Raid on a Jewellery Shop in Chaweng

Sunday 1 October

Another relaxing day. Dave and Colin were to watch the Chinese Grand Prix at lunch time at the Bandara, but when they arrived, the light made it difficult to see the images on the “big screen”, so they abandoned the hotel and made for the Frog and Gecko. Meanwhile Juz and I wandered down for a massage at the parlour I had first visited. It wasn’t as strenuous as we remembered, but perhaps we are just getting used to the movements.

On leaving the massage, we made for Coffee Junction for drinks and nibbles, and almost immediately had a message from the men to say that the race had finished – fast race today, surely we had only been gone just over an hour. So they joined us, telling us the sad tale that the television picture had failed with about five laps to go, Alonso had been let down by his team of mechanics, and that Schumaker had won. It seems the picture returned for the presentation ceremony, so they knew the final result.

We returned to Smile to sort out Colin’s reading material on his MP4, and then it was time for a swim. A man was clearing away the parasols and bed mattresses from the pool area at this time and told me that it would rain soon. It was now about 17.00, so I curtailed my exercise to ten lengths and returned to make ready for the evening. We arrived at the Bandara around 18.00 ish and were lucky to find a tut-tut outside the hotel, ready and waiting to take us to Chaweng. (It was lucky we had eaten at “Adolf’s” last night as there was a note on the door today saying “Closed till Tuesday”, and Juz would have been very upset to have missed her meat dhansak.)

We wandered the high street yet again, this time seeking gifts and mementos of our time here. We tried to barter with several stallholders, to no avail – they just weren’t interested in a deal. We had a watering stop at Tropical Murphys – could we ever pass by and not stop for a drink or two?! Eventually we ended up at one of the silver shops where we had browsed on previous visits and where there was lots of yummy jewellery on show – Juz and I could have had a field day. But we managed to confine ourselves to essential purchases – necklaces that would enhance our wardrobes considerably. I chose a bluey/purpley/emeraldy mother of pearl necklace in three irregular blobs set together as a triangle, suspended from several black strings – sounds horrid but actually looks very nice and will go with lots of outfits. Juz chose a beautiful large fossil shell-like fob in creams, tans, pinks and greys (not the one she had been hankering after all week – but this one, chosen by Dave, actually looked more striking when she put it on) and a delicate, but large flower in greeny mother of pearl – it’s very hard to describe jewellery – I can only say all the pieces were all stunning.

It was then time for dinner, but there was no room for four at the outside tables at Schnitzels (it still hadn’t rained, but we were willing to take a chance that it would stay dry) so we visited Chez Andy’s nearby – one of the few bars along the street (it does have a restaurant attached round the back, but that’s completely separate) for yet more cocktails and beers. Back to Schnitzels, and it had emptied considerably by now – probably something to do with the fact that the time now approaching 22.00 – sometimes we have been returning home to bed by this hour. Three of us chose fresh squid – barbequed with dips of tartare, garlic butter and very hot and sour chilli sauces. Juz also had a large tiger prawn to share with Dave, while Dave himself decided on duck red curry and chicken rice (he says he will be staying away from chicken rice once he is home – he has eaten it with nearly every meal here!). The food was again delicious. The squid were still large – about four times the size of those on our plates at in Chaba earlier in the week (although the starting size had been similar) – they were very creamy and only slightly chewy – as good squid should be. Although, this time we had chosen enough to feed the five thousand, so we were very full when we left.

Another tut-tut ride took us home. As we had only recently finished our meal, Colin decided to finish sorting out his book on his MP4 that he had started this afternoon (it needed downloading in several parts, not as a whole, as there were too many files – anyway he has managed it now and can continue “reading” his thriller), and I watched the Luxemburg tennis final, which meant it was after midnight before we went to sleep! – really late for us tonight! – we probably haven’t seen midnight since we’ve been here. But by this time I was too tired to follow in Ray’s footsteps and take a late dip in the pool.