End

End

Sunday 18 May
Between my last note and this one there is maybe 10.000 km- there is also 36 hours and there is certainly all the difference in the world. Our journey started at five o’clock pm when the taxies picked us up at our hotel and ended in Kastrup Airport where Leif E, Kirsten B and Jørgen said goodbye to the rest of the group who went on a train towards Funen and Jutland at 8.40 am. But just before we left the hotel in Hanoi I think that Leif J’s heart beat violently. He and a couple of the other men had just had a last beer at their regular pub, but when he left the café his wallet - containing money, passport and tickets – was lying on the chair! When he found out, he hurried back to see that it was not there! But luckily the owner had seen it and brought it into safety, and Leif could breathe freely again. Before we left the hotel we said goodbye our guide who has been with us for most of the trip and whom we have been very fond of. His wife and daughter were there to say goodbye, too. Henning is helping Khoa to start his own business so we all wished him the best of luck! Then Thuy – another of Henning’s friends - and her husband took over. They drove along to the airport with us and there we had to say goodbye to them. On this trip we have met so many of Henning’s contacts – and friends – in Vietnam and Cambodia. They have all received us very kindly and it has been a great pleasure to get to know them.

The flight home passed without any bigger problems. There were many travellers between Hanoi and Bangkok and when we landed we had to stay in the cabin for about half an hour because it rained very violently and we had to be taxied to the arrival hall in buses. We did not get into the same bus so when we checked in for Copenhagen we suddenly realized that Dorthe was missing. But she turned up just when we found out that she was not there. We did not have much time and had to hurry to the gate. We were all tired and I suppose we slept some hours during the night, but I am also sure that we are all looking forward to getting into our own beds tonight! Just now my head is full of pictures from our trip, full of all our experiences, and I am glad to be home again after this wonderful odyssey and grateful because all went well Cambodia and Vietnam were wonderful places to visit.