Day three – Vietnam

Good Morning my little Cum Quats (I like the fruit!)

Today we needed to be up and ready for our cooking lesson at 8.00am. We learnt to make Spring Rolls!! The success of the Spring Roll is all in the rolling!!! They could have told me that at 9.00am too!!

After our intense course which lasted for about 20 mins, the 8 of us sat around waiting for breakfast which was served at 9.30.before we disembarked.

Visibility was down to about 10 feet so admiring the emerald green water clearly wasn’t going to happen – that and the fact that it is littered with rubbish, poo and bits of wood, I doubt it is ever green!!!! Swimming isn’t an option even when the weather permits unless you are up to date with your Typhoid shots and Malaria pills!!

We were lucky as the day before boats weren’t allowed out and after bringing us back to shore, no boats were going out today.

The drive from Halong Bay back to Hanoi is 4 very long hours…..during which time we learnt
that if you live in a village or suburb, local government gives every family over 18 its own rice field to plant out. The annual crop is anywhere between 500 – 800 kgs of rice per annum which is an awful lot of rice and saves on government hand outs as no one starves here. Any surplus is stored as during typhoon season some rice fields tend to get flooded and the land isn’t useable until it has dried out. There is two types of land….building land and crop land and crop land isn’t suitable for building so nothing really goes to waste.

Even cemeteries are recyclable and re useable……for example if you are a Buddhist and die you get buried in a traditional coffin. Fast forward 5 years and they dig you up!! By this time, most of your body parts have been eaten or decomposed leaving just the skeleton. This is then ground up in a Pestle and Mortar type thing and you and popped in a small urn which is then reburied in a family tomb – thus saving loads of space. The original grave is then filled in and reused and then the whole process starts again. Which is handy as there are quite a lot of deaths on the road!!!

Traditionally the Vietnamese drive on the right hand side but most of the time, they drive wherever they fancy….left, right, it really doesn’t matter. There is a lot of horn honking and the on coming traffic is heading straight for you even though you are on your side of the road. Best way to avoid this is to pull over onto the hard shoulder or pavement and hope for the best. EIther kill or be killed!!

Currently we are sitting in a big traffic jam on the wrong side of the road as there has been a big smash up ahead…..basically it is a bit of a free for all, made worse by bicycles and scooters. A crane is pulling a lorry from the side railings, obviously facing the wrong way as the on coming traffic refused to pull over!!!! Never a dull moment!

To add to the chaos, a little know fact….bus drivers work on commission here so they compete with each other…….no one really uses the bus stops – they kind of congregate along the highways and wait for the buses to appear then one brave person jumps out to stop the bus. The problem with competition is that all the buses want to get to the people first so they just shoot across the road and see who gets there first. Its also a good way to ‘cull’ the population!!!! (Apparently 93 million Vietnamese people live here……so give or take a few!!!!!) On average 23 people die every week in Hanoi in traffic related accidents!

This evening we went to the Water Puppet Theatre, which in itself is an experience and one that could very well be missed!! The story all takes part in Vietnamese and unless you speak the language, you have no idea what’s going on!! The puppets really are quite good and even the puppeteers are in the water making it all happen.. For me, the best bit was when one of the puppets climbed up a tree and threw down coconuts – followed by puppets on horses having a race – as you can see, there is no understandable connection. The best bit for Indy was the end!!!

After the theatre, we went off to a place called Fanny’s. It’s a well known, famous even, ice cream parlour – a bit like Baskin Robbins with an edge!! I had Chocolate Chilli and lime ice cream with raspberry sorbet and mashed banana. Indy had Ice Cream spring rolls. Definitely not to be missed.

Then after there we went to a Vietmanese restaurant which has food stations all around the side and you just wander around and choose what you want to eat…..sparrow is quite popular…..feather free but still with it’s head on, Apparently it’s lucky to keep the head on. Shouldn’t think the sparrow thought so! Nether of us were brave enough to sample that – we tried to stick to things that we at least recognised!! That said, we had an enormous amount of food and had a very good night. Around 14 dishes between us (there were 4 of us) 6 beers and 2 glasses of wine – $12 a head. That’s considered quite expensive!

Next stop the hotel – time for bed as another early start tomorrow as we have an action packed day ahead>

On that sweet note – I bid you farewell.

