Kao Lak, then heading home...

 We have been at the beach for 10 nights on the last leg of our trip.  We have a beautiful air con villa with own pool and are right next door to an elephant sanctuary. My travel post is on my other blog CLICK HERE.

I was on a waiting list with the library ⁰to borrow the Kindle version of The Dressmaker of Dachau:  How lucky that it became available whilst lounging at the beach!

Its an absolutely brilliant novel about a London  dressmaking apprentice who ends up as a prisoner in Nazi Germany and is taken to the house of the commander of Dachau concentration camp where she becomes dressmaker to the German elite for the duration of WW2.

There are signs for Tsunami evacuation around the hotel. This is because in 2004 the last Tsunami to hit this coast claimed so many thousands of lives, they had never experienced this before and now have procedures in place for early warning.

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There has been brief. heavy rain in Kao Lak the last few days for an hour or two , but there's always the beach bar, the elephant sanctuary next door (been twice), the sea and our villa if we need to dry off.

I'm not good at outfit posing but had to give this pretty kaftan some adoration, .monsoon, chiffon, very floaty!

Enjoying our last couple of days before heading home, here's some pics of the amazing food we have been tucking in to!

Weather has been in the 30s in this part of Thailand so not much clothing required, mostly kaftans and swimwear...

My crocs have been the most worn suitcase item!

I've just finished reading a book from the hotel library which was spellbinding right to the end, a murder mystery:

 There has been  heavy rain but usually only   for a few hours , it's the beginning of the rainy season.  We have a few more days and can swim in the sea in the rain so no problem!

Update: last day in Kao Lack there was torrential rain, we left 4 pm for phuket airport and the roads were flooded, poor visibility.  The monsoon has started! We got home safely but tired after about 16 hours in total including 2 long flights.

Thailand 2025: Chiang Mai

 Come over to my travel blog for another post on Thailand HERE

No idea what these are, cakes I think.  Im keeping travel posts on my other blog as  need somewhere to add video and more pics and keep tidy!  Infact I have last year's trips to add.  Blogger is a great place to store pics free until i find a better place for safe, free storage.  Ideas are welcome.

Travelling! Thailand

 Hi folks, I've decided to keep my travel posts separate on my old Travel blog HERE as I have quiet a bit to say... so if you would like to see more about Thailand. Come on over to my travel blog MAGIC CARPET TRAVELS! My first post is Bangkok.

Catch up

I joined Vinted and sold some of my Anokhi dresses (which I bought years ago on EBay so have actually made a profit!).  I've been shopping on there too, a copper bangle - I love copper.  When I Googled this one I found it was made by a British designer of the 60s and 70s, Moda of Malta, specialising in hand beaten copper jewellery.

I had a lovely week of lunches with sons ... Lunch made at my place by younger son and his girlfriend, a really nice afternoon together chatting and chilling out.... then on Friday I went on a train trip to  London to see my older son, we took a bus over to Spoons in Wimbledon and visited the Buddhist Temple, wandered the very peaceful grounds and asked a monk to do a prayer and blessing for us (and for a friend who is currently building her house in Sri Lanka) and we came away relaxed and refreshed.  

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We've been having breakfasts like this and skipping lunch to lose a little weight.

Below is the Wimbledon temple.

On the subject of my Sri Lanka friend I am sharing a little of her house build which s in the Sri Lankan hills where it is cool and green (she spends half the year there, half in the UK.  She is rebuilding her family home.  The workmen prepared the area before starting work with ceremonial food offerings and smudging (smoke) from coconut leaf woven lanterns around the four corners of the plot, to keep away any lurking evil spirits, an astrologer determines the exact date work can start.  Some pics/video below that she sent me.

Swimming is becoming a regular event now I'm retired and I am now up to 50 lengths per visit.  I have made a few friends at the pool and there's usually a nice chat in the changing rooms after :)

I got a mixed  pack of seeds from 'Chiltern's at a reduced price.  they have given a lovely selection, radish, beetroot, carrot, dill, a variety of lettuce and tomatoes - should be fun seeing what pops up... last years pack gave me this beautiful.mallow in the mix.

I enjoyed reading The Bones of You,   A really good thriller and first book by a new writer, Debbie Howells Found in a charity shop.

Back soon with travel.news!