Phuket:

A day that started at 3:45am Dec. 26th with a limo ride to YYZ in Toronto ends here. 10:42PM Friday December 27th Phuket Thailand. In that almost 36 hr period I met some very nice people and took a golf cart ride through an airport for the first time in my life. I felt so special.

Let me introduce you to my seat mates on the longest flight I have ever taken. JFK to DOHA.

They are Jannath Ahmed and Raghava Kalyan. 

Jannath is a former English teacher to elementary and high school kids in New York. She now fills her time volunteering teaching kids and handles marketing for a finance company called Equity Zen. Jan is heading to Bali for 6 days. That’s right 6 days. A long way to go for such a short period of time. Something she neglected to tell her mother and feels incredibly guilty about, even though she’s in her mid 30’s and living her own life. I thought I had a long flight after landing in DOHAR. Jann had another 12 hours to get to Bali. Mine was 6 to get to Phuket. 

Raghava is a foreign student studying in Jersey. His goal is his masters in computer science and then get involved in a start up company. He hasn’t been home for over a year and half and misses home cooked meals the most while in Jersey. Jann mentioned that there is a group of “brown women” that have an app and will deliver home cooked Indian food in the NY/NJ area. Ragh’s mom is whipping up all his favourite dishes. His flight home from DOHAR was only 3 hours. It was the best way to spend a 12 hour flight, talking to people the same ages as my kids. 

Our flight from JFK to DOHAR was late leaving and subsequently late arriving which put a few of us behind the eight ball to catch our connecting flights. Originally we were supposed to land 06:30 which would have been fine because my flight and Jann’s flight were boarding at 07:30 . Well because of the delay a few were panicking but QATAR had agents waiting at our gate in golf carts to get people to their next flights. But the agent I approached to find out where my gate was told me it was a 15 minute walk. Luckily I had come across Joel from Whitby, of all places. Joel is a retired Whitby fire fighter and is a returning guest to Phuket. His third trip.  Joel was the smart one to say to the agent “well can you give us a ride?” Travel hint: always ask for a golf carts ride! 

15 minutes my ass! It took almost 15 minutes in the golf cart to get to the gate.  DOHAR’s airport is the largest and most glamorous airport I have ever seen. There are two car dealerships in the thing. Who would buy a car when you’re flying somewhere?? If I ever or I should say when I ever fly through there again I might stay a day or two. 

There will be no selfie of my seat mates from DOHAR to Phuket. An Albanian couple, he took the window she had the isle. They said not a word to each other for the 6hr ride. He was so big he took up 1/3 of my space. When he was trying to sleep he was flipping and flopping in the seat. They were not as nice as Jann and Raghava. 

Because I was late boarding I was in a curfuffle. I finally got situed and basically dozed in and out for the 6hr flight. I tried watching the “Fall Guy” but dozed off. I politely declined the food that was offered. I felt four airplane meals in 36 hrs was cutting it a little too close to salmonella. When we landed in Phuket my passport was missing. Great! I tore apart my backpack two or three times. I rechecked the over head bin. Nothing. I almost accused the Albanians. That would have been awful. On my second check of the bin I found it. It had slid under the luggage that was sharing the bin. Heart rate returned to normal. 

A 45 minute line up through customs, a 30 minute wait for a 45 minute cab ride and I am here in the hotel only to find, while unpacking, that my shampoo bottle top dislodged and shampoo is everywhere. Even in my iPad. I hope I got it all cleaned. 

I have made Chalong Bay and will now relax and sightsee around Phuket until New Year’s Day when I meet up with the crew on Imagination.

Happy New Year everyone and thanks so much for the comments in FB.