On my evening walk I came across this little surprise on the side of the road, but at least it was dead. I just hoped it wasn't some sort of voodoo sign telling me it was time to leave the Koh Samui! But actually it is time to leave the island for a few reasons. Firstly, the hotel seems to have been taken over by noisy East European families swarming with noisy kids and wearing nappies in the pool..... the children that is, not all the noisy East Europeans! If ever I was tempted to actually get in the water, that thought puts me off completely! Secondly, Ant and David are bored seeing me on Latitude in the same place. But thirdly, and most important of all, if I don't leave Thailand by 2 March, I would overstay my visa and potentially end up in the Bangkok Hilton.....
So today, I wend my way to probably my favoutite airport anywhere, Koh Samui. It's such a nice airport, no queues, all open plan, trees, beautiful tropical flowers, ponds and streams and the great Bangkok Airways lounge in one of the open air thatched pavilions, with free wifi, serving coffee, juice and Danish, all included in the budget airline price. And the lovely gaily decorated road trains that take you across the tarmac to your flight. Now why can't Heathrow be like this? Ok, you're right, the weather for starters......
A good flight, more food as again they serve a breakfast to all on this 50 minute flight and I arrive back in Bangkok. I fly off tomorrow to Malaysia so am again staying at my little airport cheapie, The Great Residence - my bargain at £16 including airport transfer, free wifi, and a great room with aircon and a little balcony. The hotel has a nice little swimming pool. And a view - it may be of the main airport road, but it is a view.... I will be eating in tonight though, from bits I bought at the airport. Yes, the hotel does have a restaurant, but I took a peek at the kitchen which is an open area, covered by a badly patched tarpaulin right on the edge of a slowly moving, brown river/canal.... And definitley no fish. Tonight I watched them operating the tumbledown copy of a Chinese fishing net to scoop up whatever they could from the canal - I assume it was fish..... But the staff are unfailingly polite. The little Thai guy, about half my size, refused to let me carry my backpack as he also manhandled my big case up three flights of stairs as there are no lifts, just saying with a huge smile "no problem, me Superman!". It did earn him a big, well deserved tip.
I am desperately trying to remember why I didn't fly straight through to Malaysia rather than stopping in Bangkok. Through the haze of flight bookings I seem to remember that it was something to do with today's flights to Malaysia being about three times the price of tomorrow's, something I didn't discover until after I had bought and paid for today's non flex ticket.... Note to self, do all your flight research before making your first booking.....
But no matter, I was desperate to get my hair cut and this extra time gave me that chance. In every other hairdresser I have seen here, the girls seem to sit around "grooming" each other, i.e. removing their nits. On previous visits to Bangkok Airport I had spotted a Toni and Guy, and assuming that no nit global standards applied here, decided to take the plunge. Slight language issues, i.e. no English was a positive in one way, no inane conversation that you get with a new hairdresser (and I definitely exclude Lukas from Lookfantastic in this, if you are reading this!) about "where are you going on your holidays" or "going somewhere nice tonight?". But on a less positive note, I am now the proud possessor, actually, strike that, I am now the possessor of a much shorter haircut than I had planned..... Am sure I will get used to it soon and it will be so much cooler.....
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