Bouncing Back on Blog!

Can't keep me off for long! Back in hotel now and all packed, ready for flight later this evening. Wrist a bit painful, but could have been worse - it might have happened when I took a tumble in our first week away in Suffern!

Dave's been brilliant - up and down between hospital and hotel, seeing to all the insurance and flight details.

Jean

So that's it folks. Back in Blighty soon and look forward to catching up with everyone. Many thanks to all who've been following the blog and we hope you've enjoyed it as much as we have compiling it. Dave

Jean mishap

Much regret to say that Jean took a tumble outside the hotel on Wednesday lunchtime as she returned from some shopping and broke her left wrist. She was taken by ambulance to hospital and had surgery under general anaesthetic about 1700 local. She was able to sit up in bed quite soon afterwards and has had something to eat and drink.

She is in good spirits, all things considered, but it's not a great end to the trip especially as the surgeon has indicated it may take three months to heal properly. She's staying in hospital overnight but we hope/expect she will be cleared for the flight home leaving early on Friday at 0035 local and due in Heathrow at 0625 London time.

She was in quite a lot of pain up to the time of the op, not helped by the back problem, but typically battled bravely on. She says the wrist is okay when she's not moving it and I hope to speak to Qantas first thing tomorrow to see about getting the most advantageous seat - or upgrade if possible. The hospital stay looks like coming in at quite a hefty figure but I am in touch already with the insurance company who are making all the right noises. Dave

Solitary Swimming

The pool area was a much quieter place this afternoon than yesterday and we both managed to have the water to ourselves when we cooled off with a few lengths. Enjoyable relaxation.

Jean

Thai Waterways

We walked a little further this morning to suss out a market. We ate at the hotel last night and, while the food was good value, we wanted to find somewhere that provided authentic Thai food for tonight. We located a largish stretch of stalls with a variety of goods to which I’ll return for some bargains later. There were plenty of small roadside food stalls, but we wanted somewhere with more tables and away from the immediate noise and fumes from the road, which we found eventually.

A bridge over a tributary of the Chao Phraya River had a large part of the balustrade missing, possibly broken as a car smashed into it. Although the stream wasn’t particularly wide, there were plenty of vessels using it - water taxis hurrying on their way and a rubbish boat, with masked workers hooking the large bags aboard.

Jean

Busy Bangkok

After settling in at the hotel we took a stroll out this morning to become familiar with the local area. We were reminded immediately how busy (and dangerous!) the roads can be.




A busy shrine to the Hindu god Brahma was located on the corner, where people were burning incense as well as giving garlands of flowers and other offerings. Some musicians and singers were in a small alcove, and people were paying a small sum to join them in prayer.

Almost next door was what might be seen as a contrasting Western “shrine”.

Jean

Farewell to Australia

We said a fond farewell to Melbourne and Australia yesterday. Many thanks to Greg for all of his hospitality, despite the fact that he was busy covering the tennis in Melbourne, and also to Peta, who very kindly drove us to the airport. It was great to be treated to a lift as we had quite a lot of baggage, but was all the more welcome as it saved my dodgy back from any strain.

Jean

Flights

Pleasant 55-minute flight from Melbourne to Sydney to link up with the plane to Bangkok which t0ok about 8 1/2 hours. Time to watch four movies on Qantas's excellent inflight entertainment programme. Still plenty to choose from when we do the rest of the flight home to London early on Friday morning.

Landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport which is only a couple of years old and is state of the art (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suvarnabhumi_Airport)

Magnificent building, though currently more noted for the political demo which closed it for a week or so late last year. Hotel taxi whisked us the Courtyard Marriott where we are staying in rather a nice room (pictured). No bath though but outdoor swimming pool is some compensation. Dave

The Reuters Boys

My back is on the blink again after shimmying to try and avoid bumping into a guy who was crossing the road but looking behind him the other day. I therefore didn't want to do a great deal, but wasn't going to decline lunch which we enjoyed with Greg and Oss.

