lisbonchick

Daily life is pretty similar to anywhere. We get up, go to work, come home, shop, cook…. We are slowly meeting new people and starting to feel like we can think about other things beside settling in. There seems to be a period of excitement on arrival, so many new things, so much to put in place. New home, new country, new school, new job, new people. So much to learn and understand that there is no space for much else. Slowly, the excitement starts to wane and reality sets in. We miss what we left behind and don’t always like what we have as we mourn what we lost. This is lifting slowly and we are finding our feet and making new connections.

One fun thing about moving is that there is so much to explore anew. I guess that is what we like, this stimulation and adventure. In the midst of our daily life, we find time to explore close to home and further afield. One trip in November was somewhere between Malongane and Mamoli in the south of Mozambique, close to the South African border. We rented an airbnb on the beach and were the only people around during our stay. It is a beautiful beach, long, sweeping and deserted.

This is the village of Malongane. Should have tried the hairdresser’s…

I had my first school trip to Tofu in the north of Mozambique with Grade 8 students. It was a tiring trip but fun at the beach with diving, snorkeling and surfing. Kids had a good time and the place was beautiful! We stayed in tree houses with lovely views.

We visited a local project – Boa Gente: https://www.boagente.com/, where they use coconuts to make oil, dried coconut, soaps and many other products.

Grating coconuts

We spent half a day at a local pottery where women pass down this age old tradition and handbuild precise items with amazing speed! The women work by the floodplain of the Mutamba River in Inhambane Province, Mozambique. An area rich in deposits of high quality clay which has been used for up to 1,000 years by the local community to produce traditional handmade pottery products and clay bricks for construction. The clay is so fundamental to local livelihoods that women artisans who represent the vast majority of skilled potters, have a saying in Gitonga, the local language spoken only in Inhambane. Unga lili mwana, lila libumba – don’t cry for men, cry for clay. https://www.libumba.com/products

We walked down to the river to see where the clay comes from and to see how they make local bricks.

December arrived and Marianne came to visit! We were very excited to receive our first visitor and to get to spend time together. We travelled to Kruger for a safari where we saw many animals, see if you can name them!

After Kruger we went to Cape Town. A busy, cosmopolitan city surrounded by nature, centred around Table Mountain, one of the New 7 Wonders of the world. It was such a busy few days, we were exhausted but had a fun, enjoyable time. What is amazing, is the setting. Everywhere you look, you get beautiful views of table mountain and the water. There was far too much to do and we didn’t manage to visit all the places we wanted but we had a good go!

We had a wonderful picnic at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. This is an important botanical garden nestled at the eastern foot of Table Mountain in Cape Town and one of the seven most magnificent botanical gardens in the world. It contains over 7,000 species of plants from only southern Africa, set in 528-hectares.  It is a truly magnificent garden and you really need a whole day to wander around and truly enjoy its beauty,

We spent an afternoon exploring Muizenberg and taking a walk to Kalk Bay although we cheated and went back for the car halfway through! Muizenberg to Kalk Bay is a 6.5 km walk , with several beaches and tidal pools where you can swim although it was a little chilly for water frolics when we were there.

One of the main reasons for wanting to go to Kalk Bay was to see the seals. We had read that they hang around the harbour but we were not prepared for what we found! They are just wandering about and they are huge and rather scary so the photos are me running away from them and trying to get a shot. There were quite a few jumping in and out of the water and playing. Kalk Bay is very scenic and worth the visit although we found the actual town a little too twee for our taste.

We had a wonderful drive on Chapman’s Peak and stopped at Boulders Beach to see the penguins. It was ridiculously windy so after being fully sandblasted, we retreated. The penguins were not active and were just lazing on the beach.

Chapman’s Peak Drive was hacked out of the face of the mountain between 1915 and 1922, and at the time was regarded as a major feat of engineering. This is such a spectacular drive, certainly deserving its rating as one of the most beautiful scenic drives in the world. Gorgeous beaches, stunning panoramas around every turn and lots of turns and twists with 114 bends. This beautiful road overlooks the sea and feels like you’re traveling alongside a mountain’s edge. It is only 5.59 miles long but you could spend hours taking it all in.

I didn’t take the first 2 photos as no drone but they give you a sense of the scenery and the road.

And onto the penguins! In the early 1980’s, a pair of African penguins settled on Boulders Beach and since then, the penguin population has exploded to between 2,000 and 3,000. The beach and surrounding beaches are stunning with huge boulders and clear water. You can’t get to the actual beach where the penguins are, but you walk on a boardwalk and watch the penguins from above.

We tried to go to the top of Table Mountain 3 times. The queues were massive, the wind was too strong but third time lucky and it was worth it. I think I spent the 6 days just going wow everywhere I looked in this place. Going to the top was the icing on the cake. Flanked by Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head, Table Mountain makes up the northern end of the Cape Fold Mountain range. It’s hard to imagine, but the mountain’s distinctive flat top – a three-kilometre level plateau – was once the bottom of a valley! The mountain was given its name — Tabua do Cabo (Table of the Cape) — by Antonio de Saldanha after he climbed up Platteklip Gorge in 1503. The easiest way to get to the top is by cablecar which opened in 1929. The journey up the mountain takes about five minutes and the cars rotate through 360 degrees during the trip. We though about walking but it is a rather strenuous climb of around 5 hours.

