We decided to have a nice lie in today because we didn't need to check out until 12pm and we didn't get to sleep until late. Unfortunately I woke up nearly 2 hours earlier than I had to but it was still nice as I could just relax in bed and I watched another new episode of my programme. I felt really well stretched out from the massage yesterday too. Liam woke up at the alarm and went to make us a cup of coffee before we started getting sorted. We were able to leave our backpacks in the hotel whilst we spent a few hours doing our own thing before our flight later in the day. We had to take a detour from our plan to find an Internet cafe due to not having printed our flight information (or at least I'm hoping we didn't now because I can't imagine I forgot and I have a horrible feeling I didn't check one of the folders so the panic was for nothing! I deliberately havnt checked because I'm scared that I'll find it!)
We went to another shopping centre that we didn't realise was even there just a couple of streets down, used the Internet cafe then wandered through. It happened to be the same one we passed the other night with all the lovely decorations just from a different entrance so we figured where we were. There was an exhibition on to do with the conga, with lots of plants and animal sculptures all around the place. There was art work and people walking around dressed up, the atmosphere was lovely. We were going to take the train to one of the big parks but we realised there was a smaller one as part of the shopping complex so we took a look and decided to have our picnic there. It was nice enough and would save the money and time to travel. We spent about an hour there soaking up a bit of sun and eating our feast of strange foods and drinks. We people watched, dozed, liam listened to his ipod. Although it was our plan to catch some sun all afternoon, it really was way too hot and we were both so sweaty that we gave up and went back inside for the air con!
We wandered aimlessly around looking at the shops, we found the food hall which is always food because we like to look at all the types. We found a Starbucks so decided to have an English tea and a hot cookie which went down very nicely ready for us leaving the more modern Bangkok for the less modern Hanoi.
We walked back to the hotel, wet with sweat already before even having the heavy bags! Then we had to walk back again with the bags and catch 2 trains to the station which went smoothly enough and we were there in plenty of time. We even had time to sit and finish the chili based snack we bought from china town before checking our bags in!
Once through security ( where we lost our last hand sanitiser due to it being 118ml), Liam went to claim the vat back from his monster camera which freed me up to go do some more poor person shopping, ie looking and not touching. I came across a store with all the duty free chocolate and sweets and, naturally, was interested so went closer to look despite knowing I wouldn't be buying. I saw a box on top of a shelf that said 'tester', so I peeked inside and there were a few left out of about 40. Even though they were testers I felt really bad because I took 2 despite knowing I wouldnt be purchasing! I stuffed them in my pocket and continued around, then low and behold came across the m&ms....I had only just said to Liam 10 minutes before ' Yknow, I never normally eat m&ms at home but since being here I really want them most of the time because I know I can't have them!'. Next to them was a plastic tub of loose ones....Ooooh. I felt extra extra bad as I lifted the lid and quickly got the biggest handful I could and shoved them into my pocket too!
Then I even went across to the next one and sprayed a load of tester perfumes on me to feel slightly more human and less of a stinky traveller. Liam still hadnt shown so I skulked back to him feeling like a criminal. I shared my goods with him then on the way past made him go back in for his turn.
We pretended we didnt know each other, but as I watched from the corner of my eye I was taken over by the criminal inside and weaved my way through again and pinched 2 more chocs from the box and another handful of eminems despite already having done it and Liam already on the second mission...organised crime. Didnt even pretend i was going to buy this time jus dived right in and out. Stuffed the lot.
Once on the plane we were well set up, quatar is a great airline. We were given sweets before take off, lots of films and programmes to watch, a NICE sandwich and a real shortbread biscuit. All in a hour and a half flight. Liam watched spider man snd i watched brave. Thankfully no pain this time round, Liam and I were concerned, we had all the sucky sweets, nasal spray and decongestants at hand but it was all ok.
After the half hour wait for our visa plus the half hour to get through to arrivals we went out looking for our sign from the hotel and our pick up. Not there. We sat for a while, Liam often going back through the crowd to see if the sign had turned up. Nobody....tick tock. It was now 10.45pm, no sign. He tried to call the hotel a bunch of times, finally got through to them after about half an hour of trying, still with language barriers and a crappy phone making things difficult. We eventually got to the hotel at about 12am in a taxi after paying 20 dollars (average cost for airport taxi here), but the hotel offered to refund it all due to it being their mistake the arrival had been so stressful and late. So even though it wasn't the best start, we got a free trip out of it so it wasn't so bad after all!
We're paying £20 per night here, which is perhaps more than planned but is the cheapest of all the available ones we could find....wow it's a nice hotel! Youd easily pay a good £80 a night for something like this at home so we were so happy when we were shown to our 7th floor room and saw the big comfy bed with rose petals on it, a tv, air con, complimentary drink station, fruit and en suite. Luxury again! Despite literally looking and smelling like tramps we certainly arent living like them, Liam's great at finding a good deal :)
