#  >  > Non Asia Travel Forums >  >  > Travel the World Travellers Tales Forum >  >  A week in Tenerife

## buriramboy

Things didn't start well, got to Manchester airport went to check the suitcase in which weighed 26kg and I only had a 20kg limit so £60 to Easyjet and first and last time i'll ever use one of these cheap charlie airlines, flight was uneventful. Was supposed to be met at the airport but after 30 minutes of hanging around and no one there just hopped in a taxi to the hotel, handed over passports and the booking reference number then the woman started asking for some hotel vouchers I should have or should have been sent, tried to explain booked online and the reference number was all I had and she just sat there shrugging her shoulders, anyway she called the manager, he came down and while my understanding of Spanish is next to nothing I gathered he was giving the dippy receptionist a bollocking, checked us in and gave us the keys to the room. 

View from outside of the complex.



It's a huge complex, takes up a whole block, numerous swimming pools, tennis court, 5 a side pitch, volley ball court and loads of rooms apartments all over the joint.

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## buriramboy

After the hassle of checking in, I was now just expecting the worst walking towards the room, finally found the room which was on the other side of the complex to the reception, had booked a twin room with a sofa bed and viewing the building from the outside didn't fill me with hope.

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## buriramboy

Sent the misses in first while I waited outside expecting to have to go back to reception to complain about something or other but this is when things suddenly took a massive turn for the better and the previous hassles of the day were all forgotten as opposed to the twin room I'd booked we had that whole maroon coloured apartment, go through the door and just a small lounge down stairs.



I thought great daughter will have a sofa bed in a separate room and not have to be in our room, but on venturing up the stairs much to our surprise and delight there were 2 bedrooms both a decent size and both with terraces.

Main bedroom


Second bedroom


Terrace out the main bedroom window.

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## buriramboy

View from the terrace wasn't too bad either.





Beach was only a minutes walk.

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## buriramboy

The trip was Wednesday to Wednesday so 6 full days which involved 1 day at Siam Park, 1 at Aqualand, 1 bus trip up to Mount Teide with a trip up in the cable car and 3 days just wandering round and chilling out, we were all inclusive so all food and drink included and the food was out of this world. I was expecting some shit buffet and how wrong I was, the food was something else, every lunch and dinner there was about 5 different types of fish, then you had chicken, pork, steaks, cold meats, cheeses, rice, numerous pasta dishes, loads of veggies, salads, fruit etc. Draught beer tap in the dining room along with a massive fridge full of bottles of wine that you just helped yourself to, along with orange juice, coke etc. 

Bar open from Midday to Midnight but didn't really take advantage of the not having to pay for any drinks, although me and misses did get wasted on a combination of cocktails and copious amounts of Sangria one day.

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## buriramboy

Out of the 2 water parks, Siam Park has the better rides and is also a lot busier but Aqualand has dolphins and kids love dolphins and while I'm not a great fan of animals in captivity my daughter had a great experience as for 50 Euros she could go off into the training area and do what kids do with dolphins.

One of the dolphin trainers talking to the kids.



The dolphins with some of the water slides in the background.


One happy daughter.


An even happier daughter.


And the money shot.

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## Dillinger

Nice one bb,  looking forward to this.  I did 10 days there in December also.  I will do a piccy thread when I get time

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## buriramboy

Will do the trip up Mount Teide tomorrow, lot of the pics ain't that great though as shot through a moving bus window, still some great shots though from when up at the top of the cable car.

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## BaitongBoy

Cheers, BB...Glad to hear your trip turned for the better as soon as the door opened...Great when that happens...

Wonderful pics with your daughter...

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## Boon Mee

I used to live on Las Palmas years ago before Spain joined the EU and it was cheap!  2 great golf courses down in Maspalomas.  You could even rent a camel to ride if the desire hit you to do so!

Great climate with a interesting bunch of Expats at the time.  There were many Chile-o's living there as refugees from Augusto Pinochet's reforms.