They have giant cones in South Africa!

Break nearly over, Marianne flies out and we miss her once again… Looking forward to the summer where we can all be together again with Joshie and Sandra too. We took time to pop over to Nelspruit and Eswatini as we had work to do on the car. We explored north of Nelspruit and were pleasantly surprised. Beautiful scenery and so many waterfalls… We decided to visit the Lisbon and Berlin falls as they were the largest ones, so beautiful.

We visited God’s Window. Hovering 900 metres above the valley floor below, perched on the edge of a cliff, is the breath-taking view of God’s Window, a small section of a 250km long stretch of sheer cliffs and breathtaking South African scenery, nicknamed Garden of Eden. The viewpoint offers panoramic views of the Blyde River Canyon and the surrounds of Mpumalanga. The cliffs in the distance have thick emerald green forests of vegetation and many waterfalls. Sadly, a huge mountain of fog rolled in shortly after we arrived b ut I managed to get a couple of shots.

On the way back, we stopped at Graskop Gorge. Another stunning place with a lift that takes you 51 metres down into the gorge. There are wooden walkways and suspension bridges that take you around the indigenous forest below with views of the gorge and the waterfall.

We end our trip by driving through Eswatini back to Mozambique. Eswatini is a small mountainous country with spectacular views all around. It is an amalgamation of more than 70 clans with their own customs and although we weren’t there at the right time, there are many local festivals that look pretty impressive. It is a quiet place, it feels like being in a large village. People are very friendly and helpful and it is the perfect place to do nothing. At the end of May, a huge music festival takes place at House on Fire. From their website: named “Top African festival” by the BBC and hailed by CNN as one of the “7 African music festivals you really have to see,” MTN Bushfire is more than a festival, it’s a living, breathing ecosystem deeply rooted in African soil, yet inclusive and welcoming to guests from all over the world. This uniquely African yet globally infused family friendly festival experience welcomes thousands of people from over 60 countries in an atmosphere of tolerance and passionate commitment to music, the arts and the environment. We are looking forward to being a part of this! https://www.bush-fire.com/

On the way to Eswatini, we took the geo trail from Barbeton in South Africa to Eswatini. It is a spectacular 38km mountain pass between Barberton and the Josefsdal border post with Eswatini that has been developed as the Barberton Makhonjwa Geotrail. There is information about the area’s geology and it’s links to the plant diversity and history along the route. There twelve landscaped viewpoints with info panels and picnic stops where you can look at rock specimens, geological features, and view points to tell the story of how the early Earth evolved some 3.6 billion years ago. The tarred road cuts through some of the most spectacular scenery in the country.  

The border crossing was deserted and very small. I don’t think many people chose to cross there! In Eswatini, we stayed near Sibebe Rock. one of southern Africa’s most impressive geological features. This immense, three-billion-year-old volcanic slab, which rises to 1,488m and covers some 16,500ha, is the world’s largest granite dome. Only Australia’s Uluru beats it to the title of ‘world’s largest rock’. There is a decent art scene and we visited 2 good art galleries in the area.

I’ll leave you some South African patés, a beautiful horse and a chilled Pixie cat! Until next time.

We got offered the jobs back in December so it has seemed like a long wait to get here. We finally landed on the 2nd August and now it was time to start getting settled. It is funny how there is so much excitement and stress beforehand, so much to do, so much preparation and then there is the slump where you are finally here and reality hits… Mozambique was particularly challenging with the paperwork required. It took us 7 months to get it all done and to get the visas which we did a few days before we were due to get on the plane. We were warmly welcomed in Maputo and taken good care of, great start.

Our container leaving Phuket!

The first few days were spent shopping, eating (a lot! the food is pretty good here), sightseeing and getting to know the place. This is Dhow, a beautiful place with amazing sunsets and some furniture made of old ammunition left from the war.

The old train station built between 1908 and 1916 is truly beautiful and well worth a visit both inside and out. I can’t find any information on where the trains go so I guess we won’t be going anywhere by train soon…

When I first came to Mozambique in 1993, I went to a lovely stretch of beach just outside Maputo and I have fond memories of swimming in the sea there. Even though the weather wasn’t great, we decided to go to Macaneta beach, about 40 minutes away. It is a wild stretch of beach with large waves and no people although apparently it can get very busy once the summer arrives.

We also explored a local fisherman’s village near our house where you can buy fish and seafood on the street and have it cooked in very rustic shacks overlooking the sea. A lively place with great atmosphere and no electricity, got pretty dark and everyone was eating by the light of their phones!

This was the table, when I say rustic, I mean rustic!

