From Eva: Time to withdraw

4. 1. 'Normally' we use the days before and after the new year for a bit of withdrawal, cuddling up, staying in bed all day.... Rauhnächte (rough nights) indeed.

When we had our encounter with the elephants on December 24th, for a brief moment I wondered what it might trigger in me that I don't have a withdrawal like this 'this year' and without cold and snow I don't feel the need for it. Well, somehow my question seems to have rippled further. The answer reveals itself to me here in the south of Thailand - in Trang - where we have been since December 26th. Here, the last remnants of the rainy season ensure that we are 'forced' to rest from time to time. In addition, I was able to take a day 'off'. The children with Philipp (the resort owner) at the beach, me in the Thai massage (ok, that may sound more relaxing than it actually felt). So we are somehow true to our annual rhythm and enjoy our holiday here.

For me, holidays while traveling means not having to pack, being able to feel a little at home in one place. For the children, it means above all, watching German television again, sleeping in (Valentin), gaming, and not having to say goodbye to the dogs after three nights... (here live Bubi, Sissi, Van, Tuktuk - she only has three legs after an accident - and of course the still young, clumsy troublemaker Walter).

In the next few hours or days, a larger storm is expected here. So far, it has just been raining all day long. We will probably take the air mattress to the bungalow so that we can swim around the area in the next few hours.

Today, Maggie's daughter Katog has no school because flooding is expected and her school building is usually heavily affected. So far so good, but now she has learned that she will have to make up for the missed day next weekend... it's somehow interesting how flexible schools can be in certain matters - also in other parts of the world.