So Sad To Leave Bangkok!

I think I can speak for both of us when I say how sad we were to leave Pranakorn on Monday. We weren't leaving Bangkok quite yet, so had booked a decidedly expensive hotel at the Airport, for our final night in Thailand. Both of us had thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the luxury Nuovo City Hotel, despite making an initial error with the booking. 

The Nuovo City Hotel caters predominantly for the Islamic market, not that that was a problem. The only difficulty we had was the ban on alcohol consumption in the hotel, otherwise it was a wonderful place to stay.

On the plus side, they were a very inclusive venue that looked after both of us perfectly. The facilities were excellent, the breakfast was top-notch and the service impeccable; I can not fault this beautiful hotel at all. As we made our way to the car they had arranged for us, I thanked all the staff on the desk and they in turn wished us well. If you are ever in Thailand, I can highly recommend this place and the local neighbourhood is extremely friendly and warm.

It took about forty-five minutes to reach the airport, a lot quicker than the two hours it had taken driving in. We were dropped at the door of the stunning Novotel on the airport complex, which was vast. It had every facility you could imagine, including bars, restaurants, shops, food halls and an ice cream parlour. The huge atrium was covered, protecting us from the elements, and the rooms the most luxurious yet. Sadly, we would only be staying for one night, but we certainly made use of the pub and restaurant, where the food was lovely!

After a nice long bath, my first since leaving London on 16 September, I was able to have some much-needed quiet time, while Darrell went for a swim. These past three weeks have been the longest we have spent together in years, so we have naturally argued a bit during this adventure. To be honest, both Darrell and I have needed the time together, good and bad. It has been a terribly stressful time in any case. Travelling for weeks on end does take its toll, especially after all the upheaval we both went through before our departure.

Luckily, throughout our time away we have kept in touch with friends back home, phoning them on a regular basis, and they have been nothing but supportive, following our journey from across the World. Many have commented on how well we are looking, and I guess Bangkok has done us both the World of good, which is why we were so sad to leave. Nevertheless, we will always have fond memories of our time in Patpong and Pranakorn and look back, with a cheeky smile, at the exploits we had. Bangkok gave us the time we needed as a couple to get to know one another again; doing what we love most has given us a reason to live and a determination to succeed in our future endeavours.

Our trip to Bangkok will be an enduring memory after a fractious time in the UK. The twelve days we spent there, allowed us to forget the difficulties we experienced and cement our determination to forge a new life overseas. There will be much I miss about Britain, but those links will always be there; I am British first and foremost, and my home will always be in Europe. Leaving Thailand behind means the start of something new, untested, untried and a chance to fulfil dreams we had long since forgotten. As I look back on our twelve days in Bangkok, I am satisfied, we made the right choice to leave the UK and start building a new future away from the struggles of the past and I look forward to continuing a journey we began in 1995!

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