We had a long weekend, so what better way to explore than to go down to Ponta do Ouro. The closest beach to Maputo that is decent and has scuba diving. Diving here is not like Thailand! The water is cold and we had to wear 5mm wetsuits which made us all look totally ridiculous. The best bit is that you get taken out on a speed boat, jumping over the waves and holding on for dear life. Coming back in is even more hairy, as you approach the beach, the boat’s engine is revved to the max and you go flying up the beach onto the sand. They do tell you to hold on tight…

There’s a peacock outside my window!! Apparently they come over from the Portuguese International School next door. This seems to be his favourite perch. And, an owl outside my room! And a monkey outside my house!

One of the benefits from living here is the close proximity to South Africa’s Kruger National Park, one of the largest game reserves in Africa, covering an area of 20,000 km². It is about 2.5 hours drive away although the border crossing can prove to be challenging. It took us 3 hours to make it across, not great, but apparently it is not always this bad. Kruger has a large number of animals and we were impressed with what we saw. However, we missed the wilderness that we encountered in the Tanzanian parks. Kruger is very organised. Paved roads, service stations, petrol, restaurants, souvenir shops, fenced campsites… Not my kind of thing but the animals were great. We saw pretty much everything apart from leopards and rhinos.

We had a mid term break in October and some time to explore Mozambique. We were recommended to go north to Tofu beach, next to the town of Inhambane. Tofu is a cute, small village with a few restaurants and places to stay. The beach is wild and empty – there’s a theme here! We didn’t know that this is where most of the teachers, parents and students go to during the October break so there were plenty of people to bump into.

Inhambane is a sleepy town of about 80,000 people and is described as one of the prettiest towns in Mozambique. It was indeed very nice with lots of old buildings and large tree lined avenues. It has a small museum and an old church and remnants of old colonialism. We heard there was a statue of Vasco da Gama in the main square so we set off to find this old relic. We finally found him in a scrap yard down a back street. Funniest thing ever!! Apparently nobody wants him but not quite sure what to do with him, he has been relegated to some back year where is regularly topples over! The town has a long pier where you get beautiful views of the city and the bay and a decent local market with much better prices that you get in Tofu beach.

The area around Tofu is very beautiful with long, wild, sweeping beaches. Less developed than Tofu and with a popular kite surfing area, this felt like a special place. Not much there, a few places to stay and a great restaurant – the Green Turtle. On the way there, we stopped at a raised, wooden mangrove walk which took us to some fishermen and some interesting shadows under the pier.

And so, we come to an end of our first 3 months here! Lots more to explore and learn in this beautiful place. It has its challenges and moving is not easy but we are finally settling in. We are lucky to be able to explore and to have such easy access to beautiful places in and around Mozambique. I like Maputo and it has much to offer. There is a vibrant art culture here and we have seen some great music such as Bongeziwe Mabandla, from South Africa. Highly recommend having a listen to his latest album reviewed here in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/apr/28/bongeziwe-mabandla-amaxesha-review. See if you can spot Geoff!

Currently, there is a dance festival, Kikani, taking place. There are many interesting shows at affordable prices. The venues are simple and intimate and it is a good way to meet other people outside of school. Another great show that is currently on tour, opened the festival last night, very impressive performance. Here is a short video: https://fb.watch/om0rIVbWDV/ for those who like modern dance, Bantu de Victor Pontes from Portugal, a collaboration between Portugal and Mozambique.

To finish off, here is a dung beetle doing its thing, some beautiful waterfalls in Nelspruit in South Africa and a candelabra tree.

We left Thailand behind after a full seven years. What a ride that was! So much happened in that time. We learnt to scuba dive, went on many adventures, I finished another masters, did teacher training, set up a counselling practice. We lived in Bangkok and Phuket, fostered many cats, fell in love with Misty dog, mourned Misty and a few cats passing…. Watched countless sunsets and swam in warm oceans, walked through jungles and went on many boat journeys. It was sad to leave but it was time. Time for a new adventure and a new job, time to meet new people and explore new places. Thailand will always be in our hearts and we will forever cherish those memories. But, before Mozambique, it was time for yet another European summer. As you know, my blogs are more about documenting things with photos, so here it goes!

We finally made it to Edinburgh to see where Joshua and Sandra are living. Edinburgh is such a beautiful city but after Thailand it was rather chilly and we had to stock up on warm clothing which oddly has come in handy in Maputo! Our walkabouts through the city took us to many places… Their flat is by a lovely canal and I found some graffiti, of course! Edinburgh Castle is visible from many parts of the city and although it looks austere there is a beauty to it. It was a pleasure to walk around the city and to be shown sights and places that Joshua and Sandra enjoy going to.

We visited Dean Village in the Stockbridge district. Until the nineteenth century it was an independent village in the shadow of Edinburgh. The village is on The Water of Leith, the main river that flows past Edinburgh to the sea via the Firth of Forth. Dean Village was best known for its many mills, which were used to grind grain. It is now a residential area with beautiful houses and views. Way out of our price range!

We went to Carlton Hill, in the centre of the city and so easily accessible. Amazing views of the city and Arthur’s Seat, and a selection of historic monuments.

