The days have drifted since I last blogged – a combination of getting lazier, birthday celebrations (+ hangovers!!) and the excitement of Alice and Marc arriving. So this blog is just to be a collection of photos with captions to help me catch up on myself – bear with me 😶

These are photos of our local fishing harbour – we plan to take a kayak from here one day soon to go up into the nearby mangrove swamps.

The local monkeys hang around waiting to be fed with anything you’re prepared to part with. An entrepreneurial local has even opened up a banana stall right opposite their favourite haunt!!

Finally the day arrived, last Thursday, to go and collect Alice and Marc from the airport. We decided to go native and dress up in ‘Thailand holiday clothes!’ We achieved everything we had hoped … Alice said that when she saw us she immediately thought OMG are they really dressing this way now but clinging onto the hope we had done it as a joke!!!

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othing like embarrassing your daughter at an International Airport!!

And Thursday was my birthday – I missed everybody back home very much but received so many lovely messages and had lots of treats and surprises here in Phuket.

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n our return from the airport we walked into the hotel to be greeted with Birthday singing, cake, bubbly and flowers – such a special surprise.

The Thai girls (Pen, Tip and Nan) were so excited to tell me to look in the bedroom …..

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hey had decorated our bedroom with balloons and left some gifts on the bed …. I was so humbled. The more I travel I find that the less people have the more they give ❤️

And then Steve had booked a table at our favourite restaurant here – The Cove – we had a beautiful evening – cocktails, delicious dinner overlooking the sea, flowers, more cake … yes, I was truly spoiled.

It’s been so amazing to have Alice and Marc share this experience with us. Now that they’ve had a couple of days to acclimatise (they’re finding it so much hotter here than in Bangkok or India) we’re about to head out on some trips.

We went out with a crowd from the hotel to Rawai on Saturday evening – had a fabulous dinner at Nikitas by the harbour and then crossed the road to ‘The Sunshine Bar.’ Mr. Osborne (a guest and new friend from the hotel) is a frequent visitor here and so organised this night out.

My very lovely new friend Michelle – sipping cocktails in Rawai 😊

And then we hit the Sunshine Bar … well, what an experience – laughed so much!!

We all sat around the bar drinking cocktails, singing, playing instruments (I’m in love with the tambourine!) wearing different hats and wigs, dancing too …. and the bar staff (girls, boys and ladyboys) entertained us throughout … thoroughly recommend this as a night out!!

Heading out on a trip later today to visit more temples and buddhas!! Then onto Patong to introduce Alice and Marc to the spectacle of the Bangla Road and all its chaos. Off on a boat trip to James Bond Island on Wednesday which looks quite beautiful and exciting.

So sorry this blog has been a little bland – I think it’s because my tummy is screaming out for ‘ all things bland’ today!! Will return with more ‘wit’ on blogs of our upcoming trips. 😒