We fly to Thailand tomorrow.

Jean

Tennis Again (2)

In the last match of the evening, Marcus Baghdatis was pitted against the American, Mardy Fish. Although the latter had the faster first serve, often at over two hundred kilometres an hour, Baghdatis was able to place his serve well, which was mre effective. His strokes from the baseline were more accurate and he had the added advantage of his famous band of travelling supporters who were extremely vociferous between points - more like a football crowd - but behaved impeccably during play. The Cypriot won 6-2, 6-4, 6-4. Jean

Tennis Again (1)

We had tickets for the evening session but arrived early thinking we might pick up some action on the outside courts, maybe some fast, exciting men’s doubles. In the event, we were accosted by a couple who were leaving the Rod Laver Arena early and asked if we’d like their corporate tickets for the remainder of the afternoon. So we saw the last set of the Jankovic - Sugiyama match in comfortable seats, which the top seed from Serbia, won 6-4, 6-4.



On to the evening and first match up was between Ana Ivanovo (seeded 5) and Alisa Kleybanova, which the 29th seed won 7-5, 6-7, 6-2. She played the better tennis in the first set, but came unstuck in the second as all of the vociferous spectators in the crowd were shouting for the Serbian, and cheering the Russian errors. The umpire had to intervene to ask people not to disturb the players between first and second serve.


Kleybanova held her nerve in the third though, with her heavy first serve and searing ground strokes. The majority of the crowd applauded a worthy winner.

Jean

Another loss

There would have been a photo or two here to illustrate visit to Australia's Museum of Horse Racing in the centre of Melbourne but stupidly I have lost/mislaid my camera. Last seen at a food outlet at Flinders Street Station. Reported lost to police but not very hopeful. Very sad as it was a retirement present from work colleagues. All mea culpa. Plenty of tennis to come later with pix by Jean. Went to the night session and did not get back indoors until past 0100. Dave

Scottish Player out of Aussie Open

No, not a shock dismissal for Andy Murray, but a loss for Elena Baltacha, the British number 3, by Amelie Mauresmo, the 20th seed from France.

We chose to go to one of the show courts to watch this as our first game. Baltacha was the better player in the first set, taking it 6-4.

The standard of her play dropped a little as Maureso upped her game in the second set and she lost it by six games to three.

Baltacha battled again in the third set, taking the first two games but, in the fierce heat and gusting wind, she couldn't maintain her superiority and lost the next six games. She showed she has the game to beat players of a higher ranking than he 134 in the world but will have to work on consistency.

Jean

At the tennis

Day four of the Australian Open tennis at Melbourne but day one for us as we caught up with world number one Rafael Nadal.

He reached the third round with a convincing 6-2 6-3 6-2 victory over Croatia's Roko Karanusic in one hour and 37 minutes at the Rod Laver Arena - the Centre Court.

Bookmakers have made Andy Murray favourite at 3-1 just ahead of Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. I reckon Murray can win it but 3-1 is skinny.

In the women's, Australia's Samantha Stosur, better known as a doubles player, looked quite good as she eased past Germany's Sabine Lisicki 6-3 6-4. Interesting day's tennis but not many surprises.

The shock exit of Venus Williams came at the Thursday night session when our tickets were no longer valid, but we saw the game on TV.

Dave

Super Night Out (2)

The Melbourne Club (pictured) is right out of the land of London's gentlemen's clubs. Beautiful place inside including huge dining room for up to 200 though only about a dozen of us were there on Wednesday night. Maybe the movers and shakers are still on holiday.

The lift is a virtual museum piece, all dark wood and grills, the billiards room as it should be, the library and reading room undisturbed and the garden at the back a haven of peace, far enough away from busy Collins Street.

Another gem is the wine cellar which is about 100 metres long and currently holds around 150,000 bottles. It also has private vaults where individual members can store their own wine ! Dave