Sri Lanka searching

So with our unexpected year not turning into the year we wished for we decided we would take the positive and head of on another adventure to a new land, or maybe old. A colleague had just been walking in the Himalayas and my need to drink chai and get back to India was bubbling inside, I broached the subject with Sam, however was quickly told no and reminded we had just bought a house, I left it and pondered and obviously pestered and managed to find flights from Edinburgh for a decent price, with a few quieter words Sammy was convinced, the flights were booked and Sri Lanka was the destination. 

We had wanted to go to Sri Lanka when travelling in 2014, however our time and money just wouldn’t allow it so we decided to give it a miss knowing it was somewhere we could enjoy on a 3wk holiday. We sat down with our guidebook and map and discussed what our wishes were from the holiday, as always I wanted beach, a good hike with a touch of history, I am so lucky having Sam as my travel buddy we pretty much always want the same, he is a great beach bum, loves indulging in a good book and battling the waves. We had some advice from others and decided that with 3wks we had enough time to venture South then make our way North, we also had friends we wished to meet in Ella so made sure we had a good couple of days with them also. 

We flew into Colombo and decided to stay in the capital for one night, we had a long flight so knew we would want to rest when we arrived and snooze the afternoon away, Sam had found the Silvikris Villas, which was nestled away, the ease of the taxi from the airport slowly turned into unease as we drove around looking for our accommodation, however with lots of asks we found our stay and checked ourselves in.

Sam and I love venturing and seeing the capital, it’s always so busy and mental and it’s great to dive in and experience it for a few hours. We found a place to eat before crashing out for the afternoon, as always with our limited language we bumbled our way through ordering and managed to get a few rotis and some dips. That evening we took a stroll out to the cricket, Sam has always talked of wanting to watch cricket in another country so we paid our 25p and took our seats amongst the locals, I must admit I snoozed the afternoon away on the hill, with the joy of cheering and laughter in the background. Sam had a great time and I could see from the smile on his face and the temptation to come back the next day for more showed his pure enthusiasm for the sport and enjoyment of watching it in another country. 

After the cricket we headed to Galle face Green for sunset, it was rammed with locals and food vendors and we tried our hand at some street food, deep fried, spicy and interesting, we strolled back and forth, people watching and taking photos. As we left we were followed by a myriad of flea ridden dogs, to which I partially freaked out and ran into a posh hotel to get rid of them, they wouldn’t stop following our scent which was hilarious or maybe they just knew we were different and may have food. 

We took the train to Mirissa the following morning, our first journey on Sri Lankan trains, it was rammed on the train, there was no room to sit and sadly the beautiful view out the window was only enjoyed at intermittent points, however when it was seen it was a total joy, coastline, blues, tropical greens and rustic browns, families enjoying life and getting on with everyday chores, the snapshots seen were wonderful and a much difference to some of the sights I have seen on other train journeys. 

We arrived in Mirissa and had decided to stay at Amarasinghe Guesthouse, some friends had stayed here a few years before and really rated it, Sam and I love a good recommendation so we decided to go for it. We were lucky as the guest house was empty so we had a whole area to ourselves which was gorgeous and looked out onto a garden with spices and sweet delicious smells. We enjoyed tasty curry and rice there that evening and spent the days lolling about on the beach and attempting not to be sucked under by the waves. We also had booked our whale watching tour in Mirissa, with a company called Raja and the Whales, again they had been recommended, however Sam had chosen to do some reading and was really pleased with the values they held http://www.rajaandthewhales.com/ they carry out work with Edinburgh university and were one of the first companies operating whale tours. We took our trip the next morning and rose early, I swallowed my seasickness tablet willing not to be affected, however with my track record it was obvious I would be, the sickness came as we headed out and although I managed the tour there was defiantly a few icky moments. The guys shared a lot about the whales (I wish I had been able to concentrate on it all), they shared how they would track the whales and what they would do once they spotted a whale. The trip paid off and we managed to see 3-4 blue whales, we mainly saw the backs of the whales as they dived down and sadly no tail flicks, however the joy of seeing them was mind blowing and was worth the sickness. We came back in that afternoon and snoozed on the sands then eat out that night, enjoying more rice and curry, sadly no lion beer as the brewery had been flooded so I ordered a cheeky cocktail and took in the evening sunset with my love. 

