From Gerry in Thailand

Hi Pete, I know it’s been sometime since last I wrote and many things have happened. Still receive the CTC news sheets which I enjoy, the old computer keep me in touch with most that’s happening. And is a great asset up in the village where I am spending a lot of my time now that the house is in principle finished, given that a house in Thailand is never really finished, there’s no building regs or planning permission. So one average size house soon becomes a large house if you see what I mean plus extensions front and back, carport for the pickup, and so on. To say it’s a rural existence is an understatement, the peace and quiet is to die for, and there is only Patric and Bosky my Italian friends in the village who speak English and Bosky only just. Pan my Thai partner has good English, so I tend to relay on her not a good idea really because it makes you lazy for learning the native language, and Thai is not an easy one to learn. Now that things have settled down a bit I have started riding again. after a lifetime of riding almost every day to work, a different venue every two or three weeks, and the club riding, I cycled with the west surrey for along time before joining the SWLDA I am discovering the true beauty and pleasure all over again. I think once a cyclist always a cyclist. I have purchased a mountain bike a Fuji .made in Taiwan I think. but its shamano all through with a 8 piece sprocket set and disk brakes front and rear and purrs along.Bosky the Italian man is a keen rider of course, and we have taken to going out for a spin most days, not to far at present around 50_ 60 clicks, most times. Now here ie the really good news, its dry season out here at present and it hasten rained in 12 weeks, perhaps twice, and the sun shines every every day.temp in the 90 degree range light winds sometimes, So we set out at 8 oc in the morning for a couple of hours, the roads in Thailand are excellent.and we ride through the paddy fields from village to village, we are in the Rice producing area on the north east, close to Cambodia, in SA kaew province,our nearest main village is Ta phraya.its like we are in a basin between two mountain ranges,but huge distances, and the traffic is light almost non existant compared with the UK,I am not sure how well Thailand would lend itself to cycle touring, partly because the sun comes up at 7am and goes down at 6pm, constantly, and in the day it gets very hot, and in the winter time cools down at night, no need for to many covers at bed time, and we always sleep with the fan on.No air Con as yet.This is a very poor village as most rural Thai villages are,we do not have a Hotel, Pub or Bars or restaurants, just a few little shops that sell most small things, the nearest ATM is 12 miles away, and the nearest Tescos, just opened in December is 45 click's away, But food is plentiful and fresh with a god selection, in the morning and evening markets, on the main highway through the village. We have most of the creature comforts, satellite TV microwave ovens etc, and I usually cook something for dinner, and Pan looks after the house and takes the kids to school etc, there is hardly Any traffic in the village just the odd pickup and mostly mopeds, so the children play out in the streets, just like we used to when we were kids. Do you remember;;;.And of course life is very inexpensive in the village, you pay the same as the Thais, our combined water and electric bill for the month was 12 pounds english,Oh by the way they do excellent beer in Thailand,for around 80 pence a litre, Thai whisky at 3 pounds bottle, perfectly drinkable.long on the rocks with soda.talking of which its time for the old Sundowner about Now. Cheers to you all at the CTC from Dingo, Gerry Hulbert. 4th Feb 2010. P S if any riders are interested in a possible retirement package in Thailand . I might be able to help them out with information, having been coming here for 17 years, and having a home in the village for the past 4 years.
From Gerry Hulbert