OK global warming, enough already! Come to
Phuket in December and January the brochures exhort, for calm seas and calm
days. The wind from yesterday continued
all night and sleep was difficult due to the noise, not just of the wind but
all the banging. And by that I mean
signs, chairs and falling coconuts rather than any other kind you may feel I
meant!
The news is full of the unusual conditions
for this time of year. "September in December" is one headline. And at Hua Hin there is some damage due to
the high waves and the beachfront is closed till the winds abate, hopefully in
a day or two.
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| Big waves in Karon - well bigger than they should be.... |
The poor poolman has quite a job this
morning as it's full of leaves and bits and chairs blowing around at
breakfast. But no so bad that I couldn't
take a beach walk this morning. But note
to self, let the Soltan dry before you go out on such a windy day. My legs now resemble sandpaper as the fine
sand sticks really well. I could file my
nails on them...
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| OK, it doesn't look that dramatic, but it's a big branch broken by the wind... |
Time for a skinny decaf. Took a look at the mince pies, but couldn't
bring myself to try one, after seeing Ant's yesterday, somehow they just didn't
look right!
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| Nearest thing to a mincie I could find.... |
And a walk round the market
to the cheery morning chorus of "goo mornee, you lookee my shop, mornee
pry" ringing out from stall to stall as I pass. But still not sure I can forgive them yet for
the 4XL episode....
And an evening in front of the telly, good
old Slingbox did its bit and I managed to catch up with Downton Abbey, albeit
in several chunks as the internet was on and off, along with flickering power.
But the power stayed on, unlike some parts of Phuket. The high winds seemed worse tonight, and
again sleep interrupted. At one point I
thought someone was trying to get in the room as the slightly loose door was
banging loudly with each gust of wind, frightened the life out of me...
But in between windy bits there is still
some calm and sunshine, and time for a non Thai tea for a change, Shepherd's
Pie in the Irish Bar, and I am even contemplating Sunday lunch there, seems I
haven't got over my lack of a proper Xmas dinner....
So the days here gently blend into one, a
beachy walk in the mornings when it's not too hot, a hopeful look in the
markets for something different - never fulfilled, a stop for a decent coffee
at the Movenpik then wander back to the hotel for a bit of reading while the
shade is there by my pool, then retreat out of the hot sun and do a bit of my
sewing, my picture of Battersea Park is coming along slowly.... And the big
decision each evening as to where to eat.
It's nice to see loyalty rewarded, at the Little Mermaid a couple of
nights ago instead of the usual mint, I got a tiny china elephant "for
good customers and good luck for the new year", how nice.
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| My tiny new elly..... |
After dinner another wander through the
crowded, noisy streets where families and couples all take in the evening. I
admire the amazing displays of all kinds of fish and seafood in little wooden
boats on ice ready to be weighed before cooking and take in the smells of a
Thai evening, barbecueing food, citronella, the tang of the sea and of course,
the drains....
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| A Phuket sunset.... |
And it's all happening in Karon now, a big
roped off village complete with huge stages and lots of stalls appeared on the
beach, where a two day DJ festival is on culminating in the countdown to
2012. The music is pretty loud and given
the number of very loud fireworks here on a normal evening, it should be quite
a loud night...
And then back to my room to sit outside in
the warm evening catching up on the telly! A new series of "Banged Up
Abrod" to catch up on - lets just hope that that stays in the realms of
the TV, I know everyone supposedly wants their 15 minutes of fame, but perhaps
not on that show... The wifi at the hotel, apart fom a few glitches when the
power is a bit iffy, is amazing, so fast at about 20 mps, making facetimes to
Wales so good, I feel I am there (hello Dyl...). And then talking to the girls
in Southern California, some 15 hours behind me. Magic!
