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.