Jim’s Camping

When planning our first years anniversary we both knew we wanted to go camping, it was important for us to bring the element of our wedding into our anniversary and wanted to spend time on a farm, away from the world and camp, when Sam showed me Jim’s camping it couldn't have been more perfect. 

We arrived on the road to Jim’s Camping and Sam informed me there was no signs and was a little side entrance, the road had a number of caravan club sites along it and I was certain there would be some form of signage – how wrong I was. Sam suddenly recognised the side path (from pictures) and took a quick right into a beautiful serene open field with two other campers. We found our spot and unloaded our car, making our home for the weekend, my first thoughts were just blissful and happy, I loved the openness of the campsite but the peacefulness also and the wonderful surrounding nature hugging the campsite. 

We spent the evening wandering around the farm and even had the pleasure of meeting Jim, he informed us the peacock had passed away the week before after 25yrs of living on the farm, Jim talked of the birds that were left and the flowers he was growing for the flower farm on Sunday. I loved Jim’s idle way of living and basic need to get by, he explained he had owned the farm for 65yrs and made enough to just get by, he explained his days are spent tending to the growing vegetables and flowers and making bouquets up for the local markets, he explained most of the money comes from the flowers. I envy people who live so basic, I feel over the years I have taught myself better more ethical ways to live where tv is not the focal point of my life and spending more time looking after me with more holistic ways is better than partying and working long hours. I never understand people who commit so much to work when we were put on this world to live not to work – it’s so important to have that balance as when I grow old I want to look back and feel I got the most out of my life and not that I worked it away committing more time to things that don’t have any meaning or won’t have any meaning when I am older. Jim’s camping really made me go back to the basic routes of living and feel relaxed and happy in the environment I was in and not needing outside stimulus to enjoy a beautiful evening ahead. 

After cooking a delightful BBQ and making a toasty fire, with our tummies full and hearts warm the scrabble board made its first appearance for the weekend and we set in for a relaxing evening of 4 letter word making. 

We awoke the next morning, enjoyed a breakfast of eggs and went off for a day at the beach (and to collect some tasty fish for that evening BBQ). We decided to head to a National Trust owned beach called Studland Bay, it was beautiful the sun shone and the day was spent reading and relaxing. At around 4pm we decided to walk to Durdle Door, as a child we used to holiday to the south coast all the time I couldn't recall the Durdle Door so was excited to take the walk up a zillion stairs to see what was hidden at the end of it all. What an amazing site and beautiful walk, it was nice to take the walk as the evening was cooling and soak in all the wonders around it, you could see Lulworth Cove from the top of the stairs, the south coast is so beautiful and I can imagine myself coming back here time and time again. We walked along the trail and eventually came to the Durdle Door, I was so overwhelmed with the beauty of the limestone arch that we sat for some time taking pictures and just looking at the amazement of the naturally formed structure. 

We spent the evening similar as we had the previous one, relaxing with the fire and cooking some amazing fish with delicious salad. 

I did spend some time walking around the campsite with my camera; there were so many amazing flowers and oddments of old worn down pots where beautiful herbs were growing. The flower farm was so beautiful on the evening with the sun setting and I really did feel blessed with the experience we were having and the beauty of Jim’s camping. 
The next morning came and a year to the date was the day we got married, it was a surreal feeling that a year had passed, I can’t believe how quick time has gone and that a year ago I was preparing for such a special unforgettable day.  To celebrate we brought our letters from our wedding day, we had a typewriter on our wedding day which we asked everyone to type a letter for us to open on our 1st wedding anniversary also known as the paper anniversary. It was brilliant opening the letters with messages of all kinds being given to us, it made us both smile, shed a tear and laugh (a lot) at the drunk funny words written down – a number of them starting off with how difficult it is to use a typewriter. We then enjoyed a anniversary breakfast and prepared for another fun day at the beach. 

We decided to visit Ringstead Bay another beautiful beach on the South coast, it was another sunshine day and we spent the early afternoon again reading, relaxing and dipping in the freezing cold water. It was just such a perfect way to celebrate one year away from the hustle and bustle and just me and curly together, we decided to set off from the beach around 3ish to find a tasty public house to have a Sunday anniversary lunch – we found a relaxed pub with tasty eats and a big beer garden, no better way to complete perfect weekend. 

Our drive back home we reminisced our wedding day and our future to come, we smiled at how lucky we are and how our 2nd anniversary will be spent on a beach again somewhere in South East Asia, bring on another brilliant year with a world of adventures ahead. 

2013 in the Field of Dreams

2013 in the field of dreams as always I was excited as excited could be, drowning the facebook with favourite artists, bursts of, memories of times before and pictures of Glastonbury’s past, those 5 days of turmoil and ecstasy in the muddy fields of Somerset always bring a bout of joy to my being and makes me feel alive and at one with who I am, life outside the fence is forgetting and it’s just about happy faces, a lot of love and some beautiful music new and old.

This year was to be my tenth year in the fields and I hoped one of the best, I started going to Glastonbury in 2002 and since then I have defiantly had a world of different experiences at each and every Glastonbury festival, from the first years of partying all day and night, years where I have sulked off to bed straight after the bands,  2008 not buying my ticket till the week before, one year I worked in the Kidz field (which was so fun), to this year when I managed to entice my parents along to experience what we all kept talking about.

