Sunday 25th

Arrived back in Bangkok at some ungodly hour. We piled into taxis back to the Viengtai and then went for one last group breakfast. After that I crashed for a bit til it was time to move over to my new hotel, the Buddy Lodge on the Ko San Rd. Really beautiful room, very colonial with a balcony, but strange to be on my own. Only for a bit though as had to meet Kerrie and Carmen for a trip to the tailors!

Got measured up for a sensible suit whilst Carmen picked out gorgeous silks for dresses and party outfits. So unfair!

Went back to the Last Cocktail (the streetbar opposite the Hotel) and met up with everyone (apart from Hannah) one last time. Carmen had to go early cos she was joining another tour, but Kerrie and I went for a meal with the boys before Thom and Coen left for the airport. Nok came to meet us at the bar. The boys had already bought each other croaking frogs, on the grounds that they all hate them, and then Nok bought Jens another one! She gave Kerrie a tiny elephant and me a Ganesh. He's a god of art and she chose him for me because fo my photography.

Kerrie was quite insistent that we went to Patpong, largely because her brother wouldn't tell her wat he'd seen there. Nok looked a bit unsure but in the end we all agreed. Jens came too - in the taxi Nok kept saying "he my husban' - I kill you!" as practice for protecting him from the "ladies"!

When we got there it looked a lot like any other street market - except the bars weren't open to the street and the bargirls - if they were girls - looked really bored and dead-eyed. That and the enormous neon sigh saying "Super Pussy"!
I'll spare you the details of what happened next. Suffice to say that there were ping pong balls and fairy lights emerging from places where ping pong balls and fairy lights have no business being in the first place! I did have a slightly surreal conversation with a ladyboy who, it turned out, really did just want to improve her English.

After that we were all feeling slightly queasy. I bought some t-shirts for Lorna's boys and then we headed for home having said our goodbyes to Jens. Nok said she hadn't really wanted to go to Patpong, but she hadn't wanted to say goodbye! Sob!