So I had an extra day to spare in
Bangkok. Being the adventurous type with a strange affinity for travel
to weird and wacky places, I decided to forsake the pleasures of
Sukhumvit and instead journey north. My objective - a one day trip by
land into Vientiane, capital of the Lao PDR. This is the story of my
journey.
Thai Airways operates one daily flight into Vientiane that leaves at the
crack of dawn (and was hence useless to me as I was arriving into
Bangkok at 10am). The only other option to fly directly into Laos was
the evening service on Lao Aviation (using a leased Vietnamese Airbus)
that gets there past 6pm and was hence equally useless to a tourist on a
one day trip. After a little map reading and googling though, I
discovered that it was theoretically possible to get into Laos overland
via the Friendship Bridge at Nong Khai. A little more research
discovered that the closest Thai airport to there was Udon Thani,
conveniently served thrice daily by Thai Airways. To make things even
more attractive, Thai were offering a 10% discount for online domestic
bookings. Accordingly, I decided to take the plunge and purchased my
trip for the tax-inclusive price of THB1740 (US$41) each way.
16 July 2003
TG 10
Boeing 737-4D7
Bangkok Don Muang to Udon Thani
===============================
Too many transits through Bangkok recently have taught me that luggage
storage is cheaper at the domestic terminal (THB70/day) than at the
international terminals (THB90/day). Accordingly, I set off through the
elevated walkway dragging my rollaboard filled with dirty clothes that
represented the last 10 days on the road along with the tote that would
accompany me on this side trip. Along the way I was accosted by a
friendly airport worker driving an electric cart that is euphemistically
referred to as a "Club Car". He offered me a lift, presumably because he
was dying of boredom driving back-and-forth between terminals with
random handicapped Japanese tourists. I piled on gratefully and we set
off on the short journey. He was interested to find out that I was
heading to Laos and like most Thai I discussed this trip with, was very
curious to get my feedback about the country when I got back.
The domestic terminal arrived in due course and I thanked my new friend
for the ride. There was quite a crowd at the left luggage window, so I
headed straight for the Royal E-Service kiosks to checkin. I was
pleasantly surprised by these. Not only was it very easy to use, but it
found my e-ticket reservation on the first try, prompted me to choose
which Star Alliance partner I wanted to credit the miles to and finally
printed out my boarding pass on regular stock. The only drawback was
that it didn't allow me to pick a specific seat, but instead restricted
my choice to "Window" or "Aisle". I wound up being assigned 48A located
about two-thirds of the way back.
By now the crowd at the luggage storage had dissipated and I headed back
there to deposit my bag and collect the obligatory token fastened to my
passport with a flimsy paperclip. After browsing the bookstore's
collection of overpriced guidebooks to Laos, I decided to head on to the
Thai Airways lounge to await the departure of my flight. Strangely
enough, I couldn't find any signs for the lounge so I stopped a random
passing Thai Airways staffmember and asked her where I should go. She
pointed towards the departure gates and figuring that to be the logical
location for a lounge, away I went. Boy, was I wrong.
I cleared security and then headed to the "ID check" counter. There was
a sign in front apologizing for the inconvenience of this "enhanced
security measure". Evidently Thai's "enhanced security measure" consists
of bored people sitting at a desk and affixing a rubber stamp to your
boarding pass. Since the guy was apparently doing nothing else, I asked
him for directions to the lounge. He looked at me blankly. I pulled out
my Star Alliance Gold card and pointed at the logo. It clicked. He
pointed back the direction I had just come from. I told him that I
hadn't seen any lounge there either. His patience running thin, he
emerged from behind the desk and beckoned for me to follow him back
through security. There he pointed to a tiny door off to the side marked
"VIP Rooms". The penny dropped. Thai doesn't have a LOUNGE for domestic
passengers at Bangkok, they have a VIP ROOM! I felt special.
As I walked down the long corridor to the VIP room, my mind wandered to
other "VIP Rooms" I had visited in the past. Since this is a family
website I will spare the details, but I did check my wallet to ensure I
had enough $1 bills just in case (yes, I admit it, I have a dirty mind).
Alas, this "VIP Room" was not staffed by G-string clad nubian princesses
willing to please, but instead by a rather matronly looking woman who
allowed me entry only after careful scrutiny of my elite credentials.
