A love letter to Thailand

 My husband and I have  just come home from Thailand. It's a country which we love visiting, every year if we can. Wonderful people, beautiful beaches, warmth, sunshine, excellent golf courses and delicious Thai food seduce us and ensure that every year we can't wait until we can book our flights for our next holiday.

Unfortunately, sometimes holidays and life don't go according to plan though.

The first three weeks were idyllic, as we met up with old friends in Hua Hin, about three hours south of Bangkok. We've been going there so long that we know all the staff at the Hua Hin Golf Villa where we stay, and we enjoyed a friendly, wonderful start to our trip. It's the base where my husband organises a golf tour from, so the first week was spent with him playing a couple of rounds, going out for lunches by the beach, swimming and in the evenings, lots of leisurely meals with friends.

Then we took ourselves off to Dolphin Bay, in the National Park of Sam Roi Yot. This is the third time we've stayed there....it's so unspoilt, and even quieter than previous years.  We spent 14 long days, swimming in the bay and the pool, reading, cycling around and enjoying being completely relaxed.

Then we headed north again, about thirty minutes up the coast to Sanae Beach Resort at Khao Tao, where we were due to stay for three nights. The first day, overlooking a sheltered little bay, we lounged by and swam in the pool, went out for dinner and had an early night.

That's when our holiday plans derailed and fell off track completely.

I woke up the following morning and could hear Rob moaning as if in pain. I ran around to his side of the bed  - he was giddy, feeling sick and needed to sit up,. He couldn't without help though, couldn't stand and was cold and clammy. I knew by his speech something was seriously wrong, and ran to the club reception and asked for an ambulance. One arrived very quickly and after a brief examination, we were off to Hua Hin about 25 minutes away with blue lights flashing and the siren blaring.

He was seen immediately in recuss and within an hour was being given an MRI scan. I was shown the results quickly and kindly. This was a major stroke plus smaller pea sized one in the cerebullum. The words "life changing" won't be forgotten in a hurry.

The care Rob received at Bangkok Hospital in Hua Hin was marvellous, but after thirty six hours in the intensive Care Unit we were told he was being moved to the world renowned Bumrumgrad Hospital in Bangkok for further treatment at Specialist Stroke Unit.

Bumrungrad sent their own mobile ICU to collect Rob, and within ten minutes of a doctor and two paramedics arriving from Bangkok, we were both on our way north for 120 miles once again accompanied by blue flashing lights and sirens.

For the next seven days, our world became very small, but very focussed. Rob was in ICU first and then onto the stroke ward on the tenth floor of this huge hospital. 

He was confined to bed at first, more scans, numerous tests and procedures and another MRI scan which showed another three little bleeds, again in his cerebellum. 

Our world revolved around that room, and the constant visits of nurses, a neurologist, a cardiologist, haematologist, an orthopaedic doctor, and physios who were all so focused and encouraging, giving us such confidence.

Our window on the world from the hospital room

In time, he could walk a little with a rollator and the support of two nurses or physios. Each day brought a new joy, a new achievement like the first time he was allowed to shower on his own or to leave his room and walk down the corridor with help, then on his own. The nurses made him laugh, the hospital food was excellent, and after a week [yes a week] Rob was ready to leave but would need further tests and examinations before being allowed to fly home. His consultants called him the miracle man, as he shouldn't have been able to walk or talk properly according to the MRI scans.

Some of the wonderful nurses who looked after Rob

We went back to Hua Hin, where more of his friends had arrived for a few weeks of golfing. Hell would have frozen over before Rob would be allowed to play, but being back at a place we call home when we're in Thailand, with lots of banter and support from our friends was such a boon. 

Nearly two weeks later Rob was allowed to fly home. I found out I had COVID and that's when you wonder what's next. The Four Horsemen of the Apocolypse perhaps?

Since we've been home, there's been time to rest, reflect, and realise how lucky Rob has been. 

Lucky that he's survived, lucky that we had such wonderful health insurance and a company that pulled out all the stops to help right from my first call from the hospital foyer in Hua Hin. It was about 2am UK time when I called the Collinson Group Medical Ops, yet the warm, capable voice of Kerryn reassured me that everything would be done to get Rob the best treatment care and I eould be looked after too. She kept in touch, and her colleagues too ..always at the end of the line, with information and plans, fixing me up in a hotel just across the road from the hospital in Bangkok. Handholding over the phone from nearly six thousand miles away was such support during those first nerve racking days.

From the first morning Rob was whisked off to the hospital from Sanae Beach, the staff kept in touch to see how Rob was. In Hua Hin, the owners and staff of the Golf Villa went out of their way to help. A visit to Bangkok to see Rob in hospital with flowers and cards all gave us comfort. At the Best Western Hotel in Sukamvit where I was staying, the maitre d'hotel would greet me every night as I returned from the hospital, with a warm welcome and chat as I sat alone to eat, asking how my husband was.