Good thread, BB  :Smile:

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## buriramboy

Taking a walk along the beach to Los Cristianos one day and got roped into having a fish spa, think that's what they are called anyway. Basically you stick your feet in a tank full of fish and they eat your feet, a strange feeling at first but when you get out your feet feel as smooth as silk, highly recommend people have a go if not done it.

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## beerlaodrinker

Sounds like a good little family holiday bob, keep em coming

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## nigelandjan

I,m surprised someone like yourself who  like most of us on here do a lot of air travel haven't got yourself a set of digital scales to put in your pocket , for what they cost they pay for there selves over and over .

Generally speaking I would say the term ' Low cost airline '  is a breach of the trade descriptions act , I have yet to find one cheaper than using a Company like Thomson for the whole job .

Only ever went to Tenerife once that was enough for me , most memorable moment was apologising to Nigel Benn as I nearly knocked him arse over tit driving up that bloody Mount Teide road .

Glad it all turned out ok in the end

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## Loy Toy

Nice one mate and I wish you and your family all the best for 2015.

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## buriramboy

> I,m surprised someone like yourself who  like most of us on here do a lot of air travel haven't got yourself a set of digital scales to put in your pocket , for what they cost they pay for there selves over and over .
> 
> Generally speaking I would say the term ' Low cost airline '  is a breach of the trade descriptions act , I have yet to find one cheaper than using a Company like Thomson for the whole job .
> 
> Only ever went to Tenerife once that was enough for me , most memorable moment was apologising to Nigel Benn as I nearly knocked him arse over tit driving up that bloody Mount Teide road .
> 
> Glad it all turned out ok in the end


South Tenerife isn't somewhere you'd want to live but to chill for a week in the British winter it's perfect, you have the weather and plenty for kids to do. 

First time I've ever used a 'low cost airline' so having to actually pay for 20kg of luggage in the first place was a new concept for me and as far as I can remember in all my time using 'normal' airlines when I've been over my baggage allowance I've never once been charged but you live and learn and i'll look into some digital scales.

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## buriramboy

Few shots walking along the beach between Las Americas and Los Cristianos.

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## david44

Teide was great before the cable car only the keen walked up.
The secenery is like a moonscape.
Thanks for sharing and the little one seems delighted 
Now you know the weight fine I'd drink 3 liters of good Spanish Brandy Bobadilla 103,Terrys or Osborne's it'll set you up for sub zero Uk

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## jazzmanblues

Happy for your good fortune...Great pics!

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## buriramboy

Food was that good in the hotel (and free) only time we skipped a meal was when out for the days at the water parks and up Mount Teide and one lunch at a beach side restaurant somewhere between Las Americas and Los Cristianos.

Ordered the mixed seafood paella for 3 and got my own waiter.

This pan was just for the 3 of us.


On the plate.

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## Boon Mee

I'm hungry!

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## buriramboy

> Teide was great before the cable car only the keen walked up.
> The secenery is like a moonscape.


I've got loads of pics from the bus ride up to Teide and up the cable car, this one was taken on the way back down when the bus stopped for 20 minutes, you can see the hut where the cable car stops then there are 2 trails you can walk round but one was closed due to snow and ice and you aren't allowed to actually go to the top of Teide without some special permit that apparently takes months to get and basically just for scientists, geologists etc. so I was told.

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## wasabi

Thanks for the thread, I am always thinking of places to go to get away from the British winter for a break. Tenerife is near and it has to be cheaper than Thailand.
My last holiday was to Thailand, cost Me over £5000 and was not value for money.
My Son also has no wishes to see His Grandmother in Nakon Nowhere again. We are both happier being here this winter than in Thailand.
Tenerife looks like the place to go.

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## buriramboy

> Thanks for the thread, I am always thinking of places to go to get away from the British winter for a break. Tenerife is near and it has to be cheaper than Thailand.
> My last holiday was to Thailand, cost Me over £5000 and was not value for money.
> My Son also has no wishes to see His Grandmother in Nakon Nowhere again. We are both happier being here this winter than in Thailand.
> Tenerife looks like the place to go.


