Last stop, Bangkok Thailand

We set aside 3 days and 2 nights to stop in and visit Johnny one last time. He picked us up from the airport just like before and we took the 30 minute taxi ride to "Soi Bat, Rama Son."

Everything was strangely familiar. The old woman sat in her chair near the coy pond, the restaurant across the street smelt delicious, the store keeper smiled hello, and Duke Dig the dog lay on the front step. Staying with Johnny gave us a real feel for true Asian lifestyle. We purchased some large Singhas, sat in the terrace and talked as old friends until the wee hours.

The next day Johnny went into to work so Alex and I flagged down a motorbike taxi and went to our favorite coffee stand for a 12 Baht "cafe yen" (iced milk coffee). Then we made our way across the 16 lane stretch of highway to Central Plaza for a bite to eat. Although very convenient, it's a 5 story mega mall that seems very out of place.

After that we joined Johnny at school because we wanted to meet the kids and see how he spends his days. We were greeted by a 3rd grade class who was sitting indian style in a circle on the floor. Johnny started by saying "Good Morning class!" They answered in unison, "Good Morning Teacher John." We were then introduced as Crazy Alex and Crazy Loranda. We played a hilarious game of Simon Says and the kids loved it as much as we did. As we were leaving, Alex picked up one of the kids so she could jump high. Before we knew it, the entire class formed a line behind her! I was dying with laughter!

Next we went to a 5th grade class where the students raised their hands to ask us questions in English. They all spoke in perfect sentences and loved teasing Johnny about his lackluster Thai. As we went around the room we were asked things like "What's your favorite food?" Pad Thai of course, "What's your favorite animal?" Monkeys, no doubt (But then I realized that monkey translates into "Crazy" in Thai), hence the nickname, and "What's your favorite place to travel?" Oh, so many...

The kids are magical. Huge smiles light up their faces and their big brown eyes radiate with excitement. We loved spending the day with them! I see how it will be difficult for Johnny to leave this welcoming community.

After school we went back over to Central Plaza. We wanted to do something low key because we had an early fight the next morning. A game of bowling did the trick. There is a state of the art bowling alley inside the mall! American tunes played overhead and Thai twenty somethings drank beer and enjoyed themselves. It was a little odd but reminiscent of home at the same time.

We ate dinner at a local street restaurant. The entire menu was in Thai so we selected a few items and were pleasantly satisfied. We resumed our seats at the terrace of the apartment and enjoyed each other's company. Johnny had plans to return to Texas soon but we were unsure when we'd all be gathered at a table again.

The next morning we grabbed a bite to eat at the small restaurant across the street. Johnny, being the character he is, brought his video camera to film our departure. He recorded the women preparing our food and some Thai girls eating breakfast. We were laughing hysterically and I can only imagine what they thought! "The crazy white guy's here again..."

Some cardboard cut outs were leaned up against the wall of the restaurant. Johnny grabs one and hands it to Alex and gives the second one to me. Here we are at 8 in the morning, eating breakfast and talking to cardboard cut outs while being filmed. Like I've said before, there's NEVER a dull moment with Johnny around. That tape will be priceless someday.

Reluctantly, we piled our bags into a taxi and headed to the airport. We were in for a 22 hour flight. The drive out of town was emotional. I knew that once we step foot inside the airport, we would be so far away from everything that we had come to know and love over there.

Our journey had come to an end. It's impossible to describe our new found sense of appreciation. We'll miss the sights, the smells, the people, the beauty. We were in the furthest point that we could ever physically be away from home and we felt comfortable there. Realizing this made the world seem so much smaller.

We accomplished what we had set out for and so much more. We created memories that will forever be defining moments in each other's lives. We tasted new foods and new religions. We dove in the most beautiful places on Earth. We climbed to the highest mountains. We smelt tropical flowers and listened to the birds in the trees. We held wild animals. We relied on each other. We learned about Asian culture and strove to have meaningful conversations with people who were different than us. We shared ourselves with them. We witnessed breathtaking sunsets and gorgeous blue skys. Everything was new and different. This was significant in the discovery of our own identifies.

We hope that our blog shed some light on our journey into the unknown. We dedicate it to our families and friends who know us best. Traveling opens your mind and heart like nothing else on Earth. We trust that you will recognize how our beliefs and values may have been influenced as an extension of our travels. We encourage you to get outside of your comfort zone every once and a while. Home is always waiting for your return with open arms.

Love Always,
Loranda and Alex

To be continued...