The last of everything.

Sunday 25th August 2018.

No need to fuss with packing this time, just chuck it all in the suitcase because it's all going in the wash when we get home anyway! 

Our last breakfast was interesting in that the wait staff have really started to open up and be a bit more expressive and fun. They have gotten to know us very well even without us actually realising it. Nat seats us, indicates to Trevor and says coffee, milk and then me and says tea, milk, later, because I never get my cuppa right at the start. I always go and get some juice first. And then when I finally ask for a pot of tea, Laila says big pot, 2 teabags. They're good!

I go for the Asian noodle soup breakfast this morning, cooked to order, where you put all the bits you want into a bowl and the chef cooks it up into a delicious soup. I had it the other day and it was a bit salty but today it was just perfect! I've been pretty well behaved with the food, but today, seeing it's the last day, I have to have a final Nutella crepe! Ok, 2! I see the chef again who cooked my soup and he asked how it was and I told him how good it was and also that we were a bit sad as we were going home this afternoon. He asked how everything had been, the resort itself, the staff and the food. I told everything had been amazing, oh, except for one thing, and I told him about the fish at lunch yesterday. Unbeknowst to me, he is the head chef responsible for the food at the Waterfront, the Beach Bar and Infinity Bar, so he was very interested to hear my story. He pulled out a notebook and pencil and started taking notes, saying he was very grateful for the feedback. 

Back to the room to finish packing and vacate. Normally checkout is midday but we asked for a later checkout and managed to squeeze another hour. So at quarter to, we head off to Reception to settle our bill and drop our bags in the luggage store. There's a late checkout lounge, but unless you wanted to take a shower, I don't know why you'd want to sit in there. It's freezing cold and there's far better ways to spend the final few hours. Us? We head over to Pinky's on the beach for lunch and I only wish we had found our way there sooner. It was great. Right on the beach with a lovely breeze, great food at great prices. I had the pineapple fried rice as recommended by Phil, and Trevor got some spring rolls and we shared. Not a lot for lunch, but then, we weren't really hungry after our big brekkie. I think it was 500 THB for the meals and 2 drinks, alcoholic of course! 

 

5 min stroll along the beach

 

Pink Lady

Still with some time to spare and not much energy, we find a spot in the adult's pool area, right behind Ta Krai, Trevor had noticed that these 2 sun lounger spots are pretty much always vacant. Turns out that's for a reason. There's absolutely no breeze, it's blocked by the building and it's sauna-like, so we don't last there very long. There's no other sensible choice. We have to go back to Infinity Bar and have one last drink. 

The drink that Trevor had enjoyed earlier in the stay, the Rum Thai (aka Harvey Wallbanger), was the 2 for 1 cocktail of the day, but he really only wanted one. The barman said he could get his free one later if he felt like it, and of course, a little later, he did. I ordered a Pina Colada. We had purposely sat at the side of the table away from the placemat and cutlery that had been set up for lunch. Out of nowhere, the manager comes out to move the placemats and cutlery around to where we were sitting. We tell him we've already eaten and were just there for a drink and I can't really remember how the conversation started but he asked me if I was the lady who had the fish and chips yesterday that wasn't good and I said yes I was. I was surprised that he knew about it but the head chef must have spoken to him already. We got talking about the different fish that they serve here and especially the sea bass which is caught by fisherman just off the coast here. I really like it. I think he offers to cook some but I say we've eaten and that we're leaving in an hour or so. 

We chat about how enjoyable our stay had been and how we hope to come back for another holiday and then he leaves. When I go to pay for our drinks, the barman says the manager told him not to charge me for my drink, it's complimentary. That was very kind of him. 

Finally time to go up to Reception and await our ride to the airport. This time it's in a private car, very nice and it's a comfortable ride. Of course we get to the airport too early to check in, so have to sit and wait half an hour or so. Smooth process to check in and get through security and immigration, the lines move well. There's an Aussie lady getting very flustered, she's just left her uni student daughter here to study and she's getting pulled up at every turn like we did on our way from Sydney. I have a bit of a chat to her and try and calm her a bit, or she'll never get through. The problem was an aerosol can in her carry-on, there's not much in it, so she goes to town spraying it all over herself. I have one final joke and say I hope I'm not sitting near her on the plane!

