It was so good to get Rico back with us and out of hospital. A big dose of antibiotics for the ensuing 4 weeks were prescribed, and we’d have to return to Bangkok for further blood tests to make sure the infection was 100% eradicated.

It was an aberration to our plans, but we had made it through, and the experience, as scary as it was, had made us more thankful for our health and the fact we could continue this journey. Serious doubts  about whether to continue our trip were raised with in Rico hospital and it had been a very trying time for Becky and I.

It doesn’t matter how strong the bond is within a family, being together non-stop for a long period of time will test the most tight knitted clan. It was doubly tough for us with Rico in hospital, not having any support network. Naturally there was concern from family and friends, but after being away for a period of time, you are forgotten quickly and people just carry on their normal lives and cannot relate to our situation and changing environments. It’s moments like these that you have to dig deep; there is no get out, no easy fix, no one to run to, no time for self pity. 

In light of Rico’s health, plans had to be rethought and rejigged. During our trip we had subconsciously slipped into various roles: one of Becky’s being chief researcher, organiser, and booker of accommodation. The consensus was that we’d skip Laos and Cambodia as it would entail a lot of traveling in a short space of time, and sanitation might be an issue. Rico’s immune system was low and it was imperative we kept him free from infection. The plan was to head to Vietnam for a month and then return to Bangkok for Rico’s follow up blood tests before heading further north in Thailand for the eagerly anticipated ‘World Schoolers Summit’. As luck would have it, due to our change in plans it meant we would cross paths with two of Becky’s sisters as they would also be in Hanoi; some familiar faces at last. 

There were still a few remaining days left in Bangkok and a fine balance was needed between seeing a few things before we left, and making sure Rico didn’t overdo it. A visit to the famous  Chatuchak market was first up and a really eye opener. One of my guilty pleasures are trainers/sneakers, and this market was a mecca for any sneaker geek. It was like a museum containing  every old school trainer model including the first ‘Air Jordans’ to ‘Reebok discs’. But this was only a small part of the market. Unbeknown to us we entered in an area of the market  that wasn’t well publicised, and for good reasons too. It was the ‘pet section’ but the term pet was quite an extensive term: Scorpions, marmosets dressed up in tiny clothes, chameleons, spiders, red squirrels in hats, snakes, baby turtles, albino hedgehogs, rabbits, birds, fish as well as a wide spectrum of ‘conventional’ cats and dogs. Not our cup of tea at all, but an eye opener nevertheless. Pop up food stalls and bars, shoes, clothes, antiques, artwork..the stalls were never ending – a shoppers paradise.

An interesting display of venom extraction from cobras in order to make anti venom serum; a refreshing day on the bikes in the ‘green lung’ of Bangkok  and a day trip to the majestic historic temples of Ayuthaya made up the rest of our time in Thailand’s capital city.  

Next up: a 4am wake up, cab to the airport and a flight, to start a new chapter on our adventure: Vietnam.