We woke the next morning and headed to Tangalle, another beach spot and our plan was 3 days of doing nothing but reading and sunbathing, we bought our yummy egg samosas and took the bus to Tangalle from Mirissa, the hustle and bustle that surrounded us was wonderful to watch, people staring as they saw us on the bus, talking and asking us where we were from and why we were travelling there Sri Lanka. 

We arrived in Tangalle and fell upon a wonderful accommodation, sadly it didn’t have a name as was still being rebuilt from the tsunami, the owner had two rooms but was in the midst of building another four further back, due to this he gave us a great price, our room looked right out onto the ocean, the room was nestled in between the palm trees and was an adorable spot for the next three nights. My favourite part of Tangalle was that there was what we called ‘the lazy river’ it was a pool where the water became trapped between the rocks and it was so funny going from one end to the other, sadly the rest of the sea was too crashing to lull about in so the lazy river was our main hang out when the tropical sun took over. Tangalle was super quiet and still, with nothing going on but a couple of restaurants, it was ideal to just switch of, read and really shake the worries away. 

From Tangalle we headed into Ella, we were meeting friends in the hills for a few days, we had two days booked and Sam had organised a wonderful homestay that looked out over Ella Rock, Nimsara Homestay, it was a wonderful two room stay above the home of the hosts, the food was absolutely delicious, some of the best we have tasted in Sri Lanka, we ate at Nimsara both nights and couldn’t have asked for more from our stay. We had decided we would spend one full day out and about, a morning walk and late afternoon due to the midday sun being too much. We climbed Little Adams Peak in the morning, up to the tea factory, across the railway line (for miles) then back to Ella for some lunch. That evening we headed back out along the railway tracks to mini ravana falls, it was crazy watching and talking to people as they ambled along the train tracks, living just off the tracks with small homes and showers outdoors for the world to see. A train came past as were walking and we were quick to jump on the side as it zoomed its way along. Sam decided to be the daredevil he is and climb out on the top of the waterfall (there was no water so it was empty) with a local guy, the fear struck us all and we quickly urged him back as we could only see his head. The waterfall is part of the walk to Ella Rock, which we had decided not to take on, however a few late travellers passed us by as we turned ourselves around and headed back into Ella for drinks. 

We woke the next morning with blurry heads, we had a couple of buses to take before we got to our next destination which was Arugam Bay, on route to the bus stop a tuktuk drive accosted us and asked if we would like a cheap tuktuk all the way to ‘A Bay’, obviously dubious we started to walk away, however then realised this guy was being serious and when we worked out the effort and cost of the bus to the tuktuk it was a difference of £3, so in we hopped and off we went. It was so much fun, yep I was hungover but what a dream a tuktuk straight there, it took around 3.5hrs and we drove through so many interesting spots, towns, national parks, elephant stoppings, it was great, I snoozed and took in the journey, Sam chatted away to our driver who lived in A Bay and wanted to get home to his family after dropping a couple of in Ella. It was a perfect way to travel and such a great experience to add to the adventure we were on. 

We arrived in A Bay and planned to stay at a certain beachfront accommodation, however it was full and brimming with your classic backpackers so we headed in and came across The Folly, which was literally a dream stop and exactly what we were looking for, a hut on the beach which was clean and had frangipani trees situated in the beach filled garden. We could see and hear the sea and there were deckchairs out front for lounging when not on the beach, yep the next 4 days were definitely sorted. 

Arugam Bay was totally beautiful and such a delight, situated on the Indian Ocean, the sea was wild and there was so many great surf spots, Sam decided it was all a bit too cool and advanced so we gave the surf a miss but enjoyed scooting out to see some of the surf hang outs and play about in the ocean waves without a board. My most favourite part of Arugam was the elephants, so many wild ones, we took a bike out one day and managed to spot two elephants playing in water and then another family on the way home at dusk, there wild large frame just idling through the sandy terrain, we sat for some time just watching and willing for a closer look however we respect there wild and wondrous ways and enjoyed this scene of nature from afar.