Until tomorrow……

Lots of love,

Anna x

Day 2 Vietnam

Chin Ciao – (Hello)

As you know, I have a flare for languages…..I’m picking this one up quite quickly!!
Some general information…..we are billionaires!! The exchange rate is approximately 32,432.00 dong = £1.00 A cup of coffee cost 50,000 bits……most expensive coffee I’ve ever had!! (and it was cold!)

Maths isn’t my strong point so working out what something costs here is impossible……the additional naughts are quite important!! (so I’m reliably informed!)

This is now our first real day. We had an early morning wake up call at 6.30 as we were being collected from the lobby at 8.00 to go to a place called Halong Bay.
Halong Bay is about a 4 hour drive from Hanoi and once there you get on a sailing junk for an overnight stay.

The big attraction is a very big cave with stalagmites and stalagtights…..as the mights go up, the tights come down (that’s how you can tell the difference….very scientific!)
Sadly for us, the weather here is rubbish. Visibility is about 20 yards and it’s very overcast so no chance of the sun burning it off! Fortunately the rain has stopped!!

Our tour guide, complete with vivid imagination liked to point out various animals shapes that she felt had evolved out of the rocks…..personally I think she was on drugs!! Tour one complete!!

The boat has 6 cabins all with baths and balconies so if the weather did permit, it would be lovely. We are having drinks at 5.00 to watch the sun go down!!! hahahahaha….haven’t seen it come up yet! My hair has shrunk, due to the humidity, which is a little unfortunate as I only just had it cut!! I’m having a very bad hair day!

The Vietnamese people are all very slight and not very tall – they do however have very nice hands!! Thought I’d share that with you just incase you run into a person from Vietnam….check out their hands!

Being one with the Vietnamese folk, I thought I’d give you the abridged version of the history surrounding the place……..as i know it……
In the early 1900’s the French came to colonize the place which is why there is quite a strong French influence here however for the younger generation that begins and ends with Bonjour and Bon Soir.

If you are over 70 here, then your second language would be French. The French were reasonably successful in their job and the country was divided up into North, South and the Middle!! The French then left and Vietnam became Communist.

However, the North Vietnamese were the Commies and the South Vietnamese were into Capitalization – enter the Americans in 1959. They got busy and were financing the South as the North had Russia and China in their corner .(more commies) The CIA then discovered that the money they were giving the South was going towards drug trafficking, prostitution etc etc rather than financing weapons and the military so they sent in two war ships to cruise around the coastline. – high visibility!!

The North Vietnamese then stupidly fired rockets at the US ships and the US then retaliated and bombed North Vietnam…..WAR!!!!!

Now with all this bombing going on, the Commies, being small little buggers decided to build a system of underground tunnels that they could use as hiding places during the combat as well as serving as a communication route and supply route for hospitals, food and weapons. They built 75 miles of tunnels and booby trapped many of the entrances so that when the Americans found a way in, they would blow them up!!

Being an election year in 1975 the American people were really pissed off that they were loosing so many of their own troops in a war that really had little to do with them, so Lyndon Johnson who was Pres got replaced by Nixon and the troops were pulled out.

After the Americans left, the Chinese had a go at re communising Vietnam and millions of people died…..I think Cambodia got involved somewhere along the way and that explains the killing fields!!
End of history lesson!!!

Just finished happy hour watching the sun set!! FIrstly there is no sun and secondly visibility is down to about 5ft!!

There are three other couples on the boat…..two lawyers, one is a prosecution attorney for the state (specialises in Murder!!) and her husband who does some international stuff. She is 7 months pregnant – based in San Francisco Couple.number two……he was in the air force and she was a teacher….both now retired. They got mugged last year in the Caribbean (I’m sharing with you!!) – from Sheffield…..and another couple who keep themselves to themselves. She keeps asking me for advice on how to use her camera…which if you know me is as stupid as asking me to perform open heart surgery!!

We have dinner soon and then it will be bed time….got to get up early as we have a cooking lesson at 8.00am!!

Until then, I bid you good night. Until tomorrow……

Tan Biet ( Bye!!)

Lots of love,

Anna

Day One – Vietnam

G O O O O O O O O O D D D D D D D D M O O O O O O O O R N I N G V I E T N A M (always wanted to say that!!)

My Vietnamese name is now Lohungbum….having sat on the airplane for 12 hours then in the lounge for 3 hours and another plane for just under two hours – my derriere is as flat as a pancake!! I have buildesrbum syndrome!!

