And here we are, just the 2 of us. Because the blog is named after us after all!! It shouldn't just be about Maymay :))

Et nous voila que nous 2, le blog est nomme apres nous apres tout, ce n est pas que pour May. :))

May was like a movie star in the resort. Everyone wanted to hold her and play with her. Her she is ready to go for dinner, and walking near the restaurant.

May a bien fait sa star a l hotel Tout le monde la connaissait et voulait jouer avec elle. La voila qui se degourdit les jambes, et prete pour aller dinner.

Jour important hier pour liverpool. Apres avoir gagne contre Real Madrid de 4 buts a zero, ils ont humilies Manchester united, a Manchester 4-1!! Voila la preuve en photo.

Amazing day yesterday for Liverpool. After winning 4 nil against real Madrid, they humiliated Man U in manchester by winning 4-1. Here is a pic to prove it!!

Here is May in the famous pool. A real little fish. She is already trying to bodysurf!!

Voila May dans la fameuse piscine, un vrai petit poisson. Elle essaie deja le bodysurf!!

Apres 5 jours de repos total, il etait temps de rentrer vers panama city, mais juste

pour une nuit. Apres c'est week end a la plage avec Christof, dans l hotel qui a la 2eme plus grande piscine au monde. Retour en bateau donc, le pire de notre vie, vaques enormes, vitesse de dingue, bref on etait content d arriver a panama city vivant!!



After 5 days of pure relaxation it was time to get back to panama city, but for 1 night only. as were then off to the beach again with christof, in the hotel with the second biggest pool in the world. the boat ride back was the worse we have ever had. Enormous waves and crazy speed, we were glad to get to shore!!

When we got tired of the beach, we went to the pool instead. May loves water, and chilling with her daddy.

Apres la plage c etait piscine, programme charge!! :)

May adore l eau et se reposer tranquille avec son daddy.

The hotel's owner let May use their kid's push bike. She was

so happy.

Les proprios de l hotel nous on prete le velo de leur gosse pour May. Elle etait super contente!!

The island was really tiny so no taxis. The only way around the island was a golfcart. A lot of fun.

L ile etait tres petite donc pas de taxi ou de moyen de locomotion apart la voiture de golf. On s est bien marre, surtout May.

May loves the beach and more importantly water which I am very happy about!! She spent the week playing in the sand with us.

Finally we found what we were looking for. Just beautiful, picture perfect. 5 days of absolutely nothing to do exept relax and swim.

Enfin, on a trouve ce que l on cherchait. Superbe!! Au programme farniente pendant 5 jours!!

The day after the birthday we left very early to catch our 7 am boat to the Contadora Island, hoping to find the beautifull beaches and weather we were longing for. May slept all the way through the 1 hour ride. Here is a view of panama from the boat.

le lendemain de l anniversaire, on s est leve tres top pour prendre notre bateau de 7 heure du mat, direction Isla Contadora, en esperant y trouver des plages magnifiques et le soleil.

We were kindly invited along with Christof's collegue 1 year old birthday party. May loved it, it was a really big big party with inflatable castle, pinata, clown...

On a gentillement ete invite a la fete d anniversaire des 1 ans de la fille d un collegue de christof. Une grosse fete avec clowns, chateau gonflable, pinata... May a adore!!

On part demain ou après demain a la recherche d’iles ensolleillees. Direction islas de leas perlas dans le pacifique. Plages paradisiaques, tentative numero 2!

We are off tomorrow in search of sunny islands. Pearl islands here we come!!

On a fait les touristes dans l aprem, et on est alle voir le canal de Panama (grand raccourci qui evite aux bateaux de contourner l amerique latine)

It was then time for some proper touristic activities. The panama canal.

Enfin de retour a Panama city et au soleil!! On se baladait dans un centre commercial quand May a vue le petit cheval rouge electrique. Voila ca tete, joie absolue.

We were in a shopping centre when May spotted a kiddy moving horse (don’t know the word). Pure joy!!

Retour a Panama city dans un avion pourrit et tout petit, en plein orage. J ai cru que j allais vomir!! C’etait horrible. May a dormit tout le long biensur.
La voila devant l aeroport, notre avion sous la pluie et l interieur de l avion.

Back to panama in a tiny airplane and in a storm. I thought I was going to be sick!! Horrible. May slept all the way!! Here she is in front of the airport, and our plane.

May ressemble a une tortue dans cette photo. Et avec son papa, elle deguste le sable.

May looks like a tortoise on this pic. Eating sand with her daddy.

May a adore la plage, ca a ete dur de repartir!!

May really enjoyed the beach and did not want to leave!!

Meme si le temps etait pourri on etait determine a se baigner dans les jolies plages des caraibes, et puis il faisait super chaud. Donc après un bateau et 30 minutes de marche dans la boue on a enfin atterit sur la plage des grenouilles rouge (on a eu la chance d’en voir une en vrai). On les imaginait plus grande!!

Although the weather was not on our side we were determined to go to the beach, and it was still boiling hot!! So after another boat ride, and a 30 minute trek through mud, we arrived in the infamous red frog beach, where we were lucky enough to be able to see one of the very tiny frogs.

