No Fixed Abode: Hobie Cats and Crabs

Sat 12 Mar 2016 - Holiday day 3, Palm House resort and Sailing

The only thing we had planned for today was to rent the Hobie Cat catamaran we found yesterday, so whilst waiting for the afternoon breeze we spent the morning sitting on our terrace, drinking tea, glued to the internet planning more of our trip around Vietnam and booking flights from Sri Lanka to South Africa, organising visas and first night accommodations. There’s a flight we’re not looking forward to as no matter how much we searched we could not find one that didn't leave at some ungodly hour or had a long layover or both from Bangkok to Colombo.

As the wind began to pick up we jumped on the cycles (they have been a real boon for us) and pedalled round to the sailing club to find a Hobie pulled up on the beach just waiting for us. Donning the scruffy buoyancy aids (no H&SE here!) we leapt on to the trampoline deck, avoided a French windsurfer, who was being instructed by his girlfriend, and we were off.

The breeze was a nice steady force 3 and we were soon shooting across the waves with the warm water splashing over us as the hulls bounced into the oncoming waves. We circled the moored up fishing boats then worked our way up wind to the far end of the bay for a couple of passes of the crab market and its restaurants, waving to the diners seated at their sea view tables and avoiding the ladies wading chest high to the floating baskets where the crabs are kept until they are cooked - now that’s fresh.

Once back on the bikes we had a slow ride home in the afternoon sun passing the beach packed with weekenders, although the locals were all encamped on the pavement above the beach in the shade of the trees, renting floor matting just like we do deckchairs.

Returning to the resort just in time for happy hour we ordered our favourite cocktails, had another tasty dinner then scoured the internet in search of a free streaming service for the England v Wales rugby match. Several failed attempts later we eventually found a service just as the TV reviews were taking place for the failed England try. Although late at night for us we snuggled up in bed with the laptop perched on Glenn’s body and cheered the boys to a well earned victory. Let’s hope we can find a similar service for tomorrow’s Man Utd game.