We travelled to Brighton by train, a very nice journey and a lot cheaper than flying. Brighton remains the same but it is always good to see friends and spend time with family. We managed to see some live music, enjoyed Don Letts at the Concorde 2 and found some cool graffiti, good to see Jah Shaka immortalized on the streets of Brighton!

As it seems to happen every year, we made our way to Portugal, ready to depart to Maputo from there. We explored Olhão in the Algarve, a cute small town by the water’s edge, gateway to our favourite island, Armona. Olhão is an old fishing village but more recently has become popular with tourists. There are still plenty of good places to eat, great cafes and the riverside walk is lovely in the evenings.

We went to Armona island for the day with a picnic and lots of suncream. This island is is part of the natural park of the Ria Formosa. It is just so beautiful and special with magnificent beaches and so much space. The water was a little cold but we managed to dip our toes in.

We went to Lagos and took a boat trip to look at the famous secluded beaches of Lagos such as Praia D. Ana and Praia do Camilo and the amazing rock formations. Lagos was surprisingly ok, very touristy but quite pretty. I was pleasantly surprised! It is historically associated with the Portuguese Discoveries with an attractive centre that is mostly pedestrianized. The rock formations were really cool and it is well worth doing the boat trip if you are in the area.

In Faro, we visited the Bone Chapel. There are a few of these around Portugal but we had never been to this one! It is an ossuary dating back to the 18th century. The chapel was constructed from the bones of over 1,000 monks. If you look closely at the photos, you’ll be able to see that it has femurs and is decorated with over 1,200 skulls. Above the entrance, there is the following insightful or creepy inscription:

Stop here and consider that you will reach this state too.

The church also has a beautiful tower with amazing views of Faro and the nature reserve. Oh, and the planes fly right over.

On the drive back to Lisbon we stopped over at Cais Palafítico da Carrasqueira. The Cais Palafita de Carrasqueira is composed of a wide range of boardwalks made of wood that is buried in the mud of the River Sado. These improvised constructions are a little more than fifty years old and were built to allow fishermen to board their boats during low tide. It is a surreal place with its own unusual beauty. Kind of eerie but beautiful.

Nearing the end of our holiday, we finally made it to Lisbon. No matter how many times I go there, it always looks beautiful and special. Some photos of old shops that were common but are now disappearing and some beautiful blue skies.

With our holiday coming to an end, we explored Ericeira, one of the big surfing areas in Portugal. It is pretty wild and windy with a pretty old town centre. We also went to Mafra Palace. It is the most important baroque monument in Portugal and it covers an area of almost 4 hectares! It is truly massive. Some fun facts: it includes 1,200 rooms, more than 4.,700 doors and windows, 156 stairways and 29 inner yards and courtyards. Its library is thought to be one of the most beautiful in the world and the Royal Building has two carillons with 98 bells. Oh, and there is one room full of furniture and chandeliers made of animals! We were only able to see a fraction of it and I was left wondering how one family could possibly need so much space.

And finally, the last 2 days at a beautiful beach in Alentejo with brother Jorge and Filomena. Thank you for a lovely stay and companionship. See you next Summer.

The countdown has begun, the sense that we don’t have much time and many things we are doing for the last time here. Will we be back? There is a whole world out there but Thailand will always be special to us.

We have had an amazing 7 years here. We learnt to dive, our kids finished school and went off to uni, I finished my counselling masters, set up a business, visited many islands. Went to Cambodia, Laos, Hong Kong… We were in lockdown during Covid and had Phuket to ourselves. We’ve made good friends and so many memories! Sad to be leaving but excited for a new adventure.

Some final photos from around Bang Tao, our home for the last 5 years and a place of many sunsets.

One of my favourite places in Thailand is Khao Sok national park. Not far from Phuket and the most incredible scenery, jungle and lake. I was so lucky to have been able to go again with a school trip. It is covered by the oldest evergreen rainforest in the world, huge limestone mountains shooting straight up in the air, deep valleys, breathtaking lakes, exciting caves, wild animals – we heard elephants but didn’t see any! Lots of hornbills and monkeys though. It is an incredibly beautiful place, if you come to Thailand, make sure you visit the jungle and the lake. Amazing hikes, good to take a guide as they somehow spot stuff nobody else can see.

Phuket is not only beaches and luxury resorts and we found some beautiful walks. So hot to walk though and we are not good at going early!

Yay, Marianne came to visit! We spend some time in Railay beach and in Koh Phanghan. This was our last holiday here so we had to pick carefully. So many places to revisit but having been to Koh Phayam recently, Koh Phanghan was the next best choice. We went to a rave, just like the ones in the 80’s and enjoying chilling.

When we fist came to Thailand seven years ago, we went to Railay beach in Krabi. Everyone raved about how beautiful it was and how it was a must. When we got there, it didn’t stop raining! It was still impressive but extremely wet. We decided to return for another go. It is a small peninsula only accessible by boat as there a huge limestone cliffs in the way. There are no cars, plenty of paths to explore, cafes and restaurants. It has an amazing chilled vibe and beautiful sunsets.