We sit next to a lady from Cairns and it turns out, she's flight crew for Jetstar. This is revealed when the emergency info that you always hear pre take off gets to the part about putting your phone into flight mode or turn it off, she laughs and pulls out her phone, saying you think I'd know better! This smooth ride can't last and of course, it doesn't. Our plane departs late and our lay over in Singapore shrinks by the minute. We only have an hour or so and we need to change terminals. It seems there are a few others in the same boat, so we don't feel too panicked but still scurry as fast as we can to the train that will take us to our departure terminal. Thank goodness this is Changi and not Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok or Dubai International. Those airports are huge and we would have needed one of those golf carts to get us to the gate in time! 

Our flight to Sydney is on an A-380, the double decker, and we're booked upstairs. It cost $13 each to choose the seats but it's worth it if you have the chance. It's still cattle class but the configuration is 2-3-2 and the window seat has quite a large compartment under the window which is very handy to put excess pillows and blankets in. Again, there's too much food and I just pull down my eye mask and try to get some sleep. We arrive back in Sydney mid morning, head to the train station and home.

It's been a fantastic holiday, as opposed to the expeditions we normally embark on. The resort was lovely, the pool amazing and the staff and all the people we met have left us with many happy memories.

ANZ's Falcon on duty

Saturday 25^th August 2018.

Rudely awoken this morning by a text message from the bank. Apparently, questionable activity has been detected on my account. Great! An hour and a half later, it’s all sorted, I won’t be responsible for the charges, my card has been cancelled and the process started to issue a replacement. It’s strange. The card lives in my drawer at home, never leaves the house and I only brought it on this trip as a back-up. It’s in an RFID wallet and hasn’t been used here. It's justified to me though, the reason why I opened a new account specifically for online shopping. The card is cancelled and if it had been my main card to access internet banking and the like, that's gone, so no access to money! Also, it's going to take up to 14 days for the money to be reimbursed.

Breakfast was spent chatting with Karen and Andy, aka the wedding crashers.They've got some good stories and have been very busy, having spent the day before at an elephant rehab centre where they helped tend to the elephants bathing and feeding. Maybe next time for us. I had a list of activities in case we felt energetic, but no, didn't happen and I'm not bothered. We needed a rest.

Arranged a late check out for tomorrow, 1pm and booked shuttle to go to Bang Niang markets.

Take a mid-morning swim, and it's time for lunch before we know it. Order fish and chips at Infinity Bar. It’s supposed to be dory but turns out to be basa, my most hated fish, gotta be the most disgusting, jelly textured fish! I don't often complain, but I really can't eat this. I get the fresh Vietnamese spring rolls instead, made with smoked salmon. I've had them before and they were good. Apparently Chef says they were out of dory so he used the ‘local’ dory! Grrr! The ‘local’ sea bass is beautiful, why don’t the use that??

Time for a bit of reading before it’s time to catch the shuttle to the markets, could have gone to sleep! Relaxation mode is really kicking in! Lots of people keen to go to the markets, it's such a nice day for it. Walk up and down, it’s hot and tiring. Trevor gets a Hard Rock Café Khao Lak t-shirt, 350 THB. How could he not? He's got one from just about everywhere else that he's seen one! Other than that, bit of a waste of time. Same old, same old. I guess if you've never been to a market in Asia before, you might be tempted to buy heaps, but the vendors here are not interested in haggling that much. I don't know if this is how it always is or if it's because it's the wet season and tourist numbers are lower than in peak times. The big winners are the food and drink vendors. We stopped in 2 different places for a drink, because it was hot and because we were bored! The 2nd one, Toilet Bar, was close to the front of the market and had some good music playing. But don't let the name fool you, there was no toilet! They're down the back somewhere and cost 10 baht.

 

Toilet Bar.

Got back in time to take a drink down to the beach and watch the sun set. 

Dinner at Waterfront, hosting the Beach BBQ for Olive. Ben thought there might have been a surcharge, but not.

Quiet day

Friday 24^th August 2018.

