Sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care,
The death of each day’s life, sore labor’s bath,
Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course,
Chief nourisher in life’s feast. – William Shakespeare Macbeth
11th January 2023
We have rested and slept well in Shangri-La-la but it is already time to get ready for the next stage of the journey. Time has just flown by since we got here
From what heavenly, enchanted bed linen and mattress factory castle do good hotels source their bed linen and mattresses that makes their beds so much more comfortable and sleep-inducing than other beds?
On the subject of rest and relaxation, you just can’t visit Bangkok without partaking of the divine pleasures of a foot and neck massage at least once. It is not just foreigners who indulge, Thai people need no convincing about the health and healing benefits of massage. Massage is an integral part of the health and well being routines of most Thais.
As we have come to stay at the Shangri-la numerous times over quite a number of years, we have got to know some people in the neighbourhood quite well. We always go to the same foot massage place quite near to the hotel that has been managed by cat-loving May for at least the past 25 years.
The succession of girls who do the massages come and go and always seem to stay the same age but May and her cats have aged gracefully over the years. The oldest cat died of leukemia during the time we were here last, about 3 years ago, much to May’s sorrow and grief, but that cat’s children and grandchildren carry on her legacy of being pampered and sleeping most of the day, while being the real bosses in charge of the shop.
After making a cursory start on packing, we went downstairs to the restaurant Next2 on the ground floor where a breakfast feast of grand proportions is served every day.
Then it was back to the room for more packing and in no time at all it was time to leave for the airport.
Au revoir, lovely Shangri-la. Hope to be with you again before too much more water has flowed past you.
No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man. – Heraclitus
We leave Bangkok at 6.00pm on the Emirates/Qantas code share flight EK5024 (QF0024) headed for Sydney and then Auckland. The Bangkok to Sydney sector takes 9 hours and 5 mins and, after a 2-hour stopover, the Sydney to Auckland flight takes 3 hours and 5 mins and we are due to arrive in Auckland at 14.55, Thursday, the 12th of January. That is our son-in-law, Greg’s birthday. Happy birthday Greg!
Unhitched 