We left Embra airport on Monday the 1st of December for what will hopefully be an epic trip. Air France did their best to induce a stress related heart attack due to their lateness and lack of time for changeovers at Paris and Bangkok airports but our supreme fitness helped us to make it. Of course we had the obligatory crying bairns and people with no manners but that seems to be the way of it these days.
Security at CDG Paris excelled themselves by being incredibly inefficient and not giving a damn but great at talking amongst themselves rather than doing their job, makes the UK look brilliant.
We arrived in Chiang Mai Thailand and were impressed our luggage arrived as well, taxi into the old town to our Hotel and a wee sleep (none at all on the flight) then out for a meal, much cheapness ( less than £20 for both of us including Beer ) Then to the 7/11 store for essentials, whisky and M&M's , we thought we had done well, Glenlivet for £22 but today when I checked again it cost us £52! Still don't have the conversion sorted!
Wednesday out to get our sims sorted for Thailand on the road back we saw a boy opening a clothing store with a Norton 650SS in the shop, transpires it was his brothers and his R75/5 was next to it. Not bad, first full day and i've seen my first Norton . Later we tried to get bikes organised which was more difficult than we thought, we were told that we couldn't take the bikes out of the province which is actually bullshit. We eventually managed to get bikes sorted from Monday for 15 days , then back to Chiang Mai for Christmas, we've managed to get a deal at the hotel here for then. Friday we tried to get bikes organised for after Christmas but the shop won't guarantee us bikes until the day before! Nightmare, nobody said it would be easy,
I had to get cash out to pay the landlady yesterday for the Xmas and just before we go to Laos and Fiona said she was told her chase bank card was being renewed the day after we left, cutting a very long story short her card runs out in January and mines in February. We did check before we left and we both had an expiry date of 28 but apparently that's a virtual expiry date. The customer service staff didn't give a jot., try paying virtual cash in Asia All's not lost though I can still get cash out my other account but i'll be subsidising the BOS until I get home , next update hopefully from on the road
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| Night time |
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| Beer Time |
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| Tourist |
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| My new pal |
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| City wall |
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| Deranged Tourist |
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| Keep Clam and carry on..... |
Looking good, hope you get everything sorted. Budge.
ReplyDeleteCheers Budge, we are getting there
DeleteThat's what the overhead network is starting to look like in Crieff now 🥴
ReplyDeleteHa ha, aye its worse here as they seem to be doing work on the network and causing chaos
DeleteGood evening! Or maybe not, with the 100 year old border dispute firing off, again. At least you're a good way off from the border, but it could be interesting with Thai stamps in the passport for later border crossings. With another named storm on the way and the fields already looking like paddy fields, our humidity will be similar to yours, even the temperature is going to go into the low teens! As a BoS customer, any chance of getting yourself a Halifax Clarity Credit card to ease the charges, or does that make no difference? Just a thought! Have a safe jaunt afore Xmas, Kat is concerned. The 650SS and 750/5 both look to be clean bits of kit, do they ride them, or are they just for promotional quedos? Good health, Bill & Kat
ReplyDeleteHi Bill and Kat
DeleteEverywhere we go seems to get the locals on war footing! It will be interesting indeed. Keeping up with the depressing news from home, hopefully it will stop raining soon! At least before we come Home!
The bikes get used bit not everyday
Matter off fact the 650ss may be for sale and no I'm not buying it. I'm going back to get more details as one of My Norton pals thinks it could be a rare Manxman,
28 degrees here just now, felt a bit wabbit on the bike with the heat but all is good
Regards
Gino & Fiona
More precipitation and unlikely to really ease off afore Xmas and Boxing Days, when its forecast to turn freezing, misty and with light winds! Good to read the bikes get used. As for the 'Manxman' varient, specialist knowledge, above my gawping grade, with Nortons. ;) Just about to have wee read of the latest update, I see that Cambodia has now closed the border to Thailand. Good health, Bill & Kat
DeleteHi Gino and Fiona,
ReplyDeleteGood to read your first update on Thailand, hopefully you can alter your plans to avoid the skirmishing natives! Any chance of renting the Norton and Bee Em? travel in style and you know how to repair them.
Safe travels and have a great Christmas when it comes.
Alan and Ulrike.
(No water shortage in Scotland now!)
Hi Alan and Ulrike
ReplyDeleteNot sure what the plan is re skirmishing natives, hopefully try to avoid them !
The Norton may be for sale but I don't think that's for me .
We should be back in Chiang mai for Christmas and then carry in after for a fee weeks doing some more exploring
Have a good one yourselves !
Gino and Fiona