And as for everyone who was involved in Rob's care in both hospitals, you have our most sincere thanks, You don't forget things like that, the kindness, courtesy and support of strangers and friends.

We can't forget how much we love Thailand too. That's why Rob is already planning another trip for us next year, to see our friends, to visit our favourite places and new ones, to relax once again.

In the meantime, Rob continues to make progress and is hoping that it wont be too long before he's playing golf. He is taking the tablets he now needs daily, exercising each day and eating healthily. One thing he won't be forgetting to do under any circumstances is organising our health insurance  for next year.....

Days at Monsoon Valley Wines, Thailand

Summer, and it's the time to enjoy all those chilled glasses of rose which are so perfect for a picnic, for lunch and especially before supper on a warm evening out in the garden.
I like them dry, especially from Provence, but there's a rose from somewhere quite different which I absolutely adore.

Brace yourselves, it's from Thailand. Yes, hot and humid Thailand - from the Monsoon Valley Vineyard, set in the hills about twenty five miles from Hua Hin.  It's a Shiraz Rose which earlier this month won the title of "The World's Best Rose" in Thailand - ahead of eighty others from all around the world in a blind tasting..

I've been to that vineyard on my last three trips to Hua Hin, to taste the wines and to have lunch. The rides around the vines are optional, by elephant or jeep . Go before lunch because it's just too hot afterwards, and you will, whether you intended to or not, have drank some fabulous wines which don't mix well with the undulating motion that comes with being stuck on top of a walking elephant. That said, I wouldn't take an elephant ride in the first place.

Chalerm Yoovidhya is the very successful Thai businessman who had the vision to create Monsoon Valley Wines back at the beginning of the century, even though it wasn't a given that it could succeed.

Last year, my husband and I were in the south of Thailand in January and February, amid the terrible storms which caused widespread destruction and we were stuck on roads which had been swept away. So when we made it to the vineyard on the way back from the islands a few weeks later, we were only too well aware of the difficulties that winemakers here face weather wise.

It was a very warm and muggy Saturday, not a hint of a breeze and we couldn't wait to sit in the shade of La Sala for lunch.

Thai and European food is available - we usually stick to light dishes and salad and pair them with a flight of three wines. 



With a starter of satay pork, we drank the crisp white Columbard. It's zingy freshness worked well with the peanut and lime sauce. Then came the Shiraz Rose, which although slightly sweeter than I usually prefer, was bursting with flavour -  wild strawberries and happiness in a glass.

I also liked the Shiraz red, spicy and plummy and so likeable with a lightness of touch.

After ending our meal with a mango and sticky rice pudding with mango ice cream, we decided we weren't quite ready to go back to our hotel in Hua Hin.

We ordered a bottle of the Shiraz Rose and spent the most delicious hour chatting, eavesdropping on some very interesting conversations at nearby tables and drinking in the views across the vineyard.



My husband is already planning the next trip to Thailand - he leads a golf tour there every year, and no doubt another visit to the vineyard will be planned. Next time though, I will insist we buy a few more bottles of the Shiraz Rose to keep in our hotel fridge!

You can get to the Monsoon Valley Vineyard from the seaside resort of Hua Hin by minibus or taxi, easily arranged by your hotel or by contacting the vineyard direct. Alternatively there is a shuttle bus which runs from Villa Market twice a day  and the journey takes about 40 minutes.

One final word, do book a table for lunch as it's a long way to go and find that they are fully booked!

The first day of the New Year

The first day of a New Year. For me it's a day to look forward, to idly plan, to dream. It's that magical time of the year when it lies in front of me like a blank page, ready to be written on...a time of possibility. My friend Khush says her lovely mother had a favourite quote  "Tomorrow is the first page of a 365 page book, write a good one!"

 

 

Today hasn't been a good one weather wise. It has rained since first light, that persistent rain, coming in almost horizontally as I walked Boo and Eric. I was wrapped up with scarf, hat and waterproofs but those whips of  rain which caught my chin as we walked into the wind made me long for sunny skies. None of us enjoyed our walk today , even the dogs stopped at one stage , looking up at me as to say "you must be mad, let's get home."

 

I could only agree with them, so today we've given into the weather, and the dogs and I have been ensconced on the sofa, with Mama, my Mum in pole position on the chair in front of the fire, playing solitaire on my i pad. She's one of the generation who has always said ..."Oh I don't need the internet" but today has been different. Mama and I both love history, and earlier we were discussing who succeeded  Queen Anne, the poor Queen who lived to bury all of her children. What I didn't realise until I looked it up, that two of her daughters died of smallpox.

 

Mama was intrigued, and started reading all about on the internet. She doesn't have  a clue about how to use the i pad mind you, but I think a seed has been sown today about how much pleasure she could get from using it. Mama always loved to sit quietly playing patience, so when I offered to show her how to play a game of solitaire , she loved it and caught on quickly how to tap at the screen and play.

