Author: Kathy Scott

Despite the fact that it was a bit rolly during the night at our anchorage and Paul had to get up to reset the mooring rope, I had a long and undisturbed sleep at Koh Similan; the rocking actually helps me to sleep. We had our morning coffee in the cockpit enjoying the warmth of the sun and musing on the cause of all the activity on the rocks opposite. People were busy setting up tables and chairs to look like a cafe on the tiny beach below them. Looking through the binoculars, Paul concluded it was a movie set for a film of some kind judging by the cameras, microphones and a megaphone he could see. Later in the day, we watched what were probably stuntmen affecting some clumsy dives and jumps off the top of a high boulder while the director shouted instructions. Since we weren’t too far from the location of the island ‘The Beach’ was filmed on, I couldn’t help searching for famous faces when I looked through the binoculars. We found out later, however, that it was going to be nothing more than a commercial for a national bank.

The crew had relocated to the main beach by the time we dinghied over in the afternoon, and I was mortified to receive another soaking from a wave after my (admittedly) clumsy and ungainly exit as we reached the shallow water. It was in full view of the cameramen and extras on the shore so maybe I’ll be edited into the final cut if the camera was running. The water was so clear and calm, it was a perfect opportunity to test the new snorkels we’d bought in Patong. It had been some time since I had done any snorkelling and as I’m not a natural ‘water baby’, I was a bit apprehensive but it was definitely worth worth it. The water was warm but refreshingly cool after being in the hot sun and there were scores of beautiful fish swimming in and out of the rocks and coral. The coral was stunning in itself and it’s gratifying to know that it is all protected by law. The Similans were one of the first group of islands to be given a national park status. It’s prohibited to fish within a designated area around the islands, and boats are only permitted to anchor well away from the corralled parts. Furthermore, signs on the island inform visitors that it’s forbidden to take plants, wildlife, cuttings, rocks, broken coral or even leaves away from the island. During our second walk up to the clifftop, which we now knew was called ‘Sail Rock’, we noticed several varieties of plants and some gorgeous-looking colourful blossoms and flowers which had once undoubtedly tempted people to pluck for souvenirs.

The sun was about to set when we got to the top and Sister Midnight looked exquisite in the amber glow on the water. Other people up there were taking pictures so she will feature in quite a few holiday snaps I imagine. The only disadvantage of being out in this environment at twilight is the prevalence of mosquitoes. I get bitten a lot by these pesky insects, and judging by the distinctive smell of deet emanating from some of the other walkers we passed, I’m not alone in having delicious blood! We’d neglected to bring any repellent with us so we beat a hasty retreat back down the trail and dinghied back to the boat just as darkness fell. A couple of pics of the walk to Sail Rock and the view of Sister Midnight at her anchorage are below.

26th November 2016

Paul slept in the cockpit for most of the night. It was a dark, clear and starry night and it’s very cool and comfy up there, with the added benefit that he can react quickly to anything that needs sorting out, such as the mooring buoy banging against the bobstay. Waking at 3am I couldn’t resist walking out to the bow to sit and stare at the stars for a while before going back to the V-berth to be rocked back to sleep by the waves. Paul was up and about before me in the morning and told me he had been chatting to some Australian guys who had recommended a visit to Koh Miang because it was such a charming place. They also told him that none of the other Similan Islands matched up to Similan and Miang. After a coffee and a look at the route, we weighed anchor and set off for the two hour trip to Koh Miang. I wouldn’t have thought it possible after the sea at Similan, but the nearer we got to Koh Miang, the clearer the water became. I spotted some pretty blue fish, so close to the surface they looked as if they were swimming right underneath clear glass. The side of the island we approached had a lovely beach but there was already quite a crowd on it and several daytripper boats were taking up the moorings so we decided to check out the other side. I stood at the bow to check for obstacles and swimmers in the shallow water as we motored slowly round until we arrived on the other side. This side was even more appealing; it was smaller and less crowded, with a more secluded beach. We picked up a mooring buoy with no trouble and as it was very hot by then we both had a swim to cool off. After that it was time for a spot of lunch, and a bit of a rest before setting out to explore this new and inviting island.

 

We’re still busy doing nothing…or, that is, Paul is busier than me at doing it ;).  It was hot and sultry last week, and despite a weather forecast promising rain and cooler conditions, it seems set to continue into this week.  Anything involving strenuous activity, therefore, needs to be done before midday. Paul has been getting up early to do preparatory work for varnishing and other outside tasks before coming back down below to ponder on existentialism for a while (really – we have some stimulating in-depth discussions about it until I conclude that I’m a little out of my depth and sidle away with my book :)). I now have my own laptop so I’ve been busy learning how to use that (bonding with it, I call it) and if I need help Paul is pleased to assist, if only because it confirms how much he hates Microsoft: it provides him with great opportunities to scoff at the various ‘stupid’ commands that come up. Apparently, Apple devices are much more user-friendly, to put it politely (his vitriol knows no bounds when it comes to describing Microsoft’s many faults ;)).

We’ve spent a bit of time looking at various types and models of dinghies before making a firm decision on any particular one.  They are very expensive brand new, and that’s without the added cost of an outboard engine, so it’s definitely not a purchase to rush into.  The only other thing of note to occur last week was that we almost got hit by a yacht leaving the marina. We were in the cabin having breakfast when we heard an alarmingly loud scraping noise followed by some shouts from the workers on the boat next to us on our port side. Paul dashed up to the cockpit and I saw him jump across to the boat on our starboard side. The yacht trying to leave was being pushed onto it by the wind and strong current and the guy at the helm was having trouble trying to steer away. Luckily it had missed our stern but was colliding with our neighbour’s and Paul was using a fender to prevent any serious damage.  Other people soon came to help and someone called the marina office to send a dinghy to help the poor guy. If anyone else was onboard with him they were all hiding below so he must have felt terribly embarrassed. I know what it’s like when an incident occurs and people come out to watch the drama unfold.

Below are a few pictures from last week, followed by a continuation of my description of our trip to the Similan Islands last November.

 

November 24th 2016 – Arrival at Donald Duck Bay                                           After a trouble-free departure from the busy anchorage at Ban Thrap Lamu we motored away at 7am on a sea as calm as a millpond.  The sun was hot by 9am, and for the rest of the way we saw several day-tripper boats carrying passengers (we guessed) to the islands we were heading for. We hoped they would be heading back by the time we got there. Meanwhile, Paul tried various tempting-looking baits on his line in an attempt to bag a fish for dinner – the area we were in being ‘one of the richest fishing grounds in The Indian Ocean’ – but as it didn’t happen for him he had pasta and pesto to look forward to instead!