We also encountered a crazy rainstorm whilst in A Bay and an afternoon on the beach soon turned into sodden clothes and hibernating away. The storm came as we were out wandering the top end of the beach, the locals went crazy for it, jumping and lapping about in the waves, some took cover but a huge amount soaked in this storm, thankful for the break in the heat. I enjoyed getting my camera out and taking some shots of the smiles on folks faces, the men and children in the water and the women on the side lines, hiking their saris and dresses up and paddling into the edge of the ocean. 

We were ready to move on from A Bay when the time came, feeling we had taken what we wanted and lapped in its delights, I was ready to move inland, away from the sea and enjoy a good few days exploring the Ancient Cities, we had decided to base ourselves in Polonnaruwa at Devis Tourist Homestay, the homestay was nice, friendly, an abundance of cats (not so great), but a really helpful place and they sorted everything out for us which made it very easy. We had 4 days, the first our arrival day, we chose to relax, read and have a mini explore, there isn’t much to do in Polonnaruwa, its very local with little but one street of shops and about one restaurant, plus its gets super dark and Devi’s is a little walk from town, so we ate at the home stay every night. 

The second day we headed into Polonnaruwa, the tickets for the ‘main attractions’ were more expensive than the sites in India and we were looking at £25pp for each ticket, Polonnaruwa is defiantly a good day ticket and we hired bikes and cycled around the ancient sites, enjoying the history of the ruins and the statue of the Buddha’s potted around the grounds. We went early to avoid the heat, however sadly it does get busy and we found ourselves attempting to stay ahead of the crowds, the site itself is so grand and there is so much to see, we decided which sites we felt we could manage before the midday heat took over, and we got a good amount in, feeling we had the opportunity to embrace it all and get our money’s worth of our ticket. My favourite was the Polonnaruwa Vatadage, this is an old house relic with four staircases and at the top of each is a Buddha, the Buddha is just sat there, present and strong, I found myself standing for some time in awe of its structure and shape. Gal Vihara is the other incredible spot in Polonnaruwa, its where 3 Buddha’s are placed, they were found around different parts of the ancient site however have been brought together to preserve, this area was so busy but there was something quite special about being in the hustle and bustle and everyone putting their lotus flowers down and praying to their god. We headed back after seeing the Gal Vihara and hid away from the baking sun, we went back out that evening to see the other site that was unearthed, it was a joy cycling out here, you went along a lake and there was people carrying out there every day activities, couples dating, people coming home from work, it didn’t take long to see the evening site,, similarities to other parts of the morning site however just being further out and seeing what else had been found was such an experience and a pleasure to have taken the time to see. 

The next day we took an afternoon trip to a national park, we had been informed to go to Minneryia but were advised by the owner of the homestay to go to Kadulla as there were more elephants there. We decided to treat ourselves and got a jeep for us two, costing us around £60, we were picked up around 2pm and went out in the jeep to the park, it didn’t take too long to get there and our driver pointed a number of birds and other animal life out to us on route. As we entered the park it didn’t take too long before we saw our first elephants, our driver was great, he was really respectful and didn’t drive too close, force us to get photos took or do the whole touristy thing, even when more jeeps drove up, he drove off not allowing too many jeeps to be on top of the elephant parade. In total we must have saw nearly 100 elephants, down by waterholes, lonesome or just a small family heading across the grass lands to find shelter for the evening. It was more than I could ask for and the exact reason I love seeing what a national park can bring, animals in their natural habitat, just beautiful. 

