Preparing to go to Thailand has bought back memories of my previous and only trip. I went with my ex husband and yes he was already ex at that time. How did this come about, well it's a long story and to cut it short, the girlfriend I was going with had to cancel with only a couple of weeks to go, the ex heard about it through the grapevine and called saying he would love to go and yes he assured me it would be purely platonic, we would travel as friends. I should have remembered that he was really full of it at times but I really needed that holiday and I was not looking forward to travelling alone.

We arrived in Singapore about 11pm and coming from the airport I noticed Newton's Circus, we dumped our luggage in our room on Orchard road and headed out to find our way back to Newton's Circus We did this with ease, had a wonderful meal and walked back to the hotel under the beautiful trees full of fairy lights. Maybe it was the fairy lights, ex must have already forgotten the platonic thing because when we arrived back at our room with the two big double beds I was nice and offered him the choice of beds, that's when he started sulking, that was also the first time of many on the trip that I could have gladly strangled him. The next night in the hotel bar, he tried to put his arm around me and I thought give this man an inch and he'll take it a mile, so I moved away, I couldn't believe it when he got up and left me sitting there on my own, off he went with the only key to our room. I found a phone in the lobby and called my sister in Australia to ask her to contact the travel agent for me in the morning, I wanted her to cancel the rest of my trip and get me on a flight home. My sister told me not to be silly, just ignore him and have a good time. I was then told my kids were fine and not missing me at all, great, that really made me feel better.

After a couple of days we moved on to Phuket, ex was still being a pain and I was ignoring him as best I could, he was having a bit of a problem with the language and made some stupid comment about, you would think they would learn to speak English with so many tourists about, I replied "it's their country why don't you try to learn to speak Thai", that went down really well. The young Thai boys and girls in the restaurants at the hotel quickly became my friends, he couldn't understand why they didn't relate to him in the same way.

I have never forgotten our sad farewell on our last morning at the Amari Phuket, one of the boys had bought his girlfriend to the hotel to meet me as it was his day off, he said to me, "you can't leave, we will find you a job here and you can stay" I said "what will my job be", he thought about it for a while and then said with a big grin "you can be the pool attendant", how many times in the years to come did the thought of that bring a big smile to my face.

We spent the next four days in Bangkok and on day two we headed off to Chinatown and promptly got lost exploring the narrow laneways. If you've ever walked those laneways you will know how narrow and congested they are, I stepped sideways to avoid a passing motorcycle and fell against another one that was parked. I felt the heat as the exhaust burnt my leg, the pain was incredible. We decided to find our way out and get a taxi back to the hotel. Ex suddenly told me to stop for a moment, he walked over to a group of elderly ladies and came back with a cold bottle of Coca Cola and told me to hold it against the burn, I did this for a while but it didn't stay cold too long and so we started walking again, this time more quickly as I was in a lot of pain and just wanted to get back to the Indra Regent where I was sure I would find a Chemist amongst all those shops.

Next thing I hear this incredible commotion behind me and as I turn to look back I see this throng of elderly Chinese ladies all taking small running steps and waving their arms above their heads and shouting. They kept coming straight at us and then stopped and surrounded us all chattering and arm waving. I think I was in shock, what the hell was wrong, my leg felt like sh**e and I'm being attacked by an angry mob for what!. For what!, for the damn coke bottle, ex had only paid for the contents he hadn't paid for the bottle, the silly man hadn't understood that this price was drink here not take away. These ladies were hell bent on getting their bottle back. I clearly remember standing there with tears of pain and laughter streaming down my face. One elderly lady after realising my problem with the burn, wagged one finger in my face while she cupped her other hand and rotated it just above the burn, at the same time she was saying a lot of nothing that I could understand. We tried to pay for the bottle but they didn't want that they just wanted it back, to this day I still don't understand why.