The room itself was nothing special. It consisted of a number of couches
arranged in squares with a coffee table set in the middle of each
grouping. There were TV sets in the two far corners, one showing CNN and
the other blasting the Thai version of MTV at top volume. There was also
a large selection of newspapers from around the world, although careful
scrutiny revealed that most were between two and five days outdated. For
those looking to satiate hunger or quench thirst, there was a self
service counter just outside. I grabbed myself a glass of Iced Tea and
relaxed with day-before-yesterday's Bangkok Post.
After about 30 minutes of this, I decided that my time would be better
wasted by heading directly to the concourse. Accordingly I trotted back
through security and headed to gate 63 where HS-TDD was baking patiently
in the noon sun. Boarding was about to commence, so I milled around and
took stock of the folks who would be sharing my metal tube for the next
hour or so. Finally, about 20 minutes before scheduled departure, they
announced pre-boarding for Business Class, Star Gold and monks. Yes,
monks are entitled to pre-boarding in Thailand.
Once we were aboard, I found myself next to a very interesting Brit
expat. He has been teaching English in Hong Kong for 20 years, but
recently moved to Shenzhen and commutes across the border. He was
heading to Udon Thani to visit a Thai friend who lived there. As we
chatted, I realized that we were still at the gate despite the fact that
it was now creeping past our departure time. Sure enough, Capt. Settha
came over the PA system in short order and made an announcement that we
were waiting for a "package" before we could depart. About 15 minutes
later, an ambulance pulled up and a man hopped out with a styrofoam box
that he carried up the stairs to the jetway. Evidently we were carrying
some sort of organ up to Udon Thani for a transplant. A worthy reason to
delay a flight any day of the week.
Nonetheless, we taxied out a few minutes later and were soon airborne
into a strangely clear Bangkok sky with a flight time of 50 minutes to
Udon Thani. As soon as we were levelled out, the crew came around with
the lunch service. This consisted of a pre-packaged box containing a
veritable feast. There was a salad, a cold medley of noodles, chicken
and shrimp and a desert. There were also containers of water and juice
in the box. The crew came around periodically with tea/coffee as well as
refills for the water/juice, finally clearing everything away with about
10 minutes left in the flight. I was extremely impressed by their
efficient execution.
16 July 2003
Udon Thani/Nong Khai
====================
We landed on the solitary runway at Udon Thani about 40 minutes behind
schedule and briskly taxied to the ramp where the two set of airstairs
were located. I exited from the rear stairs and noted with interest that
the TG staff were loaning parasols to the disembarking passengers to
shelter them from the sun for the short walk to the terminal. I declined
their kind offer and bravely bared my head to the elements. As I entered
the terminal, I happened to notice the hi-tech baggage handling system
used at this airport. It consisted of a guy who backed up a battered old
pickup truck to the aircraft while another guy simply pushed bags out
into the flat bed from the cargo hold above.
With no bags to claim, I quickly emerged into the public area and made a
beeline for the Thai Cargo office where a large handmade sign proclaimed
"Limousine (Bus) Service To Nong Khai". Why this is operated by the
Cargo division is one of those mysteries that will probably never be
answered satisfactorily. I found an English speaker and established that
the limousine (bus) would indeed drop me off right at the Friendship
Bridge if I so desired. I even managed to extract a timetable and
instructions for the return trip. The cost was a highly reasonable THB
100 (US$ 2.50), so I purchased my bright pink ticket and headed to the
"waiting area" located right outside the entrance to the men's room.
After 10 minutes of savoring the odours, a young boy no older than 15
came around yelling "NONG KHAI" and gesturing for us to follow him. He
led us to a large contraption on wheels with "Limousine (Bus) Service"
stencilled on the side and indicated for us to clamber aboard. I was
joined at this point by 4 other "farangs" - a pair of Norwegian
backpackers and an Australian lady traveling with her 7 year old son.
There were also a host of locals heading to Nong Khai town.
The ride to Nong Khai was pleasant and took about 45 minutes, mainly
along a smooth four-lane highway. My first clue that we were approaching
the bridge was when buildings started having names like "Cattle
Quarantine Center - Stage II" and other similar markings of officialdom
that usually accompany an international border. Sure enough, the
limousine (bus) deposited us safely at the Thai checkpoint minutes later
and we headed forth to the exit immigration counters.
The Friendship Bridge is an impressive 1.24 kilometer
balanced-cantilever that was completed in 1994 and was the first
structure ever to span the Mekong River. Interestingly enough, the US$30
million cost of the bridge was entirely paid for by the Australian
government as a "gift of friendship equally to the people of Thailand
and Laos". There is a plaque commemorating this fact as you enter the
fairly modern Thai checkpoint facility.
