Alex Arrives

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Mon 9 Jan 2017 23:57
Alex Arrives in Phuket
 
 
 
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We found homes for the final bits of shopping, put dry clothes on and rushed out of Beez. As we walked along the jetty we could see the hills (first time in days they have not been covered in rain clouds) and the wet stuff took a break – for now.
 
 
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Over on the right side of the bay we watched a plane coming in to land – not Alex’s but the anticipation was building like a water pipe under pressure........... Off we raced.
 
 
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Bear behind the wheel, me navigating with his phone GPS. A fifteen minute journey and we will arrive just as Alex lands - knowing he will have to clear Immigration and luggage claim – plenty of time to be in position, arms aloft in ‘welcome’ so we thought. The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men........ So we set off from Yacht Haven (red arrow) and proceeded to black arrow on right – we cannot turn off the main road due to roadworks. We keep going, still no right turns, no diversion markers and certainly no signs in English to help us. We do a u-turn and the trusty GPS leads me to get Bear to turn left along a small road, we end up on the right wing tip on the map, the only trouble is we are at a potting shed with a small security guard telling us “no, no, airport right, right” and flapping his arm somewhere in a southerly direction. He directs us in our second u-turn and we head back to the black arrow. On we went beyond the roadworks and finally turn right at the blue arrow. I report that Alex landed three minutes ago and we have four inches on my current screen size. Luckily the road is clear-ish and we eat the first three inches passing National Parks, night markets, mosques and a tiny sign that read Airport. Hurrah. The final inch is busy, people driving like Muppets but we see the arrow to Domestic.
Bear throws us in parking spot for returning hire cars at the Domestic Airport as Al is coming in on an internal flight and we make a run for it. Alex has not landed yet. Double Hurrah. We buy cold water and compose ourselves. There we stand for the next hour. A man waiting for his son gets a call, with so many planes circling and waiting for a slot to land they are coming in all over the place. Al’s plane has come in at the International. OH MY. We leap in the car and race the few hundred yards to the other entrance. Bear pulls over, the security men say we cannot park, I give my most pleading looks and promise to be no more than three minutes and run.
 
 
Al's route
 
Meanwhile, Alex has flown in a straight line from Heathrow to Bangkok, changed to the short hop to Phuket but unbeknown to us is going to fly around in circles for forty five minutes......................
There is Alex.
He spots me and we hug tightly, Bear was where I had left him and he sneaks from the car for a big hug. “I’ve been waiting for you for ten minutes” he says innocently as we set off in the once again pouring rain of the last few days. We are not sure if we want to slap him but just laugh heartily at the comedic chaos we have encountered since leaving Beez. The journey back was easy, down from the car park in a golf buggy and we were soon settled on board.
 
 
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Especially lovely picture - to see father and son together.
 
 
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I get to pose with Al too, then it’s time to celebrate.
 
 
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Alex with a Vietnamese dragon fruit. Tired after his thirty hour, door-to-door journey. Here’s to a fun-filled, chilled three weeks.
 
 
 
 
 
ALL IN ALL SO, SO, SO THRILLED
                     REALLY EXCITED TO GET HIM HERE AT LAST