Bangkok 2

Wednesday morning we were up before the larks to have our buffet breakfast before being picked up at 6.30am by the minibus for the nearly 2 hour trip to the Damnoen Saduak floating market and "Rose" Garden. A family from Christchurch were the only others with us on this whole day excursion which passed through industrial areas, scrap yards, wet lush ountryside with salt farms, coconut palms and rather poor houses. Our first stop was at a roadside coconut processing workshop which demonstrated how the entire palm tree is used commercially in some way. We sampled coconut sugar which is made from boiling the sap of the cut flower buds of the palm over open fires unlike palm sugar which is made from the sap of the tree itself. We had a little taste of some scrapings of the coconut flesh also and these were moist and delicious rather than dry like the coconuts at home.

Heading for the floating market in our "James Bond"boat

Further on down the road we all boarded one of several long-tail boats with an outboard motor for a very interesting ride of about 20 minutes down the narrow waterways to the well-known floating market. There were lots of patched up wooden houses on stilts fringing the canal, some in better order than others and most with shrines outside being a predominantly Buddhist country accounting for 90% of Thai people. Interestingly in Thailand they consider the year to be 2556, not 2013, as they use the Buddhist Calendar.

Traffic Jam!

We really enjoyed this boat trip along the peaceful canals but once we got to the floating market it was really busy with boats everywhere. At this point we were dropped off to wander around, first sampling some tiny coconut pancakes and then wandering along with the crowds looking at the colourful fruit and wares of the boat vendors and the stalls alongside. This is actually the part that I don't enjoy at all as the minute you slow your pace or stop to look at something the shop owners or assistant just can't stop hassling you with "what size, what size, what colour, what colour" and they just keep following you around the shop pestering which means that I just walk out to get away from them! From what I could see though sizes were a problem - very little children's clothing apart from for babies and what they had was a bit tacky. Adults things were basically one size fits all which often doesn't make for the best look! So our shopping was virtually nil as it was with the rest of the group. We bought a bunch of little bananas and a coconut with a straw to drink the "milk"- again delicious and sweet and much nicer than the milk I have tried previously. Len was dead keen to sample some food from the boat vendors but I managed to keep him away which was easier once he had seen all the flies settling on the dried fish in the sun and heat of the day. Chicken would have been even more of a risk.

Bangkok 1

We had a good fast train trip down to Euston where we caught the tube to Heathrow, this time changing at Leicester Square instead of Green Park which we did on arrival. The station porter told us that there would be a much shorter walk doing the Leicester Square option although we can't verify if this is so as we've already forgotten how far the walk was at the Green Park station!
We had quite a bit of time to fill in at Heathrow so we were able to take our time wandering around the shops, having some Italian (food!) to eat and then sitting back to read or people watch. Didn't manage to see anyone we knew!
The flight to Bangkok was smooth on the whole and we were lucky to have a spare seat beside us for the first time in years so I was able to lie across 2 and actually get a couple of hours sleep while Len managed to do the same sitting up. The Thai food on this leg, yellow thai curry plus other bits, was also especially nice. Bangkok airport was busy but we were met by a rep, Lin, from Hotelbeds so it was no problem getting to the Belaire Princess where we were upgraded to a superior deluxe which meant that we had 2 kingsize beds, a large office desk and room to swing lots of cats - so different from the B&Bs in England and probably little more than half the price. The hotel was great, as was it's swimming pool, and we found it a treat to have our luggage carried everywhere for us.
On the way to the Hotel Lin had persuaded us to go to the Calypso Cabaret which she said was the best show in town and a "must see". She said she would take us to the sky train and tell us how to get there but somehow she ended up coming with us on the train and then a boat down the river to the venue, at our expense (which was very little). It turned out that she had a friend that she wanted to visit in the same area so maybe that's why she suggested the show but I have to say that we were pleased to have a guide in the steaming throngs of people - such a interesting crowded, traffic-jammed city!

Silicon Valley!?

The Show"girls"!

Prior to the show Len and I had a very cheap Thai dinner at one of the busiest little cafes close by - less than $20 in total for our meals and a beer each and it was nice food. The Cabaret was rather different, to say the least - it's totally an all-male cast with extravagantly dressed beautiful dancers who, after probably several surgical procedures, look more female than most of us authentic ones and are taller than their male counterparts in the show - maybe the high heels - but certainly much taller than the norm in Thailand. The show, whilst interesting, didn't quite do it for me with it's taped music, mimed singing, poor choreography and very weak embarrassing applause from the full-house. Maybe applause isn't big here, I don't know, but to me they did deserve a little more than what they got!

