Days out on the lake

About 12 km outisde of Chiang Mai there is this lake where you can bathe (although we all thought the water didn't look very inviting) and relax in one of the bamboo huts that are dotted along the waterline. Order your food & drinks and lean back....

Being out of Chiang Mai would have been nice at any given time but now it was even better due to the oppressive & irritating air-pollution that was hanging over Chiang Mai. Not that the air here was anything like clean but it was a bit fresher then in CHiang Mai proper.

The first time we went on the back of 2 motorbikes. The 2nd time we were with too many people and had arranged a Songthaw (red car).


Me, hanging out... literally


Kyaw Kyaw & his friend Si Thu


A bit of the food. There was much more. 'Auntie' (Si Thu's aunt) had prepared a whole lot of vegetarian food. Since that is one of the few things you can't get there..


David & Kuatarina

Auntie, Si Thu & Kyaw Kyaw

An evening in Chiang Mai

Kyaw Kyaw posing as tuc-tuc driver.... Frans & me weren't allowed anywhere near the driver's seat. I think they don't trust us...




A group picture (without me of course. Someone had to take the picture)

Doi Suthep

Kyaw Kyaw decided to take Sandra up to Doi Suthep for her birthday. Doi Suthep is THE most important temple in Chiang Mai. Or should i say around Chiang Mai sinc eit is up on a hill overlooking Chiang Mai. She hadn't been there yet and somehow there was always something else to do. But this time we all went. And it was really really nice. Like most temples it has that great tranquil atmosphere which we all enjoy. Even though there were quite a few tourists around.



As usual Kyaw Kyaw has no problem posing for a picture.



And one of the few times, Sandra didn't object to hard either...

World flora expo Chiang Mai

After such a long time in Chiang Mai we finally managed to make it to this huge event that was held till the end of januari. It was a great day trip. I've never seen so many flowers together. And neither had the others. Frans of course hasn't seen much to begin with. Kyaw Kyaw has never been to such an event and didn't even know they existed. Sandra had to admit she'd never even been to the Keukenhof. Whatever that is...

Frans & me and some great lotus flowers
Here we're posing on the nicely sized plane that was drifting in the pond at the Kenia-entrance for the flower expo.
More kenia samples to pose with.....
Part of the dutch entrance (no beer in sight though). And it was obviously way to hot for the poor tulips.
A little bit of Indonesia
Belgium's project

Want some?

That was the question Kyaw Kyaw got when he passed this place. He kindly refused and came back to the appartment to ask if we wanted to see this. Of course i was up for it. Sandra, who's stomach already revolted at the sight of the pictures, didn'teven want to hear more about it...

Thai boxing (Muay Thai)

Of course while we were in Chiang Mai we were invited to come along and see the 'real' Thai boxing. Sandra wasn't too impressed at the end of the evening. The guys had a general 
good evening. Me, i concerned myself mostly with the whisky. After all, you need 
something to get you through an evening like that.... 

On the way from Bankok to Chiang Mai

Ok, this picture has been taken early January so yes, i'm way behind. But i thought it'd be fun. After all, how many times do you get such a prime position.... (i'll discretely mention then that Frans & me were the only ones that actually fitted in these seats. There was a huge TV screen just aside of the seats and you really had to climb your way up here.) But we had a great view.

We're ok

I think i finally found a way to get past the block that is on blogs nowadays. So if this really works, i'll hopefully be able to keep you all more informed. We’re back in Burma already for a while.

Sandra might have a job interview today. So we really have to go and make the phonecall so she can meet the head of the school. Today would be great since we all have some other places we want to visit. 

Ok, let's see if this works.

Quicky

Not a whole lot has happened (though i have some nice pictures of a day out at the lake if i make the time to upload them). sandra has passed her test for foot massage/reflexology. 98/100 so an A++ i think the teacher was even a bit dissapointed that the test was over... She had no shortage of people who she could practise on. Unfortunately it goes a little less smooth with the basics of Thai massage. You need room for that (and a big and firm mattrass of sorts) so there are quite a few things that she and KK can only practise on Frans & me since we're small enough... It is getting better.....

Next week the rent is up so we plan to move south for a week. Either to one of the islands or a beach on the mainland somewhere. Kyaw Kyaw really would like to see Phuket. Sandra thinks she could do with giving the place a miss.... Me, i haven't made up my mind yet. After that, off to Burma. Waterfestival/new year from the 13th to the 17th of april. We're going to be so wet again. I am considering investing in a super soaker.

The student/workvisa plans are still being worked on. A lot of info but nothing too concrete yet.

First stop in the Netherlands

OK, Katinka, how's this ;-)

True i still have so much updating to do but slowly, very slowly i'm getting to it.

Visiting Katinka, Bart & kids was the first stop Sandra, Frans & me made when we came from France. Of course it was great seeing katinka & Bart again but it was even better to see how much Luuk & Bas had grown over the past years. And Marieke & I hadn't met yet. She's already quite grown up. No little baby anymore....


Bas was showing us how one should milk a cow.

