Der er behagelig her på/ved søen, dog en masse kvindeknævren fra kækkenet! Var nede kl, 7 at gå rundt på marked.
Kanchanaburi i morgen tidlig to dage, så en dag BKK overfor MBK.
Derefter …
Answer: YES it is. Then what to do about it. Mei ben lei! = PYT in Danish.
However, is it insane, what I am doing?
My brain tells me to be happy and make STATUS.
1) My “home” is functioning well.
2) Sleeps well at night.
3) I loose weight as planned, but do not starve. No stomach troubles.
4) Have so far not been missing any items. Thai sim-card does not work, as I forgot Code Name from home!
5) I do operate well in the City and its renewed organization. Infrastructure has exploded “to the better and the worse” since we left in 2011. Cars are again stranded for hours. Youngsters are filling-up the hundreds of high-rise one-room flats. Or these are put up by rich Chinese, who can earn more here, than in Singapore. Que-up at the Skytrain, so one can hardly walk along the platforms. Take it easy. Their NEW KING is in command “their KING”
6) Memory directs reflections, names etc., which comes to life instantly. I walked 6 km yesterday without falling, remembering all obstructions.
7) Travel, as planned with Focus from DR on-off do certainly add to things to be respected and remembered in planning, so the good start here in Thailand has been given one more side to plan for. Good for that, but nerve moving!
8) I have NOT lost good mood but goes on looking forward. So ALENEDOM does function. Some repacking has to be done (minimizing), but is in no way critical. It can be made on a sunny day.
The FUTURE looks OK. My body is short of rest. Just need a bit of slow number of days at Kanchanaburi and later at VIP Floatel in Tong Pha Puhm looking to the mountain rims of Burma.
Over and out from BKK.
Pyh ha!
Megabyer gror nådesløst. Man kan vel også sige, at de sover aldrig. Ankomst hertil nem. Immigration. Manglende hoteloplysning fik ”en af Kongens tjenere” (ung) til at spille med musklerne. Gl. kørekort etc. fik ham til at falde ned. Det blev til taxa grundet den store rygsæk. Toget er jo allerede fyldt, når det kører til perron. Mac var ved at lukke op. Fik rum til højre for (spisested). Sov 4 timer. Ellers programlægning.
Hoteller, kontakter, Pattarin, Fuu etc. Bogen ”Being Mortal” skal nok komme til at vise sig værdifuld. Livet er helt anderledes, når man
som firs-årig ikke mere er ”mainstream”. Meget er nu tungt. Et bykort er nærmest kun reklamer.
HVOR er hoved trafiknettet i BKK, som det var så enkelt før?
Pludselig går de op for en, hvorfor rejsebureauer tiltrækker hr. og fru Hansen. Man skøjtes udenom problemer (fejl og tab af tid, penge mm.).
Måske vil det vise sig godt, at BKK er start?
Dagens arbejde, udover at sikre kontakter og aftaler, bliver at besøge Hotel Navalai (In Love) ved floden vest for Khao San. Vores Soi Sailom hjem gennem 2+4 år skal nok også rundes?
HVEM er det, dette skrives til? Nå, jeg må se at komme mig over savn af Hanne! Her hjælper det at fem børnebørn er så empatiske. Afgang var så fuld af kram, kram. Underlig, at nu er det dem, der er rollemodeller for mig, hvad kærlighed angår? Godt, at vi oplevede La Santa sammenhold.
-fortsat 11:10
Fik kaffe halvt nede af Jim Thomsen gaden hos Moonlis, det moderne Bangkok. Blev i helt godt humør ved at se noget så smukt! Tager nu bus 15 eller 47 ovre ved MBK ned til Navalai/In Love for at checke. Mac og hans ven vil klare selve BOOKING. Mine thai-venner vil komme til middag der søndag kl. 17 (thai tid?). Mac/ Paul vil følge op på Prasart og Soi Sailom.
Er så hjemme fra vellykket Hotel besøg. Mac følger op i morgen. Nu er Louise glad. Det burde hun i hvert fald være. Kongen har vist været død i et år, så der øves store parader på Floden. Pool på taget er bare meget lækker.
Mangler mange EDB ting at få til at virke. Nu har jeg fikset netværk men…
Hovedpine efter de sidste par dagen er væk, og suppe virker fint.
Den bog, jeg fik: -being Mortal, giver mig en del glæde. Det meste er lige til at overføre til Danmark og til at grine af. Mine erfaringer går jo også fyrre år tilbage. Jeg vil glæde mig til at fortælle Louise, hvor lidt I har lyst til at presse mig til at blive hjemme? Det kan man ikke, og så vil I jo hellere ha’ mig hjem igen!
