The news was only getting worse, Wuhan was on lockdown and I had no idea if other provinces would follow suit. Then I would be stuck, stranded in Guangzhou unable to leave the country confined to my apartment, with nothing to do but wait it out and hope this was the worst it could get.
Central Guangzhou, Southern China my former home
It was now or never, I decided to make a decision. It was time to abandon my plans to start a new life in China and make way for Thailand. To do what? I had no idea yet…but I had some good friends there and i’d figured it would be better to be on lockdown in a tropical climate by a beach than the generally overcast skies of the metropolis that is Guangzhou. Also, I’ve rarely been sick in the summer heat, it was a longshot, but perhaps that would provide some margin of safety.
I passed through security, temperature check and viral swab with no issues at Guangzhou Airport. I ordered some food reluctantly, it seems the media fear-porn was doing it’s job, I’m now afraid of buying a chicken burger at an airport…
The queue to board the plane wasn’t moving. I just wanted to get out of here, but the flight was now delayed over an hour. The kid in front of me was getting restless and casually beating up his dad.
Then my phone starts ringing, it’s my friend who is currently occupying my apartment back home.
“Pierre, the oven almost collapsed on top of me!”
The legs of the kitchen unit somehow gave way and almost killed my tenant, quite possible given that she’s only 5ft tall.
”what else could possibly happen today?” I asked myself. I kept my cool and talked her through what we were going to do next.
The queue started moving, we were about to board the plane, the dark cloud of worry surrounding my conscience began to clear. As I sat in my seat, I heard the stewardesses announce the safety procedure as well as the engines fire up, this has never sounded so sweet, like an audible instigation of freedom and relief. As the plane left the ground, I was released from the worry of what may or may not happen being stuck in a country gripped by an epidemic.
Time drifted as I settled into my beach life in Phuket, it was a stark contrast to what I’d just left. My fresh concerns now were that I didn’t have an occupation and only a finite supply of savings to keep my head afloat.
I came from an upbringing where chasing money was more important than chasing your dreams, the typical mentality so imposed from a first-generation immigrant parent. This approach however did help fund some hobbies of mine, namely photography and videography, as well as gradually eat away at my mental and physical health, but anyway, I digress!
I have been filming and taking pictures of people, places and things since I learnt how to spell my own name. It’s one of the few things I can do on a daily basis that excites me and I cannot get bored of.
So back to my predicament, finding a role and maintaining the longevity of my savings. I racked my brains for weeks, trying to think of what I could do. Then one day a very dear friend asked me how everything was going, I shared the intricacies of my predicament with her. She told me:
“Whatever you do, keep filming and taking pictures, people need to see the world through your eyes”
The lightbulb went on in my head. My problem wasn’t so much about finding a job or maintaining a healthy bank balance, in fact that being the focus WAS the problem! It was about following my heart. Something I have neglected for a solid two decades.
At that point my sole focus was simply to document my travels and keep doing it. All else pales into insignificance. Sure there was the small issue of the longevity of savings, but now I'd come to this realisation, I knew that I would do whatever necessary to keep this train moving.
After this revelation, it was time to plan where, when and how? Two years ago I’d been to a rural part of Central Thailand, Sam Roi Yot, for my friend’s wedding, a truly stunning place but we hadn’t dedicated much time to exploring the place back then.
I said goodbye to my friends and embarked on a bus, then a train to reach my destination, Sam Roi Yot, just several hours south of Bangkok. This place, along with many others I have encountered so far are so quiet this year compared to a couple years back when I first visited them.
The entirety of this journey is documented in my very first YouTube VLOG, please follow the link below to gain further insight into my story:
The positives about travelling during the Coronavirus is that so many destinations, normally populated with many Asian tourists are now much quieter.
A place like Sam Roi Yot which is lesser known is so sparsely populated with tourists it’s a real privilage, like you have the entire place to yourself. What’s more the selection of hotel rooms that are available to book at discount prices are like nothing I’ve ever seen.
It’s the best time I’ve experienced travelling Asia during peak season, it’s quieter and less stressful.
If you have time and money spare, I recommend booking a flight to make the most of a once in a lifetime opportunity.