Exit immigration was smooth enough and I entered no man's land to be
confronted with a sign informing me that pedestrians were not permitted
on the bridge. However, an enterprising young lad sat right underneath
the sign selling tickets for a shuttle bus service at THB 10 (US$0.25)
apiece. The bus arrived shortly and everyone clambered aboard, including
a Laotian man who sat next to me carrying a whimpering puppy in what
appeared to be a converted Sony camcorder case. I wasn't quite sure
whether the animal was the family pet or the family dinner, so I wisely
refrained from playing with it and looked out the window instead.
The ride across the bridge itself took about a minute and I watched in
awe as the mighty Mekong pulsated hundreds of feet below us. One thing
that struck me though was how brown the water was, presumably a result
of the soil it carries on its long journey to the South China Sea.
Nonetheless, there were enough boats and shoreline settlements visible
to reiterate the fact that the river was indeed the spiritual heart of
the region.
16 July 2003
Vientiane, Lao PDR
==================
As the bridge ended, so did the smooth road surface and I immediately
knew that we had arrived upon the soil of the Lao PDR. Have you ever
noticed how PDR ("People's Democratic Republic" for the abbreviatively
challenged) is a thinly veiled euphemistic suffix for "Communist
Stronghold". Algeria uses it, North Korea uses it and Laos (oops, Lao
PDR) is no exception. Communism in turn implies state sponsored
employment programs, and border post bureaucracy is a perfect area to
fleece unsuspecting foreigners by providing a highly overstaffed and
inefficient service. The entry procedure for Laos features a plot that
is more convoluted than a daytime soap opera, yet almost more amusing
than an evening sitcom.
In a desperate attempt to get their grubby hands on as many greenbacks
as possible, Laos offers "Visa On Arrival" facility to tourists entering
from the airports of Vientiane, Pakse and Luang Prabang, as well as from
the Friendship Bridge. The cost of this visa is US$ 30 or THB 1400
(crappy exchange rate if you pay in Baht) and it entitles you to spend
15 days in Laos. It can be extended from within the country for those
who wish to stay longer. Most nationalities are eligible for this
facility, with the only exceptions being the handful that do not
maintain diplomatic relations with the Lao PDR.
Anyway, the visa process begins with an unsmiling guard (#1) checking
your passport for a Thai exit stamp before allowing you to proceed to
the visa window. There you collect a form from the person behind the
counter (#2). You fill the form and hand it back to the next person (#3)
who makes sure you have filled out every box. The person next to them
(#4) then takes your passport photograph and verifies that it is indeed
you before stapling it to the form and handing it down the chain. The
next person (#5) ensures that the data entered on the form matches that
on the passport before passing it to a peon (#6) who hand carries it to
another person seated at the back of the room (#7) who inputs your info
into a computer. This done, the peon (#6 again) carries it back to the
front counter where another person (#8) stamps the visa into the
passport. The next person (#9) takes your money (including a US$ 1
"Immigration Processing Surcharge") and counts it before handing it to
their neighbour (#10) who puts it in a box and writes out a receipt.
Then the person next to them (#11) signs the receipt and hands it back
to you with your passport.
Done? Not quite. You then walk towards the immigration checkpoint
(remember, all you have accomplished so far is get a visa - you can skip
that step if you prefer to get one in advance). You are stopped by
another unsmiling guard (#12) who checks that you have a valid visa and
that you arrivals card is completed. He then directs you to stand in
line for the only booth marked "Foreign Passports". There are 3 other
counters open for Lao passports, but since Lao folk don't travel much
these are invariably empty. Feel free to use one instead. At the booth,
an immigration officer (#13) stamps you into the country. You then
proceed to another counter where you must pay THB 10 (US$0.25) as an
"Entry Tax" to another bureaucrat (#14). You are handed a coupon that
you carry about 5 yards to another person (#15) who proceeds to tear it
in half and hand it back to you. Finally, as you exit the checkpoint
facility, another guard (#16) checks to make sure that your coupon has
indeed been torn. Never before has the "Welcome to the Lao PDR" sign
evoked such feelings of relief.
I had struck up a conversation with the Australians during the entire
charade described above and the lady was gracious enough to offer me a
ride to my hotel since her husband was picking them up at the border.
For those less fortunate however, tuk-tuks and other transportation
options were available in abundance. The negotiated fare from the bridge
into Vientiane should be no more than THB 150 (US$ 3.75) to downtown or
THB 200 (US$ 5) to the airport. Nonetheless, we piled into the vehicle
and set off on the bumpy ride towards town.