Luuk was emerging from some sort of ball-house thingy that is in the palace park for kids to play with. We had a great walk around the gardens.

Busy....

Well, we're all busy at the moment. Kyaw Kyaw goes to school 6 days a week. English & Thai classes. And he takes massage classes 3 mornings of the week. Sandra does the same massage classes but does apart from the Thai massage course also a footmassage course. And she is going to Burmese classes at the educational centre. Besides that, she teaches english there 2 evenings per week, intermediate level. They have a book to study from but since the taperecorder is broken and many of the excercises need the tape, she hasn't been using this book much. Frans & me are of course taking part in all massage courses. We especially like GETTING them.... and so me usually volunteer if someone needs to be practised on. All in all, we have enough to do.

It was cold in France....

I more or less lived in the hearth for the first few days. It was that cold. Sandra couldn't resist going out and take a few pictures in the garden.

Funny to look at the frost covering everything from hot and sweaty Chiang Mai...

In Duras

We accompanied Sandra's dad when he had to do some business in Duras. It has a really nice little castle but of course it was closed (then again we've already visited it before). Along the way we met Santa climbing up a wall. And Sandra couldn't resist taking a picture of the clock tower. It was very cold though so we weren't out for too long. Quite soon we found ourselves in a nice little french cafe. Much more to my taste!




Sandra's dad was telling her that she was too late taking his picture when she took this one. i think she was right on time....

Finally, the pictures of France

Ok ok, i know. It took me a while... But here they are. Finally. The pictures of our early christmas party at home. About 2 weeks early since it prooved impossible to get everyone together at christmas time. Not that we weren't in the right spirit... Presents, loads of food (it took me a while to loose the kilo's i gained..) and of course a lot of fun... Sandra thought it was great seeing everybody again after so long a time. And i must say, i did enjoy it almost as much as she did. I even have the impression that everybody enjoyed the get-together.

Of course there was a bit of preparing to do. I tried to help but was shooed out of the kitchen.. So i garded the presents. And afterwards i was put in charge of the presents we needed to take back for Kyaw Kyaw.... A very heavy load i can tell you that.

I loved the lights and Aranka was so nice to allow me to sit on her head while i took a closer look.
This evening was also the evening we met our new travel partner Frans. He was really excited about going off on a big adventure. But i still think he's abit too warmly dressed... (he's started to complain lately...)

And then it was the all out for the food.... dig in and help yourself. I did. Till i almost burst.....

I also met the new dogs. 8 months old and still growing (though i have been informed that they'll not grow much more). They're cute and chew on everything.. (sandra took only pictures of the top of the table because there was all the excitement going on. Food, people.. but if you'd look at the table legs you'd see that there are big plastic pipes around it since the dogs liked to sharpen their teeth...). And the od dame. not in the mood for the antics of the young ones...

OK, no more promises

Of updating the pages with the pictures of France & the Netherlands. In Vientiane we eventually didn't have enough time. I tried but it took forever and then some to upload so i had to cancel. And on the way back to Chiang Mai it was soooo cold in the airco (read:freezer) bus that Sandra has been in bed with a cold for the last couple of days. So no going to the internet. We did move 'appartments' that is to say, Kyaw Kyaw moved our stuff. Now we are in a room that has an internet connection so maybe i manage this time. Today Sandra finally felt good enough to work on it. And it works.

The waterboiler has been used/abused intensively these days. Sandra kept drinking hot tea with honey because of a bad throat. kyaw Kyaw loves some of the instant noodles we now can make. At first he didn't really understand why having such a household item could be usefull. He never knew of a waterboiler before. But i think he is now the biggest fan. Instant noodles, tea, instant cappucino. Brilliant... Now we don't have to leave every time we want to drink something warm. Or in the evenings sometimes we're just a bit peckish. Instant noodles do fine then...

Hi from Vietiane

Just a short one since i want to update this place with some nice pictures.. We've arrived yesterday in Vientiane. A little earlier then expected. First or driver from Chian Mai floored it till Udonthani where we did arrive about 1,5 hours before we were expected there. And then, since we had been sent to the second busstation to get to Vientiane adn finding there that we weren't allowed on the bus due to a lack of visa, we hired with 11 people a minibus to get to the border. Arriving there nicely before everybody else... We all filled in the necessary papers and handed over the required amount of cash and a lao visa we had.. More then half of the people from the minibus needed to go to the embassy so on the other end we hired a minibus again. So arriving nicely on time at the Thai embassy. Then a little hunting for rooms (it is after all high season). Sandra thought she needed to be spoiled a little so we got a really nice room (for the grand total of $15 including breakfast). And after she treated all of us to a 2 hour foot- backmassage... heaven...

To Laos

Sandra, Frans & me will be going for a little trip to Laos. Sandra needs a real visa for Thailand this time. We've been here apparently long enough with the normal 30-day entry stamps... And since Frans & i have not much better to do we'll of course keep her company ;-) It will only be for a few days. Kyaw Kyaw has been able to extend his visa. But since he has a single-entry one he can not come with us. Then again, he needs to study anyway...