The flight from London to Bangkok was reasonably uneventful…..pilot knew which way to go, which if you think about it is pretty cool – its not just a case of turn left at the roundabout!!! We both slept most of the way and I managed to watch half of the Descendants – the George Clooney film……I hate it when that happens….what happens at the end???? I got to the bit where the wife’s life support needs to be switched off and George knows that she has been having an affair with Brian……!!!

Bangkok airport is enormous and you could at a pinch plan a weeks holiday there alone!! It has every imaginable shop there – not cheap but it’s like Toys R Us……millions of shops all under one roof!! (poetic license….I’m writing this!)

We arrived in Hanoi and were met by a little man…..everyone is quite little here…bit like the Lilliputs and we were driven to our hotel which is in the center of Hanoi. Hanoi is the capital (I thought it was Saigon – Ho Chi Min City – yet another little know fact I am sharing with you)

Our hotel – The Metropole is very nice. Looks smallish from the outside but huge on the inside. There are old wings and new wings. We are in the old wing…..big room, high ceilings, huge bath and loads of goodies to ‘borrow’ from the bathroom. My motto is if it’s not nailed down, it must be a mine!

Its now 11.00pm our time (4.00pm yours) – we have just had a little something to eat……I have a bacardi and coke and the remainder of my coke (from the can) has been poured into a specimen bottle!!!! Am I supposed to drink it or add to it!!?

Tomorrow we are off to Halong Bay – will fill you in when we are there. In the meantime, have a good night and we will catch up again tomorrow.

Until then, it’s goodnight from me and goodnight from him.

Lots of love,
Anna x

HAPPY NEW YEAR – Welcome to 2012

Greetings my little party animals

I was up early this morning, on patrol, looking for our camouflage security folk…….I must admit they’re good – couldn’t find them anywhere!

I’ve become the lone German….I reserve all our chairs by 6.00am as whilst I have paid the man to sort it out, other people are trying to muscle in on our territory and have attempted to remove our well placed shells. Not any more….there is a selection of porn magazines now strategically placed on our chairs…..move them at your peril!!!

Indy has now resigned himself to not catching the Marlin this year – gives him something to look forward to next year – although not sure when or where.

Today we went on a snorkelling adventure – we were taken out to the reef and then went to discover life under the sea. All that kept going around in my head was the song from Nemo……just keep swimming just keep swimming…….followed by songs from Little Mermaid. Fortunately the Jaws theme was nowhere to be heard!! Jamie didn’t come with us which was no surprise as it would have meant her getting into the sea and that’s a complete No No – For years we have been trying to get Jamie into the sea but she insists she cant go in as there are fish……wasn’t worth trying to deny it today!!

I’m not a great fish lover myself but as it happens it was all very calm and serene with all the fish swimming past until some lunatic from another boat threw bread rolls into the water…….there was a wild fish frenzy going on…..millions of them appeared from nowhere attacking the bread…swimmer beware!! Cant say I enjoyed that too much, at which point it was time for me to get back on the boat. Adventure over!.

Then it was time to start getting ready for the evenings festivities…..

I found one of them!!! – Security is here! Not overly camouflaged……a native gentleman in khaki’s and his alsatian dog patrolling outside our room….good to know we are safe and not a Somalian insight. I’ll rest easy tonight!

New Year celebrations started at 8.00pm – a black tie gala event. There were over 400 people (hotel guests and outside people). There was a huge buffet with ice sculputres, sushi, various seafoods, roasts, curries, salads and an amazing assortment of desserts. The band were playing up until about 1.00am and then a disco kicked in.

There has been much excitement here preparing for New Years Eve – all the tables had glow sticks, glow spectacles, poppers, streamers, hats and amazing masks. It was a bit like being 10 again…we swapped around the masks until we were satisfied that we had the ones we liked!!

When we came down for dinner….more like along, the bar area was absolutely buzzing. Everyone makes a big deal of New Years Eve. DInner suits for the men and cocktail/long dresses for the women. The evening is kind of split into two……at 12.00 Kenya time New Year is brought in and again at 3.00am when it happens in the UK. if you can manage to stay awake followed by breakfast.

We saw in the Kenyan one in and by about 1.30 we were starting to wilt but got a second wind and ended up seeing in the UK one – complete with Big Ben. FInally at 4.00 we crawled back to our rooms and no sooner had our heads hit the pillow, the Zzzzzzzzzzzzz’s were being thrown up. It was a good night.

