Sailing in Thailand over Chinese Year

Only a year after I was last there, I found myself back in Thailand, this time with Robbie and his parents, Bunny and Montsi, on their boat, Effendi. Over Chinese New Year we flew down and met them for a week of sailing and diving and general relaxation. As we arrived at the Boat Lagoon in Phuket on our arrival I could hardly believe that I was back there again, but must confess some levels of glee thinking about those of you who were with me last year. ;)

After a highly entertaining lunch party on our first day which left all of us in a seriously inebriated state, we stumbled aboard and departed at 9pm. Then, in the way that only murphy’s law can strike, we proceeded to have various things go wrong with the boat, starting with the engine leaking diesel into the bilges and finishing with us somehow tearing a whole in the zodiac. The long and short of these events that we decided to abandon our plan to go up to the Similan islands north west of Phuket because we realised that we wouldn’t have enough time.

Instead we decided to stay around Phuket going to the islands in the area, and spent the rest of the week doing lots or snorkelling, diving and sunbathing. It was a very relaxing few days and at the end of the trip, I actually felt rested and ready to face the world again, rather than the usual requirement of another holiday to recover from the first one!

Anyway, enjoy the pics.

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Skiing at Huaibei

IMG_3640On Saturday a whole group of us drove to the Huabei International Ski resort three hours north of Beijing for a day of burning up and down the longest run! Skiing in Beijing is a far cry from the Alps but it is a hell of a lot closer so we don’t complain too much. It was a fun afternoon and only Robbie managed to stack it ass-over-tit on the steep bit. Plonker.

Enjoy the pics.

Beijing Third Ring Road Collapses

A sewage pipeline leak in the early hours of yesterday morning in Beijing caused an eastern section of the city’s Third Ring Road to cave in, creating a hole 20 metres long, 10 metres wide and 10 metres deep. “Filthy water leaked out of the pipe and poured into a section of the subway line that is under construction,” Beijing Evening News quoted a witness as saying. Since no one was working there at the time, there were no casualties. The accident also created several cracks on the main road. The area has been cordoned off since the accident, forcing 31 bus lines to change routes. Repair work is still ongoing and is expected to last 3 days.

This happened just down the road from where I live. I should imagine that somebody somewhere has some serious explaining to do!