Day 59 or Friday 1st June was our last full day on the island which we spent doing very little as per usual. However, come the evening we realised that during our full stay on KPP we had yet to check out the Viewpoint of the island, or what I think is the highest ground. We left it quite late for a stroll, leaving our room at about 5:40pm, although it was part of our intention to see the sunset. The walk was very strenuous as we took our first left up a clearly defined road. As with many hills the summit is blocked from view and you gaze at the tree line and think 'it couldn't be much higher' only to turn a corner and effectively see the finish line moved back a mile. Still on we walked and when we turned onto a dirt track, the walk improved for me. It was here that many of the locals lived. The houses were wooden shacks but the location priceless. However, the weather and nightfall was conspiring against us and conscious that sundown was between 6:30 and 7pm we wondered how far we had to go and asked some walkers who looked like they were returning. 'About 20 minutes' they advised. I looked at my watch and calculated this would mean a walk through the vague jungle in the dark and no lighting looked available and we almost abandoned. We came to a covered tent come house and a western gentleman came out and said we could take a look at the view. He obviously noticed my consideration as to whether we were trespassing or not. When we finished he said "you aren't going to the viewpoint? Its only 1 or 2 minutes that way". Well that's different and taking a left off the trail and climbing some easy rocks there it was, the view of the Western part of KPP-Don and Leh. The island shaped like and 'H' with the two beachs pinched into the middle. We were by no means alone, many others had found a place to sit and just look out and wait for sun down. Also we noticed a comfortable path that seemed to take us down to the town and felt our safe exit was assured. But the clouds loomed and before the sun set we descended back to the town. Occasionally gazing skyward cautiously at possible falling coconuts.
Day 60 and 61 we spent travelling back to Bangkok. The boat left the pier at 1:30pm promptly with a bus taking us to a place where we pick up the coach. About 7:45pm we were probably on our way to make the 1200km journey back to Bangkok. The coach was as comfy as a coach could be knowing it would also be our bed for the night. We stopped about midnight at a service station of sorts. Sarah needed the loo and I just thought I needed to stretch, but not really. My mossie bitten legs had just stopped stinging and I didn't want a rematch. For some reason insects don't like AC as much as I do so I was eager to get back on the coach. Leaving about 1am, I think I managed to get sleep somewhere after 2am to wake up to the dawn and a large city which could only be Bangkok. Tired and cranky we waited for our backpacks to be ceremoniously thrown onto the road, and avoiding the traffic and taxi drivers hoping for travellers wet behind the ears as to Bangkok we walked to a place I remember seeing which had AC for only B400 a night. We found it and booked in and there we have remained.
Day 62 or Monday 4th of June we had a plan and that plan was to wake at 6ish and make our way to the Chinese Embassy to pick up our visas. There was suprisingly little congestion for a Monday, even if it was a 8am. This became obvious as when we arrived at the Embassy after some flawed directions, we found it was closed. It was a Thai National Holiday of course. This meant not only having to return the next day, but also a sign on the door saying 'Basic Requirement Plane Ticket and Hotel Reservation'. In light of this we booked a cheap hotel in Shanghai. We weren't about to book a return ticket, but according to The Chinese Embassy failing an exit plane ticket, a bank statement showing good funds is enough. Now 2 months into our travel and with a healthy return fund in the USA we printed out bank statements which would be 3 times the annual salary of a chinaman. We were ready as we thought we would be, or as ready as the Embassy website told us to be.
Day 63 we made the trip back to the Embassy and arrived 15mins before the 9am opening time. The place was already heaving. The same security lady ushered us forward, gave us forms and sat on the floor we scribbled out the forms. Then joining the queue we were eventually allowed onto the visa section on the 2nd floor, this would have been about 9:20am. We took a number, glued our photos onto the sheet then took a long queue to see a lady at a desk who's job was to check we'd filled out our forms correctly. I thought this was good as we are employing a lawyer several thousand dollars to check our US Immigration forms are correct, so I saw this as a good service. We got to sit infront of her about 10:15am. I was not hopeful as it seemed every Brit or American that came before had something wrong which they had to sort out and we were no exception. Our hotel reservation did not have our name on. We needed photocopies of passports. Luckily, well not luckily more out a sense of business accumen there happened to be photocopy and internet cafes in the vicinity. One we found seemed to have a gentleman in a queue typing up a letter of introduction for himself on a word document. Anyway satisfied we had all the documents we returned to the queue. Our number came up eventually and we found ourself staring at young party bureaucracy. She flicked through all the documents thrown together, not paying attention to many details. She grabbed our passports and documents and walked into the back room, to return asking "why you not apply in your home country?" The answer obviously being that we were travelling and have not been home in months. She wandered off again to the backroom, but I knew what the answer was going to be VISA DENIED. We had resigned ourselves to this during the long wait and decided if this happens we will go to Bali. We left the Embassy a full 3 hours after arriving. We'd rushed around getting the documentation they wanted and being denied wasted two early mornings. On the plus side, we found the book store which sold us the Chinese guidebook and negotiated a part exchange on two guidebooks. Malaysia and Bali. We booked the ticket from Hong Kong to Kuala Lumpur for the 14th June. The contingency plan is quite good, and I'm rather warming to spending some weeks in the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia with it's tea and hill stations.
Day 64 and 65 were non days as regards seeing things. We sort of planned to see the monkey temple but that never happened. Seeing how much we spend on a daily basis has left us cutting back our food to two meals a day, and ideally at street vendors where we can both be well fed for £2. Also I've dropped the alcohol completely for a while. Mainly due to the expense. The art is to use the fact we don't have to work to break the habit we have of early rising. Now we leave the room at about 11:30am, where our breakfast doubles as our lunch. Our daily food is about £7 each now which I knew was possible when I originally budgeted for this. The Chinese Visa rejection and currently reading that obtaining an Indian Visa in Kuala Lumpur is no longer possible has left us feeling a bit low. Immediately we are reminded that travelling the world without the help of Thomas Cook is not easy. It's not easy as it seems backpackers are admitted into countries, but mainly as a second best. They grudgingly accept us, all the while keeping one expectant eye on those who fill up the Sheratons and Hiltons. It seems in China they plain don't need us or want us. This can be discouraging as we find ourselves following the 'Banana Pancake' road, not as we don't want more, just that more is often legally out of bounds. That said I'm pulled back to reality by my Facebook status update on Chinese Visa Denied. In the corresponding comments I said "I think we are off to Bali now". A friend responded "oh poor you, off to Bali!". She had a point.
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