I spent most of the afternoon on the starboard beam reading, keeping watch and looking for marine life. We watched Koh Similan get nearer and nearer and by 3:30 we arrived at the beautiful bay known as Donald Duck, due to the rock formation’s striking resemblance to that character at the entrance to the bay. Paul thought we might be approached by a ranger to show us to a mooring buoy and we motored around for a while, checking out likely-looking spots.  The beach looked very inviting, and wasn’t as crowded as we’d feared. There were a few dozen passengers sunbathing from the day-tripper boats that were moored in the bay; others were swimming or snorkelling in the crystal clear water. We also spotted people at the summit of the huge boulder-like cliffs on the island’s western side and I resolved to get up there too if it was at all possible. Since no ranger approached us, we decided to moor ourselves to a buoy, and I was extremely chuffed to pick up the loop with the boat hook fairly quickly after shouting instructions to Paul such as ‘bit more to the right’, ‘slower’, ‘now to the left’ until it was within reach.

We had a swim straight away to cool off from the searing heat, and then Paul pumped up the dinghy so that we could visit the beach before it got dark. It was a wet ride across, with water splashing inside, covering the floor (which doesn’t inflate) and just as we got to the shore a big wave broke and soaked us-thus cementing my ongoing mistrust and dislike of this particular dinghy. It didn’t take long to dry off! The beach consisted of warm, white, powdery sand and the water was so clear it was possible to see all kinds of colourful fish. There was a holiday resort in the wooded area behind the beach, complete with camping facilities, a cafe, barbecue area and play-park.  Various signs were pointing to recommended walks and viewpoints so we chose the path leading to the clifftop we’d seen from the boat. It was marvellous – not too arduous or insect-laden and the views from the top were stunning.

Waking up in the cockpit at Koh Lon early in the morning of the 22nd November was a delightful experience.  It was cool, and the silence was only broken by the calls coming from birds in the tall trees on the island, and by the ‘plopping’ of fish breaking the surface of the water in their attempts to escape predators. I watched the sunrise at 6 30 as I drank my coffee, and then a few ‘longtail’ fishing boats emerged from the beaches, chugging noisily out for the early morning catch.  The outboard engines they use on the stern of these boats are particularly noisy due to the fact they are uncased and are mostly old car, or even tractor engines.  They tend to look a bit incongruous perched on the back of the otherwise elegant-looking boats.

Once Paul was up we prepared to move on. We were both at the bow – Paul was showing me how to weigh anchor – when we heard a loud thud from the back of the boat.  It created quite a jolt and we thought something must have hit us or we’d gone aground.  Close investigation revealed nothing untoward, however so we concluded it must have been a heavy sea creature bumping into the hull (shame we didn’t see it).  Back at the anchor, we had the job of washing off the thick mud that had accumulated on the chain as it came up from the seabed.  Normally the electric water pump (the deckwash) would make this job easier but as it’s currently out of action we made do with a broom and buckets of sea water. At 8am we motored off and once on course, the autohelm took over the steering which allowed us to enjoy a breakfast of the fresh pineapple we’d brought with us. We only intended to have a few slices but it was so sweet and refreshing we finished the whole fruit.

Our destination was a place called Bang Tao, a large open bay on the northwest side of Phuket and the site of one of its longest beaches.  We arrived there around 1:30, and the first thing Paul did after we safely anchored was to swim around the boat with the snorkel on to check for any damage from the morning’s jolt (none thankfully). The rest of the day was lazy and relaxing.  Paul put up the handmade hammocks we’d bought from a roadside vendor a few days before to test the best location for them.  They will be put to good use during our travels around the Pacific Islands.

We had skipped lunch so for an early dinner we had veggie sausages with broccoli, carrots, potatoes, fried onions and a peanut sauce I’d bought in Malaysia.  After sunset we spotted lightning flickering in the sky but although the sea was a bit choppy, no storm occurred to disturb us during the night.

Wednesday 23rd November                                                                                 This morning’s dawn chorus came from the bow of the boat where a line of small black and white birds were perched on the bowsprit, unaware that I was fairly close to them as I watched through the hatch in the V berth.  I have no idea what they were. I think I need to brush up on my knowledge of bird breeds (and on other sea life for that matter).  By 7am we were up and ready to go.  It was a cool, fresh morning; cloudy but pleasant.  I helped get the anchor up, which wasn’t clogged with mud this time but it did have several small crabs dropping from the chain links onto the deck of the bow, so I quickly pushed them back overboard.  The cooler weather was accompanied by wind at long last, so Paul put the sails up in the hope that it would increase enough to use them.  At 10am we had reached the opposite side of the Sarasin Bridge, the very spot we’d set off from! It’s not possible to go underneath the bridge as it’s not high enough so we had to do almost a complete circumnavigation of Phuket to get to the other side. The wind picked up at lunchtime and the sails worked well for a couple of hours. Paul took them down when it became clear that bad weather was on the way and by the time we motored up the river into Ban Thap Lamu it was raining so hard it was difficult to spot the marker buoys.  Ban Thap Lamu isn’t the most picturesque of places, especially on a grey drizzly afternoon. The Thai Navy Base is situated in the north of the estuary and a bit further down from  it, the public jetty was very busy with sea traffic: longtail fishing boats, speedboats and diving excursion crafts were all jostling for space. We didn’t fancy going ashore, choosing instead to anchor opposite the jetty and watch the activity going on there while the rain fell and lightning flashed. When it got dark, and the shoreline was lit up with twinkling lights and the rain stopped, it looked a lot more appealing :).

 

We’ve been back in Phuket almost a week now, and are just about recovering our equilibrium. Today (Wednesday) has been the first hot, dry day since our return. Like much of Thailand, we experienced continual rain for several days, although thankfully we haven’t had the disastrous floods that southern Thailand has been suffering from. The accompanying cooler temperature was a bonus while we were working to get the boat shipshape again, and a welcome contrast to the minus 9&10 temperatures we experienced in Germany.

This first week has been all about unpacking, cleaning, tidying and generally sorting stuff out, as well as shopping for provisions and new equipment for the boat.  We’ll be in Yacht Haven Marina for the next three weeks while the bowsprit is replaced and other essential maintenance tasks are carried out. Our month long Christmas break in the UK and Italy with friends and family was great fun and also provided an opportunity to gather up items such as food and tools that are unobtainable or expensive here. Paul’s luggage consisted of various replacement parts and objects for the boat, while mine held several blocks of Sainsbury’s new range of vegan cheese, packets of veggie sausage and burger mixes, a few lightweight clothes and several (heavier) toiletry items and books. We were both just on the maximum 23kg weight allowance, but apart from the fact that four packets of Alta Rica coffee refills aroused suspicion in the Xray machine at Phuket Airport, we were successful in transporting it all from England, on to Germany and through to Thailand.

