But having said that, I am not complaining North Queensland has a huge cyclone bearing down on it and Chicago is suffering from possibly their worst storm ever.
Yet another early start this morning to catch the 8.15 am flight. I flew with Bangkok Airways who continue to be great - so great that I didn't have to pay for it, I had accrued enough frequent flyer miles with them to get a freebie. I used their lounge in Bangkok Airport - which is open to everyone who flies with them and has food, papers, mags, coffee and free wifi. I don't know how they do it, but on a 45 minute flight they manage to serve a full plane with breakfast and not just the odd squashed Danish (and only then if the flight's over two hours) thrown at you a la British Airways. A full on tray job with yoghurt, croissants, muffins, juice, water and good hot coffee. Speed eating was required to get it eaten in time! The only down side was that there were rather a lot of Russians on board who can be a bit noisy. When the pilot executed a perfect landing, they all broke out in applause, but I suppose if all you are used to is Aeroflot.....
Koh Samui airport is lovely too and I especially like the gaily painted little road trains that transport you from the plane to the arrivals area, which is a series of little thatched huts, very pretty but also very efficient. The luggage was through in no time.
I am back staying at the Lamai Wanta on Lamai Beach, I have stayed here before and liked it. I am starting off in a garden bungalow, but as they get booked up really early, and I booked too late, I have to move to a room in a couple of weeks. Pity really, the bungalow is lovely, big, minimalist and a glimpse of the sea. There was a towel sculpture on the bed when I arrived, two swans decorated with frangipani flowers, very realistic and I felt really guilty dismantling them to take a shower!
This morning was settling in, filling the fridge from the local 7/11 and most important of all taking virtually the whole contents of my suitcase to the laundry. I have been looking forward to doing that for weeks! It will be such a pleasure to have a choice of clean clothes rather than pick out the least grubby ones....
One of the reasons I like this place is that the hotels are all small independents directly on the beach but the road behind them is lined with shops, restaurants, fast food places, laundries, massage parlours, manicure shops, even a small Thai boxing ring - you name it, it's here. So whilst you you feel you are on a nice quiet beach, you are never far away from life and there's always somewhere to take a walk and of course, to shop!
There's other wild stuff going on here as well, every so often I get the fright of my life as really loud firecrackers are set off, it's been going on all day and all evening. I assume it's to do with the Chinese New Year which starts tomorrow. Well girls, it's the year of the Rabbit - I could of course make a tasteless joke at this stage, but am far too refined.....
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