The next day we headed out to Sigirya in a tuktuk, from Sigirya we were heading straight to Trincomalee, so our lovely driver stated he would stay with us and keep our bags whilst we took the climb up Sigirya. This was definitely my most favourite day, I never thought the elephants could be beaten but climbing up Sigirya and reaching the top was just mind blowing and the sights just took my breath away. The story of it being a monastery or palace, or both was great to explore and to see what was up there and how it was all laid out. My belief is it was a monastery but then was made into a palace by the king who took over the lands of Sigirya, to imagine home being so high up. Before you make the big climb there is a point where you head up the stairs through these grand lion paws, you can see the elements of regency and grandness through pockets of the rock and it was just an incredible morning of hiking and sightseeing. The museum was also great at Sigirya, it had information about the finding of this great rock palace and the story of the first archaeologist that dug out so many parts of this ancient ground. 

We caught a bus straight to Trincomalee from Sigirya which was great, the journey went quick and we landed at our stay. Trincomalee was a great spot to end, we stayed in Uppuveli at The Little White House, it was a quaint stay, however there was an air of sadness floating as we found out one of the owners had been diagnosed with cancer a few weeks before, meaning you were basically left to work it all out yourself, however one guy was still there and after our first days of doubts he calmed our nerves and shared some hidden spots that we should unearth. Our next few days here were spent eating rice and curry and kotthu, reading, snorkeling and hiring scooters to go to an old army beach that had no one on but the fishermen. It was a paradise bliss and I was thankful we had headed north to end our trip in such a quiet part of the country. I could feel the sense of some newness creeping in and I felt that in a few years this part of the coast may look very different to what we were seeing, as we sat on our last day sipping cocktails by the sea, I was marveled at the beauty Sri Lanka had given, ready to head home but my heart was full and my travel toes happy. 

Vietnam

I always knew I wanted to go away when I turned 30, I felt to celebrate the event with a holiday to a somewhere new and an experience I had not been part of before would make the occasion memorable and special, South India was my first calling as last time we visited India we mainly stayed North and I am told the South is beyond beautiful. With being a May baby though India is far too hot therefore another destination had to be chosen, Sam had mentioned Vietnam before and with a bit of research I decided this South East Asian country was definitely somewhere I wanted to explore and wow did it deliver. 

We decided we would start the trip in the North of Vietnam and work our way down to the south, we had 3 weeks to explore meaning we couldn’t adventure around the whole of Vietnam but felt we could cover a fair amount. We flew into Hanoi and as we left the airport my instincts made me feel unaware and prepared for the chaos I thought would be waiting for us outside, as my main experience of SE Asia being India the airport was manic, the hustle and bustle took over and was hard to digest when just arriving off a long flight. How different I found this to be in Vietnam, the airport was deserted and we nicely walked up to the taxi queue without any stress or uncertainty we were being ripped off or tricked into an unknown cab. We met a really nice man on the plane who asked us to share a taxi, the journey’s from airport to the first hotel excite me so much, the feel of fun in my stomach and the sites of a new country and how it works always make me look wide eyed and a sense of need to soak in every minute thing. The sound of horns, the madness of the scooters and the happy faces on the sidewalks hard at work, I knew we had left London and were about to indulge on an adventure that would stay in my heart forever. 

Our stay in Hanoi was short and sweet but was so memorable and for me one of the highlights of the trip. I am not a city girl, as I have got older I prefer the beach and although I live in London I thrive for the day I can move North and be back by Northumberland coastal areas. I always fear that when I land in a main city my sense of relaxedness will go and the bustle of the city will consume my manic mind. I found Hanoi different, I enjoyed the chaos and street side boi hoi drinking, and I loved the side shops that were filled with vibrant colours and eager sellers. The food we ate in Hanoi was amazing, some of the best eats, Sam and I filled our stomachs with some of the tastiest dishes and spring rolls became our main treat. Since becoming vegetarian I have not felt many challenges where meat has been something I have wanted to go back too, my health has improved and physically I don’t feel lethargic or ‘heavy’ anymore, I did fear the newness of a different country would challenge my vegetarianism but Hanoi restaurants catered well and the tastes were sublime. We spent a few days wandering and exploring, finding pagoda’s and lovers lakes to stroll around and take in the busy air but the joyful feeling of a city that was full of riveting life. 

