My final few days in Bangkok were as uneventful as I thought they would be. I managed to see Joan Ibanez, but that was really about it. I completed some last minute shopping and then all that was required was a trip to the airport.


I had booked my return flight on Malaysian Airlines (because it was cheap) and this involved a trip through Kuala Lumpur, but other than that all went smoothly and it was easy . The flight from KL was my first experience on a vast A380.


London was beautifully sunny as we arrived in the skies over Heathrow for that usual bit of circling whilst waiting to land. Strangely I only spent less than twenty minutes in terminal four. The baggage was there when I arrived and there were no queues at customs. This was less time than we had spent in the plane taxing from the runway to the gate.


The bus on the other hand was booked and without the possibility of changing the time, I had to wait for two hours at the airport. Sure enough everything went smoothly and I was back in Bristol at midday in the sunshine.


I have calculated that I travelled around the globe two and a half times in the last two years. Having been at my mother’s now for several days I have had a chance to reflect on this trip and to reread my first blog and see whether it met my expectations .


On a personal note is certainly has met my expectations. I now know that my health has improved dramatically and my diabetic review yesterday has confirmed that. I was told by my GP that this was down to the twin benefits of giving up the drink and the physical benefits of travelling. So for that reason alone, the trip was be viewed as a success.  


From an excursion point of view, it has been excellent. I outlined the reasons for my destination choices on the first blog and these I believe have proven on the whole to be the right reasons. As to the highlights, I have to say that Peru continues to absolutely dazzle and I would recommend to anyone. I really should go back there to spend longer in the north and visit the central areas. Ethiopia was also a delight and although I feel that I managed to see the highlights, there were several omissions and a return trip could well be on a future itinerary . Madagascar was even better than I imagined and another visit is a good idea there and for longer. Loved Sri Lanka and it turned out to be the perfect introduction to india. Botswana was fabulous and spectacular as well and I could easily return there. As to mainland India, Gujarat and Rajasthan were equally fascinating. Rajasthan surprisingly so, as I expected it to be too touristy for me, but those worries were blown away by the sheer size and variety of what was on offer. The North East of India was definitely the find of my find of the trip. It really hits the mark for me with its culture and wildlife, but travelling is not easy and regulations and pricing are real drawbacks. I met some others who hated it. Nevertheless I will definitely be back there.  


As to disappointments well Cambodia was…. I expected more. Angkor Wat and Siem Reap were amongst the highlights, but without this experience and that of Preach Vihear, I would have been terribly disappointed. South Africa is difficult to gauge as I did not really see that much, but I felt the climate of fear and ultra security (especially in Cape Town) suffocating and I was happier over the border in Botswana. Namibia would also require more time, especially in the far north. The biggest two disappointments were Ecuador and Thailand. Thailand is really just a tropical south of Spain now, perfect for package tourists - but not for me. I was so glad I had travelled there in 1989. The other huge disappointment was the Galapagos. Ecuador was (with the risk of upsetting my Ecuadorian friends) I had always felt overshadowed by Peru and this visit just compounded that feeling. It was this visit to Galapagos which confirmed that. Cronyism, corruption, poor management, internal migration and environmental destruction of the islands (most by the settlers) was not what I experienced. Of course not going to the Cameroon was also a disappointment, but thats another story.


I met many great people on this trip and also met some old friends. I will make a special effort to keep in touch with those. I also want to mention that without the help of my mother, father and sister in answering my mail, keeping my gear and just being a reliable base, this trip would not have been so easy. And that is basically that…..


So here I am, sitting in Blagdon on a Friday afternoon, looking at the rain and the clouds (freezing) and cannot stop wondering what the next trip will bring….