Thailand 2012 with DK & Claire Part I

Again just too big for one blog, so here goes Part I, and Part II – the sequel will be coming to a blog near you very soon. Where to start …. as Julie Andrews states “Let’s start at the very beginning …….”

Almost as if planned we arrived at lunch time at the hotel in Phuket, and back to a favourite haunt The Kata Beach Resort & Spa. Lovely place, so so friendly and a great location at reasonable prices too.

Plus some big big memories as it was the last place DK and I were together in Thailand when my good mate Geoff was on his way down to New Zealand to live and work.

When I say almost planned was that because that meant we needed to eat lunch, and where better than one of my favourite bars/restaurants in the world – Ska Bar Kata Beach. Oh yeah baby! Above is us all sat at the bad, and behind is the restaurant, again one of THE best in the world. 2-3 bucks a dish, and a dish which is local (not Westernised) Thai fare – supremely good. Freshly made as well as you can sneak to have a look in the kitchen at the lovely Thai ladies in there.

Some new additions though since we last visited as there is now a “being built” roof-top element to the restaurant, and a brand spanking new kitchen in the back allowing the restaurant downstairs to push back for more space, and new toilets. That was the ONE thing you could diss about this place, the bloody loo – especially after you’d had a load beer and a bum burning laab tai, you want a nice loo right. They did NOT have that before, but now they do. A row of lovely new unisex toilets, and the funniest thing the urinals behind a shower curtain – class. But clean clean, and doors floor to ceiling now. Very nice! Very good of my son from Trip Advisor, Ollie, to go and test the loos with his iPad for 40 minutes (no kidding!) and he said very nice 8.5 out of 10. Ha Ha!

Whilst we’re sitting there you can look over the beach and gain lovely views of the hand-net fishermen casting their nets in time traditional ways, whilst the waves crash, the winds blow a lovely cool breeze and the sun is high and skies are blue. Ahhhhhhhhh Thailand, foodie and people watcher heaven, I really do love it here.

A few snaps of the boys in the zone in the place. Right higgledy piggledy place, but that’s the charm. See the yellow panel with the circle of red and wood. Look up from that and to the left and you’ll see a face. No that is not a poster. That is the Rasta Man that owns/manages/runs the bar. One cool dude!

Beach/Street food Thai style – this guys was ace, and yes we stopped and procured some of his fine food.

Ollie had some dried squid/cuttle fish – he said very tasty, a little chewy but very tasty.

Mary and I tried this one. What do you think? Looks yummy or actually what the hell is it? Ha Ha!

OK this is egg. They basically take a raw egg, punch holes top and bottom and blow out the egg. Do this 40-50 times, add soy, fish sauce, salt, pepper (I think) and mix. Then add back in to the empty egg shells, and BBQ.

So he walks around with this little charcoal burner on one end of his stick thing, with the eggs slowly BBQ’ing. You order, peel and add a little chilli/fish sauce dipping sauce as we are here in the picture and scoff it down. Delicious.

Back to the hotel now. Did AMy just scoop a glass of pool water or what. Hmmm she’ll be nice and “calm” with those e-numbers. But she loved this, and as usual Mr Kennett is having a cocktail. Look at these two, ha ha!

Some lovely pairs shots now. Me and my Mary poolside, I think early evening for happy hour at pool bar. Very nice.

Mary and Claire, other way this time. I am sitting pool bar, and facing out to the beach and sea. Lovely photo ladies! Very beautiful!

Yes this is the view from the pool bar when the sun sets. Now bear in mind it is rainy season and yes we did have a LOT of rain whilst there unfortunately. But this evening luckily the clouds nearly parted allowing the sunset to show off a tad, how gorgeous is this.

It’s that bloody child labour again – this time now in Thailand. Why do these countries allow it???? It’s beyond me it really is. Poor little thing – just look at the concentration on her face, that must be heavy for her, and look at the Danish guy behind just looking on and laughing, shocking behaviour.

Nothing more to be said than – you look so so beautiful Amy. Love you, Daddy xxx

One morning it was time to have a wee walk down the beach before breakfast (sadly ended up a walk in the rain). Off we trotted. Pretty moody skies, but still a lovely walk along the beach, lots to see.

I really like these two pictures. Absolutely no need to see the faces to know who it is. OK OK I get it the name on the back of Ollie’s football shirt is a bit of a give away (thanks Uncle Darren for Ollie’s present) – but you know what I mean. Brother & Sister together, she really would follow her brother ANYWHERE.

Oh Amy, very very nice pic too. “awwwwwwww soooooooo cute!”

To the swimming pool on a bloody cold day for us/me. It really was chilly. I only went up to knee deep in the pool, freezing for us Singaporeans used to 32 every day.

He He kids pretending to be locked up in prison whilst in the pool. Using the divider between the kids pool and big pool as the bars. Very cute kids, love the faces. Improv theatre Ollie? You should try acting mate, you’d be good at it – cough cough!

As I am having some problems with loading video to Blog, I have to add more photos showing “action”. Here we go, the munchkins showing no fear, diving.

9 – 8 – 9 – 9 – 9 – 8 – say the judges!

This one’s gonna hurt Amy-boo, BELLY-FLOP. Ouch!

Amy not trying to walk on water, but clearly trying to run on water.

Like graceful swans (well sort of).

Here’s that nasty man again we saw in the pool at the condo throwing kids about. Byeeeeeeeeee Amy.

Really do like these snaps. This is us on top of the hill out of Kata Hani at another of my all time fave bar/restaurants Small ViewPoint. You may have seen this before as we always go here. Amazing sunsets from this place where you can literally watch the sun go down and hit the sea in what you think will be clouds of steam. You can literally watch it moving, amazing. Today though a little overcast so not that spectacular – good job therefore the food was and the cold beverages likewise!

After the sun has gone down, and lots of e-numbers (clearly) for Amy, here we have some fun with her Uncle. Nice pic DK.

And how about this one too – this is a keeper.

Very nice Mary and Amy. Beautiful in fact. But made a little funny when I tell you that the thing Amy is so lovingly cuddling is actually hand sanitizer. Why??? I have nooooooo idea. Clearly she loves it anyways!

Now to the pool after a lovely late lunch/dinner at SmallViewPoint, just before the kids bed.

Ollie “Elton Jon” Kennett.

Where were we for this – ah yeah that’s right, we went shopping on a very rainy day to Phuket Town, and spied these cool sunglasses. A must for the man with everything clearly! OK OK I know it’s 2012, but Ollie is a forward thinker!

More blue stuff for Amy, and I think Ollie on a coffee cocktail – so yep no sleep tonight then! This is actually them sitting at the pool bar.

Back to Ska Bar again – have to as the food really is just awesome and it is SO SO cheap, you can’t not. Like me do you think it loos like a tree house fallen from the tree? So cool! I want one!!!!

Just playing below on the beach.

I said re the food. This is just up the road. Thai pork omelette. Yes she did eat the ENTIRE thing. Have to say this was delicious so I am not surprised at all.

And this was the night that Uncle Darren and Aunty Claire came back to join us with that BIG surprise you would have seen earlier in the blogs. The engagement night. So we were alone scoffing food, listening the music man, relaxing, giggling, buying some flowers and bits of the street kids just before that. Here’s some snaps to close Part I, Part II to follow when I get a few more minutes to type.

Byeeeeeeee!