Jeg elsker FREEDOM og nu ALENEDOM.
Voksenleg indlæres i institutioner. Fri leg er at kravle op i et træ og falde ned! Thea Bak Jensen har vist skrevet derom. Som barn rutchede jeg ned af ydersiden på ti m. høje grantræer. Herligt. Ar på knæ kan vises frem for interesserede? Dypkoger er endnu ikke kommet op af rygsæk og 3 i 1 pulverkaffe ikke købt. Nu er kl. 8:30 her, og jeg vil se at få endnu en god søvn. Så må flere problemer knækkes i morgen
Over and out!
Will be continued …
Easter Island in two days
From home it was the most excotic stop-over. I knew nothing about this third corner of the Polynesian Trangle
Not even its shape, sei od neze etc. It is about 10 – 15 km at the most and have one sandy bay only. Good. Then not many stranded sailors as the case is with the Tahitias islands. 3- 4.000 inhabitants at the most., half of which comes out at high seasons from Chile.
Besides the 1.000 lava statues a 4.5 km long runway for the Americans to take take their Space shuttles down in emergency on the Southern Hemissphere is a special feature.
The Sea is beatiful, and hopefully fine restaurants will offer fresh and delicious “fruit de Mer”.
What is the line from an idea to a full flying plan?
Not so simple. Firstly, the idea shall be viable. Moneywise and practically. It takes a long time, and many a sleepless night. When I lost my life’s companion, Hanne, followed a very long period of despair. Life had been too good. After 15 years abroad (even outside Europe), my World slowly came in form again.
It required with an old schoolmate, Uffe, a trip back to Asia (one week in Thailand and another in Hanoi and HaLong Bay). After 6 years at Soi Sailom, Bangkok,, I didn’t dare to walk the streets alone. Having departed from Uffe in Hanoi, I met again in Bangkok with old colleagues from the LVT years 2007-11, and with khun Fuu, with whom bonds are very special, from the years 1996-98 in PCD (Pollution Control Department), where she told me Thai customs and taught me all about Thai.
Uffe, also widower, and I hadn’t seen each other much for 57 years. Uffe had also as an engineer lived in Cairo and in Seoul, so he was “seasoned”. We went along very civilized, and in the autumn of 2018, we took a small week together to Gdansk in Poland. Again peacefully.
Lately, khun Pattarin, who brought me back in a wheelchair from Pakistan (Karachi) with blood poison, to 6 weeks in Bangkok International Hospital, turned up here as now an F.L.Smidth, Thai employee, and also lately khun David also from Bangkok had a Bed & Breakfast here. So, all in all, I got “hungry” again for “going exploring”, and they have both leveled the ground for some weeks out of Bangkok.
Judy and Erroll (NZ) were our neighbors 50 years back in Samoa, and Scott (AUS) and I had good times together in HaLong, prior to him settling down with Jennifer , and now the father of four siblings, out of which I have twice got to know “Nikita” (the eldest and just as every first girl his darling). Moreover, Jennifer’s parents gave Hanne and me the most marvelous welcome into there very special live inside “New South Wales”.
A new friend here in my block comes from Antofugasta (Chile), and as his uncle owns the hostel, I had selected there, he has secured some connection to Chile/ Peru. We had with Suzanne/ Christian and their Sarah, Daniel & Emilie three wonderful family weeks in Brazil in early 2017, prior to our sudden loss of Hanne. My trip will terminate with them (Thomas, who has lived one year here with Marie and Christian plus all their friends 20 years back). Thomas, his wife Andrea and sister Anette are now our Brazil family in Sao Paulo.
All of a sudden, the puzzle was laid for a circling the Globe. Do I have to say, that I feel good? The Project is so well laid out, despite the fact, that some by me desired destinations are missing or off the route for now?
Around the World alone! (Alene rundt om vores Verden!)
The below diary will be in English, as this is the way my thinking goes. My mind has now been set to make a 8 – 10 steps trip going East. With the winds. Start shall be 24th (Now 29 of September. Some days after one of son Christians birthdays. My (Slægt), family is what as been left after a more than interesting “simple” life.
When setting out for the encounter, I will be 80 years old. The doctor says, “just do it”.
I and my wife Hanne with me have left “terrible” CO2 footprints, but so let it be.!
We grabbed the life, as it was laid open for us. No regret!
At each destination, I will write something positive, for next generations to think about. Life has been so generous to us. (Jannie Iwankow of Kristeligt Dagblad has on 25. April 2019 made an Interview with me regarding my motifs for encircle the Globe!).
