What a treat this has been, from Jhb to Dubai in Emirates Business class lounge where we bumped into Vincenzio, Penny and kids on their way to Dubai. Started our journey with a chauffeured pick up from home to OR Tambo airport, what a blessing not having to drive in that pouring rain. After a few glasses of Moet champagne, a light snack we took our seats in Business class not having turned left but the first seats having turned right, rows 8A&B. My first Business Class experience was introduced with another glass of Moet champagne...how much better could it get? Well, having a seat that turns into a bed sure does it for me, as well as a T V that was larger than my laptop screen and a meal to die for...I did not make dessert and was asleep in a flash. Jim got as far as the duck confit and he was gone for the night. Did manage to watch one movie..."Tracks" the story of Robyn Richardson who walked across the Australian Outback with three Ferrell Camels, and calf and her dog. Who would have thought that Australia has the largest population of Ferrell Camels in the world...even more than Arabia!!
A good solid 4 hours sleep made for a fresh and bouncy arrival in Dubai with a hour and a half cross over to the next Emirates flight to Bangkok.on the 380 Airbus again a Business class seat. The seats were less attractive than the previous flight
...individual cubicles, but real comfy bed and the highlight....the pub in the back of the plane upstairs! Our very own party (air) bus!
Pre drinks in the pub, then managed to finish a very pleasant meal washed down again with Moet!! Could honestly get quite use to this😆
Jim had mentioned that he would sleep the first legg of our journey then party the second, which is exactly what he did. During our pre drinks we met a Canadian executive life coach, married to a Danish guy who she met in Africa and both now living in Monaco. How about that for international relations? During lunch I managed to watch another great movie.."Hector...Searching for Happiness.another must and feel good movie...it was all beginning to feel like many good and positive signs. That it was until I found Jim in the "party bus" looking rather bleary eyed and hardly standing. If anyone had found happiness...it certainly was Jim 😱!!
Needless to say that the walk off the plane, through customs and finding a taxi was rather challenging. Even tying shoe laces was quite entertaining!!!
Saw a huge improvement at Bangkok airport and all ran very smoothly until the Emirates pick up was not there to meet us. By now Jim had invaded a few peoples spaces including the two Frenchmen in the taxi queue in front of us. After telling them that I was trying to jump the queue, I had to salvage myself and tell them that I am the wife and they must please just ignore him. We got chatting and they we both from the Swiss border returning with their Thai wives to visit the family. Interesting to know that in France any immigrant has to learn French and these two ladies could barely speak the language after having been there for two years. Always said that French was not for sissies!
Got a taxi to Sukumvit, but our driver seemed a little confused and brought us to the wrong hotel...should have realised when I did not recognize a single thing and Jim was not helping by chirping all the way. He brought us the Millennium Hylton instead of the Grand Millennium...for those that ever need to know, there are two "Millennium" hotels in that area. After a quick fresh up we were out onto Soi 4 and the famous Chequers bar...thank you Des Kimmet for the intro there from our last triip to Bangkok in 2013...we did make it back. Met some of Des's friends including Keith the truck driver from Scotland and the German beer maker from Berlin and an Aussie and American chick...and loads more who I don't remember their names (hic...hic).Got to bed at 2.45am!!! Well no need to ever mention how we felt the next morning but somehow managed to get up in time to catch out flight to Hanoi, Vietnam, where we are now.
