Some random thoughts... and also some pics from my recent trip

Well today I'm sitting in Anja's lounge room watching CNN and just relaxing after a great 10 hours of much needed sleep... hopefully there will be another 10 hours tommorow but I doubt it!

My brain is a bit of a mis mash at the moment so I thought that there is no reason why my blog can't be.... So here are a few random ramblings...

The above photo is of a supermarket that I went to on a regular basis while in Phuket... right behind me is a road and then Patong Beach. After shoping a few times at the shop I was told that there were a lot of people that died in there during the tsunami. Unfortunately people went in looking for shelter but with only two ways out, both blocked my water most of them died and it took days to recover them. I do remember a story about it on TV going back. I didn't ask any more details about it ie how many died etc... but on my next visit I could only just imagine what it would have been like... Its one thing that really affects you when you just sit back and think of how the tsunami affected this community.

I don't know why but I only found out about this market in the above pic a few days before I left Phuket... and it was right outside my hotels driveway on the opposite side of the road! You can buy all sorts in this market... from bags to shoes, t-shirts to shorts, suits and internet time or just good old food!

I went into this market the night before I left and with the help of Jacinta was able to barter down a store owner to 500baht for 3 surf t-shirts... thats about $16 - $17 aussie in total for 3 t-shirts. I later felt bad as she seemed upset at the price but looked like she needed the sale (her shopfront was right at the back where not as many people would walk past) so I went back later that night to gave her another 100baht. For me that was just a few dollars... but for her it was a lot more and the smile on her face was worth it... It took her a little while though to realise why I was giving it back to her.

For me the reality was that the T-Shirts were really good quality with good printing (I work in the clothing industry so I checked them out) and in Australia I would have paid around $40 for just one top (which probably came from the same place!)... I really felt for her and some of the other stall owners and what they would have struggled with over the years with the bomb threats back in 2000, the bird flu outbreaks, the SARS thing and of course the tsunami. Thai's don't get much in the way of social security... so they have to work hard or go without so any slight problem affecting tourism hits hard.

I went back to the store the next day a hour before I left for the airport to get one more t-shirt (I had realised that I posted back more t-shirts than I should have back to Oz and would be short of a weeks worth ie 7). It was the same lady there at the shop and she was just opening up (it was 11am). I asked her what hours did she work... she replied from 11am till 10pm every day of the week. Here I am making comments when I work 60hours a week on the odd occassion... she is working 77 per week, week in week out just to live. I paid a little more (although still cheap) for that t-shirt and with a big smile on her face she waved the money over her stall "for good luck for the rest of the day".

I've said it many times already but I really like the thai's (well the ones in phuket... I'm not sure about the rest of Thailand). I tent to try and have a smile on my face as often as I can... its something they seem to do as well. The ones I met and talked to through out my stay were all interesting and lovely people and I will miss them (and of course the lovely weather and beaches!)

Goodbye Thailand... hello Europe

Now to change pace of this blog a bit above is a picture of Phuket Airports departures area.... it was sad to see it... but good too as it was time to move onto my next adventure. I was able to get on an earlier flight than I had booked so it should have only been 10min waiting time then I was to be off... but the plane was 30min late... I had a great seat... no seats in front of me so I was able to streach out for the 70min flight.

Bangkoks departure hall was quite a lot bigger... and what you see above is only 1/3 of it! Because I arrived 5 hours before my flight was to leave I was able to get another good seat (or at least at the time I though it was). I walked around the airport for a while and then jumped online (and posted the earlier blog) and chatted to some friends on the internet. Waiting in the airport when you can't see the planes can be a little boring.

After a delay in getting going we finaly left.... again there were no seats in front of me but the vacant area later turned out to be a kids playing area. The row in front of me was filled with a mother and her 4 kids traveling back home to Finland. She did a great job in looking after them but kids will be kids... I tried to sleep with my headphones on but I kept on getting my legs bumped by the kids and one time by the food cart.

After I don't know how many hours of being on the go I was in Finland for a while... and rather than sit in the airport I jumped on the bus and went into Helsinki for a few hours. I walked around the streets not really knowing what I as looking at... but if it looked imprssive like the building below I took a picture!

I'm sure there is some story to this building.... and maybe one day I will find out. I was really tired but just wanted to streach my legs.

I had to laugh when I came across this place.... an Aussie bar in Helsinki! It was closed so I didn't get to see how real it was but still... it was a bit of a surprise!

After walking the streets of Helsinki for a few hours I went back to the airport and paid $12.00 (Ausralian) for a shower... now I know that is expensive but when you have been traveling for so long and you smell so bad a 30min shower is worth anything. After feeling much better I went through the security screenings and found an internet cafe. For those that I talked to and said I was sitting in an egg... this is the egg... it was so comfortable and if it wasn't for the fact I had limited time purchased I could have fallen asleep.

I had yet another great seat (that stayed a great seat) for my trip to Berlin, back in 1999 when I traveled to Berlin via london I had a business class seat in economy (basically all the room, but cheap food) it was great... well it happened again, the trip from Helsinki to Berlin was in a Business class seat in the economy section. It was so comfortable compared to the previous few seats (a bit wider). As always the views up there were amazing as you can see below.

Its now nearly 4pm here so I'm going to have a bit of a snooze before we head out to a party.

Take Care everyone...