Decisions so far:
The route will be Eastwards. With the winds. A lot of fuel will be saved that way! More, as a new aeronautical system as from this year will allow all flights to follow direct circles and/or avoiding heavy head wind.
Stop-overs will be great places, some of which have left memorable times. Where I have met persons of integrity: A few destinations represent places, which I have dreamt of. I shall cross things; I have not encountered in the 50 years of Adventures. This goes for the ANDES, so my Diary might be named: In the REIGN of the CONDOR. (I Kondorens Rige).
Chile and Peru will be new countries to me. Up in the Andes (Atacama Desert) are 4-5 of the World best VLT (very large telescopes) observatories. Similarly, to the ones we saw for 50 years ago at Magna Loa & Magna Kea (Hawaii). 3-4 more are under construction. 5-6 VLT’s all over the Globe works together on Space subjects. Lately they have this way found a star like ours, but in another Galaxy. The Air up there is so dry. Scientist from all over wait for years to book a single night’s observation.
Underneath all of this shall be a search for Existentialism!
From where we come, to where do we go?
Guidance can be the great (religious) gurus, Gandhi, Nelson Mandera, Victor Frankl etc.
Others could be figures as Jenghiz Khan, Great Moguls, Jean-Paul-Satre.
Some strong people set their goals for conquering the greatest Mountains of our World, extreme places as the North Pole etc. (Knud Rasmussen). My age and physical state leaves this out of range range, so let it be! Dostojewski has expressed: If GOD didn’t exist, everything would be allowed? Quite ensuring!
”Why travel so compressed and totally Alone”?
I have decided to enter the fifth stage of life, which I name “ALONE DOM”. (The Egyptian “Tree of Life” has ONLY four steps. No 4 is Old Age, with a bird looking West towards Sunset). Working periods have too much been filled up with care for others and for conventual details. My long travel from a simple peasant life to walking on the “polished floors” calls for a review. What can then be more elegant, than to select as many stops as well possible on a straight RWT line? US, Hawaii, China, Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines plus all of Africa cannot be found on the List, as choices had to be made.
It is high time to look inwards! 50 years ago, when commencing work abroad, we (my life’s companion, Hanne and I) said goodbye to “the tail” of colonialism, welcomed Capitalism.
PanAm 1 and PanAm 2 daily encircled the World in opposite directions. Now has come the Electronic World (IT), Globalization, Space Age, disruption etc. I will not be going there, just sniffing a bit! (No more than an extra 10 years).
The RWT ticket system has along the line proved somewhat complicated to utilize fully, and corners have then to be cut (no Pakistan, no Egypt or Iran, no Vietnam, no Philippines, no Tahiti (as least no overnight stay). Eastern Island instead for two nights. Samoa is out also out, as the last visit was somewhat depressing!
Why was the Past worth all the efforts? Why can some achieved skills just be skipped, making more room for others in years to come, now, where physical and my mental capacity for sure will diminish?
Will I face and care for realities? – Yes,
A grown-up person, GH, may, as it is planned now, from Denmark closely follow the trip. She/he will be taken care of problems along the Route, if any!
DIARY, maybe in form of a BLOC, will focus on positive aspects of LIFE, as it folds out.
One aspect observed from each country.
When or if compiled, the title of a later edited Dairy/ Book could be one of below:
In the Reign of the CONDOR!
Over the ANDES on the southern HEMISPHERE.
Eastbound on the Southern Skies.
Under the Southern CROSS again, or
An Eye in the Sky!
It is today 51/49 years since we lived in the Pacific Ocean under the majestic Star Pictures of the Southern Hemisphere (South Seas). The majority of the Stars of our Galaxy are ONLY visible on the the southern horizon!
Route in detail.
CPH (By TG951 as usual)
Bangkok
(Trang, Hua Hin, Kanchanaburi, TPP, koh Li Pi) (New & Sasi)
Denpasar (Bali), Tandjung Sari, Sanur, visited in 1970
Brisbane Toowomba (Settlers Inn), Sydenham, Emerald, Gladstone
Auckland, YMCA, Hamilton, Whangmata, Rotorua? etc.)
Easter Island (2 nights)
Santiago, (Happy House Hostel) (overland to Lima via Antufugasta)
Antufugasta, Quepie Hostel
Panacas (Hotel Grand Palma)
Lima (Hotel Espana)
Sao Paulo, (Cousin Thomas, Andrea & Annette). Visited 1991 & 2017
CPH, TAP via Lisboa
Overland stretches.
Bangkok to Thong Pha Pumh near Burma (bus)
Bangkok to Trang (bus via Hua Hin?)
