Biking to Huay Tung Tao with Anne

Huay Tung Tao is a man-made lake outside the city, developed from land donated by the King. Sunday, Anne and I decided to bike out there which took about an hour. We took a rest in one of the bamboo huts along the water’s edge and had some BBQ chicken and fried rice.

The temps were around 77 so it made for a very comfortable bike ride although we were still pretty hot when we got there. It’s primarily a destination for Thais and a good way to get off the tourist track. Here are some good photos of the lake area from another website.

And here we are after an evening at Skye's, a tiny little Thai bar that serves major mojitos for 50B.

Jim's Trip - Bangkok to ChiangMai Nov 2009

Jim wrote about his flight to Bangkok and hitchhiking up to Chiang Mai, "Made it back to my winter home! Long tiring trip, but worth it."

Here is Jim's story in pictures of his arrival in Bangkok and trip north to Chiang Mai. Some of the photos are a bit blurry as he was when he took them after 37 hours of travel.

Habitat for Humanity - Chiang Mai

Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project 2009: Chiang Mai, Thailand


Thailand, the "Land of Smiles," is one of the great economic development success stories of recent times. Yet for many low-income families, increased demand for land and land prices has made access to decent housing impossible. Some 8.2 million people live in substandard housing.


Chiang Mai is the main host site for the 2009 Carter Work Project. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, joins the Chiang Mai community, celebrities and approximately 3,000 volunteers for a week-long build. This week, 3,000 volunteers with Habitat for Humanity are working with local people to build 82 homes in less than a week.
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Thailand 2009-2010

I arrived in Chiang Mai November 8, followed by Jim on November 14th. Our good friend, Don, met me at the Bangkok airport and we stayed there at the Rose Hotel where he has been staying when in the city for over thirty years.


I have not added anything to this blog since last April so the entries previous to this - the American Folk Festival in August, ladies-only road trip with friends to Camden, Maine in September, our visit to Cape Cod in October and Jim's trip to Argentina in late October - have just been added today.

Here's a great little garden restaurant Trudi discovered where we had lunch last week. Trudi lives here nine months of the year now. Among other things, we're meeting a couple times a week to practice our Thai this winter. At least that's the plan.


And this the Fern Forest Cafe that Trudi also recently discovered where we met for coffee the same day.




Our friend Anne, who teaches at a community college in Oregon, is also here for another month and, as soon as it cools off a bit more, she and I plan to do some biking.

Argentina - October 2009

In October, Jim flew standby to Argentina, a country he's wanted to visit for many years. He forgot his Spanish phrase book but I doubt that slowed him down much. The weather was milder than Maine and getting warmer as the country headed into Spring.


He really enjoyed Buenos Aires and plans to return to see more of the country - and the next time I hope to go, also. Here are the photo albums he put together while he was there exploring.

Day One








Day Four








Day Eight - Tango Lessons











Oct 11 - Walking Tour of the City








Oct 15 - The Hostel








Oct 16 - Train Ride








Oct 17 - The Parade








Oct 18 - Sunday Market








Oct 20 - Gaucho Country
Jim wrote, "Buenos Aires may be the most pleasant city in the world."

American Folk Festival - August 2009

In August, Jim and I decided to drive to Bangor for the American Folk Festival of music and dance from around the world. People have been raving about it for years and now we know why. It ran from Friday night through Sunday; our plans were to go Saturday. We woke up at my folks' camp to steady rain, high winds and cold temps but after some debating, decided to go anyway.

The weather kept a lot of people away which was great for us - not for the festival coffers - as there were no lines, easy parking, and no crowds to squeeze around. Here are a few photos.

Visit to North Chatham - October 2009

Jim has recently renewed some old acquaintances from Gloucester High School. One of his friends, Nikki, invited us to visit her and her husband at their summer cottage on Cape Cod. It was a lovely spot and we enjoyed our visit - walking along the beaches and sightseeing.

Here are photos from our two days there at North Chatham.

Trip to Pat's in Camden - September 2009

In July 2009, Gerry, Irene and I went on a road trip to Camden to visit our friend, Pat. Here are some photos we took, climbing Beech Hill, Mount Batty, and back at Pat's place.





And here are a few photos taken at the OWLS HEAD Transportation Museum near Rockland. I had never had the slightest desire in dropping in on this museum but the exhibits were great - I definitely recommend this museum to anyone visiting the area.