Other than the letter B, not much but this is the route that I have taken for my current business trip with IDeaS. Unlike the short duration raiding visits that sometimes occur on business trips, this one has been taken over a period of just under three weeks on the road.

Prior to the trip I was dreading the airports, customs, bag delays, airline food that generally plague business trips but as I eased into it, landing in Beijing, I was struck with the thought that I am visiting three grand cultures on this one trip and all significantly different and, to some extent, all very “non-complementary” of each other and each going through its own individual dynamic changes. 

There is certainly no love lost between the Indians and the Chinese – internationally competitive as well as historically as recently as 1962 with the Sino war. 

The Thais are at war with themselves, yellow shirts, red shirts and all the colours and smiles in between. I love Thailand, the people and the places are fantastic. 

My reading companion on this trip is a series of books outlining the life of Genghis Khan. Quite apt, you may say given that he marauded his way from west to east and back to west again terrorising the Chinese, Indians and Arabs. 

The combined history of these places is truly incredible when you stop for a moment in the baggage queue to think about it. India from 9000BC, Thailand 3000BC and the Grand Old Man of history – Peking Man at a staggering 400,000 BC – give or take.

As the rivers continue to flood in India and the Commonwealth Games looms closer to a city struck with dengue fever and the bribery and corruption continues, life goes on – as it has done since 9000BC. 

As a seasoned traveller, it’s easy to forget about such things and that we are all just passing through. So all you travel weary professionals out there, take a minute stop and think where you are and who has been here before you. It’s refreshing.

Featured image credit (young woman with retro suitcase and camera on railway platform): Ockra/iStock