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!