Thursday, March 01, 2007
1st March. Kamala and Naithon.
I have felt much better again today. Unless you count the damn itching mosquito bites!
Mam took Jessica to school and had some errands to do so she was out quite a while. I can't say how many of the errands were completed though.
Then Jamie took me out for a lovely few hours. He had some ideas in mind and often likes to go places to take photographs to put on Jamie's Phuket blog - that's where you might see some, though not of any of us.
We drove over the mountain to Patong and then headed north along the coast - a very twisty road, up and down hills.
We stopped for a while at Kamala.
This place was very badly hit by the tsunami - and was the beach that Jamie, Mam (9 months pregnant) and 3 year old Jessica were on for the Christmas Day - just a few hours before the awful events of Boxing Day. We have to be thankful that our own loved family were not affected by the tsunami.
Today of course it was peaceful. We stopped to take photos of long tail boats anchored in the small river which flows into the sea here.
Then we walked to the little temple - another place that was destroyed by the wave. We were greeted by an old man, slightly Chinese looking with a long straggly grey beard who insisted on showing us things, including horrific pictures. He was not a monk - just a hanger on hoping for some tips maybe; Jamie said he stank of alcohol!
This temple was aided - some would say used - by an Australian TV programme who created a garden in front of the building - an Australian equivalent of our Alan Titchmrsh. Our guide started to tell us this and Jamie finished off the information. Man looked despondent "Oh, he knows a lot!" We walked around and took some photos - and then the man brought us bottles of water, desperate maybe to get some money out of us. But no, we told him - we have water in the car.
We continued northwards passing familiar landmarks until eventually we dropped down to Naithon.
This trip had turned into a near replica of one I did with Bill 10 months ago.
But we didn't eat in the same cafe.
I had chicken green curry soup and rice and a wonderful pineapple crush drink.
We had a walk on the beach. Last April it was just the time for the seasons to change and that day the waves looked quite powerful. Today the sea was gentle - so why when I was standing in the water did the one big wave roll in that caused me to have very wet shorts. I would have loved to be swimming in the sea today.
But it was time to get back so that Mam could collect Jessica from school. I was told that she would be meeting her friend, Noi, so I knew she would be out for a while!
Jamie got soapy water to wash the motor bike and of course John wanted to join in and soon he was having a fine old time - a science lesson really for he was exploring the properties of water. One property became abundantly obvious - his clothes got very wet.
Mam and Jessica got back at gone 6 o'clock and had eaten. The proposed plan to eat at Danang was postponed. It was getting late and not everybody needed much.
Then I listened to friendly bickering about where we would eat.
Dairy Hut in Phuket Town won and it was a good choice and the children behaved very well.
Dairy Hut was crowded - more so than Jamie has seen it before. "Perhaps they have all seen about it on my blog" he mused. It my just be that the first of the month is an eating out day because monthly slaries have just been paid.
I had a simple fried rice with an egg on top - not a big meal, but enough; especially as I had a fair few of Jessica's chips. And I had another pineapple crush.
On the way back we stopped at Tescos so that Jamie could get a video and Mam and Jessica could buy a birthday present for a little girl's party tomorrow. Jamie and I left them to it and we met up about 15 minutes later and no present hd been bought. So another chore is on the list for tomorrow. Too many chores hanging over for tomorrow.
Jamie was very pleased to get the new James Bond film to watch tonight - once John is sleeping. I am not sure what time the viewing will begin - ah now, by the sound of the music. But as its nearly half past ten and I have sleep still to catch up on I think I will give it a miss. I am sure I shall see it with Bill some time anyway.
Mam took Jessica to school and had some errands to do so she was out quite a while. I can't say how many of the errands were completed though.
Then Jamie took me out for a lovely few hours. He had some ideas in mind and often likes to go places to take photographs to put on Jamie's Phuket blog - that's where you might see some, though not of any of us.
We drove over the mountain to Patong and then headed north along the coast - a very twisty road, up and down hills.
We stopped for a while at Kamala.
This place was very badly hit by the tsunami - and was the beach that Jamie, Mam (9 months pregnant) and 3 year old Jessica were on for the Christmas Day - just a few hours before the awful events of Boxing Day. We have to be thankful that our own loved family were not affected by the tsunami.
Today of course it was peaceful. We stopped to take photos of long tail boats anchored in the small river which flows into the sea here.
Then we walked to the little temple - another place that was destroyed by the wave. We were greeted by an old man, slightly Chinese looking with a long straggly grey beard who insisted on showing us things, including horrific pictures. He was not a monk - just a hanger on hoping for some tips maybe; Jamie said he stank of alcohol!
This temple was aided - some would say used - by an Australian TV programme who created a garden in front of the building - an Australian equivalent of our Alan Titchmrsh. Our guide started to tell us this and Jamie finished off the information. Man looked despondent "Oh, he knows a lot!" We walked around and took some photos - and then the man brought us bottles of water, desperate maybe to get some money out of us. But no, we told him - we have water in the car.
We continued northwards passing familiar landmarks until eventually we dropped down to Naithon.
This trip had turned into a near replica of one I did with Bill 10 months ago.
But we didn't eat in the same cafe.
I had chicken green curry soup and rice and a wonderful pineapple crush drink.
We had a walk on the beach. Last April it was just the time for the seasons to change and that day the waves looked quite powerful. Today the sea was gentle - so why when I was standing in the water did the one big wave roll in that caused me to have very wet shorts. I would have loved to be swimming in the sea today.
But it was time to get back so that Mam could collect Jessica from school. I was told that she would be meeting her friend, Noi, so I knew she would be out for a while!
Jamie got soapy water to wash the motor bike and of course John wanted to join in and soon he was having a fine old time - a science lesson really for he was exploring the properties of water. One property became abundantly obvious - his clothes got very wet.
Mam and Jessica got back at gone 6 o'clock and had eaten. The proposed plan to eat at Danang was postponed. It was getting late and not everybody needed much.
Then I listened to friendly bickering about where we would eat.
Dairy Hut in Phuket Town won and it was a good choice and the children behaved very well.
Dairy Hut was crowded - more so than Jamie has seen it before. "Perhaps they have all seen about it on my blog" he mused. It my just be that the first of the month is an eating out day because monthly slaries have just been paid.
I had a simple fried rice with an egg on top - not a big meal, but enough; especially as I had a fair few of Jessica's chips. And I had another pineapple crush.
On the way back we stopped at Tescos so that Jamie could get a video and Mam and Jessica could buy a birthday present for a little girl's party tomorrow. Jamie and I left them to it and we met up about 15 minutes later and no present hd been bought. So another chore is on the list for tomorrow. Too many chores hanging over for tomorrow.
Jamie was very pleased to get the new James Bond film to watch tonight - once John is sleeping. I am not sure what time the viewing will begin - ah now, by the sound of the music. But as its nearly half past ten and I have sleep still to catch up on I think I will give it a miss. I am sure I shall see it with Bill some time anyway.
