London to Laos

Left home in Gloucester at 1am Thursday morning. Dad & Marilyn gave me a lift to the bus station.

The National Express station was deserted at that time of night. Only three of us on board, but filled up a bit at Cheltenham. Set off at 1:30am and I fell asleep soon after. Woke up when they turned on the lights at Heathrow!

Heathrow bus terminal at 5:10am - also deserted.

Transferred to Terminal 4.

Made it through security with an unfortunate woman who took the Staford Prison Experiment to whole new levels, snatching items from people who weren't moving fast enough and almost reducing the woman in front of me to tears. You seem to get this so often with airport security in the UK. I'm not sure if they just can't cope with the volume of people who go through, or if the job attracts a certain type of person who likes to let their inner Stasi officer out when in positions of authority.

Still, didn't dampen my spirits for long. I was soon ensconced in a cafe, watching the planes take off.

Bye bye England!

It was about nine and a half hours to Bombay. I waved as I flew past Yerevan, and couldn't help taking a photo of the monitor as I flew straight through Sari, which is the setting for a novel I've just written.

It was quite entertaining as I'd deliberately avoided eating anything spicy before the flight, hoping my tummy might survive better, and not wishing to breathe garlic over the person next to me, but the first thing we were served was Bombay mix and a curry, so we were all happily scoffing Indian on the way to - well, India. 

I managed to get a bit of sleep, and the lights over Mombai (Bombay) were beautiful as we came in to land.

We arrive about half-ten local time, and were promptly ushered off the plan up the wrong exit, which was divided from the right exit by a glass wall. We saw a guy come running up it waving for us to go back, then waited whilst they found the key to open the joining door. It was quite funny, but made for a few huffy ex-pats. 

Security was weird. There were more security guards than was needed, so the ones with nothing to do keept waving us to join different queues. I watched as all my worldly belongings were sent through one scanner, and I was sent to the other side of the room to wait in a static line to be scanned. Eventually they opened the scanner and everyone - whether they set it off or not - was ushered into a tiny curtained booth to be scanned again by a lady with a magnetic wand.

Thankfully I was reunited with my stuff, and headed for the escalator.

Mumbai airport is beautiful. It's fairly new apparently, and the size of a small city. It's like walking through a giant Indian bazaar, with gorgeous clothes and incense burning everywhere, and lights like giant metal flowers. 

Had some lovely conversations with fellow travellers, both at the airport and the next flight.

I didn't have long before my connecting flight to Bangkok.

I slept a little again on the flight, and awoke to the most beautiful sunrise and cloud cover as we made our descent.

Bangkok was even more impressive!

The art is magnificent. Especially this giant homage to Lord Vishnu Kurmavatara (the Great Turtle). He's curled around the mountain Mandara, which he supports on his back. The Devas (demigods) and Asuras (demons) are engaged in a tug of war with his body, churning the waters for thousands of years in order to produce the nectar of immortality: Amrita. Eventually the Devas win, casting the Asuras out of Heaven and banishing them to the Underworld. They collect all the Amrita and Vishnu, as Dhanvantari, god of medicine, is its keeper.

There were little pots of Amrita, so I made a donations and took one. The cleaning lady said it was a good enough donation to take two - so I've given one to Ruairí and Martine. 

I saw my first Buddhist monks, dressed in orange. It took all of my self control not to take photographs. I'm hoping I'll get the chance in Laos. They really are quite a sight.

Priority seating for monks (or mummies?)

Instead, I settled in for a serious ice-cream fest to replenish my frayed body. The world was a little swimmy from lack of sleep, and I reasoned the sugar might just even me out.

Green Apple, Mango and Hazelnut

I was seriously knackered by the last flight. I had about seven hours' layover in Bangkok, and an extremely excited child on the last hour to Laos. The food on Thai Airways was by far the best. Coconut chicken curry and delicious cardamom custard desert.

Cleared immigration at the airport and walked out to find Ruarí and Martine waiting for me. Bundled me into an air conditioned, frangipane-scented taxi and took me home.

Percy & Alfred Reunited.

Beauty of the Laos Alphabet

Their house is amazing! Huge enclosed garden with coconut trees, star fruit, pomelos, tamarind and mangoes. As we entered, a cloud of butterflies rose ups. The butterflies here are huge, varied, and beautiful.

The guest rooms have their own en suites, and I have a wetroom where I can prance about beneath a cool shower as often as I like. It was about 36c when I arrived, which was a bit of a shock after the cold, grey winter weather I left behind in the UK (where it's technically supposed to be spring, but isn't).

I was feeling pretty good, but after a beer exhaustion overtook me and I had a little nap. Martine made sure I didn't overdo it and woke me up in time to go to the market at the end of their road, where you can buy just about anything! 

For dinner, we bought barbecued chicken, which came wrapped in banana leaves.

We also bought papaya salad, which is made from green papaya. They prepare it in front of you, and ask how many chillies you would like. Ruairí was kind and opted for one - they're incredibly hot. Then they mash it up with fish sauce and put it in a bag.

To soak up the sauce, we bought sticky rice, which you roll into balls with your fingers (right hand only, to be polite), and dip into the sauce. If it gets too wet, it falls apart, but the combination of the meal was delicious.

Papaya Salad

Chicken, Salad and Sticky Rice
Plus Rice Beer.

The ladies at the market shared beer with us because it's Pii Mai (New Year). Everyone here smiles so much.

We ate in the air conditioning, then retired outside to the porch to drink more beer, and some honey Bushmills I picked up at duty free in Bangkok. 

Thanks to my earlier nap, I made it to about 10:30! Then it was time to turn in and have my first sleep beneath my mosquito-net bubble. I've really missed this. I love sleeping in a net bubble. I woke once, at 3am (9pm UK time) and thought I'd woken up on the bayou in Pirates of the Caribbean. The cicadas were singing this incredible tune, it was sort of magical. Quickly went back to sleep and woke again at about quarter-to-nine. I've had plenty of sleep, looking forward to my first day in Laos - and the bicycle M&R have hired for me *gulp*