That's All Folks

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Home Byron Bay

We arrived home at last and felt a bit down. The winter weather here is superb better than anything we found while we were away. A lovely 20 to 23 during the day and some lovely cool evenings and night. The social calendar has immediately filled up as we have to lunch, dinner or party with all our friends. The work has also started. A rude shock.

Our house bathed in winter sunshine

Tallows Beach, our beach

On our first walk around Cape Byron we saw 4 humpback whales.

Ron and Ken at The Beach Hotel, Ron's settling back into BB Life.

Flying Home

We arrived early to Changi Airport in Singapore for our flight home. Our Singapore - Brisbane flight was full so after a long wait we were finally put on a flight to Sydney and then a fight to Brisbane. We gladly accepted when we were upgraded to Business Class.

Well, I was sad that the flight was only 7 hours. I didn't get enough time to eat the great food and drinks, get a good night's sleep in their pyjamas, a great breakfast, watch a couple of movies etc etc. If only we had had a few extra hours to do it all. As it turned out we only slept for about 3 hours and arrived in Sydney at 5am. There we just happened to run into Mo (Ron's sister) and Tony on the way home from UK going through customs. They had to declare their golf clubs for inspection. I showed off my walking boots assuring the customs officer that I had cleaned them with a toothbrush. He seemed impressed and I was through.

After having to wait in Brisbane for an hour for our bags to catch up with us as they missed our flight in the International to Domestic transition we headed for the train to the Gold Coast. This was a bit of a let down after having travelled Business but we coped.

Singapore

We arrived in Singapore and went straight to David and Janet's (my sister) lovely 12th floor apartment which has cool breezes and great views. It was good to catch up with them in their last few days in Singapore. They returned back to Oz the same day as we did after a year living in Singapore.

Singapore was great, especially great food. I did a bit of shopping as well but didn't manage to find MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology) shoes. We went shopping at Arab Street and also Mustafa's Department Store in Little India.

Mosque in Arab St

Moslem women in Arab St.

Little India was full of guest workers on their day off. There must have been at least 6,000 Pakistani men wandering the streets chatting, eating and shopping. These workers only have Sunday half day off a week so it is a big event.

We also went to China Town for dinner one night which was great. Singapore while very clean and a bit sterile also has some very colourful spots. Everyone looks very happy.

Phuket
We arrived at our flash hotel in Kata Beach Phuket very late the next day. It was great to be in Asia again and I felt like I was getting close to home. It feels more like home here than in Europe; same plants, same humidity. We have never been to Phuket before but got the impression that it would have been lovely 25 years ago. It really has been done over. Patong Beach remained me a bit of Surfers Paradise in the 1960’s, very tacky. As a policy I think avoiding beach resorts is probably a good idea. Even so the beach is very nice here. The food in Thailand is fantastic.

Floating flower display

What does this sign mean?? This is on Kata Beach.

We did the Phi Phi Island day trip. Phi Phi Island (pronounced Pee Pee) is very beautiful. We were on the Phi Phi Island Cruiser with about 400 others. It was a day when we felt like sheep. We were herded into lunch at the Phi Phi Island Hotel and then herded off on another boat for a bit of snorkelling. The fish were beautiful but the coral was looking stressed. I always love snorkelling.

Island on the way to Phi Phi

Me snorkelling watched on by Muslim woman, Can you spot me? we can't

One of our crew members told us about the tsunami and showed us his scar and photos. Phi Phi Island was very badly affected as it has a narrow isthmus where all the development is. The three tidal waves of about 7m washed straight over the isthmus. He was saved by being on the boat. People on boats were OK. It is difficult to see any damage now as a lot of rebuilding has occurred. It was very sad and we could only imagine that most people there had suffered great losses. We didn’t hear anymore about the tsunami even though the areas near Kata Beach were also badly affected.

Phi Phi Island

Boats at Phi Phi Is.

The next day 2 Australian girls Kerry and Jenna, organised us on Jing’s Walk in the Wild Trip. It started on the west side of the Khao Pra Taew National Park at the Tonsai waterfall and finished on the east at the Bang Pae waterfall, about 5km but somehow it took us 3 hours. There were only 5 of us on the walk and we were all Australians. We are the only ones mad enough to want to do a rainforest walk in such humidity with possibility of meeting snakes etc. It was very hot but great. There was a wonderful swimming hole but none of us had our togs (swimmers) as Jing’s brochure failed to mention it. We did see one beautiful green snake.