The most glaring indications that we were in a communist country were
the stark contrasts that appeared on the drive. Vehicles on the road
consisted either of the swanky current model SUVs/pickups used by the
expats/NGOs or of the battered two-wheelers and rickshaws used by the
locals. There was no concept of a family car or any private ownership
whatsoever by the locals. Furthermore, a lot of the institutional
buildings that we passed were completely devoid of personality, bearing
names such as "Pharmaceutical Factory #3" and "Vientiane Municipality
Primary School #14".
When researching hotels on the internet, I found that the options for
accomodation downtown were somewhat limited if one was fussy about basic
creature comforts. The only branded hotel I could find was the Novotel
located out by the airport. There was also the 5-star Lao Plaza Hotel
downtown, but I really didn't want to go to Laos just to stay in a
5-star. Anyway, browsing the trusty [URL=http://www.asia-hotels.com]www.asia-hotels.com[/URL]
I stumbled across the Asian Pavilion Hotel. The location was perfect,
the amenities were satisfactory, the reviews were ok and best of all,
the price was dirt cheap. Accordingly, I booked myself into the "Asian
Suite" for the grand price of US$30 including breakfast.
I thanked my new friends for the ride once we pulled up in front of the
hotel and we exchanged business cards with a half-hearted promise to
keep in touch. A very enthusiastic porter had already snapped up my
luggage and was carrying it inside, so I took my cue and followed him
through the doors. The girl on duty at the desk didn't speak
particularly fluent English, but the manager took over and handled
checkin without any hassles. I was assigned to one of the suites on the
second floor and the porter again cheerfully carried my bags there
before giving me the full tour of the room amenities.
To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised by the room. Among other
things, it featured satellite television with about 30 channels
(including BBC and HBO in English), a refrigerator/minibar (2 bottles of
water complimentary daily) and a wicker writing/computer desk. Decor
revolved around an outdated and aging floral wallpaper pattern, but
everything was very clean and comfortable. The bathroom was also very
large with all the expected amenities. The windows overlooked Samsenthai
Road and the front entrance to the hotel, but were surprisingly
soundproof when closed. The porter gave me two friendly tips as he left
- first that Laotian law did not permit unregistered visitors in the
room (not that I had any intention of inviting any up but it was good to
know anyway) and second that all international calls were "monitored" by
the government. I reciprocated with a tip of my own that he grinned and
pocketed.
After a quick shower, I set out to explore the town. My first stop was
That Dam, a monument literally meaning "Black Stupa". According to
legend, the stupa is inhabited by a dragon that protected the local
population during the 1828 Lao-Siamese War. From there I headed past the
US Embassy to Lane Xang Road where I got a great view of Patuxai, the
Lao version of the Parisian Arc de Triomphe. Patuxai is intended to be a
war memorial, but was built with concrete donated by the US Government
in 1960 ostensibly for the construction of a new airport. A short walk
southwest brought me to the Presidential Palace, a highly forgettable
mansion of no particular architectural distinction.
Northwest from there along Settha Thirath Street brought me to what is
referred to in most maps and guidebooks as the "fountain". The
"fountain" seems to have no real significance other than aesthetic, but
serves as the de-facto center of town for tourists. Everywhere I turned
brought me face-to-face with backpackers from either Britain or
Australia. I wandered around for a bit, but wasn't particularly enamored
by anything there. Even the restaurants in the vicinity catered to
Western tastes with signs proudly advertising local fare such as
hamburgers and pizza.
As darkness descended, I strolled down to the bank of the Mekong and
watched the bustling activity along the shore. On the way back to the
hotel, I passed by the National Stadium and also the Revolutionary
Museum. I also had to stop at a store to buy the postcard that I had
promised to mail to [b]flyerwife[/b]'s 9-year old daughter. She is
building up quite a collection from my travels to wacky and wonderful
places.
