We were up at 4 a.m. and out of the house by 5:30 to catch the 8:30 flight from Pusan to Bangkok. It was a cold rainy morning and we were running behind when one of the kids came in and said they lost the house keys while putting their suitcase in the car. Bob grabbed the flash light and after 20 minutes found the keys in the storm drain beside the car. Bob cleaned up and we finished loading in total silence. Not the best start but thankfully a minor bump along the way.
Despite terrible weather we arrived at Gimhae International Airport on time and our mood was immediately lightened when we walked in to find a mini-Sacheon reunion. Everytime we travel in Korea we run into friends at the airport. The Neaves, Casolaro's, Nobili's, Ms. Gottsacker and one of the other french families were traveling as well. All except a couple of families were on the same flight to Thailand.
The queue at Pusan was long and became extremely frustrating when a tour group of Korean ladies came in. I don't know if I've ever mentioned it but Koreans like to dress alike. So, I'm standing in line talking with my husband when I'm suddenly pushed aside by a stampede of women in pink sun visors and jackets. I'm not new here but I'm still shocked by the rudeness. I stood there trying to figure out if a new line formed because it's really unthinkable that they don't respect the queue. I heard a flutter of chat behind me and saw more pink heading my way. I immediately widened my stance and put my elbows out. (Remember when Ally McBeal would see herself shrinking -- I'm imagining myself growing into an intimidating giant) We stood there in a standoff that seemed to last forever when I realize I'm on the verge of queue rage and decide it's just not worth in. I gave and they moved in!
We finally received our tickets and moved on to the gate . It was nice to have company because the flight was delayed 4 times. Bob, Matt and Mr. Casolaro made bets about what time we would actually board while Lauren played happily with Nicolae and Damien.
We finally boarded at 12:30 knowing we would miss our connecting flight to Phuket but happy to be on our way. The flight was great. Thai Airlines is now at the top of our list when it comes to service. We originally had a 6 hour layover in Bangkok but I complained about the long wait so Bob contacted the travel agency and booked an earlier flight. Due to the delays we arrived in Phuket an hour later than than the original flight we booked. Bob was a really nice husband and didn't give me a hard time!!!
I presumed that traveling in Thailand would be very similar to Korea. It is surprisingly more International. I encountered a much better understanding of the English language. The products available were more diverse and I ft like I was back in the land of choices!! Morgan and I did encountered the same size problems when shopping for clothes. However, in Thailand you can have custom clothes fitted and made in a couple of days at very affordable prices. I didn't take the time to do this but I have friends that do.
Ahh, Phuket! The opportunity to travel has been the best part of taking this international assignment. We loved the island, the mood, the people, our hotel. It was such a positive experience that we're all ready to go back. We stayed at the Laguna Beach Resort on Bang Tao Beach. The Hotel is located between a tropical lagoon and the Andaman Sea. The Hotel has an elephant named Anna that they bring out every morning and afternoon.
These photos were taken on our trip to Phi Phi (pronounced Pee Pee) Maya Beach (where the movie "The Beach" was filmed) Monkey and Raya and Phi Ley Beaches. This was such an amazing day. We snorkeled in 4 different locations and the guide treated our family to a shark reef snorkel.
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