Before we left in early December, we enjoyed a fabulous ten-day trip exploring the Similan Islands, a group of eleven small islands in The Andaman Sea (part of the Phang Nga Province).  Paul described it in his blog entries, along with some pics of the beautiful places we visited. My intention was to publish my blog and pics once I got back to the UK, naively assuming I would have time to do it in between the shopping, planning and preparation associated with Christmas (not to mention the socialising ;)).  So since there is nothing much to report on here at the moment as we relax in the luxury of Yacht Haven Marina, I’m going to go back to last year for my next few blogs and describe my impressions of the picturesque Similan Islands.

Monday 21st November                                                     We left the marina on a beautifully clear, calm and sunny morning which made departing from the berth extremely easy. The downside of course was that there was no wind, so we motored out and used the engine for the whole journey to Koh Lon. It was a very relaxing six hours: no squalls, not many other boats, a calm sea and a warm sun. We were able to doze and read for pretty much the whole way. Paul put a line out after spotting several fishing buoys in the area but still had no takers.  Koh Lon, seen in the pics below, provided a nice anchorage. We sat in the cockpit watching darkness fall and several fishing boats motoring in and out of the island’s small beaches, before eating dinner and turning in for the night.

 

                                                                                         

 

We packed a lot in to our day out in the car last Wednesday.  The priority was to get our visas extended in order to be legal until we leave to fly back to the UK next month.  Paul had heard the queues and waiting times could be long and drawn out so we got to the immigration office fairly early on an extremely hot and humid morning.  The building was surprisingly small for a place that has to deal with so many people on a daily basis, and predictably, the procedure was anything but smooth. The first room we entered had a relatively small queue of people, all clutching the same sheaf of papers we had (forms, passports, documents etc).  Three officials were sitting behind a desk processing couples, families or single people.  This bit didn’t take too long and it was interesting to watch and listen to the people in front, and those being interviewed – no chance of privacy in such an enclosed room.  When it was our turn and we presented our forms, we discovered that we needed passport photos to attach to one of the forms. We had guessed as much while waiting and I had gone out to see where we’d need to get them done. In the adjoining room a very glum-looking lady was sitting at the information hatch.  I asked her politely where we had to go to get photos taken and she looked at me as if I had insulted her with the worst phrase she’d ever heard. I guessed she might be having a bad day (we all get them I thought), so I ploughed on and she eventually pointed at the window, which had a display of the prices for a set of six small photos. I smiled and asked if the photos were taken here (meaning where I was stood) and she muttered yes. We stood staring at each other for a while – I actually thought she was going to take the picture there and then. Eventually I tentatively asked exactly where we would have to go and with a weary sigh and a scowl she told me that a fee of £4 had to be paid first, then we could go in to her office and she would photograph us. I went back to the queue and told this to Paul and he said he’d been hoping we might not need the photos. He thought I was probably exaggerating when I said how grumpy the lady was. Her mood hadn’t really improved when we approached to ask pretty much the same questions I had already asked. I suppose she is heartily sick of hearing the same queries every day, and pointing to the information sign doesn’t really clarify matters.  Anyway once we had paid and were inside she was a bit more friendly. She took the pictures with her mobile phone and ushered us back out to wait for five minutes.

Once we had the pictures and the correctly filled out forms, we went back to the other building where we spoke to the lovely lady who had dealt with us first. She was unable to complete our application and issue us with tickets for the next bit because their computer system was down and they were uncertain when it would be up and running again.  She told us to go and have some lunch, which I thought was a splendid idea.  However, we thought we might as well do the other things on the agenda first. Paul collected his new sails from Rolly Tasker and then we went to Boat Lagoon to get rope for the anchor. By then it was time to go back to the immigration office.  There were a lot more people there and some were going through the same scenario of discovering they needed to leave the room to get photos taken. It’s an undeniably frustrating process but despite this, the staff (apart from the aforementioned lady) and the people waiting were cheerful, calm and patient. It was quite fascinating to sit in the next bit, which was set out much like a doctor’s waiting room, with our numbered tickets and watch the staff working. There were some interesting characters among the people waiting, too ;).

All of that cost us about £50 each but we are now legal and I’m pleased to have some specific country stamps in my passport, which I’ve never had before (well there has to be something for that amount of money).  It was mid afternoon by the time we left and still very hot so a trip to a beach seemed the thing to do.  We found a nice one called Yon Beach which had a bar next to it called The Ship Inn and had a much needed cold drink there.

The beach wasn’t really suitable for a swim so we drove on, making for Kata Beach on the west coast.  On the way I spotted a bookshop in the most unlikely, but beautiful location and couldn’t resist stopping to take a look. Paul stayed in the car to check directions to the beach and I spent another nice 40 minutes or so browsing the second hand books – the only customer in there, while the lady shop assistant was busy learning English on a CD language course in the adjoining (sadly empty) cafe in the next room.

We stopped again to check out a viewing platform on the highest part of the drive.  There were a lot of steps to climb but it was worth it when we got to the top.

It was quite late by the time we finally reached the beach at Kata.  I didn’t fancy a swim so sat enjoying the view while Paul went in. We had dinner in one of the nearby restaurants after that. It’s a delight eating out in Thailand because they are so friendly and the food is always freshly cooked. We watched both our meals being prepared and the lovely lady who served us was keen to get some of her own wine for me as they didn’t serve it there but I assured her a beer would be fine.

For the final part of the day we went back to Patong to have another walk around. It was a lot busier than on our previous visit. The pavements were crowded and by then I was aching so much with all the walking and standing it was hard not to respond to the many offers of massages. Plenty of people were having them, in rooms in full view of passersby. They offer head massages, foot massages, neck and shoulder, or full body. It’s a shame there are often salacious connotations associated with Thai massages because most of them are completely ok. I’m definitely going to have one at the marina before we return. With all the back breaking work we’ve been doing recently to get the boat ready for our 10 day trip on Monday, I need one to soothe my aching muscles ;).

Kathy

 

Due to the time difference we were able to follow the developments of the US election as they happened, and we listened in amazement and with sinking hearts as Trump’s victory became a certainty.  Like millions of people around the world we heard the reactions, the speeches, the pundits, and the comedians as events unfolded, and later we went up to the bar and eavesdropped on the conversations taking place there.  One Australian lady was concerning herself with the sort of first lady Melania Trump will make and concluded that there hadn’t been a glamorous one in The White House since Jackie Kennedy.  Oh well, that’s all right then!

