Patong beach, Phuket . . . A little busy for my liking!
It’s his first overseas trip since he was six years old when I took them both for a relax in Fiji and broke my arm but that's another story. The excitement mixed with trepidation has him buzzing. It’s actually my present to him for his 21st Birthday last December. So off he’s gone on the romantic holiday of a lifetime.
It took me back to the year before I got married. Ray and I wanted to have a holiday but something exotic, pampery, cultural. So, we settled on Tahiti. Not in any small part due to a Cousins Imperial Leather TV commercial airing at the time which had a family travelling in a customised Jumbo with the lady of the house swanning in a bubbly spa bath sipping champagne and responding to the question ‘Where should we go for our next holiday? . . . . “Ahhhh. . Tahiti looks nice!”
How totally cool is that!
Not just Tahiti but a few of the Society Islands including Ra'iatea, Huahine, Morea, Maupiti, Bora Bora . . .so we booked our little island hop holiday. Now in 1978 it wasn’t that easy to sneak of for a holiday at 21 years of age with you’re boyfriend of a few months! We were bound by middle class values and expectations. We were no more allowed to sleep together than fly and any sexual encounters had to be clandestine and usually involved cars, beaches and out of the way places. It was weird, we were allowed to go camping for a weekend or stay over at friend’s house but absolutely no sleep overs at home. What can’t be seen and all that!
So Ray, being the gentleman he was, decided he’d have to broach this with my father and explain that whilst we were about to leave for a three week tropical bonkfest, his intentions were honourable and we were as committed as a young couple could be without cohabiting. I don’t know what he said but a blanket of comfort fell upon my parents and they were fine with the whole thing. So off we went!
It was without doubt the most fantastic three weeks of my life. Trapseing around the South Pacific with the one I loved. Drinking Mango Daquiries and Rhum Punch whilst watching the sun set over the sea. Snorkelling in crystal lagoons where empty shells from the US occupation during WWII were still evident, now transformed into little coral reefs for a myriad of tetris and angel fish. We saw young villagers dance, firewalkers and jugglers . . pretty Polynesian girls giggle at us when we asked for “Woit Woine” . . .we climbed hills, marvelled at the jungle and picked our own vannilla and mangoes. The only contretemps was an almighty fight over whose fault it was that our Outrigger canoe was going in circles. All too soon it was over – as was the holiday!
Upon landing back in Oz, we had a wedding to attend, pretty much as we got off the plane so we taxi’d straight there only to have everyone congratulating us when we arrived. There were kisses and handshakes from people we barely knew! We were shocked to be the centre of attention at someone else’s special day!
What for?. . well my father in his middle class morality had promptly announced to the world that we had actually got engaged whilst away!
Actually, I never really thanked him for the arranged marriage. Perhaps I should have! Ironically, we spent our Honeymoon in the Blue Mountains and a Week at Port Macquarie, not quite as exotic but hey, it was a honeymoon, we’d have been happy in Mawson’s Hut!
So back to DrummerBoy - have a wonderful trip darling and make the most of the exotic surroundings . . learn to travel not just tour. Be careful with your Passport and money. Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints and look after my future daughter in law - make it a really romantic holiday. See you on the 26th!
10 comments:
Yikes, talk about a suddenly-empty nest! At least he's returning soon, but if you need a place to be for a bit, we have a spare room and an excellent pumpkin cheesecake recipe at the ready...
I thought about going to Fuck-it but thought better of it.
Also please feel free to read all about the results of drinking Jagermeister.....
http://www.brianf.us/2007/01/29/crash/
Haha, I know Kate although I could do with the respite and the opportunity to cull the bacterium in his room! Cheesecake sounds great . .wish you lived around the corner!
Brianf: I'm well aware of the damage it does . .I've seen the results of overimbibing! Fortunately, he's a tight arse and will make it last as long as he can!
Oh drummerboy - have a great time am sooooo envious....I too want to go to fuck it and pee pee island too. Well I do live in Penis Avenue! It just sounds like the next step really.....see a couple of temples wont you! Baino, I dont have cheesecake, but can have at the ready - do have a dirty pond for the dawgs!
He'll have a most excellent time not doing anything you didn't do in Tahiti, Baino ;)
It's probably too late at this point - but never padlock your suitcase these days unless it's a customs approved lock (that they have the master combination to). It's a big signal to customs officers that "I don't want anyone looking in here" and they are more likely to search it for that very reason.
Cable ties (god knows what you call them in Oz - so here's a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cable_tie) are the best option. Customs will cut them off if they want into the suitcase and all you need to do is have a couple of spares at the top of the case with a note asking them to apply a new one if the case has been opened. They will normally do that as it's so quick and easy.
I speak from experience - my bag is searched by US customs about 2/3 times a year. Not only did they break the lock off it, but they also snapped the bits you use to pull along the zip - which makes the suitcase a pain in the a** to use - but I'm not throwing out a perfectly good suitcase for just that!
Note to self: don't travel with Elly anymore - the Cable ties hurt when she trusses me up for travelling! :lol:
Enjoy the peace and space
>----(((^_^)))----<
What a fabulous memory for you! I adore the beach -- it's by far my favorite vacation destination.
Hope Drummerboy enjoys his vacation as much as mom did hers. ;)
Bon Voyage cheese face! Those photos look mad Mum...don´t you think its time you stopped watching people leave the country and do it ourself???
Now you lot. Don't encourage him! He's arrived and lying on a beach getting a massage while I'm telling the most annoying Paraplanner in the world that I'm not a telephone book! Idiot asked me to look a number up for her today . . she was promptly told to piss off! Life's a beach!
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