Political news from home is a bit scant here, which is probably a good thing. Word has filtered through that Turnbull is out and ScoMo is in. Bad news but it could have been worse. Dutton, aka Mr Potato Head, a staunch right-winger could have been PM instead. It seems he started this whole mess the other day, so sucked in to him. ScoMo has taken the glory! Something is seriously wrong with our political system and it needs to be fixed, but I don’t know how. 

Looking outside this morning, it doesn’t seem to have rained overnight, our verandah is dry. Knowing how quickly things can change though, we take our umbrellas with us to breakfast, and sure enough, we need them halfway over there. I knew we would because in much the same way as Cindy and Craig, and most of Hobart, look to Mt Wellington to see what weather is in store for the day, we have learned to look out to sea at the horizon. If we can see it, then we’re all good for a while. You can see the rain coming most of the time. 

Ben greets us with a cheery smile and even a hug today and escorts us straight to the adults only breakfast room, bringing the sign in ticket with her, and carrying our umbrellas. She’s been fantastic the whole time and we’ll miss her when we go home. We’ll miss them all and this place too, it’s been great and I think we’ll come back. I was a bit worried that it was too far from town, but for getting away from the rat race, this is ideal. Although the memory of the tsunami is always in the back of my mind. The JW Marriott was the Sofitel at the time of the tsunami and suffered the greatest loss of life of all the resorts in Khao Lak. I keep a watchful eye on the ocean whenever we’re in sight of it. There is a tsunami memorial and museum but I’m just not up to visiting either of them.

The rain has cleared again and the sun is beaming, the locals will be happy, they don’t like this ‘cold’ weather. Oh, and the cicadas are in full song. We have an exceptionally quiet day today, the people we have met while we’ve been here have all gone or are going today. The kiwis left early this morning and Kat and Phil are probably on their way to the airport by early afternoon. I am sitting at the Infinity Bar waiting for lunch to arrive, pondering this situation when I hear their voices, ‘see ya later!’ It’s as if they’ve read our minds! They were heading to reception from lunch at Pinky’s when they saw us and stopped to say goodbye again. It’ll be our turn soon enough………… 

I’m determined to read my book while we’re away, or at least make a good start on it, so when we get back to our room, I change into my swimmers, get out my book, and sit on the verandah. That way, when I get a bit too hot, I can just jump in the pool, then get out and keep reading. The ideal way to spend the afternoon. I didn’t go for a walk today so instead I walked in the pool outside our room. We guesstimate it’s about 50 metres from the dead end just up from our room to the first bridge. I lose count of how many laps I walk but it must have been at least 6, maybe 8. There’s a maintenance man replacing tiles on the bottom of the pool. Trevor saw some people doing an inspection this morning, they must have been identifying tiles that needed to be replaced due to cracks and sharp edges. Amazing watching him chip out the damaged tile, then glueing down the replacement. Goodness only knows what sort of adhesive it is that can be used underwater! 

preferred mode of transport

Happy Hour is on our own verandah with the drinks we bought from the shop when we arrived. Although we didn’t buy that many, we’ve been going out for Happy Hour, so haven’t drank them. Can’t leave them behind, so they must be consumed! 

It’s been a day for goodbyes. When we see Ben at dinner she tells us she is having 2 days off, tomorrow and Sunday, so we won’t see her again before we leave. I think she’s told the other girls to have a bit of fun with us tonight, or they’ve decided to of their own accord. Trevor has an umbrella for later, just in case, and when he asks if he can take it with him to the table because it’s not wet, the waitress says no. Then she laughs and says yes. Then she brings out a big bowl and holds it towards Trevor and asks if he has any money? No money, no honey, she says and we all fall about laughing, it’s such a surprise! Trevor has had ice cream for dessert at Sakura twice now, but tonight when it’s served, it’s a massive scoop, topped with whipped cream and a cherry! I say something like ‘wow, they’re spoiling you’ and the waitress bursts out laughing, apologises and scurries off! Hilarious! I reckon I hit the nail on the head.

We both have teppanyaki tonight. Trevor has the beef and I have the sea bass, which Kat says is caught by local fisherman off the coast here at Khao Lak. The Maitre D’ at Olive told her the other night when she ordered it and she said it was very good. I wanted to go back to Olive just so I could have it, but they’re having a Beach BBQ there tomorrow night. Maybe it’ll still be on the menu. We'll find out.