Aside from that, it was boat chores for the first part of the week, which included another trip up the mast for Paul.

The clouds in the picture built up during the afternoon, but before that it had been a hot and sunny day. We waited until the sun wasn’t as fierce before setting off on another trip to the village of Ban Koh En.  This time, we took the back roads so that we could see what it was like in the inner part, behind the main street.  It was lovely – obviously more residential- with each one-storey house distinct from its neighbour.  Most people were sitting outside, cooking, chatting or just enjoying the cooler evening air.  I took some pictures in an attempt to show how unique the houses are. I’m not sure their charm comes through though.

We drew considerably more stares here than in the main street, but they were accompanied by friendly smiles, not ‘this is a local town for local people’ hostility.  The children, in particular took an interest in us, and delighted in practising their English phrases on us as they sped past, running or on their bikes.  Word must have spread, because eventually a little group of them gathered behind us and joined us as we ambled along.  We enjoyed a humorous interchange with them, using hand signals smiles and their few words of English.  I suspect they also delighted in saying some of the more naughty Thai words, judging by their hysterical giggles when we could only smile and nod in response (I would have found that hilarious at their age too :)).  They were thrilled to have their photo taken and kept saying ‘I love you’ when they left us. The little one in the pushchair hardly took her eyes off Paul the whole time.

Further on, we came upon the local school where a football match was taking place in the field. There is a real sense of community in Koh En and I grow more fond of it each time we pass through it.  We bought some bread, and then decided to walk to the very end of the village to buy some bananas. The sky grew darker as we walked and by the time we came out of the shop, the rain had started to fall.  It was so heavy, we had no option but to take shelter under the shop’s canopy where there was a bench in front of a table bearing homemade sweets and cakes and a couple of hand made wooden boats.  The rain provided quite a spectacle in that it coincided with twilight and we were overlooking a forest across the busy main road.  It created an eerie vision of darkness, rain and trees, lit up intermittently by car headlights.  We were joined by a few motorcyclists who were typically dressed in only vests/T shirts and shorts and we all sat and waited and waited while the rain showed no sign of stopping or getting lighter.  Paul looked at a rain radar website on his phone to see if he could gauge how long it might last and it proved to be extremely accurate (and fascinating). We’ve used it several times since.  When it finally stopped, we walked to a restaurant at the far end of the marina that had been recommended by an American guy called Giles. Named ‘Papa Mama’, it wasn’t an Italian restaurant as the name suggested.  It was fairly busy, and had a ‘rustic’ feel to it.  We were told to take whatever drinks we wanted from the fridge in the centre, take a seat, choose our meals from a menu and then go to the counter to inform the lady who’d greeted us what we wanted.  Both of us chose a rice dish (Paul’s with fish and mine with vegetables).  It was cooked to order either by her or her husband in the kitchen on show in the corner of the restaurant. Lovely hot, tasty food and we ate at a table overlooking the water.

There was another storm during the night; heavy rain with loud thunder claps and we had to get up to get all the windows and hatches shut. Friday was hot and sunny again and we spent a good deal of it listening to more discussions and comedy shows on the radio relating to the US election. At the Deck Bar we watched an evening storm. The rain radar site means we can now time it so that we know exactly when to leave the boat before the rain begins and how long it will last for (is it worth ordering another drink?).

On Saturday morning we collected our hire car and met up with Giles who needed a lift to Chalong.  It was nice to chat with him and hear all about his experiences on the journey there, especially as he has a great, rich southern Californian accent.  He’s been here quite a while and provides us with useful information and recommendations.  After we’d dropped him off at the wonderfully named Coconut Boat Yard, we drove on to Yanui Beach, at Giles’s recommendation. It was a charming little cove on the southern tip of the island: thankfully lacking the usual touristy ‘strip-style’ bars, restaurants and stalls.  All that was on the beach was a shack offering Thai massages, and a few people laying on the beautifully soft sand.  It was such a hot day, Paul wasted no time in getting into the water for a swim. I hadn’t intended to go in, thinking the waves looked a bit big and they’d knocked a few people off their feet (I know…I’m a namby pamby) but the heat was beginning to feel unbearable and Paul said it was gorgeously cool in the sea.  It didn’t take me long to change my mind and discover he was right – it was wonderfully refreshing. There were a few sharp and big rocks to negotiate on the way but well worth the effort. We stayed in for quite a while, and I did get thrown off my feet by the waves but it was fun :). We sat on the sand for a while afterwards until it got too hot.

 

We were ready for some refreshment by then, and went to cross the road to go to one of the beach restaurants.  We’d noticed a heavy police and military presence throughout the day and by this time there seemed to be more.  Traffic was being controlled (or rather, uniformed guys were waving on traffic that was going in that direction anyway) and whistles were being blown, and we were helped across the road. Paul asked what was happening and the response was something to do with The King and memorial event. Local people were all dressed in black and white, the official mourning colours(?), and stalls were set up along the roadside offering free food and drink.  It looked to me more like a very dignified celebration of his life to mark the end of the first part of the mourning period.  Lunch was lovely, at a garden table in the sun. I was able to request a tomato toastie (repeatedly assuring the waitress that I really didn’t want cheese in it).

It was fortunate we had our beach experience at that point because the rain started again as we left.  Shopping was next on the agenda so it hardly mattered.  We went to a succession of shops to pick up various items while we had the car, and the only thing worth noting is that we decided to buy some Durian to try.  Paul had seen a lady in one supermarket buying loads of it, and urging the assistant to ensure she got every last bit of the fruit into the tray.  It really must be great, we thought, despite the vile smell.  We were shocked at the price (£3 for a few slices of it). It was carefully wrapped in another plastic bag at the checkout (no charge for bags here yet).  We tried it later, with a little trepidation, trying not to be put off by the smell.  Paul went first and I wasn’t encouraged by his expression but thought I’d better try some before I went off the whole idea if he hated it.  It was horrid. The texture was like an overripe avocado (slimy) and the taste was ‘oniony’, meaty even. It tasted like the smell of tripe and onions! It’s a mystery why it’s so popular, but despite the price, ours went straight in the bin and then straight off the boat into the communal bin. Next we will try dragon fruit and hope for a better outcome.

