Friday 28 October 2016

Thailand 2

The rainy season decided to go out with a bang, with 2 days of on again off again heavy rain, but the final 2 days were largely sunny and warm, so maybe the dry season is with us.  Ian has made a slow recovery from his nasty fall.  The hotel’s nurse has made friendly visits each day and cheered him up. There are worse places to be laid up!  I've been able to make some walks around the local area and enjoy the hotel’s little beach.  We made the decision to stay longer in Thailand, as the 12 hour flight to NZ is not sensible in Ian’s condition. 
So we took the motor boat back to the mainland, waved off by the friendly hotel staff, and then picked up a car for the short drive to Khao Lak. We had planned to stay here for 5 days but have now extended to 11.  Our hotel is at Bang Sak beach, just to the north, a great sweep of a bay, almost empty of people, and little developed.  White sand backed by huge forest trees, emerald sea with the ocean breakers rolling in, and a vast sky filled with complex cloud patterns through which the sun bursts to fill the world with a golden glow.  
And of course the occasional ramshackle beach bar for a sunset cocktail and barbecued red snapper with fiery Thai sauces. Perfect place for recuperation...



Monday 24 October 2016

Thailand

        It being my 65th birthday this month, Ian’s 60th in January, and also the start of the 40th year we have know each other, we have decided on a new mega trip, via Thailand to New Zealand and the Cook Islands. It's now 10 years since my big round the world tour that took in part of NZ* so it seems like a good time to further explore there.
        But first off we broke our journey in Thailand, and after flying to Phuket via Bangkok, we caught a motor boat to the little island of Koh Yao Noi.  This crossing gave us some early views of the thrilling limestone karst country of Phang Nga Bay, under a steel grey sky that marked the fag end of the rainy season.  The tender zipped around the coves and mangrove fringes to our hotel, its villas stacked on a densely wooded hill above a little sandy beach.  Just 56 villas are arranged here, with views to the islets of the bay, or in our case to the jungle.  
        The hotel has a kampung-chic vibe, all thatched houses, gamelan lounge music and coconut ‘wellness’ water.  I could do without the crystals and Tibetan prayer bowls, but it is really well done, and we immediately felt very comfortable.  We tried several of the restaurants on the first few evenings and had reserved a special meal at the Hilltop restaurant for my birthday.  This has perhaps the most famous view in Thailand, across the bay to the rusty white stack islands and grey mountains beyond.  Unfortunately, Ian fell badly in the shower during the day, gashing his arm, and getting badly bruised, so we ended up eating in the villa, but the staff came up trumps with a cake and champagne.  They are rightly proud of their food, much of it based on local produce.  Some they grow themselves, and a wide range of cuisines is tackled with aplomb. The breakfasts are spectacular. Our villa is huge, with a small pool and outdoor Lana style living area, and a bathroom that goes on for miles.
        Altogether, apart from Ian's fall, a great relaxing way to start the trip, just gentle walks on the beach or to nearby headlands. I had a ‘healing’ massage as a birthday treat and my ‘wellness’ is doing very well thank you, even if Ian's isn't!  With luck he will recover quickly for the next leg of our trip.  Some great people too, including Kuhn May, our always charming staff member who looked after us; the nurse who came and dressed Ian’s elbow every day, even on her day off, always with a big smile; the local people who always said sawatdee kah/krup as they passed in a genuinely friendly way; and some of the other guests, especially a retired Australian couple who seemed very much on our wavelength.  

*See http://k-e-i-t-h-m.blogspot.com/2007_03_01_archive.html

Wednesday 12 October 2016

Ireland

Ian and I were on a tour of Ireland recently, crossing by try, via Gower in Wales, to Rosslare, and taking in Wexford, Cork, Kerry, Dingle and Connemara, then back via Dublin.  Here is a link to photos with some captions: https://flickr.com/photos/?07/sets/72157672632927841