I found a Subway in my travels today and so I had a foot long steak and cheese with all the usual bits and pieces on it  even the Southwest sauce. 

It’s exactly the same as the Subway in the Swich although there were no fat people in singlets. In fact as you can see there were no people at all. The prices are the same as the west which for here is quite expensive but at $8 it was good to have some familiar food. 

And it was quite tasty and filled a space which is always a good thing. I will be back. 

At most train stations and metro underground stations there are security checkpoints just like the airport. Your bags go through the x ray scanner which I think is a good thing,  however this morning the steadfast security officer was catching up on last nights sleep. It’s good to know we are in safe hands…….

Well that’s how many steps I have done so far today and my feet are complaining ever so slightly. I had a late start to the day and I wandered off to explore the neighbourhood. I headed in the direction which I new would take me to the moat that surrounds old Suzhou. I crossed it and continued down the street passed many small food shops so I stopped for some mid morning dumplings. These dumplings were in a bowl of spicy soup called Jin Tai Jaozhi, absolutely delicious.

When I finished I headed back to the moat. On my first crossing I noticed a foot path along the side of the river so it seemed like a good idea to follow it to see where it went. So I started walking clockwise around the moat.

So I came across this sign quite near the start of the walk and I thought to myself that I would walk around the moat. The first thing I noticed was that the gardens and the river walk were very peaceful.  No bloody car horns or traffic noise, this was great.  At last I have found a form of sanctuary not too far from my apartment. 

I must admit at the start it seemed like a great idea and even when I got to the half way mark I was still feeling fresh. My feet were still happy and I had even worn my thick socks and I hiking boots, so why shouldn’t they be happy. 

At the 3/4 mark I thought that maybe I should have taken the short way home when I had a chance but I have passed the point of no return so I don’t have a choice. 

I continued to walk and block out the complaints from my feet. Every step took me one step closer to home so I just keep putting one foot in front of the other. And then to my surprise I see a building that I recognise, I saw it yesterday,  it’s Suzhou University. Not far now. The pace slows but the end is in sight so all is well.

I complete the loop of the moat and feel quite chuffed and relaxed because I haven’t had to listen to the bloody traffic horns. I’ve had peace and quiet for hours and managed to listen to some music along the way. 

An early dinner I think because once the shoes are off today they will not be getting put back on. I wish I was back in Thailand so that I could get a foot massage ’cause my feet are not very happy. 

Once my feet have been set free they seem to settle and I think a good rest is in order and maybe even a single malt to ease the pain. 

I’m not sure if they get taught in China to sit on the horn when they drive but it has got to be one of the most annoying things here, almost as bad as the spitting that takes place.  I think I mentioned before that you are half expecting to see a blackened lung follow it out onto the ground. 

I’m sitting at the entrance to Suzhou university while I wait to meet one of the students and there is s bike lane here also. One guy is after going passed finger on horn and there is no one else there. What the fuck? 

They have not been driving long in China and so you have millions of learners on the road and most don’t seem to have a clue. Rather than look where they are going and adjust their driving to suit they just stand on the horn and expect it all to work out. I came here years ago and it was the same but the only difference this time is that there are more cars and more noise. I fuckin’ hate it and it’s getting on me tits. So much so that I really want to get way from here and back to some peace and quiet. I guess the grumpy old man has grown within and the tolerance within is now almost non existant. So now what?  Do I stay? Do I leave?  Do I take this as an opportunity to learn?  I do want to stay and learn and do the right thing because there are a few people expecting me to stay and I don’t want to let them down but I ain’t happy and for me that’s what it boils down too.

I find myself in Starbucks again for a meeting with another prospective employer.  Why they come here is still a mystery of course;  no it’s not really.  They come here because it’s the place to be seen,  it’s trendy,  it’s status. They certainly don’t come here for the coffee because it’s shit. I’ve tasted dirty water with more flavour than an Americano coffee.  You know there are so many other coffee shops here which are far better in regards to the quality of coffee and flavour,  but they do not have the status that Starbucks has managed to muster. And of course it comes from the country that is soon to deliver to the world president Trump,say no more. 

Anyway my Chinese friend has left and I’m sitting here staying out of the rain and then through the fog of noise I hear, what I thought was a voice coming over a tannoy, but it is in fact the nasal filled voice of a very loud American girl. My god what must that voice be like without all the background chatter?  

The place is full of foreigners and I’m just another one adding to the myth that Starbucks is the place to be. The after taste in my mouth can only be compared to the after taste of a full 16mg cigarette. In fact that might be a more pleasant experience. 

Do yourself a favour and avoid Starbucks like the plague, you would be better taking up smoking really. Not only is it cheaper it’s far more enjoyable.