Kathy

 

 

 

After Paul returned from an early morning excursion to sort out more boat business, we set off on the short journey to the Mai Khao area where the above organisation is located.  We had already learned the whereabouts of the turn off in the road we needed to take, having passed it every time we went out in the car, but I hadn’t expected the road to carry on for the distance it did.  It seemed we were going further into the country which made sense considering it’s a facility that cares for hundreds of dogs and cats.  I had been aware of its existence and the work they do for several years because a friend of mine’s son works there and she had invited me to like their facebook page. It was thrilling to know that I was going to see it at last after following their pictures and updates for so long. We drove through tiny picturesque villages and lush countryside with fields of golden pineapples on either side of us. It had rained a lot during the night but as we drove along the narrow empty roads, the sun came out and by the time we reached the place, it was very hot.  There were a lot of cars lining the track that led up to the entrance which I was pleased to see because up until then we had seen hardly any and I wasn’t sure what to expect or how the visit would work, as we hadn’t actually booked a tour.  We could hear barking and yapping as we got nearer and I half expected a group of excitable dogs to appear as a welcoming committee at any moment. I was pleased to see that the photographic tribute to the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej showed him surrounded by, and cuddling, some of the dogs. He was a great supporter of their work apparently.

I needn’t have worried about what to expect. We followed the path a little way behind a family group up to the entrance and saw them go straight into the information tent. Before we got to that, however a friendly man came bounding up to greet us and to ask if we wanted to join the tour that would start in five minutes at 11am.  I told him we hadn’t booked but he said it didn’t matter and told us to wait in the information tent with the others and someone would explain the details to us.  The tent doubled as a refreshment area for staff breaks and several of them were chatting with visitors, answering questions and there was even a dog adoption process taking place.  A lady from Wales introduced herself and gave us a form to fill in about where we’d heard of the place, our nationality etc etc.  I did that while Paul read all about the work the charity carries out on the information boards. Dianne comes to Phuket every year with her husband to spend a few weeks volunteering at the centre. She was the one who commented it was the wettest November they’d ever experienced.

Our tour guide was European (I’d missed the part of her introduction that specified where from, along with her name unfortunately) and she began by giving us a brief talk on the history of the organisation, its work with other charities worldwide, and an overview of what they do. There were about 8 of us in the group, including a French couple with their little boy. The mum had to keep translating what was being said to her husband and son but the delays when that happened provided a chance to look around. I spotted a cage opposite that housed the cats. The ones I could see were laying on their beds staring out at us. I wondered if the barking bothered them much. Unfortunately the picture I took of them didn’t come out and for some reason they weren’t part of the tour itself but we were told we could spend some time with them afterwards if we wanted to.  We were unable to do this as we had to return the car by 1pm.

We were taken to each area of the centre and informed what it is used for, and about some of the staff working there and their particular roles.  One area we came to was very poignant with its sign displaying just 3 letters: DMT. It stands for Dog Meat Trade and is where those rescued from that vile business are kept.  Known as ‘The Trade of Shame’ it is totally illegal but still thousands of dogs are smuggled across Thailand’s Mekong River for use in the Vietnamese dog meat trade.  Heartbreakingly, some of the dogs are much-loved family pets that have been stolen.  The dogs in this area were the most silent of all those we saw and were laying contentedly on the concrete pipes in their cages. It might be a romantic notion of mine but the thought occurred to me that it was almost as if they were aware of the fate they’d been saved from and were simply grateful to lie there with their companions.

In all of the compounds there were volunteers stroking, cuddling, and reassuring the dogs.  We learned that the centre’s permanent residents, such as the blind, very old or terminally ill dogs tend to have the same carers because of the comforting bond that develops between them. Luckily there are plenty of local and long term volunteers for this purpose but volunteers come from all parts of the world and can stay for days, weeks or months depending on personal circumstances and visa requirements.  We visited the hospital, the behavioural unit, the old-age facility and, right next to it, the ‘mum and puppies’ unit which delighted the little boy in our group. The puppies are usually adopted by families fairly quickly but with so much work being done to make them suitable for re-homing, more and more of the older dogs are being successfully adopted too.

There is far too much being done and going on at the foundation to explain it all in detail in this post but the main aims of the centre are:

• To reduce the stray population through sterilisation
• To treat sick and injured animals
• To shelter victims of cruelty who can no longer live on the streets
• To re-home suitable animals
• To feed animals who would otherwise go hungry
• To educate local communities about animal welfare
• To stop the barbaric and illegal dog meat trade and support those rescued from it

When the tour ended I went off to the merchandise area with others who wanted to buy things, while Paul waited at the information tent and left a very generous donation in their box.  I left full of admiration for the workers and volunteers. It’s heartening to know so much is being done to help vulnerable animals. More pics of the visit below with a link in case anyone wants to know more about the organisation.

Link for organisation here

Kathy

 

…To quote Shakespeare! The title is also the name of a painting by Norman Garstin that I’m very fond of, which is of Newlyn seafront on a rainy day with ladies holding umbrellas, and some wet-looking dogs on the prom. The weather here has brought that scene and those words to mind a few times this week because the promised end to the rainy season, at the beginning of November shows no sign of happening yet. It’s not much of a problem though; the showers are heavy and some last longer than others but all we have to do is close all the windows and hatches if on board the boat, or take shelter when outside. Several people, including long term marina residents, local workers and radio presenters have declared that it’s the worst start to the high season they can ever remember. A good deal of last week was spent just relaxing on board – doing pleasant things like listening to readings from Alan Bennet’s new book, some Radio 4 comedy shows, and reading and catching up on episodes of Have I got News For You.  We also both tackled the cleaning of the cooker using copious amounts of Mr Muscle and a fair bit of elbow grease to get rid of ingrained fat, grease and burned-on food.  Most evenings during the week we go to the bar – not for the sunset, more to enjoy the view, say Hi to a few boat owners we’ve come to know a little, have a cuddle with the cute black cat, and to glance at the headlines on the muted TV News channel. It will be interesting to see what replaces the US election mania next week.

On Wednesday, after another walk in the delightful Koh En Village where we not only managed to buy both bananas and bread, we were amused to see a chicken crossing the road, prompting Paul to ask it the obvious question ‘why did you do that?’

We had dinner in the bar later that evening and I managed to order a Papaya Salad which is a traditional Thai dish.  To request that it had no added shrimp, all I had to say was ‘jay’, pronounced ‘jear’ and they know that means strictly no meat or fish. Most Thai dishes are not vegetarian but they are more than happy to cook any dish on the menu without meat, fish or eggs if you ask. The salad was nice but it was the spiciest meal I’ve had for years thanks to the chilli dressing. My lips and tongue were on fire – not really what you expect from a salad.  The following evening we were treated to a spectacular thunderstorm while in the bar. It had been hot and very humid all day and we watched the sky get slowly darker. It was very atmospheric, ethereal almost. The lightning took the form of a long horizontal line on the horizon and lit the sky for several seconds.  When the rain came, it was one of the heaviest downpours I’ve seen. For the first time during a rain shower, we all had to move our chairs further back from the terrace to avoid getting soaked.  Back on the boat I made a variation on a traditional autumn favourite for dinner: potatoes (not jacket unfortunately) fried with leeks, baked beans and veggie sausages.

