This is my boat, under the control of the gent who commissioned it's building. The photograph was taken, so I'm led to believe, during Cowes Week in 1966.

I will stay here in Thailand for Christmas and will leave for the US and Mexico by 13th of February. In the meantime I want to visit a city called Pha Yao. I will ride there with a few mates and, following my recent sortie up to Vientiane in Laos, I want to go back there for a look at several geographic locations which were of strategic importance during the war which never happened. Y'know the one where the Kissinger and Johnson went nuts and tried to bomb the country out of existence before leaving and betraying the population.

I have my US visa stamped for six months. The process of getting a visa in the post 9/11 climate has been tedious and, it must be said the officials were, to an extent, obstructive. I guess it had something to do with me going in on a one way ticket. They reckoned I might not leave and seemed to be uncertain about me leaving via the Mexican border, rather than by the big silver bird out of LA.

Anyway all is sorted and soon, I will be afloat again. Yay!

Meanwhile, I have met some more great people at the guesthouse. JD (who wants to avoid the 5th dimension..Don't ask) from Utah and his lovely girl: and Jorje and his lovely girl, both from Mexico (whose Thai recreation involved a face plant from a motorbike). The world is full of really pleasant people. My personal philosophy regarding the entire race is proven once again to be a powerful tonic.
ie:
There are only two types of people in the world. There are good people and bad people. Cultivate the good and avoid the bad and you can't fail to have a good life.