Back at the hotel, I decided to visit the Pavilion Restaurant in the
lobby for dinner as it had received great reviews everywhere I had
looked. Surprisingly, it was deserted when I walked in just past 9pm and
I had the full attention of the courteous and helpful staff. After
glancing through the menu and finding myself torn between so many
possibilities, I asked them to put together something that represented
the local cuisine and house specialities. The Maitre d' seemed to relish
this challenge and was especially pleased when I told him that I had no
dietary restrictions whatsoever. He started me off with a bottle of
BeerLao, a local brew that I found extremely refreshing after a long day
in the heat. For the meal, he prescribed some kind of deep fried pork
cakes with a lovely lemongrass twinge. This was accompanied by a dish of
Pad Thai noodles flavored with dried shrimp. Most interesting about this
though was the presentation. It was served sealed inside the fold of an
omlette, lending a great taste to the dish. Desert was a bowl of fresh
local fruits cut up into a medley. All in all, the meal was one of the
best I have had in a long time and my bill came to an absolutely
unbelievable 64000 Kip (US$6). Happily stuffed, I retired upstairs to my
room and watched the All Star Game highlights with a Japanese soundtrack
before drifting to sleep.
17 July 2003
Vientiane, Lao PDR
==================
Up bright and early, I took a short walk to check out the morning market
but was not particularly enamored by it. My local market in India has a
better selection and is a lot more bustling. Maybe folks from Western
countries may be more impressed. I had planned to visit the
Revolutionary Museum as well, but decided to take a raincheck. After my
experience with Lao bureaucracy the previous day, I wanted to leave a
long enough buffer in case of delays at the border.
Back at the hotel, I showered and went down to the restaurant for
breakfast (which was included in my $30 room rate). Guests have an
option of either Western style or Asian style breakfast made fresh to
order. I picked the Western option which included 2 fried eggs, sausage,
toast, preserves and fresh fruit. The Asian option consisted of some
sort of porridge with meat and vegetables, but I wasn't in the mood to
experiment. My friend the porter was back on duty this morning and I
asked him about transportation options to the bridge. He offered to set
me up with the air-conditioned hotel van for 75000 Kip (US$7) instead of
a tuk-tuk which would run me around 50000 Kip (US$5). I checked out
around 10am and the van was ready and waiting for me, a veritable oasis
of cool amid the searing heat of the Lao morning.
The drive to the bridge took about 20 minutes along typically
nondescript and bumpy suburban dirt roads. Once there, I headed to the
exit checkpoint armed with the fortitude and mental strength to tackle
Lao bureaucracy head on. The officer at the counter assigned to foreign
passports took a quick look at my exit card, stamped my passport and
handed it back to me. And that was it. No processing surcharge. No
multiple checks. No coupons to be torn in half every five yards. How
totally anticlimatic. As I was so devastated over this sudden turn of
events, I even skipped visiting the Duty Free Shop. (In truth, it was
closed despite a sign out front saying it was "OPEN 8am to 8pm"!).
Fortunately for me, the shuttle bus was already boarding for its quick
hop over to Nong Khai, so I hurried towards the ticket counter and
purchased my ride for THB 10 (US$0.25). The bus was already quite full
by the time I clambered aboard but I was able to squeezed myself and my
bag into a corner. I then was forced to hold on for dear life as the
driver proceeded to accelerate through the red light that regulated
access to the bridge. Farewell Lao PDR. Its been a fun experience.
17 July 2003
Nong Khai/Udon Thani
====================
I was the first to alight from the bus on the Thai side of the border
and was immediately trampled by the hordes behind me stampeding their
way to the immigration desks. There were two booths here, one for
Thai/Lao and the other for the rest of the world. Of course, everybody
else aboard the bus fell into the former category. In fact, business at
the latter counter was probably so slow that on closer scrutiny I
discovered it to be empty. I accordingly made a beeline for the closest
sign of officialdom that I could see, in this case the nearby glass
doorway marked "IMMIGRATION OFFICE" and sporting a noisy airconditioning
unit off to the side.
The secretary at the counter had probably been dozing off because she
seemed to leap out of her shoes when the door mechanism creaked to
signal my entry. I enquired where I might find an officer to process my
arrival and she gestured for me to take a seat at a nearby desk while
she snapped her fingers at a peon in the corner, evidently instructing
him to summon someone. Sure enough, a young Immigration officer came
rushing in about 30 seconds later, frantically tucking his shirt in. He
shook my hand and seated himself across the desk from me. To my
surprise, the peon arrived at my elbow with a tray containing a glass of
cold water and a plate of cookies. Wow. I wish every immigration
checkpoint was this friendly!
While I was gratefully imbibing the water, the officer pulled out the
appropriate arrivals forms from a folder and handed them to me to fill
out. He then handed them along with my passport to the peon, who took
them in turn to the next room where he could be heard making a phonecall.
