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Well good morning my loyal followers!!
I am happy this morning after a God awful day yesterday - I will explain all!!
I got to Bangkok airport in plenty of time for my 14.25 flight to Phuket and checked in with no problems. At 14.00 a message went up in the departure lounge to say the flight would be delayed until 17.15 oh great!! I wasn't sure what the reason for the delay was but Thai Airways gave me a voucher for 300 baht to use in the food hall. I also had my eReader so wasn't too upset as I could start a new book about a cat called Bob who belonged to a street busker. It's very good actually and I am enjoying it!
Anyway the flight was delayed for another half an hour and then we all got on the plane. The Thai stewardesses all looked about 14 and they were all very pretty and bowed to me when I entered the plane. Not like Easy jet (sorry captain Colin!!)
The flight only took just over an hour and when we touched down I noticed the runway was soaking wet. I picked up my lilac suitcase which is now even dirtier and one of my wheels was a bit bent so it was hard to pull along. I trundled off to the taxi rank and tried to get a minivan for 100 bhat but was told I could only get a private taxi for 650 bhat. Oh yeah I thought but was too tired to argue!! Anyway I did have a very nice driver who spoke good english and the half hour journey went quickly as we chatted all the way to the hostel. He told me there was severe rain and winds at lunchtime so no planes were able to land at Phuket - I'm glad I didn't know that before I took off. That's why the ground was so wet. Oops I have no rain jacket or brolly but hey ho I'm sure it's nice warm rain!! Anyway, I arrived at Ai hostel paid up my 3000 baht and was shown to my room. I said where is the bathroom as I have booked a luxury ensuite. He said I'll show you and led me out to point to a tall winding metal staircase down to the ground floor - a death trap if you ask me!! At this point I wasn't very happy as I had visions of me getting up in the middle of the night and breaking my neck in the attempt to have a wee!! I want an ensuite room I said with a private bathroom which I booked. I'm sorry Madam he said, our rooms do not have private bathrooms!! Right, I said in an authoritative voice. I would like my money back and for you to phone around and find me a nice place with a private toilet.( I don't mind a shared bathroom as my little place in Bangkok had this but it was only a few feet from my door so was not a problem.) Anyway, the man was very helpful and found me a new place to stay. It was round the corner so he wheeled my wobbly case with me following behind. We arrived at Ming Shou house and I was very happy as it was very pretty with a Chinese theme. Lanterns hanging at the front door with beautiful Chinese carved window shutters. The lady (called Bun??!) who spoke very good english showed me to my room and instantly I felt relief!! The room was beautiful with fully functional toilet and even air conditioning - what a luxury!! I had a little old fan in my room in Bangkok and it really didn't cut the mustard!
Even though it was double the price of the flea hole round the corner I thought it was worth it. I paid the lady half of my money as I said that was all I had. This wasn't strictly true but I wanted the man from Ai to feel guilty about what he had put me through - and it worked because he was bowing and scraping as he retreated out of Ming Shou Boutique House's reception lobby!!
I was given a cup of coffee by Bun and she was very sweet telling me what I could do in Phuket for the week and also giving me a map of the town. I told her that her english was very good and she said she was very shy to speak it but I said we will have lessons and I'll help her with her english if she helps me with my Thai!! She agreed and gave me an apple and an orange to take to bed with me.
I unpacked all my case and also did a repair job to my wobbly wheel with the gaffa tape I packed. I read it on the web that one should take gaffa tape with you when traveling and I'm glad for this advice!
I woke up at 9.30 this morning after a very good nights sleep and had breakfast in the lobby. You help yourself to those chipolata sausages that Thai people seem to be very fond of (you know those rubbery sausage things that come out of a tin!) and toast and marmalade.
I am now sitting in the front of the hotel writing this blog and watching the Thai people go about their business. Next door is an open air hair dressing shop (you would love this June!) and the other side they are selling big green round things - I'm not sure if they're coconuts??
Bun has just bought me out a plate of fresh pineapple and mangos - ah bless her!! Yum, just eaten them and they were so sweet and juicy. Much better than the hard tasteless fruit from Asda!!
I then gave her a tin of English tea leaves - the tin was designed like an English telephone box and she was very pleased with my gift. I'm so glad I bought a few of these when I was in Windsor last month as it really helps to win over friends!! I gave a couple to the staff at Khaosan Ban Thai when I arrived in Bangkok and they fell over backwards for me after that. So I made sure I gave one to Bun at the beginning of my weeks stay. Obviously my gift giving has worked again!! Smart eh??!
Anyway I won't blog every day but every few days while I am here as it does take a long time to type with one finger on my iPhone.
I hope you are all well and I am thinking of you all. Take care and I will update you all soon.
Watch this space! .......x
Ps Just remembered - to add to my awful day yesterday I must have missed out my left arm in applying my mosquito repellent as I was bitten about 10 times. Unless it was fleas from Ai hostel Ha ha ha!! See picture awkwardly taken in the bathroom this morning.
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