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So, my Thailand trip started with a wonderful flight up from Christchurch to Auckland.. The view out over Taranki (Mt. Egmont) was incredible..

My checkin guy had been really great – giving me a window seat on that flight, and then the isle for the long(ish) haul flight to Singapore.

Now that *was* a fun trip.. I was seated beside a beautifully dressed Indian lady. I think belching might be a sign of good manners over there. Will have to see when I get there. I was quite unimpressed with their choice of films… Wimbeldon I’d seen before (not an incredibly terrible film, but still) the others were ‘Princess Diaries 2’ – about a girl who ascends to the throne, and then suddenly has to choose a husband. The other was arguably worse, being Cellular. How that film got 6.5 on imdb I’ll never know – the plot being Kim Basinger is kidnapped, picks up a phone and randomly dials a number and gets the guy who pics it up to somehow turn into a super hero and risk all to save this total stranger (including getting shot at quite a lot).

Me, being far too cool to watch those films, settled to listening to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix read by Stephen Fry. A far better way to spend the hours.

Soon enough it was into Singapore Aiport. Definitely a good airport to have to spend a few hours in – free internet, films and Glynn tells me there’s a free swimming pool somewhere too. Guess I’ll just have to get back again.

Into Bangkok and tried to check into the airport hotel. Full. So took out my guide to find another place to stay. There was a hostel.. so took a taxi (he wanted to charge me 300Bat – far too much as it turned out – I got him down to 100 and off we went). Got all the way there, only to find that place was full. So I just asked to be taken back again (I was feeling swindled and tired and quite sorry for myself :) hehehe and was just going to sleep on an aiport bench… However, upon getting back to exactly where I started half an hour earlier, the guy in charge(ish) of the taxi rank asks me if I want a room … for 500 Bat (actually very cheap for the area).

So off we went down a little side alley in behind the posh aiport hotel, and there I found a place to sleep for 7 hours, and the decor was perfect. Mind you, it was a wee adventure and all the more of an authentic start to my travels I guess!