I was up this morning at 7.30 – checked the chair situation outside…..all is good. Porn magazines firmly in place!

It’s a bit like a ghost town here today….just me and the clearing up team are awake….No, I’m not offering to help! The security men are back to being well camouflaged again and all seems well in the world.

Sadly we are leaving here tomorrow so we have to get packed and organised.

Tomorrow we will be reunited with Geoffrey (hopefully) He is waiting for us in the International arrivals hall having been courierd up to Nairobi. The next problem will be locating him although I suspect he will be a bit difficult to miss bearing in mind his height!! Followed by trying to get him on the Virgin flight home.

Indy thinks he will fit in the car coming to collect us, with 5 big suit cases, 4 people, a driver and two big hold-alls. hahahahahahahaha….it’s never going to happen – he’s about 8ft tall!

On that sweet note – I wish you all a Happy 2012 and look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

Toodle Pip.

Love

Anna x

Hello my little Dorados

I was sending you an email yesterday but by accident I pressed the delete button and couldn’t get it back up again….by then I was too tired to write it again so I thought I would combine the two – I hate it when that happens however, there wasn’t much to tell you.

The Somalian pirates still haven’t appeared on our shores and the expected extra torch wielding security people the hotel have apparently laid on are missing….probably kidnapped by the Somalians!! Needless to say – we are all fine and on patrol!

I did hear though that an extra 25 Walter PPK something or other security guards have been drafted in for tomorrow night (new years eve) as the Somalians are threatning to bomb various locations – goodness only knows why this would be one of them and apparently we already have some of them patrolling in camouflage…..it must be good as I haven’t seen one. Now I’m on the look out for moving trees and bushes!!
We have also seen the waiters nailing up signs on various trees warning of 24 hour cctv…….that should scare them off!!

There doesn’t seem to be a Somalian problem here …..it’s because they are all living in Walthamstow and soon to be settling in to Cockfosters where the old Polytechnic was. As far as terrorists – haven’t seen one yet!

Yesterday, hmmmmm……..what happened yesterday??? Indy went fishing with Nas and his boys..The deal was they would catch everything else but the Marlin was Indy’s. (assuming there was one). Alas, it wasn’t to be and yet again there was much disappointment as the elusive Marlin evaded them once more – but at least they caught two Sail Fish and a couple of Dorados.

Later in the afternoon there was a volley ball game going on, on the beach – Jessie was playing but everytime the ball came near her she would shout – ‘not me’!! and duck out of the way. Needless to say – her team lost! She was a spectator today – and a very good one at that!

We went to the shops (shacks) to collect our made to measure clothing. Most of it has to be made again. I’m not sure what happened in between her measuring and making but it all came out suitable for pigmies.
It all needed to be made again – other than Indy’s trousers – which are now long shorts or short trousers but either way, they look ok.

Jamie & Jessie went back today to collect it and 2 out of 3 need to be remade again. Made to measure here is clearly a bit of a hit or miss game. The lady (Lois Lane still stunk).

I think they were about the highlights of yesterday. Today is another story……………………

We were up at 5.30 ready to go fishing……….yes again!!

Nas has gone home so Indy had no one to go with. I tried bribing everyone I know here but there were no takers so I ended up going with him. 10 long boring awful hours of fishing. FYI – I am generally a good sailor but today was big time choppy. Within the first hour or so I threw up and wanted to go home but I kept that thought to myself….at this time we were so far out I didn’t even know which way was land!
The driver said that between 9 and 10 the Marlin were generally in a certain area and we’d be sure to catch a Marlin….F****** liar!

By 12.00 it was so choppy I was thrown off my lay out and definitely wanted to go home but still didn’t complain (I should have as by now I had had 5 and a half hours of complete misery). We caught 2 Dorado’s…….they are white meaty fish and you are allowed to keep them.
Then the excitement happened – Sail fish everywhere (but not on our rods) Eventually we caught one – Indy has his picture taken with it and then we put it back. Quite impressive – about 35kg’s (about 80 lbs) There ended the excitement….still another 2 and a half hours to go and feeling sick.

Euphoria set in as I saw land ahead (it was 4.15) I’ve decided that I dont like fishing, I dont like fish and I dont want to go again. Enough of this supportive wife stuff – I’d rather pick up Eric’s poo and that’s pretty disgusting. (Eric is our dog!)

