My overnight train from Cornwall to London is 2 hours late arriving at Truro station. I’m waiting at the platform with Abby, in the freezing cold, thinking that the train won’t arrive, and I won’t make my flight. But, finally the train does arrive. I have a good nights sleep in the train, and after breakfast catch the Heathrow Express to the airport.
I check-in and start a long series of flights. I am flying with Jet Airways, an Indian company that I had read mixed reports about. However their planes and service are good. The first leg is to Mumbai, one of my favourite cities, and one which has suffered terrible recently.
London is covered with snow as we take off.
Changing planes at Mumbai airport turns into a small adventure. We all go through security again. Some people get annoyed that it is taking so long. Whilst we cue, airport staff members are walking through the metal detectors, coming the other way, and setting them off. Having spent time in India, I understand this to be typically India.
Eventually we make it to our next plane. The overnight leg to Bangkok. All goes smoothly and I feel good, although tired, as we land at Bangkok’s distinctive airport at dawn. I love being away at dawn (when it’s warm and sunny). It’s funny to think that this airport saw so much grief recently. I get my bags, pass through customs (getting my 2 month stamp) and wait outside to take in the air and enjoy a cigarette.
I re-enter the airport, making my way to departures upstairs. I take off my shoes and leave them by a bin. A Chinese man, who now lives in Malaysia, says “they are nice shoes, you should keep them.” I explain I am hot and I will not need them. I barely wore them at all during my last 7 month stay in Asia, and I don’t intend for them to take up space in my backpack this time.
I check in for my Air Asia flight to Surat Thani. I kill time with a coffee and making use of the Edge network in the airport to check my emails.
The flight to Surat Thani offers some great views of the Gulf of Thailand.
Surat Thani airport is interesting. A fairly large runway, with the surrounding area fairly overgrown, with a small terminal at one end.
Like all good tourist connections in Thailand there is a bus waiting to meet us from the plane, and takes us straight to the ferry terminals. I elect for Ko Samui, rather than Ko Phangnan, as I have not been to Samui.
I chat to a guy from London called Ben. He comes here a lot, and only managed to stay at home for a few months before wanting to leave to come back to Thailand..
The ferry makes it way out into the Gulf of Thailand. It’s a beautiful part of the world. The ferry docks and Ben and I jump in a pickup heading towards Lamai beach. I check into the same place as Ben, where we has stayed before. It’s a good place, run by nice people.
I’m exhausted and managed to sleep easily.