Bangkok, Thailand

The train ride took about eleven hours, then we were back in Bangkok at the same train station from which Josephine and I went to Ayuthaya. I think it was just past six in the morning when we stumbled off the train and found a phone. Madoka called the Kawasaki's who were staying at a hotel in Chinatown, the Burapa. I think we woke them up, but they told us to hop a cab over nonetheless.

We got to the Burapa Hotel and made our way up to their room. It looked like they had moved in; their stuff cluttered the room and I couldn't even figure out where to sit. I settled for a spot on the floor. The Burmese doctor that Madoka and I had met at the Burmese Lawyers Council was there, apparently staying with them. While Madoka and I were up at the ABSDF camp, the Kawasaki's were visiting another refugee camp further south. The clutter in their room was merchandise they had bought cheap in Thailand and were going to sell in Japan for a whopping profit, much of it returning to Thailand in the form of aid to the refugees.

We spent the morning hanging out in the hotel room, waiting for some other contacts that the Kawasaki's had. I forget who they were exactly, one of them was attending the same environmental conference that Madoka had to return to Bangkok for. We spent the time discussing our respective adventures and experiences. We also went to get Madoka's film developed, and after we got the pictures back we headed out to a Buddhist temple that the Kawasaki's worshiped at whenever they came to Thailand, and then we went for brunch back near the train station.


Series VI, Roll 8, Frame 28 (Pentax K2, Ilford XP2)


Frame 29


Frame 30


Frame 32

This was the last day that Madoka and I would be together. She was going that day to the hotel near the airport where she was supposed to translate for two Japanese lawyers who were attending the environmental conference. I wouldn't get a chance to see her again before I left. After brunch, I bid farewell to the Kawasaki's, and Madoka and I and the person who was also attending the conference went back to the YMCA.

I had a travel guitar that I had bought for the trip to Thailand, but after visiting the refugee camp and experiencing how important music was to them, I decided to send it up to them via the Kawasaki's since they were headed up in that direction. I got housekeeping to open Brenda's room where I had left the guitar and gave it to Madoka to give to the Kawasaki's. I walked them to the main road to catch a cab. We bid our farewells and that was that. I was alone in Bangkok.

I walked back to the hotel and got a new room at the same discount rate, and I stopped. It was over. I finally had privacy. If it wasn't Josephine, it was everyone else. All summer. Then traveling with Madoka for a week. I could finally stop.