The teppanyaki chef is a real character and when he came over to talk to us, I noticed that his name is Banana. Many of the staff have strange anglicised names and curiosity gets the better of me, so I ask Ben about it. She says that the chef’s name is indeed Banana, because his Thai name actually means banana. Her name is the same in Thai as in English, and her nickname is Pick, like a guitar pick because her family are musicians. The names we have either seen for ourselves or have been told by Kat and Phil include Golf, Money, Gift, Apple, Pancake, Donut, Lala, Thip, Jam, Cat, Benz, Tory, Enjoy, Wat, Man, Oil, Yok, Nat and J. I'm sure there are more, I just can't think of them right now. 

The Bang Niang markets are on tomorrow. Must try and remember. It’s our last chance to go. Ben says the rain has gone now for a while, hopefully she’s right. And it looks as though the wine promo is finished too. Must be time to go home!

Ready, Steady, Cook!

Thursday 23^rd August 2018.

I don’t know how much more of this relaxation we can take!

We need to set an alarm today because Pam is picking us up at 9.30 to take us to a local market and then back to her restaurant for a cooking class. The foyer is jumping and the forecourt is jammed with vehicles. Many of the wedding guests are leaving today and also the ‘rainy day activity’ shuttle buses to Phuket depart at 9.30am, so it’s busy, busy. It would be interesting to know how many guests have taken advantage of the shuttle to Phuket.

Pam at the market

The local market, as always, is very interesting and I recognise many of the strange fruit and veg from other market tours we have done but there are always going to be something we haven’t seen and Pam is happy to explain what they are. She picks up a capsicum and says that here in Thailand they are expensive. I rummage through them and show her one with 3 bumps on the bottom and one with 4. I tell her the ones with 4 bumps are more sweet and she is surprised. She’s never heard that before. I don’t confess that I haven’t known for all that long either, only a couple of years. 

need eggs?

The fruit and veg all looks so vibrant and fresh, and then we get to the wet market……….. It’s not too bad though, not too smelly, again the seafood and meats must be pretty fresh. We see king prawns for under $10 AUD per kilo and wish we had a kitchen in our room! Our souvenir from the market? A packet of 10 plastic coated wire coathangers for 59 THB. They’re really strong and far more useful than a fridge magnet! We spend about ¾ hour there and then head back to her restaurant to start cooking. We’re going to make chicken satay skewers, larb, panaeng curry and pad thai. 

As we turn off the main road towards the Marriott and also her restaurant, there’s a big building that looks like more accommodation and I ask Pam if it’s another resort. We are surprised when she tells us the Marriott owns it and that it’s accommodation for staff.  There must be many employees who live too far away to travel in every day. 

Under Pam’s direction, we chop and slice, and cook up a storm, almost literally as thunder rolls around in the distance. 

The satay is a revelation, Pam marinates the meat in coconut milk, curry powder and her ‘secret ingredient’, a chicken salt type of product. The meat is left to marinate for the time it takes us to prep some other vegetables, then they go into a pan with more coconut milk, sealed with a tight fitting lid and simmered slowly until they’re cooked, about 15 minutes, being turned a few times. The smell is amazing and the result is the most moist and tasty chicken satay we’ve ever had. 

In the above pic, the satay is at the bottom, the pad Thai above right and the Panaeng curry to the left and Pam is serving out the larb. 

Even though there’s enough food for at least 4 people and there’s no way we can eat it all, Pam asks us if we'd like some steamed rice to go with it! The panaeng curry is also very tasty and has more veg in it than what we’re used to, it’s very good. Even though we ask for ‘no spicy’ the larb is a bit too much for Trevor and I’m not that keen although it’s not too hot for me. The Pad Thai is a surprise. It’s my least favourite dish of the 4 we’ve made. There’s nothing wrong with it, I think the others are just so good! 

the finished product

The rain eases and I ask Pam if we can look around her garden which was part of the plan but the rain was a problem. She loves her garden and is keen to show us but first we have to apply some mozzie repellent as there’ll be lots out there with this rain she tells us and she’s right, but in an interesting turn they go for Trevor and not me for a change! She has lots of fruit and veg growing but says she almost too busy now to look after it all. Also that in the dry season the garden struggles because of the sandy soil and lack of rain. She sometimes has to buy water in the dry! 