We finally arrived back at the hotel and went in search of a Chemist. I couldn't find one so I asked some young Thai girls manning one of the small stalls in the shopping centre if they could tell me where the Chemist was. No one seemed to understand so ex suddenly says, "Drug Store, do you have Drug Store", whispers from young girls with hands covering their mouths, "no drugs, no drugs. Ex then repeats himself, "no drugs, drug store, drug store" and young girls repeat, "no drugs sir, no drugs". Me with throbbing leg and thoughts of a Bangkok Prison in my head, "Shut Up! they think you are asking for drugs, but no he insists on making himself understood. Then thankfully, an older Thai man realises that the young girls are becoming distressed and comes over to see what the problem is. Luckily the elderly man speaks and understands English and directs us out onto the street and then in the direction of a chemist. We are given a foul smelling concoction that works almost instantly (and heals the burn within a few days) and I head back to our room, tomorrow is another day and we are taking an overnight trip to The River Kwai, if we live that long.

The next morning we go to breakfast early as the bus will pick us up. Ex is in charge of my camera, he had problems with the currency early in the trip so he asked me to take care of his money for him, in return I asked him to take charge of my camera as he hadn't bought one with him. I had always made sure he had the camera with him wherever we went, this morning because of the leg and the rush I didn't give the camera a thought. After breakfast we returned to the room, our luggage was staying at the hotel while we went on the trip and we would then spend one more night here before returning home. After seeing the luggage safely on it's way I asked if he had the camera, he looked around the room and then looked back at me and said, "no you do don't you". daaaaaa, I was ready to kill, we have about 20 minutes before the bus arrives and the camera is nowhere in sight. I asked if he put it in his luggage, he said he didn't think so. We headed downstairs and found the luggage storage room and then we began to unpack all the luggage on the floor. No camera, we came to the realisation that it must have been left in the room when we went to breakfast and had been taken from the room. The hotel absoloutely assured us that the camera had not been stolen from the room and I assured tham that it was gone and that I would need a police report for my travel insurance.

It was decided that we would go now because the bus was waiting and on our return in two days time someone from the hotel would accompany us to the police station. The River Kwai Trip was wonderful but I was mourning the loss of all my photos of our last days in Phuket and first days in Bangkok, I knew I would never see them again. On our return we were accompanied to the Police Station and it was a great experience, we waited about an hour, we had to pay for the report, the female cells were right there in plain view behind the counter, the girls kept putting their hands through the bars asking us for cigarettes. We had to pay for the person who accompanied us there and back and we were made to feel like criminals for reporting the camera stolen. I had another giggling teary fit when I returned to the hotel thinking that it could have been me in those cells because of him and his drug store talk.

We were sitting on the plane the next day half way back to Melbourne, his six foot six frame was taking up all the floor space and he was sprawled across both arm rests when he turned to me and said, "well that was a great trip, we must do it again sometime", I remember exactly what I said "Do you think I'm bloody insane"

I can not wait to return to Thailand in six weeks time with my soul mate, we think alike, we treat others in the same way, we leave our home behind when we take a holiday, it's going to be great.

Just thought I'd share all that with you all, hope I didn't put you to

Colleen

You certainly didn't put me to sleep! I love reading about any and all experiences in Thailand!

Sounds like your last holiday wasn't at all how you imagined it to be but I'm sure this one will go above and beyond all of your expectations! You must do a JBR when you get back so we can hear all about it!

Have a fabulous time...as I am sure you will!

Ali

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I still believe in paradise. But now at least I know it’s not some place you can look for. Because it’s not where you go … its how you feel for a moment in your life. If you find that moment … it lasts forever.

I hope all is well with you, I also enjoy reading the JBR's and have enjoyed following you through yours, I hope to do so again in the near future, are you still going to spend some time with the girls in Thailand.

My first trip really was great. Thailand left a lasting impression on me and also taught me a lesson "beware of who you travel with", lol. I sure never made that mistake again. I will do a JBR, thank you again.

Best regards to you and yours,
Colleen

This time will be magical

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Kiss
God laughs at people who make plans.