I must have let slip to the universe that I was bored because in the last few weeks I have become uncomfortably busy. My regular naps have been the first casualty so I'm feeling a bit punchy and this blog may a bit more rambling and not as artfully crafted as usual but please bear with. me.
For one thing, I have been forcing myself to go to exercise classes. My favorite so far is Body Combat because the music is better but I definitely feel a bit old and silly in there. Quite the opposite from my nice, soothing, stretching (though still challenging!) yoga classes. In addition, after signing Robert up for guitar lessons over the summer and his deciding he didn't like them, I've been taking them. I mean, they're my guitars after all. My teacher, a very talented Filipino boy named Jonathan, has been coaching me in scales and finger exercises and barre chords and is determined to train me up to be a lead guitarist. So be on the lookout for Estelle Wax and the Wildebeests at a club near you. (Weddings, parties and bar mitzvahs, blah blah blah...).
Your daily moment of baby elephant.But none of this should keep me from telling you all about our swell trip to Thailand. After sticking it out here in Abu Dhabi for most of the summer and almost all of Ramadan we figured we deserved a nice getaway. The resort we visited last year made us a very tempting offer if we would return to them so we did. When we find a nice place we tend to go back there as it makes the rest of the trip so much easier when you know what the bar singers are like and what is the best time to hit the breakfast buffet.
A view of the resort. It's pretty.I found it even more beautiful this time though I couldn't say why. I swore this trip I would get off the reservation but as the beach was so peaceful and inviting it was very difficult.
Statue guarding the hot tub. Someone guarding the statue.Our first day there Robert showed up next to my beach lounger with a full body rash from some sun oil I had sprayed on him. He appeared better by that night but the next day it came back with a vengeance the moment the sun hit him. I felt like the worst mother of all time. So I left the beach and took him to a doctor on the property. They had to give him a cortisone shot and some antihistimines and some lotion. Also, we were told, don't let him go in the sun. On day 2 of our beach holiday. Yay. When we came out of the clinic I had Robert make an offering of a mento on the large shrine that was there. Just some extra insurance.
Look closely; you will see the tropical fruit flavored mento .Well Robert didn't mind too much playing on the computer in the room. But fortunately for him as it was the end of the monsoon season we had some pretty iffy weather for the rest of the trip. For example, the next day it was raining which was also the day we chose to go diving. So it worked out well for Robert. He got over his skin issues and was able to go out again and I threw out the offending sun product. I won't be specific but it is named after our 50th state and smells like coconuts.
There's that menehune soaking up Thai culture.
Another view of the pretty resort. Why would you leave?It was just a nice, mostly relaxing time in an awesomely beautiful setting. What more can you ask? Care for a mento?
Traditional Thai dancer. And manicurist.I must go now but I promise to write more soon. I'm saving up some really good stuff for you.
love,
Jaimie
p.s. That first photo was taken in the arrivals hall of Abu Dhabi International Airport. We call it the "Magic Mushroom".
