorf if i don't have
anything to do, so hope there is some free internet, so i can play and
research.
I have also got plenty to be
thinking about in my idle moments as next year should be a 'Big' year. Being 50
in March and taking early retirement...stop it you lot out there who think i
have already retired...well it is sort of true i guess.
In a crazy roller-coaster session
yesterday evening with Shiera, we managed to patch up a big timing problem and
work out some way forward. I ended up booking us a flight to Osaka in Japan for
March 2nd. That will cover cherry blossom season which will begin earlier in
the south and later in the month northwards. I had hoped to spend Golden week
there, but think it will be too expensive and a crazy time to be there.
Visas are the usual issue as
arriving back in the Philippines on 13th January, and then only getting 21 days
tourist visa takes me to 3rd February. Will have to extend my visa, and keep
the costs down, but have some plans to spice things up a little. More on that
at a later date. After Japan...well maybe Malaysia for a bit, but it doesn't
matter right now as it is too far away to be of real concern. It does mean that
we will be in Japan for my birthday. Now that may seem a little strange. But
wanted to be somewhere special. Could have picked anywhere. But visa issues
again. The first visa extension from 3rd Feb only takes me to 5th March, so i
would have to leave the country anyway, or extend again, and that seems silly
as it is expensive. So decided to leave the Philippines and go somewhere else
for my birthday. Aren't visas a total pain! The Philippines especially causes
me no end of troubles, and why it is highly likely that it won't be my chosen
country of long term residence.
As we soared along at 40,000ft at
510mph and an outside temperature of -70 degrees C or less, it is a reminder of
how cold it will be in the west. The Bangkok post showed the daytime
temperatures at around 30 degrees in Bangkok and 7 degrees in London.
Ohhh...shit...that's bloody cold! And that is daytime...what about the night
time...gonna die with frostbite or hyperthermia and maybe wont have any fingers
or toes left when i come back east? Will have to get some thermal long johns
and a woolly hat in Spain, and knitted nose and ear muffs. I love the
temperatures in Asia...have turned into a wimp now and hate the cold.
Isn't it pretty when the horizon
changes from day to night, and the rainbow of colours of the spectrum can be
seen as the light fades. The world below fades to black. Earlier in the flight
we passed over a vast range of snow-capped mountains. First snow i had seen in
a long while. I think that must have been the Himalayas or somewhere on the Russian
borders. No idea as they don't flash up a progress map until later in the
flight after the movies have finished, so you have no idea where you are.
Arrived at Dusseldorf airport at
6:10pm and 7 degrees C....freezin...
Swift pass through passport
control and baggage claim then went to Information services to check what i can
do while I’m waiting for my flight to Alicante in the morning. I was amazed
that i could check my luggage in using their 'Late Night' check in counters. Up
one level and off to the far end and the lovely staff were there to take my
luggage. That was a relief, so i didn't have to keep hold of it all night.
Picked up a local map and
information about the city. They have a sky train between the airport and city.
The problem is that it is complicated and not obvious what to see and where it
all is. Takes 15mins and costs 1 euro. Then i spoke to someone else who advised
me not to go as it could be dangerous in places.
Had a small amount of Thai Baht
left that they wouldn't change in Thailand, but a nice lady at one money
changer here gave me some Euros for it, commission free, saying it was from St
Nicholaus. I like this Christmas spirit. She then changed some dollars
commission free too. Now that was really sweet. I was told not to lie down on
the seats in the waiting hall as the security are particular about it and might
evict me from the building. They want to avoid any vagrancy, and to be honest,
after a day of not shaving i could easily pass for one! Best stay upright and
awake then...so McDonald's and a coffee. Isn't the world of Euros and expensive
one? All of a sudden the cost of staying alive has multiplied beyond
recognition, with a McD's doggie burger, fries and a coffee costing about 6
Euros.
Either that or a McFraulein with
Bratwurst sausage and eine kleine twisty thingshalle ganungbung..thingy... You
can tell I’m in Germany now...got the lingo off to a tee!
I have gone from a sea of
perfectly formed lovely ladies in the warmth of Thailand basking in the low
30's at the moment...to the thick coat wearing...earmuff clad...pale faced
people in the winter of Germany...help...this isn't what i was meant to be
doing...get me out of here and put me on a beach with flip-flops and a
cocktail! S..O..S.. Mayday..Mayday. Will build a fire and hope for an air lift
soon.