The week to book cost me about £2400 for flights, hotel, transfers and airport parking and being all inclusive you basically could have got away with spending nothing else as many in the hotel seemed to do as it is an all inclusive joint. It was mainly full of Germans as I think German owned with quite a few French, think the only other Brits there were a couple of 50 year old blokes from Newcastle and a couple moaning about the place being full of foreigners, the irony obviously lost on them. Personally there being no Brits there was perfect for me as they are generally dickheads if in young groups out on the piss every night and this gaff was mainly couples and families and being German owned and catering for Germans the standards were high and they all seemed happy just to lounge round the pool everyday, eat and drink and probably never leave the complex. Shame I didn't take any photos in the restaurant itself as the food was bloody brilliant and as much as you wanted, breakfast 7.30-10, lunch 13.00-1500 and dinner 18.30-21.00 and outside of these times a snackbar open you could just go and help yourself too.

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## baldrick

Sir - this fish is dead - it is not pining for the fjords

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## buriramboy

Nice jug of sangria.

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## Neo

Nice one... glad you all had a good time. Happy New Year  :Wink:

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## buriramboy

Unlike the UK don't need your thermals and a ski jacket on to go out in the evening in late December in Tenerife.

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## buriramboy

One of the pools in the resort, photo taken early morning before the German invasion of the sunbeds although we didn't actually use the pool as it was freezing.

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## buriramboy

There are 2 bars in the resort, an outside one which the above pool photo was taken next to which opens at 12 and they shut at about 3 or 4 then open up the large one inside till midnight. 

Outside bar.

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## buriramboy

Thought I took photos of the large inside bar but guess not as this is only one I can find.

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## nigelandjan

Ah the old Tropical ,, brings back memories of my first visit to Fuertenventura ( although only vague ones )

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## nigelandjan

Here you go mate ,, don't wanna piss on your thread but this is what I got and TBH for what they cost with free post its a no brainer 



50KG Digital Travel Portable Handheld Weighing Luggage Scales Suitcase Bag | eBay

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## buriramboy

> Here you go mate ,, don't wanna piss on your thread but this is what I got and TBH for what they cost with free post its a no brainer 
> 
> 
> 
> 50KG Digital Travel Portable Handheld Weighing Luggage Scales Suitcase Bag | eBay


Cheers for that just ordered one from Amazon.

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## buriramboy

Didn't take many photos inside Siam Park and Aqualand as cameras and phones left in a locker although did take a video of daughter going down the big slide at Aqualand but can't upload from camera at moment.

As you enter Aqualand you get a load of birds put on you for a photo.

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## buriramboy

A side of Mount Teide you don't see from Las Americas, taken through bus window on way back.

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## buriramboy

OK the bus ride up to Teide and the cable car, got loads of photos of various quality taken from cameras and phones. Here are a few from the bus as you get above the clouds and look over the 'sea of clouds', shame the bus didn't stop here as really was quite a spectacular view and these photos through the coach window don't do it justice.

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## Dillinger

They dont like it when you use your own camera, do they ?  :Smile:

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## buriramboy

I hadn't got my camera with me that day, they took one of the 3 of us first then had quickly done my daughter before the misses could get her phone out.

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## buriramboy

I'll pull the photos from my camera first from at the cable car and at the top then grab some from other camera and misses phone later.

Arrive at the cable car and quite big queues, cost is 26 Euro for adults and 13 Euros for under 14's.

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## buriramboy

As you can see people are wrapped up pretty warm, luckily there was no wind that day so it wasn't that cold, I had shorts on and a hoodie with me which was fine, didn't even put the hoodie on till was at the top was fine in a t shirt at the bottom getting strange looks from people in ski jackets and big coats.

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## buriramboy

Think they fit about 20 people in maybe a few more.



Bored waiting in the queue, think was queuing for best part of an hour.

