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Day 20: 28/6/13
I was up before 5 this moving as my shuttle was coming at half past. When I checked out they were serving breakfast already so I was just staring a bowl of cereal when the shuttle came! Early, for once! When I booked it they said it would take 55 minutes to get to the airport but it actually only took 20 so I was there way too early for a 9:40 flight! The check in desk was open though so I got checked in and went straight through customs and the baggage check. I had time then to actually eat my breakfast so I it some scrambled egg on toast and then skyped Mam and Dad. Neither of us had news really but I was just checking in before I'd leave Australia.
I spent a while wandering around the shops then and spent my last few Australian dollars on a bottle of water- a big splurge! I did keep one dollar coin though as a souvenir.
I sat at the gate then and they started boarding by 9. Of course I wasn't in the first few rows to be called, but I was still on shortly after 9. We were delayed taking off then as there was bad weather in Sydney and I think we were waiting for people who were delayed landing on connecting flights. It was about 10:20 I'd say when we left. The plane was quite shaky in the take-off and for the few minutes after that. The pilot came on then shortly after to tell us that the plane had actually been hit with lightening during take-off. Just what you want to hear!! He assured us that everything was functioning properly and that planes these days were made to withstand lightening. If that was the case I don't know why he bothered telling us at all! It's lovely knowin that you've been struck by lightening at the start of a 10 hour flight! Thankfully the rest of the flight was uneventful!
I watched movies most of the time I was on the plane- there were a lot of recent ones that I hadn't seen yet- Guilt Trip, This is 40 and Goddess- all fairly easy going comedy type films.
I caught up on a bit of the blog then. Usually on flights they seem to be coming around all the time with something. They did give us plenty of food, but because it was such a long flight it felt like there was ages with no movement! I like when they come round with the trolleys as it passes the time. They have us dinner first aswell which was a bad idea as it left a whole long flight with only drinks and a snack like ice-cream which doesn't take too long to give out!
I watched another film then- a more serious one called Broken City with Russell Crowe and Mark Wahlberg. It was a good enough film but I don't know why, in all serious films where you need to hear every word they say, that they are always talking really quietly!
I was in an aisle seat in the four middle seats for the flight and the three seats beside me were a family from South Africa that live in Papua New Guinea and were holidaying in Bangkok. They had a little boy about 7 who was so quiet and patient throughout the trip. He sat colouring, playing with his iPad, watching tv and slept for the whole 10 hours- no whining, crying or questions!
I got through customs quickly enough and then had to wait for the bag! It always seems to be one of the last bags out- I think it's because I check in so early! I'm always thrilled when I see the Corofin colours coming out the little hatch- it's like a little miracle!
When I had booked the transfer with te hotel they had told me where to go and I should find someone with my name on a board. When I got there, there were names on boards, but not mine! I waited a while but there was no sign. The message had said if there were any problems to go to the information desk beside the exit so I went there and a girl was going to ring the hotel for me when I saw a guy appear with my name! He looked like a bell boy or something, so I'm guessing he works for the hotel, rather than a taxi company.
When we drove out of the airport it was all motorways like any Western country in the world. It was hard to believe you were in Bangkok but then further on the motorway had gold statues at the side! That seemed more like it!
I expected the driving to be like South America- crazy in other words! Sure enough he was weaving in and out of traffic at 100km/h (yes I did check his speed!!) and driving on the wrong side of the road when he could and at one stage didn't seem to see a car coming against him until the last second!! I thought it was better to look out the window than look at the road! It wasn't as bad as South America at all though- there was no beeping! There was really bad traffic all the way into Bangkok as it was Friday, rush hour. It took an hour and a half to get to the hotel! The poor driver had to head straight back out to the airport afterwards to collect someone else!
As expected I was shipped to the back of the hotel. The new bit that I came into first seemed way too classy for the kind of clothes I have with me! The room I have is fine though. You can see that the building is old but it's clean and I've a double bed and a bathroom to myself, air conditioning, free water and free wifi! Who could complain!
I went in search of food when I got settled. There were a lot of people eating at tables on the side of the road near the hotel. I did a bit of a walk and then chanced one with lots of people! I had chicken, veg and rice which seemed safe enough! They cooked it on the street. They brought me a glass for my drink and it was wet. I was wondering where it came from and then I saw a girl washing all the delf in a basin of water! Not sure what the hygiene standards would be there!! I hope I have a good immune system! It only cost 100 bhat which is about 3.50 for dinner and a sprite- in Australia the sprite would be 3.50 at least! I think I'm going to like this place!! It's not even as dirty or as crazy as I expected but I haven't ventured far yet- let's see what tomorrow brings! I'm going to go to sleep now and sleep in as long as I can in the morning to recover from that long flight! I'd only about 4 hours sleep las night and I'm up now for about 18 hours so I think I've earned a long sleep! Air con is on for the night at lowest temperature possible- it's sweaty hot outside!!
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