15th January - Phuket - Boat Lagoon marina

Wednesday 15^th January

Snapshot: I am sitting in a peaceful little patisserie called Ugolini, right near 2XS on its muddy pontoon.  Trying to get into the internet…the neverending battle!  There is also free WiFi at the marina office but this involves sitting on a rickety wooden bench half in sun, half in shade, with the world’s largest generator thrumming in my ear.  It scrambled my brain so I moved, bought a cup of peppermint tea at the patisserie, and this is…Take #2!

A big fat pink Phuket flower

It seemed to take a very long time for James, Bron and me to get from Hobart (departure time 7.45am) to Phuket (arrival time 2.45am Australian time…)

Many many queues, many forms to fill in.  I got sent to the back of ne of the queues in disgrace because I hadn’t filled out a departure form for a very officious pedantic official.  I tried to say I didn’t have a departure time or plane ticket because I would be on a BOAT but he tore up my form and waved it at me, shouting, GO BACK!  So I filled in my new form with a cryptic SV2XS in the appropriate box and got back in the queue where I found a younger less pedantic person who just rubber stamped it all and waved me through cheerfully.

Fabulous Phuket palm

As we approached the Customs area Bron and I rather anxiously debated whether or not I needed to declare my caseful of ham and bacon.  Maybe just ignore the whole thing, we decided.  But when we got to the Customs counter, the officials had all gone home to Sleepyboboland so we just sauntered through.

More palms - couldn't resist!

Pete was happy to see us and the ham, although he was mildly startled that it was so very LARGE.  (It was the only one left in captivity, so there was no choice.)

On one side of 2XS is a salubrious hotel.

 Next to us are fancy boats. 

 And just beyond us is a rickety muddy jetty…

 Bron has been admiring the bougainvillea.

James has been creating an agenda.

 Pete has been reunited with his brand new Tilley Hat (but is yet to wear it.)

The new (L) and the old (R)

(There won’t be any photos of me if I can help in, for the foreseeable future, because…my hair is FAR TOO SHORT.  Another communication breakdown in a salon…)

A bit of pool time in the enormous hotel pool: