Well, here we are .... Thelma & Louise (aka Caz & Jo) at Sydney Airport awaiting our flight to Phuket for some well earned R&R!! After the required duty free purchases .... We decided to head up to the Qantas Club for a couple or three pre-flight champagnes ... And a spot of lunch. Time to board ... To be told the flight was an hour late .... So back to Qantas Club for us ......another couple of champagnes to help us on our way!!!!

Finally boarded only to find we were sitting in front of a bloke with Tourette's syndrome .... Carrying on LOUDLY for the entire flight .... Oh well ... You get that!!!! The first of our challenges was to work out the technology of the iPad and headphones they presented us with in StarClass - we couldn't get them to work .... Eventually we realized (7 hours into the 9 hour flight!!) that we were to remove one of the prongs - the they fit the iPad & we could hear!!!! We had watched an entire movie sharing my new noise canceling earphones - one earpiece each - - and blocking out the noise fromMr Tourette's behind us with our other hand!! Apart from that - an uneventful flight - arriving at Phuket on time - and collected from the airport in a limousine minibus - very opulent - and certainly ready for a good night's sleep in our "luxury" hotel .... Originally bought online through a "Deal Me" online coupon ....

Before going further, I should explain about how we came to be at the Amata Grand Resort ...... About 12 months ago I saw this deal online .....for the Baumanburi Resort in Phuket .... Too good to be true .... A week for $400 - usually about $900 ...... So, I bought it ..... We went to book it and were told that they had no availability for this week .... So theyd move us to another, newer resort in a better part of town ..... I questioned it but was assured that it was, indeed, much better .....( Moral of this story - go with your gut!!!!)

Back to the story ..... We arrived at the hotel around 11pm ...... Up an alley way .... Checked in and the very pleasant bellboy - took us to our room ..... Or should I say, cell ...... A tiny room with 2 single beds - no window - double doors that opened up onto a balcony that was around 4 feet wide by 3 feet deep .... And looked out onto .... A brick wall about 6 inches from the edge of our "balcony" ........ AND .... The balcony door wouldn't lock!!!!!

We called the front desk - and a young girl arrived to check the door - she couldn't get it to lock - so she called the maintenance man .... By this time it was nearly midnight ..... I said I just wanted a different room .... So she showed us into the room next door - where a single balcony door opened up onto an even smaller balcony .... But .... At least it locked ....BUT ....we couldn't get the air conditioning to work!!!! (Fawlty Towers, perhaps????). With a change of remote - taken from our previous room - we had air conditioning!!!! Off she went, we started to unpack, had showers (flooding the bathroom due to poor design!) then got ready for bed .... The beds were like slabs of cement .... And with air conditioning blowing straight onto us - we decided that we'd review the situation in the morning .... After all, it would be better after a good nights sleep .....

We both had REALLY weird dreams that night .... And awoke quite early ....neither felt safe .....

We decided to see (with my trusty iPad) whether we could get a reasonable deal somewhere else .... And found a great deal at the Patong Merlin where we had both stayed about 20 years ago!!! We went to breakfast t the Amata - which further strengthened our resolve to move - and within an hour were in the lobby of the Patong Merlin hotel - and checked in to our beautiful, pool view room - feeling like our holiday had now begun!!

After unpacking - again - we headed off to the pool for some lunch and a swim ... Then a spot of investigating the local shops - and being accosted by tailors and others spruiking fo business ....Before I came back to the room for a nanna nap - Caz stayed by the pool - reading and sunning herself .... I badly needed some sleep!!! A couple of glasses of wine on our balcony - and some nibblies before dinner .... A lovely way to finish our first real afternoon of holiday!! We'd casually mentioned when we checked in that we'd stayed here 20 years before .... And a beautiful fruit plate arrived at our room!! We thought we'd try the Seafood Buffet at the hotel - booked a table (no need) - and toodled down to the Seaview Terrace for dinner ..... About 5 couples there ... And the seafood buffet consisted of about three types of seafood and lots of other stuff .... But at least we weren't far from home!!! A relatively early night on a much more comfy bed .... And the day was complete ....