Off To Soi Post Office,

I have to buy my ticket to the UK,

and who should I bump into there? none other than Don with his ever so friendly parrot, if you live in Pattaya you will at some time see Don on his motorbike with his parrot perched on the back of it, it is in fact a Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao), well back to buying the ticket, as usual I pay for my ticket every year with my Barclaycard, but this year it was refused, call bank in UK (read somewhere in India), as using my mobile was so expensive I used a local pay phone, went through the security checks, no problem try again, still refused, phone back to the UK (India), talked to another operative then a supervisor, it appears that a new card had been sent to my UK address automatically canceling my old one, many years ago I asked for my card to be sent here but 'security issues' were sighted as to why it could not be sent to Thailand, so I have a card here which does not expire till 06, remember we are now still in 04, but is now canceled whilst my new card is in the UK,

the strange thing is that my old card was valid for 4 years as I guess my new card is, but despite this the one transaction for my ticket home was denied, now I am stuck, I have enough money to live out here as I budget this every year, but Barclaycard have really dropped me in it this year! the other downside is that presents I want to preorder for Diana that will be there when I arrive I can not preorder, also any bits and pieces I want for my railway and of course DVD's, I will have to take a chance that the shops will have all that I want in stock as I am only going to the UK for 8 days or so,

but on a happier note I looked on the Internet to get an idea of prices, Champion travel were only 1,000 baht more expensive than the cheapest on the net so I went there, (I could not buy it on the Internet even if I wanted to, see above!),

if you want to find it this is the view looking towards Beach Road,

the shop itself,

and looking towards Second Road,

then a voice from the past called, it was none other than Harry Baxter, many years ago he along with Steve, Duncan and myself would holiday out here, drinking numerous 'sets' of a half bottle of Mekong with 2 bottles of coke,

whilst have a drink with him opposite his hotel the Flipper I noticed this tuk-tuk food stall, I had not seen one of these before, normally all of the mobile food stalls are hand pushed,

'Cheers!' from us,

back home for a shower then back out to have an evening meal with Harry,

where else than the Bier Kitchen?

steak and chips for Harry, chicken curry for me,

then a quick look around town, first upstairs for the Peppermint, 59 baht for a vodka soda, so a couple there,

a few in Sweethearts,

as we passed Lady's Shadow we were given this flyer,

and on the other side of it, I have never been there so I have no idea of what it is like,

then for old times sake a few on the carousal, behind us is the Diamond Beach hotel where we all used to stay, we had such a chat about old times, so it was 'Cheers!' to Steve, Duncan and of course Ian, how could we forget him?

then who should arrive? none other than Mr. Tony, so again a few drinks, just out of interest the last time we were here the 'sets' of Mekong and coke were 185 baht, now 400 baht, times have changed! we had a nightcap in Champions then it was time to head home,

as I arrived home the air was yet again filled with the fragrance of Jasmine, then it was time for bed.