Our next part of the trip was to Ha Long Bay, we decided to take a 2 day, 1 night trip, I was unaware of what Ha Long would be like and even after looking at pictures and reading lonely planet I still couldn’t foresee how the trip would be and how blown away I would be.  The trip started by getting a bus from Hanoi to Ha Long, on route we managed to get a puncture and like all good drivers he didn’t have the equipment to change the tyre, the boys on the bus all get involved and after an hour of sweating, stress and laughs another coach pulled over the help us out. We arrived at a busy Ha Long Bay early afternoon and boarded our small boat to get to our junk boat, the group we were with seemed nice and everyone talked together about where they had been before or were headed after. We were given our room keys and already I could feel the sense of excitement building at the thought of staying on a boat for the night, my nautical side started to feel embraced and I knew the trip was to be a an experience like no other. Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO site and as our junk boat left its sea position and we ventured into the lime stone rocks I sat on deck mouth opened at the beauty that surrounded me, after lunch our guide told us we were going kayaking, I was excited but also somewhat scared at the thought of my rubbishes when it comes to any form of exercise, especially open sea sports, thank goodness for Sam being in the back! The kayaking turned out to be the highlight of the trip and as corny as it sounds I really feel we experience a moment that could have been captured in a guide book as a ‘must do experience’. The company we went through have been carrying out tours for some years and have excellent extensive knowledge of the area. As we went out in our kayaks it turned out the earlier puncture had helped us as most people were back on board there boats ready for an evening meal. We went out in the kayaks round 4pm and spent 2.5hrs kayaking through a cave into a wondrous lagoon; it was a picturesque moment with monkeys swinging in the surrounding nature and the sound of tropical wildlife basking in the evening sun. We ventured out of our kayak and went swimming, being left to see the lagoon in its natural form. It was breath taking and I didn’t want to leave, sadly the evening sun came down and we had to head back to the boat for our evening meal. The trip showed me of the adventure that can be done when you allow yourself to be free of day to day stress, already I was planning my next trip back and when we could relive the beauty of Ha Long Bay. 

We arrived back from Ha Long Bay and took a night bus to Hoi An, where we would spend the next 5 days in heaven, after a long bus ride we arrived in a different place to what my imagination had. I was taken over by the serene pleasure of Hoi an and how relaxed and beautiful it was, I had in my mind a busy stay; instead I find a doll like town with beaches of beauty. We spent my birthday in Hoi An and I was so pleased at Sam planning this as I couldn’t think of anywhere else I would have wanted to be. The next 5 days were spent doing sunrise Hoi An yoga, An Bang beach time, beach cycles, clothes making, more delicious food, cocktails, beautiful colours, toy town buildings and joyful smiling faces. Our villa was beautiful and was pool facing, the villa was set in a tropical like garden with birds of paradise flowers growing wildly and the sound of tweeting birds surrounding our time there. Before leaving I knew our stay in Hoi An would be revisited as it truly was the most perfect way to spend my 30^th and a relaxed 5 days of sheer heavenly delights. 

From Hoi An we took another night bus to Dalat, our stop in Dalat was to break the journey to Ho Chi Minh City, we wanted to visit Elephant Falls and the giant happy Buddha whilst in Dalat so planned a two night stay to venture around the hills. We decided to get a moped and join in with the chaotic driving around us, with my trust left in Sam we headed off on our own adventure to find the mystical waterfall and smiling Buddha. We were informed beforehand about the easy rider tours but when looking on the map we felt the journey was easy enough for us to do alone and also I wanted to stop at some of the flower farms on route. How pleased I was we did the journey alone, we spent the whole day out in the hills and visited many flower farms with dahlias and birds of paradise growing in vast amounts. When we arrived at the falls it was different to how I imagined, I hadn’t imagined it being so touristy and expected a short walk with the waterfall just coming before us, instead the waterfall was waiting as we pulled up and the walk was a small treacherous one through wet rocks and tumbling vines. We made it to the waterfall though and embraced the rainbow colours coming from its fall and powerful sound of rushing water. It was amazing to be underneath it and feel the power of it, sadly it was so busy there was only a small time alone to listen to its sounds before the easy rider tours came upon us. From here we walked up to the sunshine and sat for some time drying out. We then took a walk to the giant happy Buddha and wow what a beautiful sight of gold structure, Sam bought me a book about Buddhism for my birthday and sitting here in front of this symbolic image the meaning of Buddha came into me, I felt fully ‘awakened’ by the statue and felt a sense of peace sitting restfully in front of it. Sam and I decided to spend the afternoon relaxing in the presence of the Buddha as the silence was beautiful and it felt a wasted opportunity to not indulge in the peacefulness around us. 

