Botswana

We had a pretty rushed week in Johannesburg catching up with friends, doing admin, visiting banks, doctors and hairdressers before picking up Paul and heading to the farm to pack the caravan and set out for the Botswana trip. One good Joburg tip especially for winter is to go to Bice at the Hyde Park Sun for lunch. The views are stunning and the food and wine pairing is great.
We headed for Ellisras and found a spot to overnight near the border. Next day we crossed the border at Stockpoort,  the best African border crossing I think we have ever done. Also beats anything in the US or UK too! No queues and no checks and very friendly staff. Botswana roads are quiet and pretty good. We spent the first night at Khama Rhino Sanctuary. I recommend this as a good halfway stop between Joburg and Moremi. The campsites and facilities are excellent. The next day we headed into The Central Kalahari for three nights. It's a beautiful desert wilderness with secluded campsites and wild open spaces. We had wonderful sightings of herds of gemsbok, springbok and giraffe and saw many birds. You have to be fully self sufficient for camping. We loved being all alone in the wilderness, sitting around the campfire in the evening, watching amazing sunsets and seeing the full moon rising in the clear sky. Our best sighting was of a honey badger. It was our first visit and definately on the list of places to return to.

                                                                         
                                                                              

Birthday Party No.1

I have decided that turning fifty calls for celebrating not just once but in many of my favourite places around the globe. Ka Jok See in Phuket is probably my best party venue in the whole world; so it was fitting to have the first party there. It's really hard to capture the marvel of the place in mere words and pictures but we did have a superb time as usual. Thanks Ka Jok See and friends, Robyn, Robin, Hanli, Andrew and Nikki, for  a great fun night!

Sailing and Diving and Song Kran

Nikki joined us from Perth for a few days of good diving at the Similan Islands, followed by five days of wonderful sailing with Rob and Andries. We sailed around Pang -Na Bay; stopping at PiPi island, Krabi and a few smaller islands. What a great trip! One afternoon we sailed through a big and beautiful rain storm, with lightening flashing all around and I found it oddly calming just being at the mercy of Mother Nature. It brought home the idea that worrying too much about something you have little or no control over is pointless. Another great  life lesson brought to me courtesy of travel and one that was about to come in very handy!
Thai New Year or Song Kran,(water festival) is celebrated around 13 April each year. In Phuket and especially Patong, this translates into a 48 hour water pistol fight and crazy party.One Nikki followed on from  the other Nikki as our party partner and we just kept going until we staggered onto a plane bound for SA on 15 April.

Phuket again

It's one of our  many 'home away from homes". As soon as we get to Capri Residence in Nanai Rd, Patong, we regret not having planned to stay much longer. Davide and Mui are happy to see us, the motorbike rental is opposite, the laundry service is two doors down and the best massage in the whole of Thailand is just down the road. Then it's off to lunch at Song Pee Nong, where we are greeted as long lost friends. We were surprised to see that our favourite sunset cocktail bar has been upgraded into the Barefoot Bar, with live acoustic music every evening now. Of course not all the crazy building and development going on in Phuket is good and there's a feeling that it's just getting too busy now! Blame it on the BRICS countries producing millions of new tourists every year who are looking for cheap and easy international destinations.The most exciting discovery for us this year was that the proposed development at Laem Sing Beach has been canned for the time being; so we were able to enjoy our favourite Thai beach for another year.Tums Bar is still hanging in there on Soi Seadragon but Mike and the band are somewhat drowned out by blaring music from the bars opposite, so he only starts playing at midnight now! We met baby Joshua; and hung out with proud grandparents Robyn and Robin.We loved having Hanli and Andrew join us for a week. It's great when "guests" are so enthusiastic and just enjoy themselves so much. We ate at beach shacks,drank through cocktail menus, rode on scooters,chatted to lady boys, stayed up till after 2am, listened to heavy music,shopped and had massages and facials.You don't have to do "nothing" to de-stress; you just have to do "different"!