We ate our Dorado at supper with chips (fish and chip night) and then our friends wanted to go into Malindi (the main town – which is about 20 minutes away) to see an African band. All very authentic we thought….. What a shit hole the town is. Miss Malindi 2011 was going on tonight and all the ‘dolly bird’ kenyan women……I use the term very loosely, were dressed up in their shortest skirts and highest heels. We ended up in this club – again I use the word even more loosely, where we were the token white women. One of the ladies (I’m calling her a lady but who really knew what it was) was pleasuring herself at the table. She was so out of it on whatever drugs she had been taking that she didn’t seem to know what day it was. We didn’t offer to tell her!

We stayed for a drink, had a dance and then it was time to leave – our cultural experience complete.

Now home safely, snuggled into our beds…the end of another day.

Until tomorrow – I bid you a fond farewell to 2011.

love,

Anna x

Jumbo Sana –

Started off a little overcast today, which is quite a nice welcome break. It’s still incredibly hot and a little humid but we”re not complaining.

Birds Eye didn’t go fishing today – he’s spent the day with me!! (I was beginning to feel a bit like a fishing widow !) Everyone has heard of him but no one has seen him….bit like his Marlin!!

Indy’s routine…..up, ablutions (great word) then breakfast. After breakfast, ablutions again, then nap time (he’s had a busy couple of hours!) wake up, read a magazine, nap time. Wake up fully refreshed…lunch time. After lunch, siesta time. Wake up, IPad time and maybe reading time (santa brought him a kindle)….then nap time. Bath time, dinner time – football time if there’s anyone playing then bedtime! you can tell he is a complete party animal!!!!

I’m being unfair – he did take me shopping today. We went to Selfridges, Argos and Gucci. These are lean toooooo’s on the beach where the locals set up and sell their wares…..they also make ‘made to measure’ trousers, skirts and shorts. Shame they haven’t heard of deodorant because even as early as 10.00 they stink!

Whilst the staff mean well here – I dont think there is a staff training programme. The guy will come in to make up our room, forget to take away the used glasses, doesn’t replace the shampoos etc and sometimes forgets to sweep the floor. Jessie ordered a greek salad today for lunch -they forgot the feta cheese!! I ordered a bacardi and coke – he forgot the bacardi!! It’s all a bit exasperating.

Rumour has it that the owner who is called Dickie – (by name and nature) came down for breakfast and overheard one of the other guests complaining about the food/service……he went over to them and asked them to leave…..the hotel!!

I’m not sure the swimming pool has a filtration system – which would account for why if you go in with a white bikini – it comes out yellowy-green. Loads of chlorine but it’s not circulating. Sadly, and this doesn’t apply to any of us, but if you have blond hair and have been in the pool, it will have a definite green tinge to it…..quite a lot of women are walking around looking like martians!

However, on the plus side, there are a nice crowd of people here and there is definitely more chance of Indy catching a Marlin here than on the Long Pond!

Family friends arrived here today which was lovely. I’m very excited that they are here for a week and will be spending New Year with us.

Geoffrey still remains a bit of a problem – however we now have a couple of options!! We went to visit him yesterday…….they have wrapped him up to look like a giraffe!! I was hoping that he would be more wrapped as a parcel or better still, in bubble wrap! Even a blind man could work out that it’s a giraffe! Customs won’t have any problem identifying him….Luckily he’s not a Mule or they may think he’s a drug runner !

I’ve asked them to put a box over his head to protect his ears. We are now taking bets on whether Geoffrey will a) get home and b) in tact!!

Well that’s it for today…getting sleepy now.

Until tomorrow.

Love

Anna x

Good Morning my little Turtles…..

Another fine day in paradise.

Up early as Findus was going fishing again today. He and Nas are now determined to catch a Marlin. Infact, the whole hotel are now aware that Indy has still yet to catch the elusive Marlin – and wait patiently for his return!! Tradition here is if you catch your first Marlin you get to ring the bell and then you have to buy everyone a drink in the bar. Luckily they will serve you if you haven’t caught a Marlin as well!

We met Nas and his wife Amira (also their two children) last Christmas and Nas has just bought himself a fishing boat which is moored down here until February. Fortunately for Indy, Nas just loves to drive the boat so Indy gets to bring in the fish. Neptune is obviously on holiday as not much was going on today!!