Her mother came to visit soon after Pam had set up her business and she cried. She was so disappointed that Pam had given up a career as an engineer in Bangkok to run a restaurant. But Pam said Bangkok was not good for her health and she needed a change, so started cooking. She didn't cook before she opened her restaurant! She thinks her mother is proud of her now and we agree that she must be.

Pam’s taxi driver takes us back to the Marriott and as much as I feel like collapsing onto the lounge and doing nothing, I get changed and go for another walk. Then I can relax! No massage today, I’m still sore from the massages of the last 2 days. I don’t know how anyone can handle one every day! I know the thought of it sounds good.

Happy Hour drinks with Kat and Phil as a farewell to them. We’ve all had such a great time here and it’s no wonder that this is the first place they’ve liked enough to come back to for a 2^nd stay. I think it will go on our list for a return visit. Knowing that they’re going home tomorrow brings the realisation that our holiday is not far from being over either. But we’ve still got some time off when we get home, so it’s not all bad.

Dinner tonight is at the Thai restaurant, Ta Krai. We booked it earlier in the week, before we knew we were doing the cooking class today and neither of us really feel like it. Kat tells us the spring rolls are really good and so is the coconut ice cream, so we go. It’s really good food, as expected, and the sticky rice with mango and coconut ice cream is fantastic. 

Flicking through the tv channels again tonight we discover what looks like a Bollywood movie, but it turns out to be an Indian version of MTV. Same, same but different to the Thai one we found. It’s called ZeeEtc. Another thing to try and find at home. Maybe via YouTube?

Didn’t bother with a swim today, even though the pool looked back to it’s former pristine self. And still haven’t started reading my book. Every spare minute has been used writing this blog. Not that I mind, because it certainly good to look back on and be reminded of our travels.

Who did a rain dance?

Wednesday 22^nd August 2018.

After the sunniest day of our trip so far yesterday, the rain has returned with a vengeance. It poured the whole time we were at breakfast and Ben shook her head when we questioned whether the sun would come out later. The roof of the Waterfront north wing leaked again in the same places as the other day, and a few more as well. Apart from the leaks, I can’t say I’m bothered by the rain. We haven’t seen much at home for such a long time, this is making me happy and we didn’t come here to lay on a beach in the sun anyway. Although I do hope to get out to the beach massage huts for a foot massage later today. And I’d really like to have a meal at Pinky’s too before we leave. I could easily come back here for some more relaxation! Even without the all-inclusive meals package that we’re on, you wouldn’t go hungry from what’s available nearby, and the prices for some of the meals here are fairly comparable to back home. We’ve had some good meals outside the resort.

I’m wearing my ‘honesty’ pants to dinner and I’m not sure if they’re getting the tiniest bit harder to do up. According to my fitbit, my steps have been down for the last 2 days, I think we’re settling in to lazy mode, so I’d better put on my joggers and go for a proper walk. I don’t know where the time is going, it seems we eat breakfast and before you know it, it’s lunch time, time for a swim and Happy Hour and then dinner! It’s hard work keeping up! Kat and Phil have decided against doing the cooking class on Thursday so I message Pam with what we’d like to make, so that’s all sorted. Might have to set an alarm tomorrow so we’re ready in time for a 9.30am pick up!

I thought I’d pop over to the massage hut on the beach before lunch or else I’ll never get there, expecting a foot massage to only take 30 minutes but it seems all the massages take an hour, so it’ll be a slightly late lunch. That’s ok. The 2 massage ‘therapists’ are both busy with clients but they ask me what I would like and if I can wait 10 minutes. Sure, I can wait 10 minutes. Take a seat kaa. Bang on 10 minutes, a motorbike arrives with my massage lady driving. Happy days, let’s begin. 

foot massage?

One hour for a foot massage for 300 baht sounds like I’ll be in heaven, but I got more than I bargained for! I had no idea that my feet went nearly all the way up to my crotch! There you go, learn something every day. And then to finish, there was the complimentary shoulder and scalp massage and a bit of arm pretzelling. A friend told me I should be having a massage every day. I don’t think I could!! And Trevor declines totally. After watching me get massaged, he tells them he thinks they would break him and I think they would too!! 