After the show who should unexpectedly be waiting for us? Answer: Lin herself as she wanted to share our taxi back to her place close to our Hotel. I guess she gets to visit her friend for free quite often with suggesting that tourists see the show!

Whitehaven 3

The last 4 days in Whitehaven have sped by, as the end of a holiday always does - we had a trip to the dump with the old carpet that we lifted from Wils and Esme's living room, visited Doug and Pam, Alice, Joan and Norman where we also had a stroll to St Bees beach, and we took Wils and Esme (in their car of course!) through to Carlisle, Brampton and then to Dobbies Garden centre on the way home. That night we joined Mark, Tracy, Kaitlin and Mia for an easy dinner at Wetherspoons - curry for us seeing it was 'Curry Night'.
And I had forgotten to say that, in our first week in Whitehaven, we had a very nice Italian meal with Joan and Norman at Casa Romana before going to the local players production of Fawlty Towers in the Civic Hall - a brave play to do with everyone already knowing the characters and script so well but they did it well. Manuel was the highlight for me as he just seemed like the same Manuel as in the TV series but Basil also did pretty well and we enjoyed watching, even though I enjoyed a 5 minute sleep half way through!

Len enjoyed his Friday night at Wetherspoons / Paul Jones with Doug and Harold, listening to the live band of Weathered Rock and catching up with old friends, this being followed by a good crack with Mark at The Sunny Hill on Saturday afternoon. Saturday night Len and I went to Zest,my favourite restaurant in Whitehaven, with its great views over the harbour, as a birthday present treat from Sandra and Matt - delicious and a very nice night, thankyou S & M!

Our favourite Whitehaven Eating place - thanks S&M!

We are now on a Virgin Pendolino tilting, high speed train heading from Carlisle to Euston where we will take the tube to Heathrow in time to get our flight to Bangkok for our 6 nights in Thailand before heading home. Apparently there is lots of flooding there, especially in the north around the Chiangmai area where we are heading after Bangkok. I guess the plane won't fly there if it is too serious!

It is sad to leave Wils and Esme and their amazing hospitality but good to see them both looking so well, and with "all their marbles" at 93 and 88. We will be rapt if we can follow in their footsteps!

Keswick & Birthday

We had hoped to have dinner on Tuesday night in the trip-advisor top rating Thai Restaurant which happened to be part of the B&B right next door to ours! However, being very small they were already booked out so instead we did the short wander to The Dog and Gun, our favourite old Pub in Keswick with all it's character, low black-beamed ceilings, coins poked in the walls and a good selection of real ales which you can try before you buy. It's very dog friendly but all the dogs lying under the tables are always very quiet ad well-behaved! This Pub is famous for it's Hungarian Goulash which 90% of people seem to order so of course we had to order the same - a small for me and a large (which is HUGE) for Len, as well as a pint of Old Peculiar Ale. The goulash lived up to it's reputation and was delicious - meat which fell to bits and a little bit of spice. We were very replete afterwards!

T, The Dog & Gun plus a few dogs!

The next day was my birthday and it dawned a little cloudy but very still - after a nice big breakfast we set off on the anti-clockwise 9 mile walk around Derwentwater which is the Lake that Keswick nestles besides. It was another perfect day for walking and it is all very picturesque - lots of holly, oak trees and others just starting to show their autumn colours, good lake views, some boardwalks and a pretty waterfall, Lodore Falls, just up from the track. It took us just under 4 hours and on finishing we treated ourselves to Cumbrian rum-buttered scones and coffee at the Lakeside Cafe.

View up the Borrowdale Valley from Derwentwater

We popped in to see Harold and June on our way "home" to Wils and Esmes, not only to see them but also to see the renovations to the lovely accommodation, attached to their house, where Harold's mother used to live. They are going to do Holiday Lets and will be a lovely country spot for people to visit with its lovely views of the countryside and horses and sea in the distance.

Esme and Wils had a lovely birthday dinner waiting for us, and for Joan and Norman, when we arrived back to their house - Esme's famous Johnny Mazelli meat and pasta dish and Wils' famous trifle as well as lots of other nice things! We have been so spoilt in every way!!

Whitehaven - Keswick

After helping Wils and Esme to make the big decision to buy new carpet for their lounge we packed them off to Joan and Normans for the night on Sunday so we could empty the lounge of furniture and take up the old carpet for them. The carpet fitters came in yesterday (Monday) and we had time to restore everything to normal (well almost anyway - it was hard to remember exactly which cupboard some of the things came out of!) by the time Joan dropped Wils and Esme back that evening. The carpet looks great and is really nice underfoot with the new underlay.