Trip to Bangkok, how about being a tourist? One great thing to do is to explore the canals, there are so many! The Chao Phraya River, or River of Kings runs through Bangkok and there are many smaller canals that link communities. In the 19th century, the canal and river network stretched hundreds of kilometres and was the lifeblood of the city. It connected houses, public spaces and temples, served as transport corridors for commercial goods and there were more floating than land-based markets.  Many have now been paved to make way for roads. You can walk the canals or you can get a longtail. We opted for a boat this time and it was worth it.

From one large Bhudda to another! Wat Pho is one of Bangkok’s oldest and largest temples. The image of the reclining Buddha represents the entry of Buddha into Nirvana and the end of all reincarnations. The posture of the image is referred to as sihasaiyas, the posture of a sleeping or reclining lion. The figure is 15 m high and 46 m long, and it is one of the largest Buddha statues in Thailand.

We came to Bangkok from Moshi in Tanzania. A very rural setting to a very urban one. The first weekend we went to Lumpini Park in search of some nature. In our last weekend we returned to say goodbye. We didn’t see a massive monitor but saw a baby one!

So, it is goodbye for now. The removals are packing as I type and there is sadness for endings and excitment for a new chapter. It is extra sad as we had to say goodbye to Misty a few days ago. She was an amazing dog! Often sick but courageous and full of joy and love. We will miss her dearly.

We’re definitely not used to the cold anymore! It was so good to come back to Thailand and be warm again. Thailand does feel like home, it is comfortable, familiar and we love it here. So, why are you moving, I hear you ask… When we decided to leave everything behind it was for an adventure, for variety, for a different way of life. Staying in one place is not what we want and Africa beckons. We had 3 places we were considering: Mozambique, Senegal and Turkey. There were jobs for both of us in all those countries but Mozambique came first. Now for the paperwork! And so it starts. We have spent the last 2.5 months getting phase one sorted and what a headache it has been – there is more to come but we will get there.

2023 saw the year of the Rabbit – Chinese Lunar Year with 15 day long celebrations. There are quite a few Chinese temples in Phuket so this is a popular celebration here and all over Thailand. We went into Phuket Town to see the sights and enjoy the party atmosphere.

As it is out last year in Thailand, we had to decide which places we wanted to visit for the last time; we settled on Koh Phayam. One of our favourite places ever. It is such a beautiful, chilled island, no cars and not much there. There is one ATM on the island and it doesn’t always work so good to take some cash with you. No 711s, no high rise buildings, only small local shops, simple bars and restaurants. One of few places where you can still get a simple bungalow on the beach! It’s the sort of place where you could get stuck for months…

Job To Do is well known all over Thailand! His music has made a massive impact on Thai country and folk music with his unique blend of reggae. He has had a huge influence on the popularity of reggae music in Thailand and he plays all over. He has played many times in Phuket and somehow I never managed to see him. As luck would have it, there he was on Koh Phayam right next to our hotel! Great music, they played for over 3 hours and what a great atmosphere, sand between our toes and a very chilled crowd. You can read more about him on here: https://phanganist.com/koh-phangan-party-musician-article/story-job2do-thailands-most-successful-reggae-act.

I’m a sucker for hand painted signs, so here a few from the island.

I think we managed to explore most of the island on this second visit but there was a beach we had missed last time. It turned out to be one of our faves in the end. It had a road sign “beautiful rock by the sea” which was intriguing. As it turned out, there were many rocks by the sea and it was rather beautiful. I think the beach is called Khaokwai beach, not entirely sure as the signs point to the rocks and I saw no beach name.

And so ends our trip to Phayam – we will miss you! Back to Ranong and Phuket. Until next time…

After a full on summer in Europe, we were finally back to Thailand and in need of a holiday. Time to start job hunting, scary time, have to hand in our notices before we have jobs but hey, that is part of the adventure, you never know where you might end up. So exciting but scary and nerve racking all at the same time. We are currently in the process of doing paperwork for Mozambique. Great school and package, fingers crossed it all gets accepted. In the meantime, we are enjoying our last few months in Thailand.

Due to my ulcerative colitis, we spend a lot of time in Bangkok but before that, here is something at the traffic lights in Phuket!

Whilst in Bangkok, we decided to explore places we had wanted to visit but for some reason or another had not got round to it. One of those places is the Golden Mound temple. Apparently it is the only hill in Bangkok and 344 steps take you to the top. It was built in 1467, quite old then.

We did a fair bit of walking, Bangkok is great around the old part and the old streets. It really takes you back in time and it is such a contrast to the new skyscrapers, shopping malls, huge advertising billboards, concrete skytrain….

In September, we added another cat to our family. Sadly, Sherlock Holmes went walk about and there was a kitten in need (isn’t there always…). He was too cute and we couldn’t resist!