The main thing that did feel different this year was our group, a number of people had decided not to attend the festival this year due to other commitments or feeling the festival had changed and was not the same as it once had been. My debate back around this is that it has changed but have we not also? I know when I went in 2002 I am definitely not the same person or have the same values as the 19yr old girl roaming the fields back then. People change as do festivals and now I do see younger people there but is that not just because I am older? When 19 why would I have noticed the younger folk, that was me and I imagine there were 30yr olds looking at me thinking similar about young people influxing the festival scene. There has been times when I have questioned a certain act or a headline slot but its Glastonbury and for me it’s not just about the music it’s about the whole experience, friends, creative, new music, old music, bumbling, theatre, workshops, beauty, carefree beliefs, learning, charity and most of all finding something new every time I go. People laugh at my some say obsession, I say love of Glastonbury but for me it’s a place that brings me calm and peace and allows 250,000 people to be who they want to be for one weekend without rules and conduct but a vibe that truly lives of peace and love. For me Glastonbury will always be changing as will I through teenage years, twenty something years, married years, family years, we are ever changing beings so why can a festival not be? At the end of the day it’s still blooming amazing!

We arrived at our usual time of 6am to join the enjoyable bus queue of weird and wonderful people; there were 12 of us on our bus rather than the 40 that were on the coach last year. The journey was as amusing as ever with a driver that had no clue of what Glastonbury was and was very interested in what we would eat and how we would clean over the next 5 days. However amusing the journey he managed to get us to the coach park ready for the queue ahead of us. The time went quickly with smiles and laughter and a girl in love with Sam’s curls, we were luckily not too far from the front and our 6am arrival worked well. I always find it amazing when arriving into the festival and the emptiness of the fields in front, we went to Glastonbury in May 2012 for my birthday, I had always wanted to attend the festival when it was not on and it was a beautiful experience, arriving into Glastonbury was so different to how it had been when just walking around the farm, the signs were up and the stages in place, the campsite crew were directing people to fields upon fields showing people the way to set up home for 5 days. We did the marathon walk to the Park Homeground and put our camp in place, the fun day ahead of saving space and drinking cider was ahead of us, we did it, a few disputes and passive aggressive behavior but we managed to get all our camp together and pitched in a mish mash circle ready for a weekend of great times.

Mum and Ronnie were staying at B&B and came into the festival daily, it was amazing to show them the festival and even with all the worries I feel they both relaxed and were thoroughly taken back with the festival and all it has about it.

We watched a number of great acts and I feel I saw more this year then I have in many years, there was a great line up of great acts and there was always someone we all wanted to see. Some of my highlights were Daughter, Tom Tom Club, Seasick Steve, Arctic Monkeys, Mumford and Son’s and of course Rolling Stones. We came across a band called The Staves and First Aid Kit which I was sad not to see the whole sets as since coming home I have listened to both albums and thoroughly enjoyed – I guess that’s all part of the experience and hopefully they will play again in the future so I can catch them then.

I spent more time in the craft field this year than ever before, I was so happy to see Mum and Ronnie amazed by the old ways of crafting that were still about and the enjoyment in their faces as they watched the greencrafts field in full flow. We decided to make a hula hoop on the last day but sadly we got there too late and hula hoop making was closed, guess that’s one for 2015!

One of my highlights was in the theatre and circus field, Sam wanted to watch a tennis match that was occurring obviously a spoof of a tennis match, I wasn’t so sure but sitting in the sun in hysterics at the game was brilliant, even better Mum was asked to be ‘Andy Murray’s’ Mum and ran up on stage wrapping her legs round ‘Andy’ and saying how proud she was when he won the game! Brilliant! It was great to see her getting involved in the Glastonbury goodness of being you and enjoying yourself to the most.

Sam and I managed two sunrises which was incredible, I feel I have totally lacked with my sunrises the last two years but we did it this year and wow what a fun time was had. Friday we had the biggest adventure with a day of brilliant music, Arctic Monkeys to finish, Smerins Anti-Social club, block 9 dancing to Greg Wilson then stone circle for sunrise, possible the funnest night of the festival and a huge amount of dancing was had with a good group of smiling faces. Sunday was our 2nd sunrise ending with Slamboree dancing in the bimble inn, chill out tent in the Greenpeace field then stone circle sunrise.

We spent Sunday night with two surprise friends who told us they weren't coming only to surprise us on Saturday day with their ‘watch Rodriguez’ mission – a simple text arrived stating ‘woo something strange just happened, we just fell out the rabbit hole’ our brains went wondering and then a red top hot arrived and standing in front of us Ewan and Jenny – such a brilliant surprise at such a perfect time. It was amazing to see sunrise in with them both and two other lovelies also – another fantastic night to add to the Glastonbury experience – I definitely saw the highlight of early morning Sunday’s again!

I could write so much about the joy the fields had brought but it would take forever and be so many of my own thoughts being noted down which to me are amazing and to everyone else may get a bit dull. Overall thought I can honestly say 2013 runs alongside with 2008 as one of the best Glastonbury’s ever, the relaxed feeling in the air, the blissful camp crew of good friends and seeing my parents enjoy the best festival in the world.

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.