I waved until I couldn't see their arms waving back.
This time we managed to keep the tears within our eyes and grunted and coughed in place of weeping. The day had finally come to leave home, begin the first leg of my journey to Asia and finish off 2013.
On the platform, Mum and Steve gave me embraces and smiles, I told them:
"See you before September!"
"No, before!" Mum reminded me with a grin.
As the train pulled away from the platform we shouted farewells, or 'ta-ta-for-nows' as I like to call them, until our voices blended with the noise of the engine. "See you before I know it!" I yelled, a shrug between the two went up. We waved and waved at each other until all I could see was an arm and five splayed fingers wildly swinging in the air from left to right, poking out of the shadow of another person's head.
The sun is shining, always a good sign in England where a few leaves on the tracks will slow services to a stop. Smooth if not rushed, 'sailing' so far: always a good sign.
The train is packed with Christmas holiday-makers returning to London for New Year and 9-5. Nervous and sad to leave as I am at least I get to avoid the depression of 'back to work'.
Last time I left, a teary goodbye was had at the security check in at Heathrow Terminal 1. I managed to lose my boarding pass immediately after but made it on the flight non-the-less. Eleven hours to Hong Kong, another 12 or so to Sydney, all spent in the petrifying and awed state of sleeplessness that is accompanied by as many films to catch up on as you can fit in to a long haul flight. This time, there isn't so much of an airy fairy feel to departure. Seen it, done it, and bought so many of the cheap beach t-shirts I've had to leave half of them at home. This time I get to hang up my clothes in a wardrobe within a seemingly short time, get to know a place properly and develop real roots. Not as much flippant and flowing as steady and (attempting) considered, however still unable to see too far ahead. How exciting!
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| Brixton at sunset |
London
Two days in London with friends for New Year was a wonderful party filled goodbye and as the plane pushed back a few tears made their way to ruin the calm on my face without my permission. Then the Captain announced he was kicking some people off the plane for smoking in the corridors, 'ugh' I thought and immediately brightened.
Bangkok round two proved to be an interesting and worthwhile, if not slightly enforced, stay. Unable to get a bus or train to the intended destination, I wondered around palaces and temples, streets and hawkers for two days; intermittently meeting fellow Brits, who were also similarly fresh off the boat. What a difference it makes to your attitude to be around others who share your belief in travel. Even if to do so, you have to avoid the offerings of dried scorpions over dinner, and the sound of wooden frogs that croak at your stroke.
Returning to a place you traveled once before is peppered with memories of what you did last time. This is certainly more tame than previous. I haven't felt the need to drink buckets of Samsong until the sun rose over Kaosan road. I stayed in Silom, a somewhat middle class area, away from the craziness of Sukhumvit. I enjoyed far more cultural spots and even an afternoon wondering around a protest unable to find my way out, which in hindsight, was much like my last visit to Bangkok when I couldn't get off KaoSan for the constant hangover clouding my judgement.
Thais are wonderfully entrepreneurial people. I've never been to a protest before, not for lack of interest, but I can't imagine there are many around the world so saturated with stalls. Selling any kind of promotional material to prove your support, all items were in the colours of the Thai flag and there were piles of t shirts stating 'shutdown Bangkok'.
The bus to koh Tao is not accompanied by friends met along the way, but at least I haven't woken up dribbling on a love interests' t-shirt. And the rest stop is not somewhere I will buy egg noodle soup at midnight. I learned that lesson. Just like I learned my lesson about buying batik clothes- unless you genuinely dress like that at home, save your money cos you will only wear it here and it is much like buying festival hats at Glastonbury. You will look and feel a bit mental and desperate to be back there once not in that environment. After Secret Garden Party last year I felt that there was not enough glitter in my life so I purchased a glitter nail varnish. I wore it for a month before I began to feel like I was dressing my fingers the same way as a 12 year old.
Three nights later...
I have fallen in to the tourist trap and stuck to the regular trail. Koh Tao turned out to be very different from before and high season brought with it an exodus of backpackers from the West. Last time there were a few of us travelers on the island and the locals weren't tired of white people and young drunks. I went there to meet a good friend of mine called Nathan, that I had met traveling in Vietnam. It is still however paradise and if you were to go there during high season I would recommend staying away from Sairee beach and getting out to other parts of the island. Snorkeling trips are cheap and a whole day's worth.
I
am normally petrified of snorkeling for the simple reason that you are
floating on the top and sharks attack from below. I saw a black reef tip
shark, which by and large are innocuous. Nathan gave chase a rather futile
effort up against a stream line creature such as that, and I called the
shark Bob all the same, as who could be frightened of Bob?
We spent three days generally feeling hungover and dodging white tourists on bikes they didn't know how to maneuver. I would have to say that this beautiful island, known for its' diving, healthy reefs, hedonistic nightlife, tree lined hills and white beaches, is better when it's quiet. When there aren't so very many white faces. Even though I am one of them. If I had more time I would try to get further off this beaten track.
To Koh Phi Phi, Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe.
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| Coming in to Phi Phi Don |
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