Alex Arrives
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Mon 9 Jan 2017 23:57
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Alex Arrives in
Phuket
  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.
 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.
 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.
 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.
 Especially lovely picture - to see
father and son together.
 I get to pose with
Al too, then it’s time to celebrate.
 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 |