Monsoon season starts around end of April and as expected it brings rain and big storms. 2022 was a particularly fierce year for rain. Phuket and other parts of Thailand suffered the worst floods in 30 years. Never seen so much water in my life! It was horrendous, mudslides, floods, roads collapsing… No idea how only 1 person died. There are obviously many photos but these document some of my drives home. There were various floods over a period of a few weeks, so it came and went but the rain seemed to go on forever, months and months.

We had a glimpse of sunshine and ran to the beach for a sunset, it was not to last but it was a ray of hope followed by another trip to Bangkok.

Bangkok walkabout around the Portuguese and French Embassies. I just love walking around the old streets, away from the concrete jungle and shopping madness.

Great area for walking about, some good vegetarian Indian eateries and shops and a beautiful temple, always full of life, colour and smells.

And it was time to fly off to Portugal for Christmas! Had not been there for Christmas for over 20 years, we were so excited to be spending it with family. Even better to be together with Mazzie, Joshua and Sandra. I really don’t like the long plane journey and the jet lag but it was worth it. We had a lovely airbnb with lots of space and plenty of places to walk to.

We had a fabulous Xmas at Leonor’s house followed by another at brother Jorge’s house! So much amazing food and wonderful to be with family. I’d forgotten how much food is eaten in Portugal. Leonor’s Xmas was a feast followed by one at brother Jorge’s house where we had over 12 desserts. This was after eating various starters and main courses! Oh, and a massive Bolo Rei.

Pre Xmas sunset in Sesimbra! Sesimbra is usually packed in the summer so it was really weird to see it deserted and shut. We struggled to find a cafe to warm ourselves up with a hot drink. The sunset was beautiful and the walk along the beachfront blew the cobwebs away,

We spent an afternoon at the Botanic Gardens in Belem. Peaceful and quiet, met a cat, plenty of birds and wandered about watching peacocks…

We love Lisbon! Our plane was cancelled so get got a bonus day and night to potter around and have another drink with brother Jorge. What a treat. Saw the Xmas lights and watched the sun set over the bridge.It truly is a beautiful city.

Off to England to see friends and family. We stayed in Brighton and just chilled ; literally as it was quite cold although not as bad as we expected. Lisbon was quite balmy and we didn’t even wear coats but the UK was windy and drizzly. We didn’t do much and tended to stay in and snuggle.

I have only one photo of Anne and Grammy! Can’t believe there are no others. Very poor show… Maybe the cold froze my fingers and sadly there are no photos to show.

And so, 2022 draws to a close. A year of ups and downs! Marianne left home to go to uni, my illness flared up again, we decided to move, had two amazing trips to Europe to spend time with family and friends. Lost one cat, got another cat, had many trips to Bangkok, witnessed some awful floods, and so it goes on… We are grateful for our friends and family and for the experiences we continue to have. A new chapter awaits and with it some different blogs and scenery. Let’s hope 2023 brings everyone lots of joy and happiness. Miss you all!

It has been a while…. Not sure, not had the inspiration to write… A lot has been happening and time flies. Marianne left for uni in the UK in August, we went to Europe for the first time in 3 years, we decided to move on and have been job hunting.

First stop Lisbon in the Summer. What a beautiful city and country, I never tire of it. We had not seen anybody for so long, it was amazing to make connections again and to feel part of something. Living so far away, with such a different lifestyle, it can be easy to feel a loss of connection with those we are close to. Covid further created

Sadly we all got Covid during our stay in Portugal! Just before, we had a fabulous family reunion in a beautiful area in Minde. Thank you Leonor for organising this.

There was one thing I have wanted to do for years, to walk the Passadiços do Paiva, 8 km of steep wooden walkways along the bank of the Paiva River with scenic views. Provides a walk “untouched”, surrounded by unique beauty of landscapes, in an authentic natural sanctuary with waterfalls and rivers. The route extends from the river beaches of Areinho and Espiunca, lying between them, the Vau beach. A journey through biology, geology and archeology. Sadly, between having Covid and one of the hottest summers in history, we were not able to do this walk as it was closed due to the danger of fires. Instead, we chilled in our own schist village in Arouca. Very isolated and raw natural beauty!

I had not been to Coimbra before and I absolutely loved it! What a beautiful city steeped in history. I could easily have spent more time there. We visited the old university, of course.  It was the first Portuguese university in 1290 in Lisbon and relocated to Coimbra in 1308, making it the oldest academic institution in the Portuguese-speaking world. Its historical buildings were classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2013. The library, built in 1717 is simply stunning and considered one of the most beautiful in the world. You are not allowed to photograph inside so these are not my photos. Oh, and the books are protected from insects by a colony of bats!

We visited the Cabinet of Curiosities in the Science Museum of the university. These cabinets were popular in 17th century onwards and were mainly created by the European nobility, who tried to gather in these rooms a set of objects, such as exotic pieces, in an attempt to recreate the work of God. The aim of these cabinets was to display rare, exotic and even bizarre objects, so as to amaze the visitor and simultaneously show the cosmopolitan vision of their owner.

The rest of the city was great for walking and we did some exploring although by this stage we were all pretty sick and spent the next two days in the hotel recovering.