Only German newspapers and magazine. Would have
thought a flight destined for Spain would have had English or Spanish?
Took off at 6am in the dark freezing cold rain with a
biting wind. The view of Dusseldorf from the window was lovely as it was all
lit up. The Rhine snaking its was through the city. From what i could see, it
looked walkable from the Airport. It was cold though. And I didn't have enough
clothes to wrap up in. I reckon on a good day it would be a nice walk.
Arrived in Alicante 20 minutes ahead of schedule.
Greeted by a pleasant 16 degrees C, no cloud and approach from the sea towards
the land. Simon was waiting in arrivals and we soon hit that road to Salinas,
around 35 minutes over the mountains. A lovely typical Spanish town, set around
a square. Today was a National Holiday...The 'Immaculate Conception day', and
so everywhere was closed, excepting for a few bars.
Went into town later to a Bodega for a rather
expensive meal at 20 Euros each, but that include red wine...about 6 courses
including eels, fish, meat dishes...
An exciting afternoon fixing a technical problem at a
client’s house. They had a really nice place and thought they were very
accommodating. Met Tia Simon’s dog...Excited she was. A pleasant walk around
the town in the cold. Was clear sky, but still only a few degrees above
freezing.
Wed 9th Dec - Spent the whole day in Benidorm, around 45
minutes drive from Simon’s house. I hadn’t been here since i was 18 years old.
Now that was a long time ago. I could still recognise some parts of it. The
main promenade i thought was lovely, with wavy stainless steel railing and
beach level boardwalk. The city seemed to have been taken over to a large
extent by expats come to sun themselves away from the British winter. Sporting
dark suntans and beer bellies to accommodate the hours spent drinking too many
Cervesas in the waterfront bars....the typical expat image!
Thu 10th Dec – Another meeting with
some clients of Simon’s in Sax for a future internet installation. We had a
nice lunch in Sax at the Bodega owned by the potential client. Two of the guys
behind the bar looked like Sumo wrestlers. I wouldn’t like to get between them
in an argument...A bit squashed I think! My turn to cook in the evening, so did
a delicious pasta dinner.
Visited another customer of Simon’s in the afternoon The
guy had been out at the Olive oil weighing station. They take their harvest and
then the oil content is assessed. They are then given a slip with details and
they get paid when the processing has been done, which could be month or so.
Fri 11th Dec - Walk the dog and
then off to airport, about 45 mins in the fog arriving at T2 for Easyjet flight
EZY1918 departing at about 11:10. Confusion at check-in with speedy boarding
and people changing queues. Disgusting toilets with flush not working.
I always stagger at the prices you pay for everything
at airports. Alicante shocked me even more. I can never understand an economy
that can dare to charge 3 Euros for a small bottle of plain water, 6 Euros for
a small piece of crusty bread and some local cured ham, and nothing else, and
over 3 Euros for a small packet of crisps. The most basic of snacks was 10
Euros. That's 8 pounds (over 600 Pesos), for sod all! I cannot afford Europe,
irrespective of the fact I have now acclimatised to the costs in Asia. I would
be broke in next to no time. The next 3 weeks are going to be a test. I want to
go out and have some nice treats, but the cost is prohibitive. Forget treating
anyone to a meal out...would wipe out a month's living costs for lunch! Bring
it on Asia....
The A320 Airbus flight departed at 11:30; 20 minutes
later than expected due to fog delaying it leaving Manchester on its incoming
journey. Arrived in Manchester at 1:15pm total cloud cover since crossing from
France, but luckily it was clear over Manchester. Temp about 1 deg C !
Freezio...
Quick enough out of the airport and on to the free
airport shuttle service to the railway station. £5.70 off peak ticket to
Burscough Bridge and was only waiting for 15 minutes before departing on the
Northern Rail 14:03 bound for Southport via Appley Bridge. Did a quick currency
change in the terminal for some British Pounds. My own currency felt weird
after this time away!
Arrived in Burscough after 80 minutes in the thick
freezing fog. My mother was waiting and it was lovely to see her after so long.
At 84 years old she is a sprightly lady and a pleasure to be spending time
with.
More in the next journal...