 

So perhaps a new journey for Mama into the big wide world of the internet? I reckon it could be a game changer for a woman who is going to be celebrating her 87th birthday on Tuesday!

 

 

For me, I'm dreaming of journeys too. Waiting for my holiday coming up soon, which will take to Thailand again. Planes, trains, ferries and buses to six different locations over four weeks. I really can't wait, because this is one of the islands I shall be staying on later this month...with such happy memories of two years ago.

 

 

 Each part of the journey will be different, some to familiar places which we already know and love , but others will be to somewhere new. Yes, there's that sense of anticipation  about whether those places will match up to our expectation, but I also want to make the most of the journeys there too.

 

 

From the ferries I will admire the coast lines and enjoy the chug chugging of the engine as we move from island to island. From  the coach and train there's the chance to catch glimpses of workaday lives , and when we get to our destinations , I'm going to savour every moment, whether I'm just gazing out to sea at sunset, people watching, swimming or laughing..

 

Getting back to Khush's Mum, her other favourite quote was "start each day with a grateful heart." A wise woman indeed and on my journey through 2017, wherever I go, I'm going to remember that too.

 

A very happy 2017 to everyone reading this blog...enjoy the journey!

The first few days of a holiday

The week before going off somewhere flashes past in a blur of washing, packing, finishing work, feeling stressed. Have I got everything? Have I remembered the passports?

And then on a cold and miserable night in mid January, there's hours to be spent hanging around an airport, waiting for the first of three flights which will take us to paradise. To Thailand to be precise. Birmingham to Dubai, Dubai to Bangkok and then Bangkok Airways to the island of Koh Samui.

I always think that the first few days of a holiday have a slightly surreal quality to them, and this year was no exception. There's something so magical about seeing the sun and feeling warm. Within a day we go from being wrapped up in woollen jumpers, thick tights and boots (well I did...Mr Thinking of the Days doesn't wear tights...) to lying on a beach revelling in the sunshine.

There's a delicious laziness, realising that I don't have to go to work, I don't have to do this or that. Routine goes out of the window. I have choices. If I turn right from our bungalow on the beach at the Maenam resort, within sixty paces, I am here.

A lovely little spot within the shade of the coconut palms just in front of the hotel restaurant. A place to sit by the sea, and choose what I would like for breakfast. Fresh fruit, oh yes mango, perhaps pineapple, or bacon? Why not, and perhaps an egg?

Or if I turn left, and move ten paces, I'm here. Time to go for an early morning walk before breakfast.





If I turn left onto the beach, I walk along this way

 

 

If I turn right....

 

 

 

Or I can choose to sit with another cup of coffee and do nothing at all for a short while, greedily drink in the beautiful view or read in the shade.

Anything is possible....and that's the delight of those first few days of any holiday. That sense of liberation, laziness, being open to the moment, and wallowing in the newness and beauty of where we are.

It's difficult not to smile.....

 

Days of planes, trains and boats

I've been away for a while..for  twenty three days to be precise. In the middle of January, on a cold and rainy winter's night, I escaped  to a beautiful country thousands of miles away. To a country I first came to last year,  a land I've learned to love...Thailand.

Mr Thinking of the Days and I have not been just lazing around on a beach for all of this time though....so far, we've taken three flights in different sizes of planes, three ferry rides from Koh Samui to Kho Phangan, from there to Koh Tao, and then onto the mainland at Chumpon.

We came on the train from Chumpon to where we are now - on Suanlong  beach near Bangsaphan. And along the way , we've used so many tuks tuks to count, we've spent a day on an old Chinese junk, and yesterday we hired a speedboat to visit the small island of Koh Talou to go snorkelling.

There have been so many nice people and beautiful  places on this journey with so
many stories to tell. In the meantime, there's just one more train trip, a long coach ride and two plane journeys to go.

Days of being too busy to blog

I admit it's been a while since I've blogged. I've been busy, busy, busy....

Busy working....

Busy celebrating Christmas......

Busy with a houseful of children and their boyfriends and girlfriends....my lovely Mum staying with us for a fortnight, seeing my adorable brother and his gorgeous wife unexpectedly, lots of cooking new recipes, busy catching up .....

And then being busy at work, getting everything ready so that Mr Thinkingofthedays and I could escape to the sunshine.....

To here....

We're staying on the island of Koh Samui, ten hours away from the hustle, bustle and gloomy short days of an English January

 A small slice of heaven  just outside of Lamai here at our hotel at Crystal Bay Resort.

And now I'm busy relaxing in the sunshine.....enjoying time to be....to read, to people watch, to think, to swim in these warm waters and appreciate just how beautiful Koh Samui is....

I'm busy thinking how lucky I am to be here and how much I've needed this break.

I'll be back home and blogging in February....while Mr Thinkingofthedays stays out here to lead his tenth golf tour back on the mainland at Hua Hin. He's going to be very busy.....