The Kuzi building or trousers in English. Just one piece of interesting architecture in Suzhou. Quite a contrast to old Suzhou at Pinjiang Road. 

It’s 9am and some clown in the block of units I’m living in has decided to have an almighty fireworks display. Hundreds are let off at once and you feel like you’re living in a war zone and not a residential area of a large city. You can feel the shockwave from some of the larger explosions. Shit is flying everywhere in the middle of the apartments. No health and safety here you know. 
And here was me this morning going to have a bitch about the drivers on their horns all the time. Why can’t they learn to drive like other civilised countries and just drive and look where they are going without the need to shout look at me look at me  just look where you’re fucking going  it’s so much easier and better for everyone concerned. 

From early in the morning I’m awoken by a cacophony of horns big and small  no chance of sleeping in here although I’ve tried but then some bastard lets off some fireworks. 

Why am I here? 

Today is my first day in China and I had to get some dumplings and Jian Bing, they’re two foods that I enjoy here and to be honest they did not disappoint. 

Shanghai once more and I’m waiting for Windy to pick me up. It’s strange being back in China and I’m not too sure how long I’ll be here for. I have a 2 year visa with 3 month a re-entry requirement, so of course I have to leave every 3 months to get my visa stamped. I’m hoping I can get to Korea and Japan and maybe Taiwan while I’m here and of course I’m hoping to be able to see a few more places in China. I’ll really have to focus on my language skills as my Chinese is very basic but I believe if I get the hang of it I’ll be able to earn a few quid by doing so. So here’s to me and my next adventure. 

I’m waiting for my flight for Shanghai which will board shortly. I’ve had 10 days in Thailand and spent half the time in Hua Hin and the other in Bangkok. I’ve really enjoyed Hua Hin and met some nice folks along the way. I really didn’t want to come back to Bangkok but I had already booked the hotel, so not much choice there really.   Hua Hin is a lot quieter than Bangkok and I can understand why so many people go there. My hotel was right on the water and you could hear the tide coming in. It was only a short walk to the beach and as I mentioned before I enjoyed the beach because it was empty of those annoying tourists that get everywhere.

I found a small restaurant which sold great food and was run by some really funny Thai ladies. They invited me to join them one day for a drink and so after that spent some time with them. Noy was coming to Bangkok for a visa and she gave me a lift to my Bangkok hotel along with her good friend Phon that I spent a few days with in Bangkok.

I also made time to see the wonderful Kaew who works in a small massage place in soi 4. When I break my body from carrying my suitcases or twisting my ankle,  she manages to put me back together again.

Soi 4 can be a seedy place because it’s full of girlie bars Ladyboys and other colourful characters of the night, but it’s great to spend a few days in this other world and of course I like to get a massage , but don’t ask for a happy ending if you go to see Kaew because you will get a smack in the face instead.

I guess I’ve had my fare share of booze over the years and I’ve drunk myself into oblivion on many occasions but you know, you reach an age and that age for me was around 45 that I no longer did that. My body just wasn’t happy and I was feeling like shit. It’s got to the stage where a couple of glasses of red wine or a few beers are drunk my head feels like someone is trying to escape from the inside by crashing their fists against me skull. So these days I’m sober most of the time but do have a couple. But I’m amazed at the guys my age or older (56) that still drink to the levels of my youth.  How can they do it?  Why are they not dead?  Maybe they will be soon.  Their beer belly’s are certainly testament to the amount of training they still do. Funny thing is the more they drink the younger they feel I guess and of course they are surrounded my hundreds of young ladies ripe for the picking, but for a fee of course.

So this is how it works in these bars.  Man likes girl, girl needs money girl goes with man for “Boom Boom” long time short time up to you. The price is negotiated before you leave the bar and once agreed you pay the mamasan a bar fine of about 400bht about 10 pounds. Price for girl varies of course to what’s on offer and for how long.  You can rent for an hour or a month, Up to you. Short time 1000 bht, long-time maybe 3000bht. I really don’t know as it’s been some time since I have made this kind of purchase. And I know this will horrify many people but in Asia, having sex is no different from any other commodity. Tonight I might go for dinner and then maybe a drink. After that I’ll have some sex and have an ice-cream at McDonald’s or maybe both at the same time. …..Up to you.

Thailand is a lovely country and it’s certainly not all about seedy bars and sex, there are many other things to do in Bangkok and of course the rest of Thailand. I’ve been lucky to have driven many thousands of kilometres here and I’ve gone off the beaten track and if you do that here you will find many amazing places, discover many fantastic foods and meet interesting people.  For me I love Thai food and now I’m on my way to China to start a new adventure which also has many things to offer but unfortunately the food in China is just not as good as Thailand.

If you have never come here (Thailand) then you are missing out on a wonderful country. So do yourself a favour and come to Thailand.  Love you long-time.