Happy New Year Thailand 2007

Happy New Year!!! I hope the first few days back at the office after the holidays haven’t been too much like hard work! We celebrated N.Y.E. at Nai Yang beach on the west coast of Phuket. Nai Yang is normally quiet with very few tourists or people around but on New Years Eve it was rocking.

The restaurants had tables spilling out on to the beach, full of people eating and drinking, fireworks were being launched from the beach fairly indiscriminantly and kratongs (paper lanterns) were lit and lifted gently into the wind and floated up, up and away. It was a great night.

We had a lovely Christmas Day. We started with champagne on board Akwaaba with Chris and Mike Smithers and a group of other Yacht Haven folk. We followed that with a boozy lunch featuring a turkey (almost unrecognisable but tasted pretty good) and most of the trimmings then we adjourned to Nai Yang for a swim and a sunset.

On 27th December we finally sailed out of Boat Lagoon (Yeehaa!!!). We cranked up the Perkins and chugged out on the high tide in the mid afternoon. We didn’t have time to go very far and anchored at Ko Rang Yai and celebrated our freedom watching a(nother) beautiful sunset.

After a few alternator problems the next day we headed up to Phang Na Bay and spent three days just cruising around the islands. The scenery is classic picture postcard Thai. Karst limestone islands with sheer cliffs rising up straight out of a turquoise sea!

We dropped the dinghy in the water and went off to explore the caves. Wow . . . stunning! All too soon we were heading back to Yacht Haven for New Years Eve and a few days to sort out our alternator.

I guess you’ve all read about the bombings in Bangkok on New Years Eve, what a shame. No group has owned up to it yet. My first thoughts were that the separatist violence from the south has finally spread to the city but the government seem to be painting a more political motive to it.

Two of the bombs were very close to home and the third within a stones throw from my old office. Apparently the police are back on the streets. We’re pretty relieved to be out of there and I prey that there will be no further incidents.

Well I’d better try to remember how to put the photos in this text and get it posted, still an absolute beginner.

Cheers

Suzy and Neil