:SEA The World: Thailand

SEA of LOVE

PART II

I've been planning a Sea of Love Part II for some time.. but for one reason or another it just hasn't eventuated... In fact I think most of my Part II's have not eventuated... I wonder if it is as I use my favourite images in the Part I or that somehow the enthusiasm gets lost after the first attempt.. I read somewhere once that you should never verbalize what you intend to create as it takes the momentum out of the doing so.. as if all one's creative energy is lost in the telling.. Well not sure about that however I do seem to have had a mental block with this Part II.. Partly due to indecision what to write about.. I always have a few mishaps during my travels.. Which are annoying at the time.. but make for interesting stories back home.. So today I think I'll tell you about my fews crazy hours at Bangkok airport .. waiting to return home..

JUST ANOTHER DAY AT THE AIRPORT

We'd just flown in from Phuket and were making our way to the International flight to Sydney.. Now when I say 'We' I mean 'Me' and other passengers who just happened to be on the same flight.. In the slow slow line waiting to be checked by customs, I struck up a conversation with another aussie... When it was his turn to be checked the customs officer got into a bit of a flap as I went through separately... 'Your Wife' .. 'Your Wife' they kept yelling.. 'Your Wife .. Come Back' !!! Thankfully the guy explained he didn't know me.. and I was let go.. phew.. wonder what he did to cause such ruckus!!

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Well the shoe was on the other foot a little bit later... You see in my boredom of the two hour wait.. I had found myself at an Oxygen Massage Bar.. Ever experienced one of these?? Well it is a seated neck and shoulder thai massage.. but.. with pure oxygen pumped through your nasal cavity during the process.. Well!!! I was off like a kite !!! Felt like I was deliriously drunk.. Skipping [I mean walking] around the airport smiling and giggling to myself.. and yes that was getting me a bit of attention.. At some point I ran into that aussie guy from customs.. attempted to find out what all the hoo ha was about.. but in my oxygen altered state he was pretty keen to steer clear of me.. haha I don't blame him ... Bangkok airport really is somewhere one should at least try and act normal.

SMUGGLING CONTRABAND

Not long after it was time to go through yet another check point before boarding the flight to Sydney .. This time they were checking passengers with one of those electronic monitoring wand thingies ... The official asked me to stand on a box so she could scan me for anything naughty .. I did .. Next minute in front of anyone who happened to be watching.. [just a few hundred people].. She grabs me on the stomach,... shakes it around a bit and asks in a thunderous voice .. "WHAT IS THIS?' .. Uhhhmm .. I reply just as thunderously.. "MY FAT'!! hahahaha.. .It took giving her a visual of said fat to satisfy her I was not smuggling anything onboard... Once again.. in front of anyone who cared to be watching!!! I'd like to say people weren't snickering during the nine hour flight home!! hahaha Happily I made it home safely... with a slight oxygen hangover.. The moral: Beware of Oxygen Bars and Flaunting Your Fat.

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[For more Phuket shots .. click here]

So I am a little behind in visiting and emails.. I've been feeling a bit fluey.. Nothing a bit of oxygen wouldn't fix.. And last night we had a huge electrical storm... It knocked out 'MAC in the box' once and I wasn't game to try for a second time.. Apparently we are under threat of severe storm warnings for tonight also!!! Crazy spring weather..

'Have A Fabulous Week Everyone'

IMAGE SOURCE:

Text, Photography & Altered Image Artwork by Being Ruby©

Location: Phuket: 'Palm Trees': View from Evason Resort & Spa

'Others': Day trip on Pang Nga Bay

If It's Tuesday: Portofino

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If it's Tuesday ... This must be ... Portofino

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Playground to the rich, the famous .. and .. in 1996.. Me!! Well at least for a day trip or two!! After a long long overnight train trip from France, hungry and tired, I arrived in Santa Margherita in the wee hours of the morning. Little did I know it was a public holiday weekend [Ferragosto - Assumption Day] and that every Italian in the region had flocked to Liguria for their vacation..

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Trudging along baggage in tow we systematically went into each hotel in the area trying to find a room... only to be told there were none available. Finally we came upon what seemed like our last chance.. a beautiful old villa, partially restored to it's former beauty with large formal guest areas and a beautifully shaded garden out the back. A well groomed gentleman was carefully sweeping the entry as we showed up, dishevelled from the trip, dressed in denim cutoffs and looking like.. well typical Australian tourists... my friend pounced on the guy and asked in her loudest English if he had a room available... The answer in Italian, accompanied by firm waving of the hands in the direction of the gate.. was quite firmly NO.. no rooms were available.. So then.. in her LOUDEST voice possible.. my friend asked again!!! Why do people do that? Speaking louder is not going to improve the situation.. As you would expect he ignored us and walked away.

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Out of pure desperation and sudden urge for breakfast, I went back in alone and requested in my politest broken Italian ... 'Mi scusi .. Ho bisogno di una camera per due ... per favore?' Amazingly... he replied in perfect English... "Oh yes we may have a room available later in the day.. you are welcome to rest in the garden until it is available'... Bingo!! ha ha ha... Moral to this story.. always try to speak a few words in the native language... it's called 'respect'. Would you want someone screaming at you in a foreign language?

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I had a similar experience a few days later when we went separate ways for the day. I had tried to buy something from the chemist [hairspray] but had trouble remembering the word for hair ['capelli']. Somehow I confused it with the word for Horse! ['cavallo']. So there I was pointing to my ponytail and saying Horse Horse... whilst making hairspray noises.. 'psssshhhh'... 'pssshhhh' .. These two little old ladies were buckled over in fits of laughter.. They sat me down, made me a cup of coffee and proceeded to explain the difference. It was a good day!!! I got my hairspray... I got coffee and I entertained the locals. Getting back to the hotel later we compared stories... My friend has apparently had the worst day, two rude ladies in the [only] chemist in town had not been very helpful!! Case in point!

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So .. how does Portofino come into this. Apparently, the famous Portofino was only a boat ride away. Somehow I overlooked this fact in the Lonely Planet guide, so lucky for me we met some nice Italians boys that were more than willing to show us around! Sadly I don't have any photos of the gorgeous hotel where we stayed, but I did manage a few of the famous Portofino. My only regret of this particular stay, was bowing to pressure and missing Cinque Terre. Oh well.. a good excuse to go back I say!

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So.. it's been a while since I've posted 'If It's Tuesday'. I will try to get back into the habit. Even if it's Wednesday or Thursday.. after all ... What's the point of having a blog if you don't use poetic license?

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Now I know a few of you had the chance to meet the lovely Meredith in my last post. But seeing I was anxious to get my 'Tuesday' post up 'on a Tuesday' .. some of you may have missed out. If like me, you enjoy your life in FULL colour!! [well I do like white also!!] pop over to Meredith's - Count It All Joy blog for a fabulous drool worthy post on her famous Rainbow Cake [here]..

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IMAGE SOURCE: ALL Text, Photography and photo editing by me - [Being Ruby]

Boxing Day Tsunami - 2004

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In Memory of the Boxing Day Tsunami 2004

And those who lost their lives or loved ones

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Rest In Peace those souls lost to the sea 

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Life Returns

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IMAGE: Taken in Phuket 2005 [Being Ruby]

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