From Dalat we travelled to Ho Chi Minh City, we only spent one night in HCMC as we were using the time as a stop off before flying to Pho Quoc. My fear of big cities came flowing back as we arrived into HCMC, we spent the evening venturing into the abyss of markets, drinking beer in the local restaurants and playing shuttle cock in the local park. We fell into bed sleepy and exhausted from our travels and intake of the maze of streets, ready for our flight tomorrow to Mango Bay. 

We flew out to Pho Quoc island the following day, we both knew we wanted to spend our final week in paradise and be away from the city streets and relaxing on a beach, reading and drinking cocktails. We found exactly that and more at Mango Bay resort, Pho Quoc, Mango Bay is set along one kilometer of beach, amid twenty hectares of largely endemic forest and gardens. There are 40 bungalows in total that are all eco based lodges, the bungalows are situated along the beach and in the forest and each are beautiful in there design and layout. 

After a short drive and a long dusty road we arrived at Mango Bay, my first thoughts were of heaven, we entered the beach restaurant and sat in front of the wavy sea with chilled music playing and a serving of delightful fruit juice, our host explained some of the Mango Bay way’s and where we could find the wellbeing centre for massages and beauty treatments. We were then walked to our lodges with huge beaming smiles on our faces I wasn’t ready for the next installment of mango bay beauty. Our bungalow was set in a row of 4 and I couldn’t have been happier at how perfect the lodge was, our bathroom had an open top window which had a blind we could pull down, although the sound of nature was so serene I knew the blind would be staying where it was. We woke to find frogs in our open shower and gecko’s paying evening visits to us through the huge window space. We spent our days on the sandy beaches reading, being massaged and dining in the beach bar, serving delicious cocktails and tasty treats. Our evenings were spent playing scrabble, drinking tasty wine and enjoying the array of sea food in the restaurant. Mango Bay was so peaceful and relaxing it did exactly what we hoped for and allowed us to relax fully from our previous 2 weeks of traveling the Vietnam world. 

The three weeks we spent in Vietnam was such an experience that I have already planned our trip back there, with the hope of my parents visiting us when out there also. I could see so much from the trip they would enjoy and feel it’s an experience everyone should have.

A New Year with lots of New Adventures.

Christmas time was a delightful time was as always delightful with the lovely family, I tried to embrace it with all I could as knew it would be my last year celebrating Christmas at home alone as next year me and Samuel have chosen to spend it together either at our home and then to Sam’s parents or at my Mum and Ronnie’s home, I am so excited at the prospect of being together and feel ready for this new Christmas plan, its always daunted me not being at home but as times change I can see my own self changing and think waking up without being at home wouldn’t be as bad as I once thought, simply because Sam will be next to me.