Kerry and Jenna waiting outside our Hotel for taxi

Ron in his walking gear

Kerry and Jenna looking as if they are off on a Vogue Thai jungle photo shot

Jing and his truck

Blue fern

Red crab

The swimming hole

At the end of the walk we visited the Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre where gibbons are rescued from captivity and slowly rehabilitated so they can be reintroduced into the National Park. We did hear some wild Gibbons but didn’t see them. Many of the Gibbons are so disturbed and injured that they cannot be rehabilitated.

Gibbons are used as tourist attractions like this one on Phi Phi Island. As it gets bigger it will become more aggressive and a problem for its owner. It are these kind of Gibbons that end up at the Rehabilitation Centre.

Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre is not very flash but is doing some great work

We also did three temples on the way to Jing's walk.

Reclining Buddha

A cute Thai sign

The Last Do
Our time is England is running short and we will be sad to leave. On our penultimate day we had our last family do, lunch at “The Spreadeagle” in Tunbridge Wells for Ron’s Mum and her four children (Ron, Bernard, Mo and David) and their respective partners. It is a rare occasion when we are all together. The last time was 2002 for her 80th birthday, and before that Derricks funeral in 1994, and before that 1985, so it was a bit special.

Ron, Mo, Kathleen, Bernard and David

Mo, Pauline, Kathleen, Kim, Ron at The Spread Eagle

It was a great lunch, where Kathleen made a little speech to say how happy she was with us all etc etc. We retired to her lounge room to watch the Wimbledon men’s final and chat and drink some more.

Everyone outside The Spread Eagle

Kim showing off her pole dancing moves

Bernard and Pauline took us home to Martlesham Heath as they had kindly offered to take us to Heathrow. We had a walk planned for the next day but it was cold and wet and we didn’t feel up to it, depression slowly sinking in with the realisation of our imminent return and the hard work to follow.

Pauline and Kathleen

The next day, after a lunch in a cute restaurant we headed off to Heathrow. We had it all on this trip, slight rain, heavy rain, hail and brilliant sunshine. Bernard’s satellite navigation saved the day as we were able to track all the traffic stuff ups on the journey and reroute as necessary. There is a whole language associated with the Sat Nav, slow moving and queuing have quite different meanings that shouldn’t be overlooked. Queuing meaning that no one is moving and may not move for a few hours. The Sat Nav listed at least 6 or 7 areas of concern just in our journey to Heathrow.

If you lived here permanently you would need a Sat Nav. I have noticed an English tradition that crosses all age groups and classes. If you are about to embark on a journey the first question is “Which way are you going to go?” and then a discussion that goes something like this, Well the M3 might be shorter but on a Friday afternoon you’d be better to take the A12 then the A14 the link up with the M1 … this goes on for quite some time and no one ever seems to look at a map. Astonishing. At the end of the journey there can also be some post trip evaluation such “well it was lucky we didn’t go clockwise around the M25 and took the A21 instead of the A22 …” and we think we have traffic problems in BB or from Brisbane to Gold Coast. We Aussies have no idea of what real traffic is.

We boarded our plane and then sat on the tarmac for 2 hours before we left. The erratic weather had caused delays. Luckily the in-flight entertainment was switched on and I watched “The Other Boleyn” about Anne’s sister Mary. We finally took off at midnight and as the plane wasn’t full we had managed to claim 3 seats each which is a rare treat now on planes.

London

Friday night saw us back in London and staying with Andre (Ron's school friend) and Anna. After a few beers at the local "The Oaks" we headed back for a great dinner cooked by Anna. Andre's son, Spencer was there, now a father of three. Ron is apparently his Godfather but no one is really sure for certain. Never the less Spencer took the opportunity to harangue Ron about the lack of Birthday and Xmas cards as well as spiritual and moral guidance. Chris another of Ron's schools friends was also there in fine form as normal - a great night.

Chris, Andre, Tom, Ron, Anna and Spencer on the way back from "The Oaks"

Anna and grandson Arthur

Saturday lunch we headed off with Sal, Chris, Iggy and Arthur for a Chinese lunch in Putney. It was very fine chinese food. We missed their party the night before. It was another sunglasses day for a few of us.

The floral arrangement for Sal's party, made from real carnations.

Vatersay Pty Ltd, rumours of a take over

Ssh!! on the quiet, a large London QS firm has made an approach to Vatersay P/L to discuss a takeover so they can get a foot hold in Australia. High level secret negotiations are underway and I can't say too much but watch this space. We don't think they have realised that Byron Bay is only a small country town but I think they were impressed with our business card.

High level negotiations in progress