Santiago to Lima via Antofagasta (bus 40 hrs., 3.297 km)
Brisbane to Surat (bus)
Surat//Roma to Emerald, Rockhampton, Brisbane (hitchhiking? bus/ car?)
Auckland to Hamilton, Rotorua, Whangamata return (bus).
INSPIRATIONS:
1) Captain Joshua Slocum. Alone around the Sea. Ene Mand om Bord. – ”first single hand sailor”. Jorden rundt. Start 24. April 1895 in a renovated cutter” Spray”. Home again 27. June 1898 having done 60.000 nautical miles. All his friend expressed: Slocum has become young again!” (now 54 years old). Spray didn’t find any new countries, for there wasn’t any un-explored. Slocum just completed, what he set out to do! (J.P. Satre: Man is nothing, but what he makes himself!) Sailor Slocum; followed the rule of life: move with caution and be ready to meet any difficulty
2) Arctic Explorer Knud Rasmussen. His motto:” Further, further” (videre, videre) made him the greatest polar explorer. His fifth expedition across Canada became his finest achievement.
3) Antarctic Explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his ship ENDURANCE 1914. He brought after 22 months (4 of which were shipwrecked) all his 27 members of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition home from the Weddell Sea south of “Tierra del Fuiga”. The rescue made him the toughest). (read Alfred Manning’s book. in Danish: Mands Mod).
Latest:
Start date will now be 29th of September, as my wish to travel via Lahore/ Egypt and/or Teheran is proving too hard a start! (Too many stopovers/deviations).
20190520 START FINAL A
Northern Shore
Gen had three sons. One was in VN as a soldier, another in W. Gemany as solder, whereas Bruce joined the Kennedy Peace Corps, and he became colleage and friend in Samoa. Lived later in1974 ½ years With us in DK.
Gen and a new husbond; Ken, lived in the beach village, Kailua, at Oahu over the mountains on the Likelike highway from Honolulu. We, us four plus maid Lene, stayed in 1976 with Bruce on the Big Island en route to six weeks in Samoa. Christian with Rasmus stayer with Gen & Ken, and later he and Anders stayed there as backpackers. Hanne and I again at Khailua in 2005. When Marie 14 years old could not go skiing with her class due Artrisies,, I took the telphone to Hawaii and asked Gen if Marie could compensate by two winterweeks at Hawaii. Gen said: ”She may come”. It became a big succes With a Divers Certifikat at the Waikiki beach. Her teacher even lived in Khailua and drove her over the mountains each day. Ken approached his wife with the question: ”Why did you invite Marie, she is not even American” Gen told him to shut up. She was International hereself. Years later sitting in the month of May, in a couch here at Cph, when we had the couple as our guests, Ken himself revealed the story.
Gen & Ken took a cabin on the Oslo Line, out of Øresund in the afternoon, and into the Oslo Fjord in the morning. Return the other way around. Sitting at their breakfast a couple asked if they could have the two free chairs at their tabel. The were from the ”next village over” at Oahu. No taxi available, but the couple had a bus waiting and offered to bring Gen & Ken free over to the Thor Heyrdahl museums etc. on the opposite side of Oslo. They had, however no more museum tickets, and our friends at least then had to pay their own entrance. They came home laughing.
They had been riding free of charge on th e busv the whole day rigth back to the boat. Their Cruise was a big succes.
Big Island, Bruce and Hanne
He is an allround mech. engineer, I should just run capacity tests on Raw Mill and Kiln. We had a large office to our dispotion round the clock. Sitting across each-other, we just worked us through the jobs.
The office amenities were down the road at the start of the road to the factory site. Often at 2 AM, I would walk to the control rooms and ask “how many tons are we milling? The crews were farmers from around. I challenged them, we the figure was only 170 t/h. The persistent “pressure” got the figure up to 240 t/h, as guaranteed.
One night heading for the toilet, I landed on the floor besides my bed, where I was found the next morning. At the Karachi hospital efforts were made to counteract a staphylococci infection, but recovery didn’t show up. Khun Pattarin then wheel chaired me back to Thailand. The first hospital there was also not successful, so I went to our Bangkok home at Soi Sailom, where Marie had come out from DK, as Hanne had to go to Seminar in Cairo.When I out of mind “walked on the wall”, threw myself into the swimming pool, Marie called our insurance Company in DK and used big letters. That was the start to six weeks at Bangkok International Hospital, one of the best in the World. The alarm to Saint Peter could be called of.
Pattarin lately joined F.L.Smidth and were on a jobvisit to Cph recently, I call him “My brother”.
itsmesvend 