Phil Has Arrived From The UK,

via Tasmania, 

so we arranged to meet up at the Pattaya Beer Garden, meatballs for Phil, a healthy prawn cocktail for myself, 

looking out across the bay it was a warm slightly cloudy day, 

someone else trying their luck at the end of the jetty, 

drop them a line an see if you receive a reply!

a bit of work going on in the Walking Street, we said our goodbyes after having arranged to meet next week at a favorite seafood restaurant, arriving back in my hotel some good news from Diana, 

it was time for the girls holiday, Wilma and Kai, 

enjoying breakfast at the airport,

and there is Diana on the left, all set for their holiday to Poland, 

for myself I decided to pop up to the fifth floor to the pool for a afternoon of listening to music, 

I had the pool all to myself, 

the view looking towards the bay,

inland, 

and directly opposite, 

but looking at the sky, 

I was not sure I made made the right decision, and I was right, I was only there for 30 minutes before it started to rain, well at least the rain was warm!

in the evening after a shower and change of clothes I was out again, to Caddyshack, 

inside, 

I pretty much had the place to myself, 

I ordered a carafe of wine, 

before Vic,

and Joy arrived, 

time for a quick photo before Joy and Vic tucked into a Thai meal for Joy and gammon eggs, and chips for Vic, for myself a huge chilli-con-carne,

a quick photo outside,

before we were off to walk down Soi 8 and on to Beach Road, where there were so many food stalls, 

on the opposite side of the road, packed bars,

the Hilton rising above other buildings in the area, 

the pavements were being prepared for another event next week,

we made our way past Cadillac, 

and shops selling souvenirs, 

new shops popping up everywhere,

and there it was, TQ 1, 

Tahitian Queen 1, the oldest go-go bar in Pattaya, 

we walked into Walking Street, 

as usual quite crowded, 

and ended up at Dang's bar for a few nightcaps, 

the view of the street from our seats in the bar, we said our farewells and made a move for our hotels.

Namibia, Yesterday I Was Up With The Birds,

photographing the sun,

illuminating the mountain behind my room, as the sun chased the shadows away, 

I took a few photographs, 

of rock formations, as we left the game reserve, 

Will and Sal,

gave out fresh drinking water to some of the families living nearby, 

next a few hundred kilometers, 

of unmade up roads, 

as we passed the ever changing landscape, 

every so often finding small settlements or lonely goat herders and their flock,

then a midday break, 

the cafe, 

surrounded by cactus, front, 

and back,

now this was a nice touch, as we walked inside, well under cover, there was a fine mister operating, so cooling and refreshing it was too, 

undercover from the scorching sun, a small display cabinet of minerals and curios,

also there were many planters, 

with all manner of cactus and succulents, 

as well as abandon cars and carts, 

a cooling fish pond, sans fish, 

and a number of relaxing seats after a long journey, 

another table of interest, much larger mineral specimens, although these not for sale,

a look along the side of the cafe, 

and one of the cactuses, 

this was it, a refreshing vanilla shake, 

back in the 4 x 4 in the distance, 

a small village, 

of individual huts, 

this one bigger than most,

some on a neighbouring hilltop, 

we slowed down as some goats decided they had a right of way, 

as we passed each rock outcrop, 

I was always amazed at the pressures, 

so long ago that must have been in place, 

to force the hard rock structures to the surface from deep below the Erath, 

each one huge, this is the left, 

and right of one of them,

many farms in the area so remote, it makes sense to have a light aircraft, 

amazing!

and here we are,

at our lodge for the night, 

everybody out to stretch our legs and move in, 

a bit of a walk,

towards the main buildings, 

a little about the area, 

as we made our way to reception,

we were dwarfed by some of the boulders, 

that led, 

to the main building, 

and here it is, 

nearby a pool,

the main area, 

as we checked in,

as we made our way to our rooms, 

outside the rocks had an amazing number of highly coloured lizards on them,

this one I guess, the dominate male given he was at the very top of a rock outcrop displaying to any others watching that he was the one!, I am stopping the post here as it is a tad long, hopefully you will look out for the next post in my Nabimbian adventure.