I got up at about 7:30 AM after Akane told me that she was feeling sick. I remembered that she had woken up a couple of times during the night and gone to the bathroom, although I had only been half-conscious. I felt bad for her because getting sick while traveling sucks, based on my own experiences, and I wondered if our little adventure on Ko Kret had caused it. She told me that it was probably because she had not gotten enough rest.
I decided to buy some fruit and sports drinks at a 7-Eleven, which seems to be everywhere in Thailand. That is usually what I do when my friends get sick. Although the fruit did not look very fresh, I bought some packaged fruit and Pocari Sweat. I suggested that she relax and sleep until checkout time.
While she stayed at the hotel, I went to a nearby Starbucks and updated my blog. I feel like the air conditioning inside buildings in Thailand is often too strong, and it makes me feel cold sometimes. After that, I went back to the hotel to drop off my laptop and check on her. She told me that she was already feeling much better.
There were still a couple of hours before the 12 PM checkout time, so I decided to explore the area. I passed by the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, and the view was spectacular. I wanted to go inside, but the line was too long, so I gave up. I kept walking and came across the National Museum Bangkok, so I decided to have a look around. The layout of the museum was not very friendly for people who get lost easily, which definitely could have happened to me. I spent about 45 minutes there before heading back to the hotel for checkout.
When I knocked on the door of our room, there was no response, even after several attempts. I called her, and she answered. She had been sleeping. It was already after 12 PM, and we received a call from the front desk reminding us to check out by 1 PM. I was already packed and ready to leave, so she started getting ready as well. The good thing was that she had recovered almost completely. I was impressed by how quickly she bounced back.
We eventually left the hotel at about 12:45 PM. Since I was planning to visit a judo dojo that I had contacted beforehand, we went our separate ways after checkout. She said she was going shopping while I attended judo practice.
I took a motorcycle taxi, which is probably the best way to get around Bangkok because it is cheap and avoids the city’s heavy traffic. The judo practice started at 3:40 PM, so I arrived about ten minutes early. When I got there, another judo class was already in progress. A young man at the reception recognized me and showed me to the changing room.
As the students arrived, the class began. The training was conducted entirely in English, which was unique. Every dojo I had previously visited held classes in the local language. That was one reason why students from countries such as France and England were able to participate. After practice, I did some sparring with several of them, which I really enjoyed and which made me sweat a lot.
After talking with some of the students and the owner, I left the dojo. I was still sweating heavily, so I stopped by a nearby 7-Eleven to buy a drink. I was running low on cash, but since it was my final day in Thailand, I did not hesitate to spend what I had left.
I then headed to the station to catch a train to Suvarnabhumi Airport. My plan was to fly back to Hanoi and then continue to Singapore the following day. I used almost all of my remaining cash for transportation and boarded the train. The ride took only about 25 minutes.
Akane and I had planned to meet again at the airport because she was flying back to Japan that day. We met up around 8 PM and had our final meal in Thailand at Magic Food Point, located on the first floor of the airport. It is famous because the food is relatively inexpensive. At the entrance, you exchange cash for a prepaid card that can be used at the food stalls inside. We used up all the cash we had left.
As expected, the place was crowded. I even spotted a few Japanese travelers. We found a table and ordered our meals. The food was quite good for the price.
Since my flight departed earlier than hers, I checked in first, and eventually it was time to say goodbye. It was a complicated feeling. I had a great time traveling with her because it was the first time I had ever traveled with someone I knew. That made saying goodbye especially difficult. At the same time, I reminded myself that I would soon get used to traveling alone again.
We hugged, took one last photo together, and I headed toward my departure gate.
I landed in Hanoi ahead of schedule. After landing, we took a bus from the aircraft to the terminal, which was a first for me. Usually, the plane is connected directly to the terminal. I eventually arrived inside the terminal at around 12:30 AM.
Since it was already midnight, all the procedures were quick and smooth, which I appreciated. After clearing everything, I started looking for a place to sleep. I asked a woman at the information desk, and she told me there were sleeping pods on the second floor. I went upstairs and checked them out, but the price shocked me. It was far more expensive than I expected, so I decided to sleep on the airport chairs instead.
I did not want my wet judo uniform sitting inside my backpack, so I took it out and hung it over the chairs. The area near the exit gate was bright and noisy, so I moved to another section with rows of hard plastic chairs. It seemed like an unused part of the terminal because nobody else was there. I hung my judo uniform there and tried to get some sleep.
Of course, I brushed my teeth, but I could not take a shower. By then, it was already around 2 AM. I used some clothes as a pillow and tried to sleep, but I soon realized that construction work was taking place above the floor, making it extremely noisy.
Even so, I managed to sleep for about 30 minutes. After that, I decided to move back to the first area where I had originally tried to sleep. There were a few other travelers waiting for the morning. I stretched out across several connected chairs and managed to get a couple more hours of sleep.
According to the Vietnam Airlines website, check-in opens three hours before departure. Since my flight was scheduled for 7:30 AM, I got up around 4:30 AM and went upstairs to check in.