On the way up Catbells

This morning Len and I have come to Keswick for my birthday "treat" - we have walked up Catbells, the first "fell" that we ever walked up together soon after we first met. It started off quite cloudy and there were lots of walkers on the path initially but they somehow thinned out as it started drizzling and we neared the top which was in total cloud. Several walkers in their tramping boots and with walking poles had turned around and said it was too slippery on the rocks towards the top but Len and I were fine in our trainers and walking sandles respectively as long as I didn't look down!

The view at the top!

A big hand for the birthday girl!

It's one of the lesser fells in Cumbria but has beautiful views over 2 lakes - Bassenthwaite and Derwentwater and also down the green pastures of the Borrowdale Valley. It took us under an hour to do the mile to the top - at 451 metres it's probably about twice the height of the Mount - and then it was a less rugged walk down the other side and down to the edge of Derwentwater which we followed to do a circuit back to the car. The sun came out briefly on the way down and really the walking conditions had been perfect for us going up - no wind and not too hot - just a shame about the cloud on top. We stopped for a beer - John Smiths for Len and a Hobgoblin for me - at the Farmers Arms in Portinscale before coming to our B&B, the Swiss Court, in Keswick which is where we are now. The owner, Connor, has spent some time in Queenstown and has only run the B&B here, with his mother, for 2 months.
Out of our window we have a nice view of Latrigg which some of our NZ friends and family climbed with us when they came over for our wedding!

Whitehaven 2

The 2 weeks in Whitehaven so far have been a bit of a whirl of spending time with family, visiting friends, dinners out and trying to get out on some of our favourite walks.

Norman, T, L, Esme, Joan, Wils & Nic.

Joan and Norman invited us all for a lovely dinner on Esme's 88th birthday night and the next day Len and I took Wils and Esme out for a Sunday Roast at The White Mare, the pub in Beckermet, where Len and I got married over 7 years ago. It was really nice and we could do a bit of reminiscing although it was raining when we came out and we couldn't pause for a photo of the 2 of us!!

Jean and John cooked a lovely "dinner for 8" last Friday and we had some laughs as we caught up with Janet and John, and Doreen and Alan. It has also been good to see John and Ros, Linda and Brian, Alice, Audrey and Ian, and Sally and Dave

Doreen, Alan, L, Jan, John, John & Jean.

Harold & June in jovial mood!

Last night was another fun and laughter night with Harold and June and dinner with them at the Briery Pub in Stainton.

L & Tom @ Talkin Tarn

Last week we visited Tom, who Len used to work with and who lost his wife to cancer a year or so ago. He lives in the countryside near the village of Brampton (an hour or so away) and we met up for a walk around peaceful Talkin Tarn (a little lake) before going to Tom's house which he did such a lot of work on when he and Judith first moved there. After the 3 of us had dinner in a local pub Len and I started to head back home but ended up staying at a B&B not far away so that we could do another walk in the area in the morning. However we woke to the patter of steady rain, and instead, drove through Carlisle and out to the coast passing through Port Carlisle, Burgh-by-Sands, Bowness-on-Solway, Silloth where we walked along the prom to Skinburness, Allonby, Maryport and then on to Whitehaven.

Whitehaven 1

After dropping off the rental car and getting their shuttle back to Heathrow we found our way to Euston via the tube (just needed one change) and managed to get an earlier train to Carlisle than we had

Me & my Dad!

planned and then a subsequent earlier one to Whitehaven. Instead of getting a taxi up to Wils (Lens Dad) and Esmes we found a welcoming Joan (Len's sister) at the station. She just happened to pop in there at that time to check the train arrivals after visiting the supermarket next door so we had an instant lift! Such good timing!

Knit & Purl in the greenhouse!

We had of course seen Wils and Esme for the few days around Matt and Annas wedding but it was lovely to see them again - an inspirational couple at 93 and 88 (as from the 14th September) respectively. Esme is such a whizz in the kitchen - she has produced about 4 different cakes since we have been there as well as bramble jelly and lovely lunches and dinners. When we left for Keswick this morning she was about to make some tomato relish from some of the beautiful tomatoes that Wils is growing prolifically in his beloved greenhouse.

We have now been staying with Wils and Esme for the most part of 2 weeks and the time has flown with lots of people to catch up with. Our first port of call was to see Mark (Len's son), Tracy and the girls, Sian, Kaitlin and Mia, before Sian headed off to Newcastle University for her first year doing Fine Arts - every year the girls are all a bit more grown up and Mia especially seems a few inches taller than last year. Mark has been doing major renovations on the house and the improvements he has done are making a big difference.

L, Sian, Mia, Kaitlin & Mark