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## buriramboy

Finally get to the top.

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## buriramboy

Enjoying the spectacular views.

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## buriramboy

There are 2 trails you can walk round at the top but one was closed due to snow and ice but walked round the open one.

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## buriramboy

Leave the UK to get away from the cold and you bring me here.




Dad is right and it's actually a good idea to zip my jacket up.

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## buriramboy



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## buriramboy

Couple through the window of the cable car going back down.

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## toslti

So glad you enjoyed Tenerife... lots of people slag it off because of the reputation of Playa de Las Americas with its stag party type visitors.

I hope that you have time to visit the north of the island... La Oratava or Puerto de la Cruz... it is so different over there. One side is a desert and on the other side it is so fertile that anything will grow. You can easily take a bus... green buses with the initials  TITSA on the side from Las Americas bust station to Puerto. Then take another back to Los Gigantes and again another along the coast and you will have done the whole island in a day! ( with stopping time enough for lunch) Busses are called Guaguas (wawa) and have aircon, decent drivers and are cheap.

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## buriramboy

^On the way back from Teide the bus went through Los Gigantes, didn't stop though but wouldn't have mattered as all cameras and phones were out of power by then but that is definitely somewhere i'll go to next time as those cliffs are quite spectacular. Didn't get a chance to go to Santa Cruz or Puerto de la Cruz but will on next trip as if want to live in Tenerife they are the places to be by all accounts.

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## terry57

> First time I've ever used a 'low cost airline' so having to actually pay for 20kg of luggage in the first place was a new concept for me .




Nice picks BB but what are you bollocking on about being charged for the extra 6 kilo that you could of payed for at the time of booking. ??

Low cost travel  means you get the flight cheap and if you want food or want to bring over 7 kilo luggage you pay for it on line. 

this is how they keep the flights cheap for people and most people can work out the system, its printed clearly when you book regards the luggage weights allowed. 

If you don't do that and then front up with excess you must pay the premium. 

Jesus, it aint friggin hard. 

Anyway next time fly a full service airline and get your luggage carried for free but pay a shit load for the flight.  :Confused: 

Whatever.

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## buriramboy

> Originally Posted by buriramboy
> 
> 
> 
> First time I've ever used a 'low cost airline' so having to actually pay for 20kg of luggage in the first place was a new concept for me .
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I don't know what 20kg feels like which I had paid for in advance, anyway Nigel has got me sorted with one of those portable suitcase weighing things which has been ordered and according to Amazon will be with me in 5 days so you won't hear any more whining from me in that regard in future trips, live and learn don't you. I actually purchased a smaller case while in Tenerife as no weight limit on those and take them on the plane with you, so next time travel might just take 3 of those and tell the misses and kid you just take what you can fit in that. But main reason I got pissed at the £60 is that 20kg return only cost me £40.

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## nigelandjan

> Low cost travel means you get the flight cheap and if you want food or want to bring over 7 kilo luggage you pay for it on line.


Not strictly true in the Uk Terry ,, we have 2 infamous airlines here running the 'Low cost ' badge , well there are smaller ones but we all know Ryanairs flying circus + Squeezyjet ,, 

Now they both hook you in with the ' cheap flight ' then the add ons , which are infact obvious things you want . I couldn't care less who or where I sit on a plane with but a young family like this will want to be together and you have to pay for that. 
Suitcase of any description in the hold , you pay .
You don't want to fly Tuesday night 11pm ? and come back at 3am ,, yup you pay
Something to eat and drink , you pay 

I can't give you the breakdown on this thread but our £64 flights to Italy this year ended up over £500 , unfortunately it was the only airline from our area going to Pescara ,, never again !

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## terry57

^

Don't know what goes on over there Nige but every low cost airline I have ever flown has the rules printed on line,  one pays for the flight and any other extras at the time of booking to avoid very costly over weight limits at the gate.

Actually so many people are abusing the 7 Kilo carry on limit on some low cost carriers they now weighing the carry on which they never did before.  

