Heading South to Phuket

People in Thailand are so friendly we have yet to encounter a rude or not smiling person! Sad to leave Bangkok but knowing we still have loads of adventures ahead of us J and I  boarded a plane to the south of Thailand.

Well if we thought Bangkok was hot it has nothing on Phuket. A wall of humidity greeted us at Phuket airport but then so did our smiling Thai transfer that was taking us to our hotel the Andaman Seaview Hotel. Where we discovered that not only did we have a room but an entire suite complete with towel bunnies and flowers on our beds. Rocking it! Big up to J  for organising this one.

Arrival sunsets seem to be our thing in Thailand as we topped off our first night in Phuket with a rainbow, sunset walk on the beach and dinner at a very fancy restaurant on the rocks by the sea. Then last but not least we treated ourselves to pedicures. This is the relaxed life.

A sleep in at our palacial accommodation was devine not to mention our breakfast where there was everything on offer from bacon, eggs, fruit, cereal, yoghurt, waffles, curries, rice and  the list goes on and on.

Plan for the day: off to Phuket town to go and check out the architecture and shopping. To get there we needed to get the equivalent of a tuk tuk down here which is like a little half loaf van like the one in the movie 'Under the Tuscan Sun' that the Polish workers pile off of. Imagine a truck but a mini me version with the seats along the side and no glass in any of the back windows so that air can flow through.

Phuket town was interesting especially as there was a Vegetarian Festival on the go so there was so many street food stalls and red lanterns hanging about. It was also so hot it felt like we were actually in huge sauna. So much sweating!

Walking around we passed by the food stalls and got some steamed dumpling type buns that had black beans and pumpkin in them. We also managed to find the old town which was great for photography but not so great for avoiding taxi drivers hoping to drive us anywhere. 'No thank you we have seen the big Buddha, yes and the monkeys and no thank you no shopping' become the words of the afternoon.

Fails of the day include us wanting to catch one of the cute red 'Honey I shrunk the truck' vans but accidently getting a normal car taxi. People really shouldn't sleep in cars that aren't theirs. Note to self ask a taxi driver which car is his first before agreeing to get in.

Wins of the day were getting a yummy meal just 10 minutes before the special finished for the day and for the win Miss J and her excellent bartering skills when buying a new handbag!

Glen Doll

Weather in Scotland is a funny thing. It tends to change faster than you can blink your eyes and you have just got to learn to venture out in any weather and always pack a change of clothes especially if going to walk in a nature reserve.

On Sunday we decided that the weather looked quite bonny or at least not as cold as it has been the last couple of weeks so we thought why not drive down to the Angus Glens. So off we set to go for a walk in Glen Doll (also spelt Glendoll) which can be found in the south-eastern corner of the Cairngorms National Park.

Glen Doll is a a nature lovers dream with six marked trails that walkers, hikers, horse riders and cross country skiers can experience. It is a U-shaped valley that was carved out by great glaciers giving it a dramatic beauty. Green forests lead the way to craggy mountainsides and valleys through which river and burns meander.

We decided to do the 3.5km walk to the bowl of Corrie Fee as it was already rather late in the day and in winter the number of daylight hours is quite limited. It was a little rainy when we left the car park but I should have known not to trust the weather to stay like that...

 

It was not long into the walk when the weather started to act like an annoying passenger who keeps changing the radio station as it would rain, then sleet then snow then rain again. I seriously considered walking turning around and walking back as my trousers were soaked through in the front and I could do nothing but look down at my feet to keep the rain out of my face and my feet from slipping on the ice/snow ground.

Yet we decided that we had come so far already that we needed to push through the last little bit. So we kept going through the Glen Doll Forest and follwed the trail to the end of the tree line where we emerged into the Corrie Fee entrance.

 

And it was breathtaking not just because the wind was howling through the valley at speeds that would put the concord to shame but also because even covered in snow the amphitheatre of Corrie Fee is gorgeous. It is one of those wow moments where nature just sits up and smacks you through the face. It made the snow, rain and wet trousers worth while and knowing now what lies at the end of the Corrie Fee trail I would walk it again anytime.

See here for maps and more information on the trails available at Glen Doll.

Parking can be found at the information and ranger center. Parking costs £2 for the enitre day, but overnights stays are not allowed.

Rough Seas

As the wind and rain continues to batter most of the United Kingdom the North Sea joins in to make it's voice heard. 

The Aberdeen Harbour wall is engulfed by the waves. 

In all things of nature...

                                In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous - Aristotle