The rain continued to fall for most of Friday, and we were prepared for another day of lazing on the boat on Saturday, since the hire car was booked for Sunday and Monday but Paul got a phone call at 10am to let him know a car was available after all if we still wanted it. After collecting it at 1pm, our first stop was Boat Lagoon where Paul went to buy items from the chandlery and I went to the very expensive supermarket.  Using the currency converter on my phone prevented me from buying several of the tempting goodies in there, including a box of veggie burgers for £6.50, and I came out with just a box of crispbread, and some pitta bread.  On we went to Rolly Tasker to buy ropes. I stayed in the car reading about our next destination while Paul was in there. Wat Chalong Temple is listed as one of the ten ‘must sees’ in Phuket. I learned that it houses a bone fragment that is supposedly from the Lord Buddha himself.  The only other thing I read that interested me was the description of the beehive-shaped structure where firecrackers are lit regularly to repel evil spirits and to give thanks for answered prayers.  As we approached, I could tell it was an undeniably impressive building but I was more interested in the amount of dogs that were strolling around. They seemed to be everywhere, along with several cats I spotted enjoying the shade of nearby buildings. Some of the dogs were laying on the benches provided for tourists and it was clear that they were long-term ‘residents’. All were well fed and healthy-looking and I was curious to know the story behind them.  Later, I looked it up and discovered there isn’t really any reason: they are just ‘there’ and they get fed by various charities.  It seems fitting in such a place anyway.

The temple was…ok. If I’m honest I feel that once I’ve seen one of the temples, any others are bound to look very similar and I don’t know enough about Buddhism to have my interest ignited, although I have a high regard for its peace and harmony outlook on life. The three gilded statues covered in gold flakes were fascinating; the effect was like their glittery gold skin was peeling off and floating away in the breeze.  We heard the firecrackers while we were inside the temple. It sounded like rapid gunfire and made me jump until I realised what it was. The date was November 5th so at least we heard some fireworks!  When we got closer to have a proper look it was too loud to stand too close, and the aroma of gunpowder was pungent. I guess the animals have got used to it all because they weren’t unduly bothered.  I did wonder how the hearing of the guy who has to light the strip of crackers every five minutes fares though.  In the photo below you can see him stood to the right of the beehive. Hopefully he has ear defenders under his hat.

Before leaving to drive to the night market I had a quick look around the gift stalls outside in case there was a book or leaflet with more information on the temple and its animals. Nothing like that, but there were lots of buddha statues :).

The night market wasn’t too far away, or difficult to find. Parking posed the main problem when we got to the area. Cars lined both sides of the busy road with a long line of slow moving traffic looking for spaces: it was clearly a popular place.  Luckily we found one down a side road and walked over to check out the market. It was huge! The more we walked around the more impressed and delighted I became. Stallholders urge you to browse their wares if you so much as glimpse at them, and it was often too tempting not to. They’re only too pleased to explain things and are willing to haggle regarding prices. The smells coming from the food vendors were wonderful and the dishes and products on display looked very tasty.  We tried things from quite a few, including some fried potatoes on a stick and filled pancakes in the shape of a fish! We found a bar and sat to have a drink and a rest soaking up the atmosphere and watching more customers pour in. I plan to revisit before we go home and have a longer meander around the stalls.

The intention on Sunday was to visit The Soi Dog Foundation but but we discovered that its opening hours had changed and it was no longer open to visitors at weekend so we postponed it until the following morning. Instead, we headed out to the southern part of Khao Phra’s National Park. The plan was to do a nature walk and to see the second largest waterfall in Phuket (we’d seen the largest in the northern area of the park).  On the way there I discovered that I’m not very good at navigating using a mobile phone displaying google earth maps! We took a few wrong turns which led to us seeing some very pretty rural villages we wouldn’t otherwise have seen ;). The edges of these country roads have a fair few chickens, goats, dogs and cows on show but unlike Malaysia, no monkeys.  We saw rubber tree plantations, ramshackle farm buildings, and always the rainforest area we were headed for, looking lush and tall in the distance.  The photo below is just before we drove down an extremely steep slope on a road that had seen better days to look at an adventure pursuit area, curious to see the ‘canopy climb’. It was a hairy descent!

The place proved to be well worth the drive down. It was so peaceful and picturesque, with a lake as still as a mill pond. It had turned hot and sunny by then too after the usual wet start to the day so we took a few pictures and braved the drive back up the steep road.

Next, it was on to the nearby Ton Sai Waterfall.  Again, we paid an entrance fee of £4 each and parked in a car park with only a few cars in. This waterfall didn’t seem to be as popular as the Bang-Pae one but we noticed some people bathing in the bottom pool’s running water as they had been at that one. Following the sign pointing the way to the top of the waterfall, we began the trail. The first part meant crossing the fast running shallow river, which I did with some trepidation, always thinking about the possibility of leeches.  The surrounding rainforest foliage was lovely – lush, tall, green and dense. It was good to know that the gibbons released from the rehabilitation project ended up in there.  More people were enjoying slashing around in the clear running water as we went further up, and we had to cross another stream. Afterwards, we were just about to ascend the narrow path when I spotted a giant millipede on the ground in front. I yelled to Paul, who stepped back and his foot went 0n it causing it to curl up and show its legs wriggling frantically. I freaked out and screamed loudly – a complete automatic reaction, I hate displays like that but couldn’t stop myself. Luckily the noise of the water muffled my screeching, and once it had been shunted out of the way I elected to stay and wait in a clearing while Paul continued to the top.

When he returned and we cautiously went back down, we saw a sign for a nature walk, and as it was still early we decided to follow it. I resolved to be brave despite the path appearing to look very similar to the millipede one.  The walk was nice, I had a real sense of being in the jungle as we stooped underneath the foliage and branches, trying not to look too closely at the ground before me.  The humidity in there soaked me in minutes and the sounds around us were, well…jungle-like.  Eventually we arrived at the very same path that I’d seen the millipede on. We had ended up walking the whole trail without realising it and I felt rather pleased with myself.  Back at the car, I sat down in the passenger seat, looked down and saw a small black ‘twig’ on my leg at the same time as I suspected what it might be. I slapped it off and saw it move on the ground in a way that could only mean it was indeed a leech! My worst nightmare about Asian creepy crawlies had come true.  I didn’t scream this time but it took me a while to stop shaking and slapping at myself in case there were more.  And that was my first and last rainforest walk!

