Another long drive

Friday 10th

I think I won another long drive competition today. Not on the golf course but on the road. I was up about 7-30 and had finished my shower when the phone rang. It was a taxi that I'd confirmed for The Rev and TVL and he was 12 hours early. He'd already got the Rev down to reception and with the help of the girl at the desk we got the message through that he was supposed to come at 8 at night. This was not the guy that brought us there but a "friend". Anyway, they said they would still use him and he went off to have a sleep.

I finished my own packing and was surprised that my case wasn't overflowing. I'll give that blender to someone at Wichian Buri, likewise the mattress, so when I leave it will just be the suitcase, golf bag and laptop case.

I got copies of the photos taken by The Rev , TVL and Ed for the composite CD and eventually checked out about 10-30. TVL spent some time at a wat that is being built entirely from teak, including wooden pegs in stead of nails, as for the palace we saw in Bangkok. It has apparently been under construction for 28 years and there is no hurry to finish as there seems to be a belief that the king will die when it is finished. It looks interesting so I have included some photos even though I didn't see it myself.





I have also included some golf shots from the others. The movie was taken on the par 5 at the Navy course where I got my birdie, so the fairway wood shot you see me playing at the end, finished on the green. The green is behind the smaller tree in the middle of the frame and the hole is 520 yardslong from the white tees. The last hole yesterday, which I also hit in 2 was 493 yards long.



I spent some time in Le Katai and Pairot eventually arrived just before 12, at the end of the suggested period. Apparently he'd left home at 7am. We soon had my stuff in the car and after a few quick goodbyes we were on the road. We stopped for lunch at a KFC for about 15 minutes and it was after 5 by the time we got here, so he had a long day. We had some rain soon after leaving Pattaya and drove through another storm North of Bangkok. Traffic was very heavy and slow in some places and yet other road sections were surprisingly empty. It is the start of the Songkraan holidays and like Easter, it seems half the population is going away.

I have a different room again this time - in the "A" group. This has an alcove which has the wardrobe in it but the sleeping area is a bit smaller. It is closer to the canteen and I can actually get a wireless connection from my room, which is a bonus. Its about 1200 speed - about double what I was getting in Pattaya. It is also free-standing although is shares a common roof with the other units, but this means no shared walls so hopefully no noisy neighbours at 5-30.

It is now coming ap to a month since I first arrived so quite a few shift changes have happened in that time. Jim is back and Spencer has gone and the geologists changed about the time I left. Keiran was back tonight with his family, stopping over on the way to his in laws for Songkraan.