………so that’s that then, sitting in Bangkok International Airport ready to catch the flight back to blighty. What are our lowlights/Highlights? We’ll start on the lowlights so that we can finish on a high:

It’s not all been fun, there have been some low points, but not many in comparison.  The ones that deserve a mention:

1. Losing your wallet and the hassle of cancelling/renewing credit cards but on the upside not much money was lost
2. The disappointment of Laos – Luang Prabang was a lovely place which we both enjoyed, however the anticipated highlight of the trip though the cave was just too much hassle to arrange and this was compounded by the tourist inflation rate spiralling out of control.  We left well before the visa expired.
3. The Vietnamese way of life – I.e. expect noise & to be ripped off –  but the upside is we have got to grips with it , and we had some great experiences while we were there so we want to go back for a fresh start.
4. Forgetting to buy the bus ticket to Melacca in advance and having to wait for what seemed like days (well 5 hours …) in the grimiest, dank, hot, smelly s**t hole of the bus station in KL – one of the glitziest towns in SE Asia!!
5. Still feeling uneasy with the western man with younger Thai woman. Especially when there is an extreme age gap.

Now for the good stuff:

1. Amazing natural & cultural sights – Awe inspiring Halong Bay, Sukothai, Tombs, Tunnels, Wats, etc.
2. Fulfilling Neil’s dream of visiting Vietnam and walking off the plane……Neil almost choked as he walked down the steps.
3. Christmas at Zack’s and enjoying a bottle of 21 year old Chivas Regal and meeting so many lovely people
4. Daft experiences  –the filing past of locals laughing at Neil wearing his shirt as pants while getting his zip fixed in The Mekong Delta
5. Great food, food & more food – Biryani in Little India Singapore, Green curry, red curry, Tom Yum soup, curry pasties, the cheap & cheerful, wonderful food courts …..mmmm.  Beerlao – drank it & got the T-shirt!
6. Weird sights – Sculpture Park in Tha Khaek, the psychedelic lighting in Batu Caves in KL
7. The madness of HCMC and surviving crossing the road!
8. Meeting Chris and family after so many years
9. Meeting so many great people, exchanging tales … and bumping into them again!
10. With time comes healing and Neil’s urgent need for relief whilst on a slow bus is now even funny to him. The thought of a bus load of passengers watching his very undignified exhibition still makes us laugh. Neil hopes that no one has been permanently scarred by the experience!!

Finally, so you think it’s all over????……….well, think again readers.

What started off as a  6 month trip to “seize the day” has become our new lifestyle. The Corporate Bol**cks we first talked about is really over as we’ve come to the conclusion that earning buckets full of money is not all it’s cracked up to be. We’ve had so much fun on not much money and it’s not going to stop. We’re coming back to tour the UK in our caravan, catch up with friends and family and will return to S E Asia next October to start the next adventure…….wooo hooo!