It was time to leave and visit out friends and family in the UK where the weather was also fabulous. Don’t you just love the British seaside… and Brighton! Here are some typical seaside scenes, you wouldn’t expect this in such a trendy city but there you go.

As we were in Brighton we decided to go up on the i360, a 162 m moving observation tower with, as the name suggests, 360 degree views! Fabulous, highly recommend it.

We spent some time exploring London with Mazzie, Camden Market was her fave place. We found Peaky Blinders over there!

We couldn’t even remember the last time we saw each other! So, so long ago… We had a great time in Portsmouth, pottering about like tourists. We went up the Spinaker Tower, what a view at 170 meters high with a glass platform, not for the faint hearted.

Back to Brighton once again and it is time for Pride 2022! The city is full of colour and rainbows, such a happy, carefree atmosphere.

It is always a pleasure to spend an afternoon in Lewes, wandering around the old lanes, sitting in the cafes and what a wonderful summer of sunshine to do this in.

Anne and Grammy kindly let us stay in their beautiful house. We were very lucky to also look after Sam who is a truly lovely doggo. Mazzie and I enjoyed taking him for walks up on the hills, beautiful views and sense of freedom up there.

And it was nearly time to go back home. Time to leave Mazzie who went on to America to work at a stables in North Carolina. It was so hard to say goodbye… Before she left, we went to Barcombe Mills for a swim but it was full of algae and not safe for swimming.

Thailand here I come! Another school year about to start and time to start job hunting for our next adventure.

Nearly the end of another school year and nearly time for our summer hols. After 3 years, we are going to Portugal and the UK. Can’t wait…

In February, we visited the Surin Islands. Surin Islands are an archipelago of five islands within Mu Ko Surin National Park, in Phang Nga Province. The islands are 55 km off the coast, 100 km north from Similan Islands in the Andaman Sea and just 18 km from the oceanic border of Burma

Popular for its coral gardens and white beaches, Surin Islands are one of the most famous diving and marine life viewing sites in Thailand. It is a very untouched area with only a Moken village and national park buildings where you can stay as well as a few tents. It is probably one of the most beautiful places we have been to.

On the way there we had some pretty heavy rain!

Our tent, could have stayed there for a few more days.

The only way to get around!

In April, we went island hopping in Koh Mook, Lipe and Kradan. Yes, I know, it seems like our life is one long holiday but we do work in between! Mook is less touristy than some other islands and with Covid, it has been decimated. It was quiet, many places were closed and it had a feeling of being derelict but I loved it! There is a great, little bakery in town, she makes delicious banoffe pie for 25 baht.

Someone’s kitchen

Goodbye Mook, hello Lipe! Quite touristy but it grew on us, eventually. Met some friends from Bangkok, did some diving and stayed at Castaway Resort which also has a dive centre. Nice place with a decent restaurant.

From Lipe to Kradan. A very small island with no roads, no shops, nothing really. Very beautiful and unspoilt. We stayed at Kalume. A beautiful eco resort run by an Italian couple. Delicious food and it felt like home, very cosy and a happy place

Phuket Town is just on our doorstep and is a place we go to for a little slice of small city life. There are many good cafes and local restaurants and it is seeped in history. There are many sino-Portuguese buildings and a great market on Sundays. Our favourite is China House for lunch!

Final dive of the season at Koh Weo, a tiny island off Bang Tao beach and Tin Lizzy Wreck (a tin mining excavator). It was surprisingly good and clear. We had been there before with very poor visibility which was disappointing. We were lucky to go with a lovely couple from Argentina we had met in Lipe.

It has been a very long school term but we were lucky to have a long weekend halfway through which we spent in Chinatown in Bangkok. It is such an amazing area, full of history, alleyways, markets, stalls and food. An assault on the senses. It was also a great excuse to meet up with Sarah and Mick. We stayed at the Shanghai Mansion. Beautiful hotel and a huge room right in the heart of Chinatown.

Chinatown at night really comes alive! It is manic, noisy and full of food stalls.

It has been a difficult year with Covid and we are fortunate to be able to go to islands and relax. Many lockdowns, school closures, not being able to leave Thailand and missing friends and families has been hard. We are grateful to live in such a beautiful place and have the opportunity to explore this amazing country. See you back in August!

What better way to start the year than to go on an adventure? Dropping Joshua and Sandra off at the airport was sad and the idea of going back home was horrid. So, we dropped them and kept driving north to Ranong. Ranong is a small border town, not a lot to do, sleepy but pleasant for a night; before Covid, most people came here for a visa run to Myanmar. The food was good though and we had an amazing breakfast! Before Ranong, we stopped at Memories Bar in Koh Lak. Nice little place, surfers paradise and a perfect spot for a weekend getaway from Phuket.

And to Ranong! Geoff found us some street art… A very old barber’s shop and a cat.