Le village de Bocas, avec notre nouvel hotel sans caffards, sur la droite avec les balcons jaunes.
Et la vue du petit dej. Pour aller n importe ou il fallait prendre un taxi-bateau, assez chaud avec un bebe en sac a dos et dans les orages , mais bien marrant quand meme. May et moi sur un des ‘taxi’.

Here is the village of Bocas, and our new hotel minus cockroaches, on the right with yellow balconies. And the view from the breakfast table.
To go anywhere in bocas we had to take a water taxi (speed boat), not easy and a bit scary with a baby in a backpack, in the middle of a storm!! But still a lot of fun (here is a picture of me and May enjoying the ride).

We arrived in beautiful Bocas to find rain and storm. Here is a picture of the view from the first hotel room we stayed in and one of the many pelicans. Looks great, but we had to move hotel the next day after a long sleepless night surrounded by cockroches. Also we didn't like the fact we had to put May on and off boats

On est donc arrive a Bocas pour y trouver la pluie, les boules!! Voila une photo de la vue de notre chambre d hotel. Tres beau non? Et bien le lendemain matin on a du changer d hotel, apres une tres longue nuit blanche entouree de plein plein de cafards!!! Si, si...

Here is the crossway that leads to a little island that's part of panama city, we had dinner there. Little May waiting for her food.

Voila la route qui mene a une petite ile qui fait partie de panama city. On est alle dinner las bas pour profiter de la jolie vue. May qui attend son assiette.

So we are back from bocas del toro a bit early as it did not stop raining!! That's what happens in the caribbean. Before I start with the pictures of bocas, here are some pictures of the boys doing what they do best: playing pro evolution soccer!! And the beautiful view from Christof's balcony.

Nous voila rentre des iles Bocas plus tot, vu qu il n'a pas arrete de pleuvoir!!! les caraibes c'est ca!! Avant de poster les photos de bocas voila quelques photos de panama avant de partir. Les mecs en pleine action de pro evolution soccer et la vue de l appart de christof.

We are off to the amazing beaches of el Archipelago de Bocas del torro (on the caribean side)on monday for a week. Back soon for more pics.



On part Lundi pour 1 semaines, sur les plages paradisiaques d'el Archipelago de Bocas del torro dans la mer des caraibes. On postera plus de photos a notre retour.

May enjoying her first swim in a pool with friends

La premiere plongee dans une piscine pour May. Elle a adore!!

May and her new best friend Sofia. Back in Panama city

May et sa copine Sofia. De retour a Panama city.

Panama city - looks a bit like Dubai...though smaller and with nicer people (sorry had to give a little dig to my favourite city :)

Panama city ressemble un peu a Doubai.

Panama Bridge

People trying to go home after Carnaval

(les gens qui rentrent du Carnaval)

Thanks to the crazy weather in Boquetes, we got to witness the most amazing rainbow we have ever see.

Grace au temps de dingo a Boquetes , on a pu voir cet arc-en-ciel impressionant. On est reste scotche.

Funny things of Panama. On our way to get some food in Boquetes, we came across this sign that advertises 'husbands for rent'!!! And when we got to the street of the restaurant, the bridge we had to cross had collapsed. We had to change our eating plans....

Seulement au Panama. Un panneau sur l autoroute 'maris a louer', et le pont que l on devait traverse en voiture pour aller au resto a Boquetes, s'etait ecroule, on

a donc pas pu aller au resto prevu.

little Maymay

After a good night sleep, it was back to more trekking. Here is little May on Cristof 4x4.

Apres une bonne nuit de repos, c'etait repartit pour une petite rando. May sur le capot de la 4x4 de Cristof.

On our way back to the hostel, we came across the funniest airport we have ever seen. Here I am in the middle.

Voila l aeroport le plus marrant qu on est jamais vu. On s'est retrouve en plein milieu de la piste d atterissage (moi sur la photo).

Here is May taking a well deserved break while enjoying the view. She loves trekking, well sitting in the backpack that her Daddy has to carry!!

Voila May pendant une petite pause repos, en train d'admirer le beay paysage. Elle adore la rando, enfin etre assise dans le sac a dos que son pauvre Daddy doit porter!!

Starting the trek near Volcano.

The guys with the girls May and Sofia.

Le debut de la rando pres du village Volcano. Les mecs avec les filles May et Sofia.

After a 24 hour journey from London, through Madrid and Guatemala, we finally arrived in Panama city where Christof was waiting for us. May was great on the plane, but she must have though the journey would never end! 1 day to recover from jet lag, and we were off to the Chiriqui province near the Costa Rican border (9 hour car journey) to do some trekking in the forest. Unfortunately for us we forgot our passport and got stopped by migration officers, and kept waiting for 2 hours while they checked our story. Here is the picture of Christof, Dany and May starting the waiting game. And a picture of a truck we saw on the way. Bad luck!!