Evidently Nong Khai checkpoint does not have real time access to the
Immigration Bureau computer database, so they had to call Bangkok to
make sure that I was not disbarred from entering Thailand for whatever
reason! While this rigmarole was being performed, the officer tried to
make polite conversation.
He began this by asking me what I knew about snakes. As his accent
wasn't the clearest, I thought for a second that he was referring to
"snacks", namely the cookies that were sitting on the desk between us. I
smiled politely and thanked him for them. He looked exasperated but
didn't give up. He found a random scrap of paper and sketched a diagram
of a rather vicious looking coiled cobra. He shoved it at me pointing
and saying "Snake Snake - India India". I was completely stumped. I
replied that yes, we did indeed have snakes in India. Where on earth was
this conversation going?
He smiled and then delivered a line that I will carry with me to the
grave as a fond memory of Thailand. "[b]I AM A CORRECTOR OF LEPTILES[/b]",
said he. "Can you help import India snake for correction?" I told him
that I had no clue if exporting snakes was even legal, but I gave him my
business card and told him to drop me an email once I got back. He
seemed amenable to that suggestion and changed the subject. We then made
small talk for a few more minutes about my impressions of "Vienchan"
before the peon returned with my passport and the all-clear from
Bangkok. Entry stamps were quickly affixed and I thanked him as I headed
out into Thailand.
There were a whole range of touts at the barricade offering their
tuk-tuks and cars for hire, but I settled on the one guy who seemed to
actually know where the Limousine (bus) service departed from and
negotiated a rate of THB 40 (US$1) with him. The ride itself took less
than 10 minutes and would probably have been walkable if it weren't for
the blazing heat. Nonetheless, I arrived at the Limousine (bus) office
right around 11am, leaving me with over an hour to kill. I spent this at
the internet cafe across the street where I bought 45 minutes of
extremely slow access for THB 10 (US$0.25).
I finally piled into the Limousine (bus) around noon and was joined by
three other passengers, all locals heading down to Bangkok. We picked up
another person at the famous "Danish Baker" in Nong Khai and then
rattled our way onto the highway. Again, the ride was smooth and
uneventful with the highlight being a billboard for the local hospital
emblazoned with the catchy albeit nonsensical slogan "Your life is our
life".
17 July 2003
TG 11
Boeing 737-4D7
Udon Thani to Bangkok Don Muang
===============================
I attempted to check in all the way through to Mumbai, but the poor girl
at the desk had no clue how to handle an itinerary with a mix of
e-tickets and paper tickets. As a result, I had to settle for just a
single boarding pass. Formalities complete, I headed up the stairs to
the airport restaurant to grab a bite for lunch. Surprisingly, the
restaurant had a very nice lunch buffet laid out for only
THB70(US$1.75). I settled myself at a table by the window and tucked in
to a delicious beef curry while watching the ramp action at bustling
Udon airport. Ok, I lie. The ramp action consisted of a bunch of bored
folks playing cards under the shade of a cargo container. Udon Thani
gets the grand total of three daily flights.
The flight back to Bangkok aboard HS-TDB was routine in all respects. I
had an exit row aisle with an empty middle seat next to me, so I was
pretty comfortable for the 40 minute hop. There was a drinks service and
I sipped on a coke as I leafed through the Sawasadee inflight magazine.
On arrival at Bangkok we docked at the absolute far end of the domestic
terminal, so it was a fair hike to the exit. Nonetheless, I collected my
rollaboard from the left luggage office and headed back to the
international terminal to check in. I would sleep in my own bed at home
that night.
=== THE END ===
Epilogue :
My flight back to Mumbai was assigned to depart from a remote bay,
meaning that we had to ride a bus out from the terminal. I was not
pleased at first, but once I realized that our flight would be aboard
HS-TEK my mood quickly changed. For those unaware of the significance of
this aircraft, she is named "Srichulalak" but more commonly referred to
as the Royal Barge. I had seen pictures of her before, but to view her
up close and personal was quite breathtaking. She is quite positively
the most beautiful aircraft in the world. She exudes a certain aura that
leaves even the least aeronautically inclined person spellbound.
As I stood at the base of the airstairs on that warm Bangkok evening and
watched the sun slowly set in the distance behind her, I felt as if I
had been transported back in time to the ancient city of Ayutthaya. I
could almost hear the splash of oars above the whine of jet turbines as
she navigated the Chao Phraya transporting the King of Siam to his
capital. What a magical and special aircraft and a wonderful way to end
a memorable journey to South East Asia. |
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