With Christmas over and 2013 starts the snow comes with it, warm fires and Indian blankets are keeping us warm at home and the wire has kept us entertained for the start of January, being back at work has really hit home and I can feel my readiness for change, although I don’t come to work and hate life, I feel privileged to be doing a job with such rewards and at times enjoy the challenges it brings allowing me to enhance myself as a worker and as an individual. My only itching at the moment is I feel change is upon me and as you can see from previous blogs I have been really trying to find different avenues to go down and what will really challenge me as an individual. I fell into the social care route by accident and although it has been a ‘good’ accident it has developed my learning and allowed me to explore different avenues to see if this is my chosen career and if I can see myself doing this throughout my working days. Recently I have really felt that I wanted a new scope of work and have looked at various degree’s/master’s and jobs to see what may best suit my chosen options for my future, I had settled on a MA but have recently been told the safety of my job may not be present in 2014 meaning an unemployed Claire, with this being the case the MA would leave me limited to my career options and leave me with one main route of therapeutic work and those of you who know me, know I love change. I spent Christmas really thinking about what I want not just for now but for when I have children and when I am older and yes the coffee shop is something I have always wanted maybe its not the right time in the current recession to be putting all our eggs in one basket and maybe this is something we come back to in our later years when we have more stability and more financially secure. I therefore started to think about where my journey first started and how childcare was always something I was interested in and studied with enjoyment at school and college, I took the health route and tried my luck with mental health nursing but didn’t like the 2yr nursing stream and chose to leave after my first term. I discussed with Sam last year the option of midwifery but with my finical situation not being the best we knew it wasn’t something I could go back to just yet. I did some research and broached the subject again and we felt it was something we could afford to do right now and that Sam being lovely Sam he said I should go for it if its something I have always wanted to do, so with that I completed my UCAS and now await an interview, if all goes well I will be back as a full time student come September 2013, studying a course i will be blessed to be part of. 

 Its interesting how when times became hard its found we revert back to what we know and what’s comforting, I was discussing this with my ever wise Gran when telling her I had received a sewing machine of Sam as my Christmas gift and a class at this amazing sewing café http://sewoverit.co.uk/ and she explained that this is evident from the come back of WI meetings for young women and the new shops that are opening that are sewing/knitting/vintage/film cameras/craft shops, something she states you just had to know when growing up, it was part of life, now people pay to learn these skills and want to feel that ‘older generation’s’ way of living. My Gran laughs at my love of film camera and want to learn skills she is so great at, recently my Mum and Gran have been teaching me to knit and I am finding it really therapeutic, when telling a few friends this I have found they too are learning the skills of knitting and sewing and have been carrying out their own craft projects making pillows, screen printing, scarf knitting and film processing. I really love how clever my friends are and felt we should bring all these skills together and learn from one another, so with that craft night was developed, a group of my closest friends are planning on arranging a craft night once a month, we will have different themes and learn from one another to expand our ever growing crafting brains.
I feel 2013 is full of exciting prospects and with our trip to Vietnam in May and exploring these two heavenly beaches/lodgings http://www.junglebeachvietnam.com/welcome.html and http://mangobayphuquoc.com/,  30^th birthdays a plenty, Weddings, Shambala, Glastonbury (with Mum and Ronnie, yeah) and the possible start of a new course I feel a very lucky privileged lady right now.

Lets find some beautiful place to get lost.

At the moment I feel there is a thousand thoughts in my head and trying to work out what is best is confusing, not only that but driving my darling Samuel insane! We had planned a big trip away a years traveling in beautiful countries, no work and just the two of us. When we started to plan and think of it properly we realised it would never be just the two of us as with traveling socialising is a must and hostels become your home. Those of you who know me know I adore my home comforts, routines and family life, so this was a huge talking point when thinking of our travelling plans. On the other side we had thought of sabbaticals from our jobs, but recently our jobs have become, for both of us really important parts of our lives and we both enjoy what we’re doing so a huge fear was that what if we don’t get sabbaticals and have to give up jobs that we enjoy and have worked hard to achieve. With all this discussion we came to the conclusion for us travelling wasn’t the best way forward and that long holidays would be our way of still exploring and having beautiful adventures but still maintaining our life in the South. So with all this we started to plan what our next trip would be, I knew I wanted to go away for my 30^th next year and our first choice was to head back to India, sadly in May India is at its hottest getting ready for monsoon season, meaning that I would probably burn resulting in a tiresome holiday. Samuel mentioned Vietnam and after a small bit of researching we decided this was where we wanted to go and with that our Vietnam flights were booked.