My world walk blog - Thailand 15 - The wrap-up.

Thanks so, so much to the Chanathinat Place Hotel in Udon Thani! No, it's not my hotel

I had a wonderful but yet a slightly weird experience in my hotel in Udon Thani. I arrived on Saturday afternoon and paid for two nights. A little later I had my money returned to me! Naturally, I wanted to know why. Even though the staff didn't speak English they were so friendly and patient with me as we went through Google Translate. I have noticed that translations from Thai are not the greatest and unlike other languages I have been left mystified and puzzled by what I have been shown. Later not transpired that the owner of the hotel checked me out on Facebook and wanted to support my world walk for cancer awareness. I didn't know this at the time. It seemed that because I was doing the walk for my mother who died of the disease struck a chord with my generous host. Suffice to say that I am eternally grateful for the act of kindness from the hotel.
Then when I wanted to stay another night but was adamant about paying. However,  they were having none of it and I was given another complimentary night. 

In Udon Thani I enjoyed eating at a lovely restaurant called the Simple House. Can you believe that it was less than two euro for a steak and chips and the same for a bowl of delicious green chilli curry soup? Lovely staff who fussed over me.

I don't know why they don't use their energies campaigning to get more refill water machine stations as I noticed in this town. Just a few cents to fill up and then everyone is happy. Well, except for the profiteering convenience stores. I say to Greenpeace get out there and just install them. 

Then a 36-kilometres hot and muggy day. Strangely as I walk north of the equator it seems to be getting hotter and hotter. That left just 31-kilometres to the border town Nong Khai with Laos. 

That was a tough last day. The gravel track I was plodding along on ended when I came up against a fence across the road.  A  gate that was locked hampered further progress. If I had just a backpack instead of pushing Karma I could have climbed over it. There was another trail that I followed and hoped that I could reconnect back onto my route that I was following on Maps.me. Gradually, the track deteriorated and soon I was in swampy jungle-like land and even came up to a river with another fence on the other side. The temperature was 33C and my weather app said that it felt like 40. Humidity was at 64%f

Ater more than an hour of this fruitless endeavour, I saw sense and made a major backtrack. Taking a different trail I eventually made it to the main north-south road which was for once the joyous sight of dual carriageway. I stayed on it as I was less than ten kilometres away from Nong Khai, the Laos border town. I planned to cross into Laos and reach Vientiane, the capital. 

That night I had booked into the Mut Mee  Guesthouse. The cost was only six euro a night, the price of a coffee and a coke in Australia if you are lucky to find it at that price

In Australia, I made my own coffees and didn't bother with cokes and I am now enjoying the luxury. To be honest, in over a year I don't remember buying even one Coca-Cola outside of a big Australian supermarket. There was a day when Patrick Farrelly treated me and the two cans for us cost him ten dollars! I was astonished. Here in Thailand I don't even ask the price and get one whenever I want to.

That night I had a good time at the hotel in Nong Khai. It had more of a backpackers hostel feel ab than a hotel.  With a spectacular view of the Mekong river, the difference is that each guest has their own cabin.

Then I went out for a  steak dinner to spend the last of my Thai Baht. Just as I was getting ready to leave a man walked past the restaurant. I have to say he had real class because he asked the management for leftovers on a street table instead of just grabbing the food and walking on. Knowing that I was leaving the country the following morning I gave him a few Eequivalentlent in Thai Baht. 

Upon return,aiming to my the 'hostel' called the Mut Mee Guest H, ouse, some European backpackers dragged me out for the night and told me not to worry about paying for my drinks as I had little Thai money left a

The next morning I crossed into Laos, a brand new lifetime country for me and country number fourteen on myworldwalk.com for cancer awareness. Please remember that early cancer screening can save your life. 24,200 + kilometres.