16/04
We wake up early to see the monks coming to the guesthouse and observe the family party for the new year before taking our bus for Thailand. A very effcient ride, but in a very hot bus, we cross the border easily: the bus stops, we walk to the border control, few stamps, then suddenly, we are in a very modern air con building:Welcome to Thailand!! what a shock, we drive for anothe two hours and we realise we are in another place, a modern clean country, big road signs, advertisements, clean fields and big houses...what a change!!We forgot that Thailand was so different!!
We reach Ubon Ratchathani then fight to get into town (why do bus stations always have to be miles from the city??), then check in a doddgy hotel...we both feel tired but after an hour, we realise it is really wrong: dirty place, a little bag with white powder on the table and Fab sees a man doing coke with his bedroom door open....bad place and it is Thailand; we do want to spend 15 years in a horrible jail!!So we move, after fighting wth the lady to get our money back, we lose a bit but end up in much nice hotel, a bit more expensive too, but it is only for one night and we are both quite stressed out....Lunch, shower, internet to find a hotel in expensive singapore for tomorrow, we don't manage much today....Fab is really travel sick today, fed up iof being on the road and not resting....a difficult moment for both of us. I guess it is also part of travelling, not always easy to be on the road, to be challenged and in unfamiliar territories. We go for a walk around town, easy Thailand, we stroll in the streets, find a big temple and a huge party with a gig for new year celebrations. We end up buying some foods in the stalls, after looking in people's plates (still not sure what we ate), but it feels good, sitting in the open air and watching the concert:Thai dance and music, cheesy at times but fun!!
17/04
Nice night then up early again to reach Bangkok and |Singapore, first flight is cheap so not much fun but manageable..We reach the capital and found out the city is now in a crisis state again because one of the opposition leader has been shot!! Great! But nothing is interrupted at the airport...Few hours later, we are in another plane, landing in Singapore, this dynamic modern city....first impressions are of a SUPER modern city, sleak, efficient, uber clean, full of technology...We reach our little hotel apprehensive as it is in the seedy red light distric, but seems clean enough and the view of the city skyline is impressive from our 5 th floor...the working ladies will probably be around tonight but now it seems to be a very hectic Chinese area of town,shops, cafes. I stay in the room to write, Fab goes in search of his camera lens as ours is in a bad state. Around 9pm, we go for a wander as we want to see the city, it is quite strange here. A very modern cosmpolit city, a mutliracial society, people from everywhere, all speaking English, trendy poeple, lots of shopping malls, old and new building, air con everywhere, the river, some massive skyscrapers...a weird mix but full of energy and vibrancy. We have dinner in a street foodstall, amongst the singaporeans , all well dressed, and trendy (we feel a bit weird with our backpackers clothes!!!!Here, it is a different Asia, aseptised, clean, modern, efficient!!A different soul too, fusion of modern and ancient and so many different people!! We go back to our seedy area around midnight but are disappointed, nothing much here, few prostitutes, clients lined up, and that is all!!!Still quiet and so warm, the humidity is a killer!!
18/04
We wakeiup early as we want to go for small boat tour to see a bit of the city before leaving Asia. A nice small boat trip, watvching the buildings, the harbour, the areas in the middle of Asian tourists who don't care about the views but want their piccies taken everywhere, a real cliche!!! Little walk then we feel too hot to walk with our big bags and decide to treat ourselves to a taxi tio the airpoort, it is already 33 degres and only 11am! Last moments in Asia, it feels strange, sadness and happiness at the same time, tiredness, a new chapter soon, a turning point in the trip, lots of mixed feelings!!
We reach Ubon Ratchathani then fight to get into town (why do bus stations always have to be miles from the city??), then check in a doddgy hotel...we both feel tired but after an hour, we realise it is really wrong: dirty place, a little bag with white powder on the table and Fab sees a man doing coke with his bedroom door open....bad place and it is Thailand; we do want to spend 15 years in a horrible jail!!So we move, after fighting wth the lady to get our money back, we lose a bit but end up in much nice hotel, a bit more expensive too, but it is only for one night and we are both quite stressed out....Lunch, shower, internet to find a hotel in expensive singapore for tomorrow, we don't manage much today....Fab is really travel sick today, fed up iof being on the road and not resting....a difficult moment for both of us. I guess it is also part of travelling, not always easy to be on the road, to be challenged and in unfamiliar territories. We go for a walk around town, easy Thailand, we stroll in the streets, find a big temple and a huge party with a gig for new year celebrations. We end up buying some foods in the stalls, after looking in people's plates (still not sure what we ate), but it feels good, sitting in the open air and watching the concert:Thai dance and music, cheesy at times but fun!!
17/04
Nice night then up early again to reach Bangkok and |Singapore, first flight is cheap so not much fun but manageable..We reach the capital and found out the city is now in a crisis state again because one of the opposition leader has been shot!! Great! But nothing is interrupted at the airport...Few hours later, we are in another plane, landing in Singapore, this dynamic modern city....first impressions are of a SUPER modern city, sleak, efficient, uber clean, full of technology...We reach our little hotel apprehensive as it is in the seedy red light distric, but seems clean enough and the view of the city skyline is impressive from our 5 th floor...the working ladies will probably be around tonight but now it seems to be a very hectic Chinese area of town,shops, cafes. I stay in the room to write, Fab goes in search of his camera lens as ours is in a bad state. Around 9pm, we go for a wander as we want to see the city, it is quite strange here. A very modern cosmpolit city, a mutliracial society, people from everywhere, all speaking English, trendy poeple, lots of shopping malls, old and new building, air con everywhere, the river, some massive skyscrapers...a weird mix but full of energy and vibrancy. We have dinner in a street foodstall, amongst the singaporeans , all well dressed, and trendy (we feel a bit weird with our backpackers clothes!!!!Here, it is a different Asia, aseptised, clean, modern, efficient!!A different soul too, fusion of modern and ancient and so many different people!! We go back to our seedy area around midnight but are disappointed, nothing much here, few prostitutes, clients lined up, and that is all!!!Still quiet and so warm, the humidity is a killer!!
18/04
We wakeiup early as we want to go for small boat tour to see a bit of the city before leaving Asia. A nice small boat trip, watvching the buildings, the harbour, the areas in the middle of Asian tourists who don't care about the views but want their piccies taken everywhere, a real cliche!!! Little walk then we feel too hot to walk with our big bags and decide to treat ourselves to a taxi tio the airpoort, it is already 33 degres and only 11am! Last moments in Asia, it feels strange, sadness and happiness at the same time, tiredness, a new chapter soon, a turning point in the trip, lots of mixed feelings!!
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