Songkran Festival - Thai New Year

Hello to all travellers. If you have a travel itch that needs scratching but haven't got a destination pinned yet, here's an idea. If you've never visited Thailand and would like to celebrate another New Year before 1 January 2017, then April is the time to do it. Songkran festival is a traditional water festival symbolising the washing off of all the misfortunes from the preceding year, and to welcome a fresh start to the new year. It's a New Year celebration like no other, with about a week of fun - noisy and very wet fun. Any vessel that could possibly contain water (the bigger the better) is filled with water and thrown at everyone who passes. It's irrelevant if you are walking, driving or riding anything. Water guns are sold everywhere, so if you are unarmed and would like to get a few shots in yourself, buy one along the way. Water tanks for refills are available on route, so don't worry if you run out. Water proof pouches are available for cameras and anything else you'd like to keep dry. Music and singing accompanies you along any route designated for the celebration. You could find yourself being drenched many times during the day, but as it is very hot here in April you can dry off fairly quickly. Some like it very cold, so don't be surprised at the icy water you will encounter along the way. Coloured chalk is likely to be smeared on your face, it's harmless and easy to wash off, and one drenching will take care of most of it anyway. There are watering holes of another variety for those who wish to take a rest and get off the crowded roads for a cold refreshment and perhaps a bite to eat. It's as much fun doing some people watching until you are ready to brave another soaking. Interested? Follow the link to Songkran here: http://www.bangkok.com/information-festivals/songkran.htm# Here you will find out more about the festival, the dates, and the "hot spots" around Thailand for the festival. A few pics of my experiences at various locations in Thailand over the last 5 years.

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Cape Town, South Africa

My count-down is at 100 days for my next visit to Cape Town, so it seems like a good time to recall last year's visit. For those who don't know, June is winter, June is cold, It rains in June, and my birthday is in June. Follow my blog with Bloglovin I go to Cape Town every year during Uni break to see my mom, my son and my nephew and his wife. Sometimes I'm fortunate enough to meet with friends during my 3-4 week holiday, but my primary purpose is to see my mom who is in a home for the aged. She is going to be 83 years old this year, and sadly I cannot spend her birthday or Christmases with her anymore, but at least we get to celebrate a little on my birthday. Last year, on the morning of my birthday, I went to the home with cakes and savoury snacks for all the residents. When I got there, they were not sitting at their usual sunny spot in the lounge. For a moment I thought that I had arrived too early, and that they were perhaps still going through their morning routines, so I went along to the kitchen to start cutting the cakes and tarts. Well, surprise surprise, there they were, sitting in the dining room waiting for me. When they saw me they broke out in Happy Birthday song, clapping and cheering and they had even painted birthday cards for me. It wasn't long before music started, and the staff and residents (especially mom), were on the floor and dancing away. What a wonderful surprise, and a birthday to remember - certainly one of my best birthday memories. I see mom everyday during my holiday, usually in the morning, as she naps in the afternoon after lunch. I'm at a loose end until the evening, so I usually do some shopping and run errands for mom. I spend the evenings with my son, sometimes out for dinner, having a braai (weather permitting), watching movies or just chatting and sipping red wine to warm the cold bones. Weekends are reserved for long, leisurely peninsula drives, wine tasting at some of the many excellent wine farms, and pretty much anything else that can be crammed into a short weekend. The unfortunate thing about going to SA in June is that I'm a tourist and everyone is working. However, I do manage to catch up with some friends who do have time. A lovely drive to Gordon's Bay takes me to see my nephew and his wife, have lunch or dinner and spend hours catching up. I rent a car while I'm in Cape Town, so getting around is easy. Last year my daughter was in Cape Town at the same time as me, so we spent some days being tourists together. Inasmuch as there is a lot of negativity about SA, and rightfully so, I do enjoy going back to Cape Town. It's a stunning place with so much beauty surrounding the entire peninsula. Table mountain is a sight to behold, and long before the plane descends to the runway, I'm already peeping out of the little window for my first glimpse. Cold or not, I've no doubt that I'm going to have a fabulous holiday again this year. Most importantly, I'll be spending time with the people I love and miss so much. Count down continues :-)

VIETNAM TIME-LAPSE 2013 / Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

Wat Ron Khun Chiang Rai

Chiang Mai and Doi Suthep

There's always a lot of hype about the Islands and the great shopping mecca which is Bangkok. Tourists come to Thailand without ever thinking of venturing to the northern areas of Thailand, travellers almost always include the northern areas. The most well known destination in the north would be Chiang Mai, and many agencies recommend this as a "go-to" for those who do wish to explore a little more. Chiang Mai has a lot to offer tourists. It's a big city, although not of Bangkok proportions, and besides also being a beautiful city, it is the gateway to Chiang Rai and the neigbouring countries - the Golden Triangle where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar borders meet. Chiang Mai has beautiful mountain scenery, many yoga and meditation retreats, a very popular zoo for those who enjoy zoos (which I don't), an abundance of shopping and eating venues, and one of the best Universities in the country. My first visit to Chiang Mai was for 2 weeks, and from there I visited the Tiger Sanctuary (not to be confused with the infamous tiger temple), Tha-pai gate markets, and a very memorable trip over the mountain to Doi Suthep to see the temple on the mountain, and a long, leisurely half day visit to a hill-tribe village. Most other days I explored a lot of what Chiang Mai has to offer, and I wasn't disappointed. Subsequent trips to this lovely city were much shorter - usually every weekend and long weekends. At the time I was a 5 hour bus-trip away and would usually arrive at around 10pm on Friday nights and leave again at around 4pm on Sunday afternoons. Let's take a look at some of those pics.