Woke up at 5.30 am, pulled on shorts t-shirt and sandals grabbed my bags slipped out of air-conditioned family suite and hit the wall of humidy and predawn glow on our little beach in Ko Pangang. Crazy 40 minute taxi ride, grabbed a few weird things to eat from the vendor, lugged my bag onto the 7am ferry for the mainland and squeezed into a seat next to a Thai family, little boy staring at me pushing a little car around his make believe world.
Tried to sleep but ended up thinking of the last 48 hrs, wired shakes at the reggae bar, heading off to the half moon party with a bunch of fun people, not like our epic Cape Outdoor parties but I had fun. Arrived back early next morning slept a few hours and spent the last day taking in our piece of paradise. Had a farewell dinner with our new found island tribe at Soms kitchen, (the best Thai food around) and then onto little bar on the beach, animated discussions, tearful goodbyes and off to bed leaving far too little time for sleep.
Back to the present, disembarked the ferry 2 hours later, big thunder showers on the go and ran through warm big drop rain to bus station for the hour bus ride to the airport. Asia Air fantastic airline, arrived Bangkok Airport with a 6 hours layover, decided on a quick trip into the city and Siam centre, clothing wonderland, kitted myself out in clothes for a few days back in the business world and headed back through 6 pm traffic crush to airport to catch the midnight flight to Istanbul.
Bangkok -Istanbul, what an unlikely combination. Arrived at Attaturk Airport 12 hours and 6 time zones later, 8 degrees a chilly morning feeling slightly silly in my 42 degree Bangkok outfit of T shirt and sandals, figured out the money, haggled with the taxi driver and headed into town.
Istanbul - Constantinople a mega 22 million people city spanning 2 continents and just oozing history. Crossed the Bosphorus and arrived early in the morning at our very comfortable 4 star Midtown hotel. (Big change from Asia) Changed into something warmer headed out had a tasty kebab from a street vendor, did some people watching, these Turks sure can smoke, a national pastime, bought some sleeping tablets with instructions in Turkish, closed the curtains and dropped into Lala land for 6 hours.
I enjoy being part of IDS group - a departure from the fiercely independent small business operator I have always been, IDS group is a crazy, chaotic, slightly eccentric but smart and challenging group of individuals. We meet once and sometimes twice a year in exotic locations to talk shop and party. Prague, Marrakech, Milan, Barcelona, Den Hague. It is an intense 4 days of burning the candle at both ends. All day meetings and then nights eating at great restaurants, experiencing the best tourist attractions and nightlife on offer. The company motto – “Life is too short to drink cheap white wine”. Istanbul was no exception and 4 days went in a blur.
So here I am 11pm sitting in a darkened departure lounge waiting to fly back around the world to join my family in Bangkok. Airports are strange places and at the moment half the people are wearing masks for the swine flu, this reminds me of giant ants nests with each individual ant hurrying on their own mission, sometimes meeting briefly, moments of intimacy, connections made and lost and then off we each go heading back into our own labyrinth.
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