It’s 1.30 am, Tuesday, 29th May (4.30am OZ time) and our first day of this long awaited adventure is complete.

The day had started with numerous last minute jobs to do – a series of calls and emails with lots of Bon Voyage messages and a trip to our mail centre to collect a cheque from the Tax Dept and then to the bank to deposit it.

Our transit bus pick up that would take us to Brisbane Airport was due at 10.55 am but arrived at 10.35, 20 minutes early. Chaos erupted and after much frenzied activity, we were on board and on our way.

The relaxed ambience was shattered on arrival at the Brisbane Airport Terminal when we discovered that I had left a small piece of luggage back home and it would not be able to start this trip with us. The contents were not desperately needed with the exception of my “Bride Princess’” of 37 years, patchwork which had been entrusted to my care. Silly girl. She should have known better.

For those who know Yvonne the word “formidable” is pretty descriptive and she was in full flight but thanks to good friends and the mobile our luggage should join us while we are at our first house swap in France.

A flight from Brisbane to Sydney and then to Bangkok were on time although we had a diversion around Darwin airspace as the Australian Air Force were conducting night exercises in the area. After a couple of naps prior to touch down we were ready for our first look at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport which was very minimalist, clean and efficient. We ran the gauntlet past what seemed like hundreds of people touting for taxi business and was quite an experience.

The taxi ride, while fast along the motorways and then through derelict areas and endless construction sites which would make Sir Joh very pleased, took at least 30 minutes plus. We had arrived at our hotel for the night and Day 1 was over but finished with one last quote from Yvonne:

 Only wake me if the hotel is on fire
 Don’t wake me up to go to breakfast
 Don’t let room service in or I will kill the maid

Gary.