Apres un long voyage de plus de 24 heures, via Madrid et Guatemala city, nous sommes enfin arrive a destination, Panama city ou notre pote christof nous attendait. Apres 1 journee de remise a l heure (le decalage horaire nous a bien allume cette fois ci), c’etait depart pour La province de Chiriqui, a cote du Costa Rica, a 9 heures de route pour faire de la rando dans la montagne. Pas de pot pour nous, on s’est fait controller par les flics, et on n’avait pas nos passports. 2 heures d attentes, et de questions plus tard, ils nous ont laisse partir!! Voila une petite photos des mecs au bord de la route, ils avaient encore le sourire aux levres. Et aussi une photo d’un pauvre camion qui s’est retrouve dans la mouise!

So much has happened since the last update. Given how much we hated Dubai, and the behaviour of some of the people, we moved back to London. Our little angel was also born (her name is May), and she is now 13 months old. Its amazing how quickly life can change, and we are loving every minute in London, and the frequent trips to the centre of the universe.....Liverpool. Little May seems to have caught the travelling bug too, and has really enjoyed joining us in our travelling adventures… Cuba, France, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and now Panama. She is loving filling her little passport pages, and has already racked up 46 flights..... not bad for 13 months old! So we decided to start this blog again, we are now in Panama for a month, we will post pictures of the other trips later.

Une annee bien chargee depuis notre derniere mise a jour. Pour commencer on a eu une superbe petite fille appellee May (13 mois), et on est revenue s’installer a Londres après Dubai. On a decide de pas trop frainer nos pulsions voyageuses, et de plutot faire decouvrir le monde a notre petit pigeon voyageur. Mexico, Cuba, Peru, Portugal, Afrique du Sud et maintenant Panama. Elle s amuse bien a remplir les pages de son passport.
On a donc decide de se remettre a ‘blogger’ et de poster les photos des autres voyages plus tard.

After the heat of Amman, we went to the even hotter Egypt... Here I am on the balcony of our hotel room. Great view. Because of the temperature, we spent most of our time by the pool. Nice and relaxing! Sharm el Sheik airport was really funny: the only one in the world where you can't buy your visa in the local currency!! Only dollars, funny, when the airport exchange bureau doesn't have any!!!

Aprés Amman, il était temps de partir vers la chaleur étouffante egyptienne. Me voilà sur le balcon de notre chambre d'hotel. Parfait, pour apprecier la vue magnifique de la lune, et du couché du soleil. A cause de la chaleur on a pas fait grand chose apart lézarder au bord de la piscine. Bonne annecdote quand meme: l'aeroport de Sharm el Sheik est le seul au monde ou on ne peut pas acheter le visa dans la monnaie locale, ils n'acceptent que des dollars. Intéressant quand il n'y a pas de dollars au bureau de change de l'aéroport!

We were very lucky to be in Amman at the same time as Dany's collegue Ibrahim, who is from there. He was great, he drove us around the city and even invited us to his parents house where his mum cooked a lovely jordanian lunch for us!!

On a eu de la chance, et on s'est retrouvé à Amman en meme temps qu'un collègue de Dany, originaire de là bas. Il nous a fait visiter la ville, et nous a meme invité chez ses parents, ou sa maman nous a préparé un repas typique. Super!

One thing we did not expect from Amman was the crazy heat that we found!! it was 46° and the sun was blazing. We still went to a few touristic spots but couldn't stay long. Beautiful though.

En arrivant en Jordanie, on a été frappé par une vague de chaleur : 46°!!! Et nous qui voulions échapper au fourneau de Dubai... On a quand meme fait un petit effort, et on est allé visiter quelques sites touristiques (rapidement...).

So, after Dany's

trip to the beautiful Beirut, it was time for our long awaited holiday. We decided to stay in the middle east and planned a few days in Amman, Jordan; and sharm el Sheik, Egypt. Here is a nice view of Amman, and its colosseum.

Aprés le week end à Beirut de Dany, nous sommes enfin partit en vacances... Direction Amman en Jordanie, et Sharm el Sheik en Egypte. Voilà une jolie vue de la ville et de son coliseum.

BEIRUT

View of the city from Harissa. The really strange thing is that even though the Lebanese are quite rude in Dubai, I met some of the nicest people ever in Beirut. Its geographically very similar to Ibiza (but without the calas, but very still nice), and although the options are very limited, they are of very high quality, and they are limited only due to the current level of security. Once they all stop arguing (hopefully in my lifetime) we will definately go back to travel the whole country, way better than the gulf, no comparison (though still alot of arrogance for normal standards, its moderate for this region). They have an energy which really reminds me of Spain, and the nightlife was not comparable to the rest of the region (easliy better) - Ostras, cuanto hecho de menos espana!!!

Bittedein - Built high in the mountains by the Ottamans, its now used by the president as a summer retreat.

Beirut

Picture of Byblos

Nicholas's B'day in the mountains. Even got to go to Sky bar and Whites!

Some guy grinding coffee and singing

Harissa - Nice view of the city!

Beirut

Figured it would be a shame to come to the region and not see Beirut. Everyone goes on about it (well the Lebanese at least), so I spent a w/e there while the calm lasts!



The beach of the Movenpick