So what that means if one actually fronts up at the gate with over 7 kilo one will pay a very hefty price for it.  Big dollars right there.

So now I Pay the extra on line and don't worry about it.  

Must play the low cost airlines game or be prepared to cough the dollars if caught out. 

Do it before hand online, cheap and easy.

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## buriramboy

Just checked my email and this is the breakdown of my holiday flying with easyjet both ways, was a 07:50 flight out and 13:10 return flight.

Total hotel price for your party £1,458.58 
Total flight price for your party £860.94 
Transfers for your party £36.00 
Parking for your party £39.99 
Total price £2,433.51 
Total paid £2,433.51 
Total balance £0.00

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## buriramboy

After the cable car and back in the bus it stopped down the road for 20 minutes, misses and kid were tired so stayed on the bus and I hopped off to snap some more shots.





This next photo is a bit deceiving as the close rock in the right centre of the picture was massive and had rock climbers kitted out scaling it.

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## buriramboy

Look closely and can make out the mad rock climbers.

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## buriramboy



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## buriramboy

Above the clouds.

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## nigelandjan

Have you got any pictures of the sea + rocks / coastal type shots please ?

I love painting that kind of thing .

Your thread has got my travel juices flowing we are already booked up for a month to LOS in Feb but I,m looking for a villa holiday in the canaries now for July time , just checked out a site a Company called Villaplus.com , found a fantastic deal to Lanzarote in July inc flights / car hire / villa with private pool + table tennis table + pool table bbq etc with upgraded flights with Thomson out of Stansted £1400 the lot !! I,m calling DEAL 

Just a point of info regarding our Thai flights in Feb we have been given 30Kg each  , so that will be my 10Kg + the wifes 50Kgs  :Smile:

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## Fozzy

> my 10Kg + the wifes 50Kgs


 :Smile:  Aint that the truth. 40kg of that on the way home is normally food for us.

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## toslti

> Have you got any pictures of the sea + rocks / coastal type shots please ?
> 
> I love painting that kind of thing .
> 
> Your thread has got my travel juices flowing we are already booked up for a month to LOS in Feb but I,m looking for a villa holiday in the canaries now for July time , just checked out a site a Company called Villaplus.com , found a fantastic deal to Lanzarote in July inc flights / car hire / villa with private pool + table tennis table + pool table bbq etc with upgraded flights with Thomson out of Stansted £1400 the lot !! I,m calling DEAL 
> 
> Just a point of info regarding our Thai flights in Feb we have been given 30Kg each  , so that will be my 10Kg + the wifes 50Kgs


If you want cliffs etc then you are better going to Los Gigantes on Tenerife.

https://www.google.co.th/search?q=ac...w&ved=0CCUQsAQ

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## Dillinger

> booked up for a month to LOS in Feb but I,m looking for a villa holiday in the canaries now for July time


You gearing up for Hell,  Nige?

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## nigelandjan

??????? ^

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## terry57

Hey BB,

Are there any memorials around town for the two jumbo jets that collided back in the 70's. 

I always think of that when I hear the word  Tenerife

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## nigelandjan

Cheers for that link Tonsil , I scrolled all the way down through 2 pages almost gave up then found 2 beauts at the bottom of the 2nd page  :Smile:

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## toslti

> Hey BB,
> 
> Are there any memorials around town for the two jumbo jets that collided back in the 70's. 
> 
> I always think of that when I hear the word  Tenerife


yup....

International Tenerife Memorial March 27, 1977 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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## Dillinger

You've picked the hottest, most uncomfortable times of the year to visit both Countries, Betty Swollocks :Smile:

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## terry57

^ ^

Thanks for that.

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## nigelandjan

Feb in Thai ,, ??  don't think so mate neither July in Canaries 

Sharpen your pencil mate 

Anyway I love the heat + have aircon at night  :Smile:

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## beerlaodrinker

> Betty Swollocks


Nasty business that. Talcum powder applied liberaly helps

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