The Beach Bar is closed totally, not even open for drinks. We expected that we wouldn’t be able to get lunch there after Kat and Phil’s experience yesterday so we go to the Infinity bar to eat. Kat and Phil have just finished their’s so we sit with them and have a chat while we wait for our lunch to arrive. I finally get my banana colada and it’s not bad although I think I prefer the Pina. They remind us that the Bang Niang markets are on today and I remember saying that we might go, but I don’t know if we will. The weather is not the best and we still have one more chance to go while we’re here. They’re going to Olive for dinner and so are we, but I said we booked our table days ago, we’re not stalking them or anything creepy. Kat said, that’s ok, we’re stalking you! Ha ha! They couldn’t get a table at 7pm so have had to settle for 7.30. They head off to the beach for a massage and I felt like saying good luck but instead I say ‘enjoy’.    

so tiny!

The rain has eased up but the clouds still threaten so it might be a good chance to go back the the Quan Spa courtyard and take some more frog photos. I don’t think what I took on my phone turned out too well. No frog sex today though, thankfully. The rain must have put a damper on them. Just enough time to squeeze in a bit of blogging before swimming to happy hour. Good motivation!

The phone in our room rings. ??  It’s Phil. He wants to know if we want to share a taxi to the Bang Niang markets with them. It’s their last chance to see them before they leave, and regardless of the threatening skies they’re determined to go. I had planned to go today, but being a fair weather friend, and because I also forgot and settled into relax mode today, I’m not keen. The sky looks nasty. Thanks anyway guys, we’ll pass. 

It starts to rain but I figure if I’m going for a swim I’m going to get wet anyway. I didn’t take into account the amount of splash each raindrop causes and the heavier it rains, the bigger the splash. As I set off, even I question the sense of my decision but not being one to admit defeat so easily, I press on. Trevor has arranged to meet me at the Infinity Bar with a towel but I only get as far as the Reception area (about halfway of the planned swim) before my eyes sting so much I can hardly see and take refuge under a bridge to wait for the rain to ease. It doesn’t. Time to give up, get out of the pool and walk to the bar in the rain. The swim up bar is under cover, so at least I can wait for Trevor out of the rain.

There’s a group of 4 young women sitting in the bar who we’ve seen around, mostly at breakfast. Apparently the stupidity of swimming to the bar in the rain has garnered me ‘legend’ status and they cheer when I tell them the story. Trevor is waiting with a towel and umbrella. The traditional, complimentary bar snack is a small bowl of spicy peanuts and a bowl of in-house made banana chips. One of the barmen told us they kitchen thinly slice small green bananas and deep fry the slices. They’re delicious and yet another thing I’ll have to try and replicate when we get home.

On the way to dinner we notice that there's a lot of silt in the pool, you can't even see the bottom. The rain has been heavier today than any other day so far and has caused a lot of runoff. I wouldn't have thought it would go into the pool. The filters will be working overtime to clear it up for tomorrow.

Dinner at Olive looks to be a bit more upmarket than any of the resort’s restaurants, they actually have white tablecloths and dim lighting. Mr and Mrs Grumpy-Bum are seated next to us and Mr GB immediately starts to complain that he can’t see the menu, there’s not enough light. Well, why did you agree to be seated at that table when there are others with better lighting? It’s going to be a tedious dinner although Trevor isn’t bothered, he can’t hear them! 

For entrée, we both order the gamberi all aglio, which is just ok, the prawns taste like they’ve been frozen which is a shame and doesn’t bode well for the rest of the meal. Fortunately, my Rolle di Pollo is a taste sensation and Trevor’s Saltimbocca is very tender and tasty. Maybe we’ll come back here again after all. Trevor has ordered the apple struedel for dessert which arrives looking like something else, not sure what, but he says it’s nice. My crème brulee is massive! It’s in a cereal bowl!! I can only eat half! Kat and Phil arrive about 8pm, they’ve had fun at the markets and we agree to meet at Happy Hour for a farewell drink tomorrow as it’s their last night. Trevor and I have only had a look at the Czar Bar, haven’t had a drink there so we decide to go home that way and have a nightcap but by the time we get there, we realise that we don’t actually want one so continue on home. Another big day.