Bearing in mind they went out at 6.45 this morning and didn’t come back until 5.00pm – all they caught was a cold, a Dorado and some other nothing fish. Bad day!! On the bright side, the hotel filleted it and we ate it for dinner this evening with chips and a few other bits and pieces.

Whilst Indy was fishing, we went into town and bought the giraffe! I did say every home should have one – and now we do!! He’s about 8ft tall and very giraffe looking. The Rastabastar wouldn’t budge on price…..even offered him one of the kids but he still stood firm! We have named him Geoffrey. (the giraffe, not the Rastabastar) One small problem though – I haven’t quite figured out how to get him home!! I reckon if we can get him up to Nairobi, we will probably be able to get him on our Virgin flight home. Just have to figure out how to get him to Nairobi!! One of life’s ponderables!!

Had a spot of rain today – lasted about 10 mins – quick downpour followed by humidity and little midges…..very irritating.

Well, that was enough excitement for one day………..I wonder what tomorrow will bring!!

Until tomorrow –

Good night,

Love
Anna and Geoffrey
xxxxxxxx

ps – they have the most enormous ants here that I have ever seen – teradactyle ants…ugly buggers with far too many legs. One of G-d’s more mysterious creations!

Greetings my little Turkey’s –

I hope you all had a good Christmas and Santa knew exactly where to find you.

Not much going on here – there was a fishing competition for the kids……… Indy was a bit upset as all the smaller kids had been taken!! You had to be under 13 accompanied by an adult. We couldn’t find a spare child!!

Nearly the next best thing…..Indy and Jamie went Eeling and found a Zebra Eel……very rare.

Later during the day we went on a road trip to the ice cream parlour!! Opposite there is a shack (they like to call themselves shops and stores – yeah right…hahahahaha) that sells wood carvings….if we could figure out how to get them home, I could be the proud owner of an 8 ft giraffe! Every home should have one.
The man who owned the establishment (couple of pieces of metal tied together with a bit of rope) was a Rasta Kenyan. He was hidden round the back and was referred to as ‘the boss’. I started the negotiations with the girl and she said she would have to ask her boss…..in walks Rasta. Apparently the original Rastafarians were the Kenyans. I thought they were the Jamacians but hey!! Anyway, this chap was high as a kite, wearing a marijuana t. shirt and smoking a joint. There was a large bong type thing going on behind him and a plume of smoke billowing through the window (whole in the wall). He started to tell me about how superior his giraffe was and to lift it to see how heavy it was!! His negotiation technique was to increase the price and then go higher…..idiot! So far, I am Giraffeless but tomorrow is another day!

Tonight there were 18 of us for dinner…..seafood buffet. Completely wasted on Jessie and I but Jamie and Indy made the most of it – think they had about 5 lobsters each plus a variety of other stuff!

Oh – I had a massage as well……blimey did she stink! All the staff are supplied with deodorant – just a pity they dont use it! Thought I’d share that with you.

Other than that – not much else to tell you.

Until manjana – sleep well.

Over and out
Anna x

Merry Christmas –

Santa obviously got my letter as he knew where to find us!

We were all up at 7.00 this morning as Indy was off fishing again this morning having delayed the start until 8.30 as it was present time!

We went into breakfast with our traditional Santa hats (I have a Mickey Mouse Santa hat with enormous ears, Indy has a wee willy winky type hat, Jamie’s is pink and Jessie’s is more of the traditional kind. Not many other people were wearing hats….infact, it could even be said that we were the only ones!!

Indy then went off fishing as we watched as Father Christmas arrive at the hotel on a camel, via the beach. What happened to the donkey is what I want to know?

Christmas didn’t have a very christmassy feel – the locals dressup in their finery but it would appear that New Years is the big one out here.

Jamie, Jessie and I with our little posse then went Eeling!! You use sausages stuck on to sticks and then stick them in the holes and the eels come out. The locals have named them all after british kings and queens!! We then saw an octopus and some little nemo fishes. Surprisingly Jamie was very brave!! (she hates fish and isn’t overly thrilled about the sea either!)

In the afternoon, we went out for Ice Cream – we have never left the hotel before so we were unaware there was too much outside the hotel. Now we know….and there isnt!! – however there is an Ice Cream parlour run by Italians in the middle of nowhere!! We also discovered the missing donkey’s….they were roaming around the street. This now explains the camel.

