party!

17 October

My last night in CM and the Soho bar has decided to throw a birthday party for me – or at least Sak has.  A little premature, but it's any excuse for a party in Thailand. 

What this means is that I pay for a lot of food and a bottle of whisky for the staff to share, and anyone else who happens along.  Mostly regulars, Thai and farang, quite a few of whom I know now.  All good fun and I had a great time.  Sak had obviously spent a lot of time planning and organizing it, getting food from various restaurants, blowing up balloons and even having a happy birthday sign made.  Piece de resistance was an ice cream birthday cake!  

I retired at midnight to the guest house tired, happy, and not a little emotional: and not only because I am leaving northern Thailand after a very successful tour – I will always remember the mountains of Mae Hong Son and with any luck be back for a longer visit soon; but also, as I lay my slightly addled head on the pillow, because I am anticipating with some excitement the next two weeks and the challenge of China.  NB you can probably tell from the last sentence that I’m reading Dickens at the mo.

POSTSCRIPT: No news on the lucky 9s front - and I suspect in this case no news is not good news.