This is the 1999 Adventures of Cowboy Bob & Bonanza Jellybean in Thailand!
Mon, Jan 4 - Victoria
No taxi this year, Jon Hoadley chauffeured us at 6:00 AM. It's so weird to lock the door and walk away for 3 months... have we forgotten anything? Horizon Air says we can check our bags right through to BKK. That's great since we have a big Rubbermaid trunk weighing 55#. Managed to get seats in the exit so lots of leg room. 11.5 hours to Kimbo in Seoul... we were able to hang out in the lounge and email. The next flight is 6.5 hours to BKK. (Note: no one can understand the international symbol on the WC door... everyone struggles to open it)
Tues, Jan 5 - Lost on the Date Line
Wed, Jan 6 - Bangkok
11:30 PM arrival... first time deplaning in BKK via a jetway... usually get hustled onto a big tarmac bus. 150 Bt taxi to the New Asia GH... reservation intact... Fun dee (sweet dreams)
Thur, Jan 7 - Bangkok
- Bank rate CDN$ = 23.1 Bt
- It's just wonderful being back in BKK... the food is awesome... Bus 53 to the Hua Lanpong station was sooo crowded. 2nd class bottom births for both of us... 571 Bt each for Sat night... we're taking the overnight train to Trang oa Sat night... it will arrive at 9am... that will be time to get the bus to Krabi... do a little shopping for incidentals and catch the 2PM Sala Express to Siboya.
- Back on the 53 for the circle tour through Chinatown... stop for Dim Sum... mmm!
- Met a man from Parksville... he had just spent 80 Bt for a lot of saffron... I think he got taken.
Lost on paradise...
Sun, Jan 17 - Siboya
- We both slept late today... 8:00 AM
- The ocean is finally back to a high tide cycle so we can swim... did 30 minutes of laps, but it seemed much longer.
- Joann was having trouble with her snorkel... on closer examination I discovered a cock roach had crawled in and was blocking the airway... can you imagine it in her mouth... we swim follow the leader with me in front... so I get to bump into the monster... as I glanced back a skimmer danced across the surface an bumped in to Joann's head... her head popped up... what the hell!!
- Luckily DD had a stereo patch-cord... voila... we have music!
- House hold chores... replace shower head and soap holder.
- Ronald is staking out where his house will go and which trees he wants to save... he's wired.
- We've decided to sell the house and build on the back lot... we'll see how it goes.
- The first star is Venus... saw this years first Night Jar... the sunset is streaks... I can see a dog's face then Bluto's... the water is such an amazing blue.
Mon, Jan 18 - Siboya
- Holly moves from Connie's to Rebecca's house today... the Ratinnis (coconut rats) are just too much.
Wed, Jan 20 - Krabi
- Ronald's time is up this year... we hope his dream of a house on the 2 lots next to us (Romano's and Manuk's) come to fruition he'll be a great neighbour.
- No email today
Thur, Jan 21 - Siboya
- Another cool morning 23C
- Fix the fence... plant a cactus cutting.
- 30 minutes of swimming laps... got to keep it going.
- Joann is catching 40 winks... I'm working my ass off in the hammock and who walks across the bridge... Pete and Becky.
Sat, Jan 23 - Siboya
- Another cool morning 23C... very overcast... all day yesterday too.
- The steady drizzle continues... can't believe the timing... we fertilized the lawn just yesterday.
- Noel, Peter and Janet arrived from Penang intact... G&Ts on the veranda... lot's of mmm's at dinner.
Mon, Jan 25 - Siboya
- Becky's Korean friend, Jin-Yeung has suddenly decided to leave... she's got problems... married to Joel (USA) and being in NZ has made going back to Korea very difficult to deal with their cultural rules and attitudes... Becky is sad but objective.
Tues, Jan 26 - Siboya
- Bob's Big Bamboo Tour today... Sala has a new fast boat... big status in the village... even has an Isuzu fresh water cooled 4 cylinder engine... cuts the time to Ko Mai Pai (Bamboo Island) in half, only 1 hour.
- Still feeling very white... lot's of sun block 30
- Good day of snorkeling... snakes, moray eel, lion fish, 20" jelly fish and a 5 foot basking shark... lot's of oohs and aahs.
Wed, Jan 27 - Siboya
- Sat at breakfast till 11:00 AM
- Need to do laundry today... have to add just a little bleach to the soaking water so things don't start to grow overnight.
- Holly found a snake ion her veranda today... looks like a harmless tree snake to me.
Thur, Jan 28 - Krabi
- Shopping in Krabi today... hair cut (only a little blood letting)... seems to be a lot more tourists this year.
- The new Telecom building is very slick.
- Cloudy all day again... rained on the return boat trip.
- The snake book says Holly's "viper" is just a lizard eater, bronze back or racer.
- The cat in heat chorus was in tune this evening.
- Mango and sticky rice... mmm!!!
Sun, Jan 31 - Siboya
- The perpetual birthday card sans battery.
- Tequila Sunrise punch at sunset... Peter, Janet, Pete, Becky, Peter, Paul, Alex, Thomas, Andy, Mel, Kevin, Lisa, Saundrene, Anais, Jani, Beatte, Didier, Marie, Luciene, Barbara, Michael, Annetta, Aron, Alia and Noel.
- Canned salmon from Bill Booton... box from DD.
- Croquet for some... getting late, Chung will be holding dinner.
Mon, Feb 1 - Siboya
- Big exodus today... 11 bungalows vacated... Chung is a little worried this early in the season.
Wed, Feb 10 - Siboya
- This day 3 for the parasite I seem to have acquired... it leaves a red trail on the top of my foot (we'll call it Paul Foot)... it's time to go to Krabi to talk to my favorite pharmacist... better English and more knowledgeable than most local doctors.
- Mr Son has today and tomorrow left on our ceramic floor... great job... looks awesome.
- Adam (Pine II) is starting to dry out but still needs to get a life.
Sun, Feb 14 - Siboya
- Rained again half of yesterday and all through the night.
Mon, Feb 15 - Phuket
- In Phuket living the lives of luxury... staying at a really cool bungalow/resort that has ..get this... a swimming pool (new for us budget people)... the resort is quite something else with amazing views and service to our table right on the beach... and only a paltry 16$ per night.
- Checked out the cute parasite that was digging tunnels around Bob's foot at the Phuket International Hospital... everything is peachy dandy... yes bob will survive... (we were actually thinking of having some plastic surgery done as its so cheap...)
- Tomorrow we are heading back home to Siboya.... It's been a wonderful season on the island... we have had an unbelievable time with many reunions with fantastic old friends and have met many new great friends... so as you may imagine the party and social aspects of our sojourn have been simply out of this world. We've had a great birthday party for bob complete with croquet, gin and tonics and all sorts of fun things like fireworks, good food and lots of fun people... we've also attended a house warming party of our friends Janet and peter... about 35thais joined in from our local village... we had special food... goat curry... mmm for some as for me... yuck... sometimes being a vegetarian is more fun... the weather here is really cool for this time of year... bit of the rainy season still around... hear old Victoria has been hit with lots of wind storms ..we are getting lots of rain so you should see how beautiful our garden is... as there is lots of rain we've seen several snakes... which are really neat... saw the last 2ft of a cobra heading down a crab hole looking for some grub......
The last part of this trip was an amazing adventure... we'll call it Bob's Big Adventure!!