As I publish this, it looks increasingly like Trump will win the US election  :(. Another line from Shakespeare’s ‘Clown’ song in Twelfth Night comes to mind, the meaning of which is underneath it – I only hope it proves to be the case.

By swaggering could I never thrive,
my bullying and blustering didn’t work.

 

 

The car Paul hired for the weekend was larger than the previous one, a four door black Honda Brio Amaze (a make I’ve never heard of before) but as long as there is effective air conditioning I’m not too bothered about the size or the make.  At Boat Lagoon, another large marina/resort on the coast road, Paul went off to enquire about their services and products while I browsed in the Waitrose-like supermarket which, although very expensive, stocked the first veggie products I’ve seen since leaving the UK. It’s not that I’ve particularly missed convenience products because I’ve been making and creating my own dishes, but sometimes when time is short it’s handy to have things like sausages and burgers to fall back on.

We noticed that there was a lot more traffic on the roads but the fact that it was Saturday shouldn’t have made any difference because there is no concept of a weekend here.  Saturday is either a full or half day of the working week, and that goes for the school week too.  Sunday is a day off for businesses but not for religious reasons, and shops operate the same opening hours as weekdays on Sundays.  The next port of call was The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project in the district of Thalang.  I’d discovered this when researching places to visit on the internet. I already knew about The Soi Dog Foundation but this was an added bonus because although Phuket advertises other attractions where you can see animals, many of them are to be avoided. This includes Crocodile Farms, The Dolphin Show, Elephant Treks and Camps and Tiger Kingdom.  Anyway, this place is an ethical and worthy attraction and I was looking forward to seeing it. On the way in I spotted a group of elephants with the equipment on their backs that provide rides for tourists.  When we reached the end of the narrow track that would lead us on to the project, there was a man directing traffic. I wasn’t expecting him to ask us for money because it’s supposed to be free but he kept repeating the Waterfall attraction next to the gibbon project. Telling him that we only wanted to see the gibbons made no difference so it was easier to just part with the fee of 200 baht (about £4) each.

We were greeted by a young teenage volunteer when we reached the entrance and she asked if we would like to know more about the organisation. She gave us the backstories of the gibbons that were unable to be released back into the wild, as well as a history of the breed indigenous to Thailand (the white-handed gibbon).  The stories were heartbreaking, and I was surprised to learn that the conditions some of them suffered from as a result of their trauma were ones I thought were only attributable to humans: bipolar disorder, self-harming, anger issues (one gibbon had developed a hatred towards all humans -unsurprisingly). This lovely girl, who had only been there two weeks, was passionate about the gibbons and the work that is going on to help them and we had quite a chat. I was particularly fascinated to learn about one gibbon who, after repeated attempts to release him, had made his way back to the project by following humans until it was concluded he was happier in his cage (he went on to father some babies and is now a grandfather who spends his days happily swinging on his swing). Paul asked her about the elephants we’d seen at the entrance and she told us it upset her to see them every time she arrived for work. I couldn’t help wishing I’d known about this sort of charity work when I was a teenager, I would have loved it.  We stood and watched the antics of the few gibbons who will spend the rest of their lives at the centre and read the boards telling more of their stories.

Since we’d paid for the privilege, we went on to look at the Bang Pae Waterfall which is the biggest one in Phuket. It was well worth the fee actually. The weather was perfect for a woodland walk and it wasn’t crowded.  Groups of people were bathing fully-clothed in the running water and Paul went over to check the temperature by putting his foot in. This delighted one group of girls who shrieked with laughter and urged him to go right in. We climbed on up the path to see the waterfall and it was so nice to note that there wasn’t a bit of litter anywhere on the path. At the top there was a group of boys having great fun jumping from quite a height into the pool below.  It looked dangerous and in Britain there would no doubt have been numerous signs forbidding it but these lads were having a wonderful time and I envied them their courage.

Patong was next on the itinerary. This place has a reputation for being hedonistic, with a raucous nightlife and I was curious to see the place.  It was obvious we were approaching a major tourist destination the nearer we got to the town.  It became more and more built up, lots of hotels and resorts appeared on the roadside, along with billboards advertising bars, eateries and nightclubs.  We parked in the mall we’d visited earlier in the week and headed out in the twilight to have a look around.  The first street we started to walk down was very lively and had lots of bars. I was ready for a glass of wine by then, or a beer and I couldn’t understand why Paul was ignoring my hints to visit one of the bars on the street.  We were stopped by lots of people urging us to take a flyer for ‘ping pong events’ and I knew what these were. I  had also gathered that the area was popular for specific kinds of entertainment but I honestly hadn’t twigged that to enter one of the bars in Bangla Road would probably have meant dealing with a lot of female attention: they would automatically assume we wanted ‘entertainment’ by the mere fact we’d gone inside. I had innocently thought we could sit and have a drink and watch the street antics until Paul explained we were just walking the length of the street to have a look. It was like running a gauntlet – men and women(?) were grabbing us constantly to foist the ping pong flyers on us or beckoning us to buy cheap beer in the pubs, and at one point our way was blocked by a whole line of colourfully-dressed, merry guys keen for us to have a great night! The street is what it is, and it’s no place for the easily shocked or offended. I was quite fascinated by it all.

After a glass of wine or two and a lovely meal ( I enjoyed my first taste of Pad Thai), we had a walk along the shore of Patong Beach itself. The whole area was becoming more crowded and lively as it got later – the nightlife really takes off after 10, but as Paul said in his best Alan Bennett voice ‘this is all very well, Doris but we need to get on and buy some bread and Marmite’.  This we did, before driving back to the boat :).

Unsurprisingly we were up fairly late on Sunday, and didn’t begin our second day out in the car until noon.  The plan was to visit a market in Phuket Town, and when we got there we simply parked the car in an empty space we found on the side of the road. It felt strange to do this after being so used to all the rules and regulations and limits associated with parking in Britain.  None of that here, you just park where you can and pay nothing (mainly).  We meandered round the streets for a while admiring the colonial architecture until we found the location for the market. It was empty apart from a couple of stalls that were being set up for when it began at 4pm.  We were two hours early.  Luckily the street itself provided enough entertainment with its art&craft/souvenir/gift shops, and we found an arty cafe called Bookhemian to have a coffee and read for a while.  A high point for me was coming across a large second-hand bookshop in a nearby street. Along with several other things, books are expensive here, so to find a shop selling them for as little as £2 was great, so Paul left me to indulge myself for an hour while he went to check the car was ok.

