Archive for November, 2008
A Heavenly Getaway
November 24, 2008 10:33 PMAfter months of hard work and no play, it came as a great relief and a sense of reward when “The Company” announced last month that it was time once again for the annual Away Day. This year, the destination was set for Haven, a picturesque private resort nestled between Hua Hin and Cha Am beach.
We’d all seen pictures of the resort from their website long before we set off for the trip but upon taking the first step into the hotel, we were still filled with awe as a magnificent view of the private pool surrounded by towering coconut trees and aquamarine sea stretched out in front of us.
While we busied ourselves scrambling in our bags for our cameras, the hotel staff discreetly glided up to us with glasses of chilled fruit tea balanced on a tray. It was refreshing and just what I needed after a tiresome, restless coach ride.
We were left to our own devices on the first day, so after examining every inch of the room (and the adjacent rooms, and the one after that, and so on…we occupied the majority of the hotel, since there were about 60 of us), we spent the afternoon having boxing matches and playing tennis doubles on Wii that p’Kaew took (she was my roommate on the trip and is a total game freak…she owns all the consoles imaginable in the world!). After tiring ourselves out and developing a whole new set of muscles in one arm, the rest of my colleagues retreated to the pool where they played a game of monkey in the middle while p’Kaew and I went to explore the beach. We found a transparent blob in the water that turned out to be a baby jellyfish bobbing in the sea and that was enough to take us out of the water and back up to dry land to recline on the lounge chairs.
The rest of the day passed quickly with dinner at a seafood restaurant and a night stroll in the Hua Hin market, where you can find things you’d find in Bangkok, but only ten times more expensive. (Okay, I’m exaggerating but you get the idea…totally a tourist trap!) Then we got back to the hotel and played some more Wii and got drunk until the wee hours of the morning…
…which was a mistake because we had to wake up early the next morning for the walk rally activities. Somehow, we managed to whiz through all the checkpoints and my team even won first place! The afternoon was actually reserved for sporting events but sleep deprivation had kicked in and it was unanimously decided that the rest of the day would be left for leisure activities.
The highlight of the whole trip however, was on the barbecue dinner and fancy costume contest of the second night. Although I didn’t win anything, it was still great fun and we even (sort of) managed to live up to our company’s reputation of being wildly drunk on social trips.
It never ceases to amaze me to see the “untamed” side of my colleagues, and the bundle of energy they have to tackle the next day’s activities despite the sleepless nights. I suppose this shell of endurance we have is what makes us so suitable for this industry…
Feeds for Jup's Pintoh!
Recent Comments