As most people are probably aware that I was a wee bit clumsy over in Cambodia and fell rather awkwardly onto my left shoulder...here are then the latest developements.
I'll be going into hospital today to undergo surgery to staple that torn ligament in my shoulder together again. All going well, I'll be back home on Saturday.
Then will the long-drawn healing process beginn. About 6 weeks with the arm in a sling followed by about 3 or 4 weeks exercising and Physiotherapy. Driving, riding and working (the more physical stuff that is) will probably be back on the menu after 12 weeks. Its a bloody long time to go but there's nowt I can do about it (other than being less clumsy the next time).
See ya around folks.
A Happy New Year to Everyone !
No more biking for me on this trip since I fell into the New Year on a dark and slippery jetty hurting my shoulder. Will have to find something else to do now I guess.
Today I met some of the people from the ThailandFriends community for the first time. The occasion was a pre-Christmas fancy dress event with extented (and the emphasis here is really extended ;-)) photoshooting in front of various Christmas decorations in downtown Bangkok. I'm glad I went since I met quite a few really nice people there and as the pictures below show, most of the participants made such great efforts in the fancy dress department (needless to say that unsurprisingly most of the blokes, me included, stuck out as being rather pedestrian in their dress sense with 2 notable exceptions saving our gender from the oblivion of total dullness) 8-)
Well, although I'm awake of sorts, the jet-leg struck me worse than last time. Not sleeping for 2 days on that epic journey probably didn't help with adjusting my day-night rythm.
Gorged myself already on plenty of Thai food offered everywhere by street sellers. No digestive problems to report to either...yet. ;-)
Schnarch out...for now.
Finally arrived in Bangkok....fell asleep....ZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Or a tale of 2 bottles of wine that don't mix well with overzealous security guards and how one can spend 500 quid for the privilege of spending the night perched on some chairs in the Budapest airport terminal.
There is no easy way of beaking this but from the intro it should be clear that I'm still nowhere near the Land of Smiles and its sunny shores. Rather I'm spending another 12 hour stint this time in the airport terminal in Vienna. Yeah I know, you are thinking now that I haven't really gone very far in the last 24h and you would be right.
I know that they say in Buddhism (or was it Hinduism?) that not getting to your destination is important but the journey to get there...and what a fucking journey I had (and it ain't over yet either)!
But lets start with the beginning...always a crowd pleaser the beginning.
I left yesterday morning (or was it 2 days ago, a week or another previous life altogether....) at 11 am slightly anxious as you would going on a 6 week tour abroad. Taxi came on time, droped me off with half an hour to spare at the station (yeah, not like me I know). Train came on time (very unlikely British trains as well...) and arrived in Reading in time. I changed trains and as a result of everything running on time arrived in Gatwick with 3 h to spare, now thats unheard of for me. When the Malev counter eventually opened I checked in, no problem. I went to the transit lounge after having to semi-disrobe at the security checks as usual...dunno why, but them security pervs are always after my sexy body....
With some hours to kill and knowing that there wouldbe no time to get anything when changing in Budapest I decided to buy a few presents in the Duty Free, as one does. Some Chocolate again for Vince's girls and 2 bottles of wine and some water for the dry air on the long haul. We left London slightly delayed but not so much as to be overly concerned. Arriving in Budapest still in time to catch the connecting flight we were herded through another security check because we could obviously have used the time sitting on their plane in mid-air to purchase bomb-making material, assorted weaponry and not to forget the 'holy grail' for any serious wanna-be-terrorist, some nuclear material to be thrown at the air-circulation vents. All water bottles bought in Gatwick's transit lounge were unceremoniuosly chucked in a waiting bin...and then the game was going to kick of for real...the wine...but before I could even make my move another gentleman was noisely protesting against the confiscation of some parfum. Challenging an authority head on in a 'former' Eastern European country is never a very clever thing to do. I should know this only to well. Nevertheless, I relished those confrontations even back in them days which I foolishly thought lay behind us. Not so. Upon discovery of my wine I chose a calm and civilised approach trying to reason...I was clearly in the wrong century.
After some exchanges that clearly showed the grasp on English and other faculties commonly associated with intelligent reasoning were starkly lacking in those securities officials, we were motioned to follow one official to what I thought would be the customs area. The other gentleman insistently enquired as to not miss his plane only to get some muffled reply in Hungarian. Next they checked his passport...he was from Egypt and asked him for a Visa to enter Hungary. His lamentation that he did not have neither has any intentions of entering Hungary did not compute. Suddenly we were in the empty cavernous departure hall. As to why nothing really made sense. Whatever the officials intention,he was in no hurry to clarify the situation. Eventually some women on a Malev ticketing desk were found who spoke English and in some rather bizarre dialogues told us that we had left the transit area and hence missed our flights. They were at least so 'helpfull' as to provisional book us on the next Malev flights (provided we pay any additional fees of course), in 2 days to Cairo for the other gent and in 3 days for me to Bangkok. May I repeat stuck in snowy, sub-Zero Budapest for 3 days!
'Where is our luggage?' 'I don't know, I'm just ticketing office.'
'Where am I going to stay for 3 days?' 'Not my problem, I'm just the ticketing desk.'
'I kinda packed for the tropics not the frozen Puzta.' '*insert a wild guess in here*'
The other gent was then escorted back into the security area being a 'dangerous' Egyptian with no visa. Giving me this surreal perception of the movie 'Terminal' and the story behind it happening again just now.
Meanwhile with everything just about deserted I eventually found my luggage in 'Lost Luggage' and prepared for a night on the chairs in the departure hall.
Bright & early the next morning I started my rounds of ping-ponging between the airport information & help desk (an irony surely completlyloston them), the Malev desk and the airport security trying to establish as to what is going to happen to us. Nothing to do with any of them obviously...'wanting' to stay in Budapest? Up to me...getting on another flight? Sure, if I want to buy one. 'Any help or assistance whatsoever,please?' 'Do we look fucking bovvered?'
Handed in an official complaint for all its worth...they will of course claim it was our own fault.
I found a rather helpfull lady at the Austrian Airlines desk. I bought a one-way ticket to Bangkok (again) and left on the first plane to Vienna (where I'm sitting typing atm). Leaving in 2 hours for Bangkok...me thinks.
To be continued...because this ain't over yet
Ok, today is the day...and I better don't miss my plane.
I'm going down by train to Gatwick to catch my flight with Malev to Budapest first and then onto Bangkok. I hope the train journey isn't going to be as much of a nightmare as the one when I came form Cambodia in January.
I booked a flight from Bangkok to Phnom Penh for the 23th. There I will meet up with Vincy baby and his family and the German crew I met last time.
Right, I'll be off then...and might keep you posted.
Oh, and this is what I think about the current season:
