Sat on the balcony of our hut in the Kalm Pai resort just outside Pai in N. Thailand, waiting for M to have a shower.
It's been a full on couple of days around Bangkok including a day out in Kanchanaburi at the River Kwai Bridge. We took an overnight bus to Chang Mai last night (surprisingly comfotable. Back in March or April we booked the sleeper train but tickets are only released 30 days before travel and 31 days ago there were none available) and a mini-bus to Pai.
Off out shortly to meet up with friends from Turunç that are already here.
I'll take the opportunity to wish you all a happy New Year and all the best for 2024.
Yambo wrote: ↑Sat Dec 30, 2023 6:50 am
River Kwai Bridge
I'm not sure if you know this but as an ex-military chap you may be interested, the film with Alec Guiness was about as historically accurate as Braveheart and actually caused a bit of a commotion for wrongly portraying the British Colonel of the camp, I forget his name, his daughter wrote a book about it, I have it somewhere.
Sat in a McDonalds again the coffee is shit but almost three times the size of the almost ok coffee at the boulangerie 5 mins walk away.
At least in McDo you expect the staff to be miserable and it’s a bonus if they are helpful! At the boulangerie last weekend the staff were on the point of bloody rude.
So, for the volume of coffee against the taste I’ll sit in McDo for a bit til the flight lands and the guests pass through customs!!
The joys of busy Saturdays
Life is for living. Buy the shoes. Eat the cake. Ride the bikes. Just, ride the bikes!!
It's another wild day here. Mad winds and ceaseless heavy rain. I've had to chase the contents of mine and my neighbour's wheelie bin twice so far. Tis a grim morning.
Yambo wrote: ↑Sat Dec 30, 2023 6:50 am
Sat on the balcony of our hut in the Kalm Pai resort just outside Pai in N. Thailand, waiting for M to have a shower.
It's been a full on couple of days around Bangkok including a day out in Kanchanaburi at the River Kwai Bridge. We took an overnight bus to Chang Mai last night (surprisingly comfotable. Back in March or April we booked the sleeper train but tickets are only released 30 days before travel and 31 days ago there were none available) and a mini-bus to Pai.
Off out shortly to meet up with friends from Turunç that are already here.
I'll take the opportunity to wish you all a happy New Year and all the best for 2024.
I hope the coming year is a shitload better than the horror picture that was your 2023,Yambs.
Hopefully New Year with a fully populated roster will mean more time off.
"Of all the stories you told me, which ones were true and which ones weren't?"
"My dear Doctor, they're all true."
"Even the lies?"
"Especially the lies."
Home after a stupid traffic day. The passengers this afternoon bought me a cake and a croissant, just home, eaten the croissant with some pate and and going to try sleep asap!!
Life is for living. Buy the shoes. Eat the cake. Ride the bikes. Just, ride the bikes!!
Yambo wrote: ↑Sat Dec 30, 2023 6:50 am
River Kwai Bridge
I'm not sure if you know this but as an ex-military chap you may be interested, the film with Alec Guiness was about as historically accurate as Braveheart and actually caused a bit of a commotion for wrongly portraying the British Colonel of the camp, I forget his name, his daughter wrote a book about it, I have it somewhere.
Yes, I'm aware the film was fiction. I'm reliably informed that the current Kwai bridge, just up river from the original built by the Japanese and others was not originally over the River Kwai. I'd have to do a bit of searching but the Thais changed the name of the river to Kwai so as not to confuse visitors. The original and genuine river Kwai is a few miles away.
The railway museum next to the war cemetery was quite good but the Jeath War Museum was disappointing. Friends who have been previously say it used to be a lot more graphic so it seems to have been sanitised for younger generations. Sad.
Yambo wrote: ↑Sun Dec 31, 2023 12:45 pm
Yes, I'm aware the film was fiction.
I didn't know and it was one of my favourite films, I was outraged when I found the truth and how they had unfairly portrayed the Lt Col in charge.
It won awards and in isolation was a great movie, but it could have been a cracking film by showing the truth, it didn't need to deviate from what was a fascinating story, with nuances that might have made it even better.
Hope you had a good visit though and got a feel for what those lads went through, poor buggers.
Skub wrote: ↑Sat Dec 30, 2023 11:03 am
I hope the coming year is a shitload better than the horror picture that was your 2023,Yambs.
Thanks Skub. My head has been improving over the last few months and with all of the 'firsts' just about over, I'm hoping I can get on with what's left of my life.
I've tried to be busier recently and intend to crack on with jobs after this holiday but it's very much a wait and see, there are no guarantees the head will perform as hoped. M gets her hip operation done 3 days after we get back to Turkey and my first job will be carer.
We hired a scooter today to get around the Pai sights and I will admit it was very enjoyable being on two wheels although I have the electric bike at home. What wasn't so good was the thing was gutless and I had to adjust the back brake. Good fun day though.
Skub wrote: ↑Sat Dec 30, 2023 11:03 am
I hope the coming year is a shitload better than the horror picture that was your 2023,Yambs.
Thanks Skub. My head has been improving over the last few months and with all of the 'firsts' just about over, I'm hoping I can get on with what's left of my life.
I've tried to be busier recently and intend to crack on with jobs after this holiday but it's very much a wait and see, there are no guarantees the head will perform as hoped. M gets her hip operation done 3 days after we get back to Turkey and my first job will be carer.
We hired a scooter today to get around the Pai sights and I will admit it was very enjoyable being on two wheels although I have the electric bike at home. What wasn't so good was the thing was gutless and I had to adjust the back brake. Good fun day though.
Jeez man,you haven't known M that long and she needs a hip op already?
This is probably the best day of the year, we went to bed at 9pm, got woken by the street parties screeching at midnight, then fell back asleep.
Up before 6am and now having a brew.
I say it's the best day of the year because all the loud people are in bed, the shops are mostly open and we can go shopping, pick some stuff up, go for a walk, whatever, knowing that everywhere will be deserted until noon at least.
"Of all the stories you told me, which ones were true and which ones weren't?"
"My dear Doctor, they're all true."
"Even the lies?"
"Especially the lies."