Tues 8th Dec…..I’m glad to say that we collected our gear last night and my jacket was a success thanks to Lucky ( the tailor) who would not even give us an actual price for our mending and alterations….so Vince decided 3000THB (A$120 approx) would be fair ….given he didn’t charge us last time for his labour. He seemed quite pleased. So I now have a zipper in my right arm of my Dryrider so I can fit my cast through!
Breakfast was with the boys….then I retired upstairs to work on my gallery problem whilst Vince and Aad (Art) went to execute a cunning plan ……..to buy dirt bike pegs with metal teeth….then take them to a workshop to be machined to fit the BMW pillion footpeg bracket…..they were successful in their mission! They look pretty savage compared to the rubber ones I’ve had previously that keep coming off, leaving smooth metal underneath…..but at least I won’t be sliding around when we are going up or down hill…..and that’s got to be good…..especially with only one working arm now to hold on if needed…..every bit helps! The boys were most pleased with themselves and it was very kind of Aad (Art) to help us out with his mechanical expertise and problem solving! BMW don’t make them, Touratech only make them up to the 2013 model and our ANIMAL was born in 2014……so necessity is the mother of invention…..patent pending Aad (Art) Schram!
Lunch was at Panda House (I am so over it …same old same old after almost a fortnight ……but the boys seem to like it…its cheap!) then Vince was captive to the MacBook Pro working on making a Pakistan Video. I checked out cast decorations on the Internet as Mike has inspired me to consider it for my new cast tomorrow.
In the late afternoon we went for a trip to the local 711 for ice-cream! Then we went for a walk back to some bike shops……ho hum …..that’s what happens when 3 biker boys get together! We stopped off at déjà vu Tatoo to ask if they draw on casts…I wanted a Thai Elephant and a Tiger……they don’t !
We all headed to the Mexican place, Miguel’s, for dinner…..I was a bit wiser than last time and said to hold the jalapeños and asked for the spicey salsa on the side for my Nachos……much better not having to poke my tongue out like a dog to cool it down! Vince had his usual 3 Amigos!
I had quite a lot of pain today…..I stopped my analgesics yesterday and I was fine but today was not a good day…….by night time I agreed with Vince, my resident legal “drug” dealer, that I should take something so I could sleep. We watched the remaining half of the Blues Brothers on the laptop before calling it a night.
Wed 9th Dec….Vince insisted, after the testosterone filled day yesterday, that it was a “girly pamper day”. We all went out for breakfast to the Walkin Cafe….it was unremarkable but noisy as it was on the corner of two busy roads. Whilst there we saw a parade with lots of military uniforms and bands. Most places don’t open in Chiang Mai until 10.00am, so after breaky the boys went off to do chores and Vince and I had a walk around. We sat a while outside Macdonalds until 10.00am. I finally got that pedicure and manicure (400THB) I have been chasing for the past few days and Vince went to look at some bike shops…..still chasing gloves!
Lunch was back at Panda House and we pottered doing chores around the hotel until dinner. We all went for a walk in the evening and Vince and I dropped in for a Fish Spa….(60THB for 15 min)….it was a bit weird and very ticklish for Vince…but all good fun. We couldn’t convince Aad (Art) and Mike to join us but they looked on from outside finding it most entertaining.
Dinner was at “Art’s Cafe” which we found quite apt and the food was delicious….Spaghetti Bolognese for me and Lasagne for Vince…..I know …why Italian and Mexican when you are in Thailand….but we have been here about a month now, so a change is good!
Vince and I had a relatively early night and only watched about half of James Bond – Diamonds are Forever on the laptop before turning it off to go to sleep!
Thursday 10th Dec……. To tell the truth I was a bit anxious going to Bangkok Hospital (Chiang Mai) this morning, but as it was a public holiday at least there was little traffic out at 9.00am as our Tuk Tuk sped along. The last time I was there I was in excruciating pain, the knocked me out and did unspeakable things to me, and when I woke up I was in even worse pain…..all for my own good apparently! Being an ex-nurse I am well aware of things that can go wrong, knowing I live under Murphy’s Law doesn’t help, and being a born worrier …it was all a bit much! But my wonderful husband, always positive….helped reassure me and cheer me up!
Bangkok Hospital runs like clockwork and I was X-Rayed and in to see my specialist in almost lightening speed. He was very pleased with my X-Ray’s….healing as expected. He was also very impressed with my stitches….as my skin had almost grown over them…..this made them a bit difficult to come out…but he assured me I am “like a Thai”…..they heal fast…..apparently Westerners don’t…I’m the first he has seen that has and he was very complimentary…..fantastic! I was surprised that I didn’t get the full cast I was expecting….the Surgeon just put my split cast back on saying that’s all I need….and I can now remove it only to shower. In hospital previously, the Physio came and gave me a long plastic glove with a type of flange at the enterance ……making it waterproof…..so I had been using that but it was a bit of a mission getting my arm and cast in and out even with Vince’s help. The skin under the cast was pretty awful and peeling, so being able to have a proper shower will be a treat.
We had to collect some corrected paperwork (They listed the cause as a motorcycle accident….when it was a fall in a campground) and sort out the bill at the cashier (2389 THB around A$100) fully covered by World Nomads…..you have to love them! I sure do!!!!!!
I am cleared to travel now but we need to go to Bangkok Hospital (Udon Thani) for follow up on 7th Jan 2016. Which means we will need to go from Vientiane (Laos) about 100km, cross the border into Thailand again and then go back to Laos…..thank goodness for Visa on Arrival at the borders! My surgeon here will transfer all my records etc and make the arrangements, all going well that should be that! If things are no yet ok at that point it will be a further two weeks in a cast…but we’ll cross that bridge if we need to. For now it’s all systems go!
We arranged to meet the boys for burgers at Central Festival….where we also went to Svensons for Icecream……I’m going to end up the size of blimp at this rate! The boys shopped for a GoPro camera housing and in our search I was seducd by a batman minion! Minions are an inside joke between the 4 of us (instigated by young Mike) on a daily basis, and I have a thing for Batman…..well if I’m honest it’s Batman and Woolverine from X men! Vince encouraged me to find out how much….590THB…..so we said yes…..but when they came back with the box it showed 790THB….I told them not to worry I’d leave it….suddenly it was 590THB again….. just for me! Vince is now busy trying to work out how to mount it to the ANIMAL…..Marmalade (our Ox mascot) is thrilled to have a little brother (hehe).
Dinner was back at the Mexican restaurant, Miguel’s, the boys love so much….with the second half of James Bond watched before bed!