Strange things do happen and the world can at times feel like a very small place. After stopping for petrol and bumping into someone I used to work with in Bangkok, we then bumped into somebody else we used to know, from Geoff’s school in Bangkok. Jon L! We had a really good catch up with Jon and Pat and it turned out that they were staying in the same hotel and in the room next to ours!!! Go figure… We had an amazing Thai breakfast, the best Thai breakfast I’ve had in Thailand before getting on a boat to Koh Phayam.

Koh Phayam is a very small island, about 45.00 km², it has no roads and no cars and the population is around 500 people. It is unspoiled and rustic and some places still have no electricity. It is a hippy, rasta kind of island and a great place to chill. There are 2 main beaches on the island, Ao Yai and Ao Kao Kwai (Buffalo Bay). Both are very beautiful and at the moment, extremely quiet and unspoiled.

There is so much space on this beach! A lot of places were closed due to Covid and the sense of space and freedom was just amazing. Although it is now becoming more developed, the island is still very rustic with no frills. There are a few places to eat and some cafes dotted around the island but all are pretty basic. No chance of getting a decaf here. Came across a wonderful little Japanese bakery by Bamboo Bungalows on long beach. She makes beautiful bread, cakes and sandwiches. If you ever visit, go there. It was our favourite place!

There is only one temple on the island and it is at the end of a small pier which is rather unusual.

The next place to visit was Buffalo Bay. One end was not particularly nice but the end where the Hippy Bar is, is particularly beautiful. I am being fussy now…

One of the highlights of being in Phayam was watching the sunset from the Hippy Bar. This is a really crazy and amazing reclaimed wooden construction that goes on for ever. The bit you see on the beach is like a pirate ship jutting out but as you walk inside it goes on to all sorts of nooks and crannies, walkways and lounging areas. Incredible!

We read about a beach in the north that was quite hard to get to! If you don’t want to meet people, go to Ao Kwangpeep, also called Monkey Bay – a tiny little beach at the northernmost point. However, to get there is not easy and not completely harmless either. With Geoff’s riding skills this was a walk in the park although I was pretty scared! The road starts off well tarred, until one thing is clear: this is no longer a road but a steep descent with plenty of massive holes! It was worth it though, the beach was deserted and the only place to stay is now fully derelict and abandoned due to Covid. The view to Koh Chang and Myanmar is beautiful!

It has now been 5 years and 6 months since we set foot in Thailand. I had never really thought about visiting Asia, apart from India so ending up in Thailand was not on the cards but life has its twists and turns… We are at a crossroads at the moment; reevaluating our life, options, needs and wants. Having choices is great and we are fortunate to be in this position but it also brings confusion and leads to difficult decisions having to be made. In the meantime, we are enjoying our time here, getting on with work and continuing to explore as much as we can during these Covid times. We are in the middle of a fifth wave and it feels as if everyone has had enough now. It seems the government is trying to keep things open and make Covid endemic this year. Let’s see…

October and it’s Halloween. Not a lot going on but some funky decorations and Marianne and Blaze looking cool! I tried to scare the kids at school

The much awaited December finally arrived with Joshua and Sandra visiting. After 2.5 years, it was a very exciting reunion! December also marked the end of the Monsoon. After 6 months of rain, some of it of biblical proportions, seeing blue skies and calm seas is good for the soul.

The wait is finally over. We all went to Bangkok to collect Joshua and Sandra and spent a few days exploring with Marianne and Blaze. Never been to a games cafe before but highly recommend it. Such fun and so many games!!

Went to a festival of lights which included a river trip to see some of the lights around Bangkok. Some unusual installations…..

Back to Phuket to a Xmas full of cheer. It was the first Xmas where we have all been together with partners. Very exciting to see the kids growing up into adults and enjoying their independence. Thank you to the friends who joined us and made it a fun and memorable day.

And so the adventure begins. On to Khao Sok National Park – it is covered by the oldest evergreen rainforest in the world, huge limestone mountains shooting straight up in the air, deep valleys and breathtaking lakes. We decided to go on a stroll which ended up taking forever but managed to get to a river for a cool swim. We thought it would be a leisurely stroll through the jungle, 3kms, they said, each way. It is indeed a beautiful forest, may types of trees, monkeys, plants… It all looked even better once we managed to get back to the car and rest.

We stayed one night at Cheow Lan Lake, an 185-square-kilometre artificial lake. The lake is only a few decades old but the area is ancient. Khao Sok National Park outdates even the Amazon rainforest, with scientists estimating its creation at approximately 160 million years ago. The cliffs in this area are thought to have been created at the same time as the Himalayas, when 50 million years ago the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates collided, forcing the rock upwards. It is an incredibly beautiful scenery with limestone cliffs jutting out of the emerald water. So much fun for swimming and kayaking! Shame is was cloudy but still beautiful.

And New Year came and went… Let’s hope 2022 brings joy and happiness to us all and hopefully less Covid. Time for one more picturesque trip before Joshua and Sandra head back to chilly Edinburgh. Coral Island or Koh Hae is very close to Phuket and easy to get to for the day. It has beautiful, clear, blue water and a coral reef which is just off the beach. Plenty of fish to see!

And the visit comes to an end! See you in Summer.