I had been after a book set in Thailand and the shop had a shelf full of them. I chose one about an American housewife’s account of her experiences living here in the 1960s.

By the time we returned to the market it was up and running. It turned out to consist mostly of stalls selling upmarket street food and a few more selling handcrafted gifts. It reminded me of the city Christmas markets but with the focus on Thai food.  We had a tasty coconut pancake each as we walked up and down the stalls.  Again, it looked like it would probably get lively and busier as it got darker but we wanted to journey on to check out Sarasin Bridge, so made a mental note to return and do some Christmas shopping there before we return home.

By the time we got to Sarasin Bridge, the bridge that links Phuket with mainland Thailand, it was dark and we’d missed the sunset that is supposed to be great to watch from the bridge’s viewing platform.  We walked up to it anyway since we were there; it was quite creepy and deserted in the dark, but the view was good.  My last two photos reflect the highlight of my weekend and there is a link to click on if anyone wants to know more about the gibbons and the fantastic work of The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project.

Gibbon Rehabilitation Project link here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our first car excursion, last Tuesday, began by loading the sails into the boot of the hire car ready to deliver to the Rolly Tasker building just south of Phuket Town.  It didn’t take Paul long to get used to driving in Thailand, as it’s left hand drive here and there wasn’t a lot of traffic on the roads. My role as navigator proved to be easy because there are only a few main roads on the island and we had to stay on the one heading south.  I was keen to see the ‘world’s largest sail loft’ and I was suitably impressed once inside.  It’s a vast space – much bigger than it looked from the outside.  The staff is mainly female (rumour has it that this is because they have proved to be more reliable than men).  There were several ladies employed cutting, measuring and sewing the sails laid out on the floor and they all looked like they were enjoying the work. I stood and watched for a while and then read the photographic information board about the history of the company while Paul chatted about what needed to be done. Apparently King Bhumibol Adulyadej had been a keen sailor and sailboat designer, taking part in sailing competitions and races throughout his life. The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta was established in 1987 to honour him and some of the photographs showed him with Rolly Tasker himself.

Sail business done, we decided to drive along the coastal road and stop anywhere that took our fancy.  The west coast of Phuket is lined with beaches and the first one we stopped at, Nai Harn Beach was travel brochure gorgeous: golden, soft and clean sand, not too crowded, fabulous views, and the sea looked so inviting we wished we’d thought to bring swimming gear.  It was hot and the sun was strong and we hadn’t brought sun protection either so after a brief lounge on the sand, and a resolve to return another time we continued on the coast road. Viewpoints for taking photos appeared as the road climbed higher and the views across the bay were stunning.

Another reason for hiring a car was to load it with provisions, and our first stop for this was at a mall called Jungceylon in Patong. It has over 200 shops and cafes – all the usual ‘mall’ outlets, along with a very good supermarket called ‘Big C’. I spent an enjoyable hour or so in there browsing the aisles and checking out some of the more unusual products you always find in another country’s supermarket (well I like doing that anyway).  From there, it was on to Tesco to stock up on basic stuff like drinking water, cokes, fruit and veg etc.  It was dark by the time we got out and Paul said that one website recommended avoiding driving at night because drivers here are apt to be careless.  It turned out to be fine apart from when we needed to do U-turns which are in place here instead of roundabouts, and it seems to be a case of ‘every car for itself’.  You have to gradually edge the car out until the cars to the left of you have no choice but to slow down and let you in to the stream of traffic if they want to avoid a collision. It was a bit hairy at times because the traffic had built up by evening and the ever-present motorbikes don’t tend to consider other vehicles at all.

Our final supermarket (SuperCheap) had been recommended to us by a taxi driver as a cheap alternative to the larger ones and when we saw one on the roadside, even though we had most of what we needed, we stopped to have a look in order to compare prices.  It was a bit like a downmarket Home Bargains but with fresh meat buckets as an aditional section. One of the buckets was full of chickens’ feet which you can just shovel into a bag for weighing and pricing at the checkout. Other items in the buckets weren’t as identifiable and that was probably just as well for me.  The roadside market we stopped at further on up the road had the delectable items pictures below for sale in case you should find yourself feeling peckish for some cooked insects.  The fish stalls were replenished from buckets underneath the tables that were packed with layers of flapping fish and the smell was pungent to say the least.

When we got back to the marina car park we were greeted by a member of staff in a people carrier who offered to take us all the way to the pontoon with our heavy shopping.  This is such a welcome service, because one of the drawbacks of shopping as a liveaboard is transporting a big shop’s load of heavy bags of food and drink from a car park down to the boat.

The next few days were spent doing general chores onboard, fixing the odd broken appliance and researching places to visit or boat services and products on the internet. The rain showers are definitely starting to diminish but it’s still fairly humid at times and there have been spectacular storms. One night the loudest clap of thunder I’ve ever heard woke me up and I screamed in alarm before I realised what it was. On Thursday evening while we were in the bar, the black cat I saw when we arrived came to our table and needed little encouragement to jump up onto my lap where it stayed for the rest of the time we were there. I don’t know if it belongs to anyone in particular but a bond is growing between us I think…

On Friday I made a homemade vegetable soup with some the produce from the markets and Paul thought it would be a good time to make the bread he’d been promising to make for quite a while.  It’s the sort of meal that’s just right for an Autumn evening meal at home but seemed strange to make it while the sun was blazing hot outside.  It made me realise this is the longest I’ve ever been out of the country (three months now) and that it’s likely to be chilly enough to put the heating on in England. I’m also reminded that this time of year heralds the start of the Christmas build up. Of all the things I miss, or think about here, that is one thing I’m glad to be avoiding. There is not a sign of it here – in fact the only Halloween reference I’ve seen was in a shop used by mainly Western marina users.

In the evening we went to the bar to participate in the ‘Community Get Together’ event that I’d seen advertised. It was billed as a chance to have a (free) drink, buffet and meet the locals and other marina users. This type of socialising isn’t normally my sort of thing but I thought it might be useful for information for Paul, and I was curious about the free drink and buffet (I thought I could always just leave if I spotted any ice-breaking introductions/games happening). It turned out that the only thing I interacted with was my lovely black cat, oh and Paul and I played Scrabble on our phones :). We may have got there a bit late but there weren’t many people there, no one offered us a free drink and any food that might have been on offer had been cleared away.  Never mind, we had delicious soup and bread to return to on board.

Kathy