Happy and Hot Chinese New Year

Hey, can't we have some rain?! Yes, February is living up to it's billing as the driest month in Phuket. Rain free so far. I wish I had more time to enjoy the weather, but this has been a very busy week. Our bookings board in the best dive shop in Phuket is covered in paper, just about every dive trip is going out fully booked, as many people living in Asia have their Chinese New Year holidays. We have customers this week who have arrived from Singapore, Taiwan, China, Abu Dhabi and Vietnam among others, plus of course assorted Europeans and North Americans enjoying a winter break. It's a very cosmopolitan mix. You get to meet all sorts of people when you go diving :)

My one and only day off in the high season is Saturday - After last weekends little hike, and with my wife having been a bit ill during the week, we spent almost the whole day at home, lots of cleaning and tidying of house and garden - the 13th was Chinese New Years Eve and the cleaning is meant to remove any bad luck of the preceding year and invite good luck to the clean house. We also set up a prayer table in front of the house with food offerings such as fruit, dumplings, chicken along with flowers, incense and candles.





It's not a huge festival in Phuket although many of the population of Phuket, especially around Phuket Town and Kathu, are of Chinese-Thai blood. People certainly do go firecracker crazy though (any excuse!)

The Chalong Temple Fair has been going on for the last few days. A good place to get some local life. I might just stop and try to get some photos tonight, but will be working until 7pm (poor me!).

Meanwhile, if you want to see just how nice the weather is right now in Phuket - check out the webcam at Karon Beach - nothing but blue skies.