Whilst we were at the Ice Cream shop, Jessie recognised someone she had met from Top Shop in town!! (London town)….How random is that!!

We then returned to the hotel as we had gotten a message that Indy and his new fishing friend were on their way back.

(last year we got friendly with a family who were in the process of buying a fishing boat……as luck would have it, Naz, the guy who bought the boat is a mad keen fisherman so I have been able to relinquish the arduous task of being ‘first mate’ – making both Indy and I very happy! Indy can go fishing all day (generally that would be about 6.30am to 5.30pm) and I can sit, chat, have a massage, chat some more and sunbathe….win/win!!)

A good day was had by all….whilst they had managed to loose a Marlin, they did manage to catch 6 sail fish so he was ecstatic. Many a fish tale will be told….you have been warned!

On the technology front – today has been a bit of a disaster……Jamie’s phone has broken. We think it may have something to do with the vast difference in temperature inside and outside. We have dismantled it and stuck it in rice for hours, just incase it was damp (works with salt!!) – but it didn’t help….probably because it was Uncle Mohammad’s and not Uncle Ben!! Indy has also managed to do something to the camera whilst out fishing. Fortunately all the pictures from the safari are saved on the memory stick but it’s now not useable……everything is very misty. We tried sticking that in rice but after a couple of minutes the lens automatically shuts!!!

Dinner was a buffet style dinner dance and Jess was dancing with an 85 year old lady who just appeared on the dance floor…..dancing on her own. She was pretty cool for a little old lady, liking to utilise the whole dance floor!!

Well that’s it for now…..hope you had a nice day.

Ho Ho Ho…….Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Lots of love,
Anna

Hello my little Marlins –

We have now arrived in Watamu. It’s a coastal resort some 350 km from the Somalian border. We are quite safe as we have a security guard with a torch!!!

Before I get into beach mode – I just want to share with you a last little Safari tip…….

The Kenyans are very literal people – the humour is definitely lacking!! For example – if I were to say to our guide Isaac please stop at the next toilet – he would then start to point out to me that there aren’t any as this is the Massai and then go on to tell me about Nature, irrigation, circle of life…blah blah blah. At this point Jamie would then inform all of us….again ….that if you gathered Elephant poo (a little known fact and always good to know as you never know when this will come in useful) placed it in gauze and squeezed it – you would get water!! Not being wasteful, once you have squeezed out the water and had a refreshing drink, you could then roll out and dry the rest of it – and hey presto – Paper!! They use this for writing, making photo frames and albums and sell it to the Tourists. So if you were lost in the wilderness with only Elephants for company – not only would you know your survival rate has now increased dramatically – you could also write an SOS note!!

Back to Watamu – the place is much the same as we left it last year although more friendlier. We aren’t the ‘newbees’ anymore!

Being lulled into a sense of false security – I actually thought that today would be our first opportunity to have a lie in. Alas I was wrong! Indy was going fishing today and had booked an early morning wake up call for 5.30. Where is Jackson when you need him? The idea was that he would wake up – get ready and go and I would carry on sleeping. Difficult when all the lights go on and then the questions start…….where are the binoculars? where is the suntan cream? what t shirt should I take? It’s so much easier to just get out of bed and give him the stuff – as he puts on his imaginary ‘stupid’ hat and ‘cant find’ anything. It would help enormously if he at least looked!! On the plus side – Indy did bring me in a hot milk before he left…..Doesn’t look much like Jackson but the service was pretty good!

I was up and dressed by 7.00. There are no Germans here so there’s no problem with deck chairs but being the only one awake with the deck chair boys, I had first choice!

By 9.30 the girls and I were in our positions and that’s pretty much where we stayed for most of the day.

Indy came back from fishing around 5.30 – they caught one Sail Fish! 10 hours of fishing and one fish….hmmmmmmmmmm!!! According to Indy it weighed 104 kg’s….yeah right! I’m sure they have a shop boat parked up way out at sea and the man sells pictures of pretend fish so they dont come back empty handed!!

Tonight is Christmas Eve – it’s a big deal here. A Gala dinner with a big band and dancing. At 7.30 there will be carols, mince pies and sangria before you go in for dinner. Think we’ll give that a miss and just go to the main event….then hopefully by the morning Santa will have found me!!

On that happy note – I wish you all a Merry Christmas. Ho Ho Ho.

Until tomorrow……….

Anna