Surreal day in Dubai

Long trip with an intermission of 14 hours in Dubai. What a surreal experience that was, arriving in UK time about 3.30am and having to deal with 45 degrees heat and the madness of a town not unlike some Star Wars set. As it was Friday there were no buses or trains running so we had no option but to hop a pink (ladies’) cab and ask our driver to “Take us to the pips” She clearly wasn’t familiar with Alan Partridge and we clarified dubiously… “City Centre?” when she asked which one we gave up and asked her to recommend what we should do and so found ourselves in the largest, richest, emptiest shopping mall ever in the world. Great when 1) you hate shopping 2) you have zero UAE cash and a budget which barely allows you to look at a cup of coffee in any of the eateries.

We wandered about gazing at the Givenchy, Tom Ford, Armani wares and then outside to gaze up and be blinded by the vast needle of the Burg al Kalifa. The place is huge and empty. After we rather embarrassingly fell asleep in the comfy chairs situated mid mall we scuttled off to grab a cab to take us to the souks. We wandered along beside the creek listening to the call to prayer from the variety of minarettes around town. (That was ticking a box for Jo as I‘ve always wanted to hear that in a Islamic state) Had a great Tabouleh, Hummus, Baba Ganoush mixed mez lunch and then hopped back to airport for the most expensive pair of drinks we’ve ever bought 16GBP for small wine and a beer!!!

And we're off....

The boots are waxed, the mozzie net packed and the online check completed. Scoffing egg sarnies and drinking tea and making a list, checking it twice!!

Should arrive in Dubai at 4am BST. Then have 14 hours to explore the too much money state before we fly to Trivandrum, arriving there on Saturday. The vague plan of action is to get taxi to Varkala on the coast and chill out there for a week/10 days. Thence to Kovalam to a bird sanctury and then to Periyar Tiger Reserve, then Munnar and tea plantations, then Fort Kochin, then Alappuzha and a backwaters trip and the snake boat race festival before heading back to Trivandrum and home on 16th Aug.

Don't foget to leave us the odd comment to let us know you're all well etc..

South West India here we come!!!

Yep - it's that time of year again when we have had our Applecross holiday. Having looked forward to it for 5 months we are then left bereft of future plans as well as money! So what do we do? We plan our summer! This year it seems to be Kerala that will be graced with our presence. AAAGH! Yep it's all booked we fly from Manchester to Thiruvananthapuram via Dubai (we get a 14 hour stop over here on the way out)Anyway we're going 7th July and return 16th August!!
It's all a bit of an over-excited blur at the mo and we'll no doubt need to spend a few weeks pawing over a guide book to get a clearer picture of our itinerary.
Any advice or recs are welcome in the comments folks!!!

Applecross 2011

This was our 4th consecutive year to visit Applecross near Easter, and the first to stay in a cottage rather than at the campsite (though we did a couple of nights camping at the end. It was also the first time we met up with friends and family. Here are a few photos.

A trip to Chester Zoo

Jo has banned these photos from the Wild With Pants blog as they don't adhere to the strictly wild policy, so I'll pop them on here instead, as we're not travelling anywhere for a while.

Wild with Pants blog now open for business

If you enjoyed the rather vague barn owl images in our New Year post today you will be absolutely delighted to learn that we have been on the same walk this afternoon and seen the barn owl again.
To celebrate this and our general love of trying to photograph wildlife we have started a sister blog here:
http://wildwithpants.blogspot.com/

Please programme Wild with Pants into your various electronic devises (i-pods, pads, touches, calculators etc) so that you can follow the wild bowland year, season by season.

Enjoy ..
PS: we'll still update TwP when we go away anywhere.

Happy New Year

We've had a great Christmas up t'north in t'snooow. Enjoyed having Audrey to stay over Christmas hols and managed to get out on one of the most stunning days of the year around Bowland area in glorious sun and blue skies with glistening thick crystal snow. Didn't see the Hen Harrier which probably made us look like fibbers (but we honeshtly aren't!)

We then went to Wirral for NY and spent 5 nights in 5 different houses!! Stuff littered everywhere. Super Christmas prezzies from everyone- thanks to all for some really astounding choices -we are right royally chuffed! I WILL now become a leading lutra lutra expert with upwards of 6 otter books!!

Great to see people we've not seen in a year Paul and Wends, Graham and Ghitta, the Sophster's sister Em and the lovely Chris. Such a laugh and too much to drink I fear. Also Jess's Martin- what a star!! Debs and Rickers and some time with Ells really good fun and Mum and Pop too briefly as ever when being pulled all ways (What a good night Pop's birthday turned out)

Now too soon we're back at school and counting days until half term.

For disbelievers here are some shots of the Hen Harrier and some of a Barn Owl (taken on Monday afternoon in lieu of going to Leighton Moss)

Happy New Year everyone and hope you'll all have a great 12 months.