Another warm sunny day in Phuket, as usual it will get hotter and steamier as the day goes on. Forecast is Max 29deg C Min 28deg C 90% chance of 5-10ml rain = Normal for this time of the year. It’s cooler and dryer in December, their winter,  but it’s never ever cold.

The pool is the best spot in town, the water is cooler than the surf down at the beach so 2 deck chairs under the frangiapani tree is ideal. I burn a few chapters of “Portrait of an Unknown Woman” by Daniel Silva, here’s a bloke who can craft a thriller novel around the world and politics of the day.

A massage at “Original Massage” near Sweet then a watermelon shake and chicken noodle soup dish at Sweet for lunch. Shame I overcooked the chili powder when I sprinkled it, my tongue and lips are dancing the chilli jig and the watermelon shake is a godsend cooling my mouth down. Then back to the pool, a final look at the ceramic shop, then the final pack. Not sure if my bag will be over the 20kg allowance. Dale reckons he’s a chance of being pinged for importing commercial quantities of Drongo aka Poo pants, he sure does have a few in his bag, along with a huge bell hes carted atound Thailand and Laos. He went and bought a supplementary backpack for 500 baht ($20) last night to make sure he had enough space for all his stuff. We’ll see?

5.30 Oz is due to pick us up.

Oz arrives at 5.30, spot on, we’re in jeans and long sleeve shirts ready for a home winters day, but the sweat is pouring off us, until Oz’s air con stems the sweat flow. It takes an hour to get to the International airport,  travelling up the coast road to get to the airport, by then my brow is dry. Oz charges 1000 baht for the trip.

Inside the airport  we go straight to the Jetstar Checkin and wait about 15 minutes before we get to a desk. My bag weighs 19kg and TMM’s is 20.8kg, a bag full of bells and Poo Pants, what a man! Anyway I win the checkin weight competition!

Our flight is delayed from 10.20 to 10.50pm, an iced cappuccino for me and a coke and a cappuccino for Dale – he probably won’t sleep on the plane.

I’m calling it a day from Phuket International Airport, the next blog will be a wrap on the trip. Thanks to those of you that followed and put up with my rambling mix of non fiction and fictional travel adventure around Thailand, down the northern Mekong in a boat into Laos and then overland through Laos with The Maintenance Man ( I’m sure you’ll remember him). He steadied the ship when I was confused and lost ( that never happened), he developed into a shopper that his Aunty would be proud of, some more training and he’ll be world class especially in women’s and girls clothes and jewellery.

Ciao from Phuket – Pauolo

At the airport, waiting waiting