Hua Hin August 2014

Mam had some work in Hua Hin, so we made a vacation out of it. Had a look at our condo progress and visited a beach and a waterfall.

We stopped for lunch at Midwinter Green. This place was previously known as The Smoke House or just The House. It has been closed for the better part of a year and has just had its "soft" opening.

Caesar Salad (plus a pizza) for lunch.

We've purchased a small studio unit at the Baan Thew Talay condominium on the beach at Cha Am. That's our spot on the 7th floor. Pool in the foreground.

Ocean view from the 7th floor. (More condo photos at the end of this blog entry.)

Dinner on the beach at Hua Hin.

Nothing like coffee and a croissant for breakfast.

The ornate Hua Hin Railway Station.

Noodles for lunch.

Deserted beach at Pranbury, south of Hua Hin.

Thaao Ko Sa Forest Park - วนอุทยานท้าวโกษา 

Thaao Ko Sa Forest Park - วนอุทยานท้าวโกษา 

Exploring the beat at Thaao Ko Sa Forest Park

Fishing village near Sam Roi Yod National Park

Sam Roi Yod

We had lunch at the Hua Hin Hills winery on the way to Pala-U Waterfall.

The wine is OK. This was a Shiraz.

Pala-U Waterfall

Small whip snake at Pala-U

On the way out of Pala-U we saw this elephant.

Dinner at El Murphy in Hua Hin.

Lovely new Starbucks in Wang Noi, north of Bangkok.

More Condo Photos….

South Andaman Diving - July 2014

We headed to Phuket for four days of diving. Mam's first "real" diving since completing her Open Water course.

We flew on the 10th anniversary of Nok Air so were welcomed by this celebration at Don Mueang International Airport.

First stop on Phuket? The Full Moon Brewwork microbrewery.

A light lager for Mam.

Conditions were not ideal for diving. Heavy surf. Rain. Wind. This is Mam at Patong Beach.

The South Andaman can be very beautiful. This is Koh Phi Phi Lei.

We did a two-dive day trip followed by three days of live aboard diving on the Scuba Adventure.

Dive Guide Lam.

Our fellow divers included a Peruvian family of eight: grandma, her four daughters and three adult grandchildren. We brought avocados. They made guacamole.

Tour Leader Julie gives a dive briefing.

Lots of tourists at Koh Phi Phi Lei. A trail leads from here to the famous Maya Bay on the other side.

Kitchen Magician. Tiny work space. Huge meals.

Huge meals

Short video with some underwater shots.

A Visit to Saipan

I traveled from Thailand to Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands to see my daughter and grandchildren and lots of old friends.

I stayed with my friend Bobbi Grizzard. This is the view from her guest room.

Grandpa with grandson Jake.

Daughter Chicha and Jake

Saipan has beautiful beaches.

Oldest grandson Christian finishes a plate of pancakes at The Shack.

Oleai Beach Pub. One of the few ocean view dining spots on Saipan.

Christina, Dean, Chicha and Jake.

Christian and Dean

The view from Suicide Cliff

Christian and Dean at Suicide Cliff

Tanapag Lagoon

Banzai Cliff

Mr. Dean

Christian and Dean at Banzai Cliff

The Last Japanese Command Post

Dean and Christian at the Last Command Post

Sunset at Godfather's Beach Bar, Fiesta Hotel

Heidi and Bobbi

Godfather's, one of the few beachside bars on Saipan.

I took one day to dive Lao Lao Bay.

Harry Blalock relocates a Crown of Thorns

Bigeye Scad

World War II anchor

Pipeline used by the Japanese during WWII to refuel ships.

Lao Lao Fish Ball - Schooling Bigeye Scad

A very short video of the dive I posted to YouTube.

Another lovely Saipan Sunset

Saipan Hash House Harriers Full Moon Hash

Scrabble Night at the Cafe at the Park with Dick and Bobbi.

Lunch at the 360 Restaurant

Layover in Manila on the way home. Because of a typhoon I ended up having to stay an extra day.