More Salings

I've posted about three posts so far on Salings. Started after Owen bought his. The purchase made me take a second look at these machines and see them in a new light!

I've posI think I might do a small series on all the different Salings I spot along my travels. So many and so many different types. They all have a few basic similarities. i.e. 3 wheels and a small 125 cc bike. The variations from there on in are quite amazing. Some are people carriers, some ice cream sellers and some carrying all manner of things. This one looked to be of the more heavy duty haulage type. Definitely more to follow.

April 2010 A Quick Month

I've been so busy over this month that I did not get time to record my travels or outline the bits and pieces that have kept me away from my key board.

Trouble with this approach is that now sitting down to write becomes a bit of hard work instead of a few enjoyable minutes spent typing and uploading a set of photos. How to cure this. Do a Vlog? Its a sort of easy/lazy way to get it all down on paper. I did one before and in making it I really enjoyed it a lot. Talking and having the video on the go seems to work well for me. Even had a some feed back from readers which is always good for the ego. (hint, hint).

Well, now enough of the introduction down to basics. April has been eventful. We have had a weekend in Chang Mai and another one in Khon Kaen. This along with the usual social events incorporating lots of food and beer. Not to be sniffed at I can assure you. All in all a good month and one I need to record for you and for me as a future trip down 'memory lane'. And God, I almost forgot I also went to Ha Noi, Vietnam for a weekend to see about some work. So you can see how for me time flies. I'll cover in a separate Blog.

Before I get you get to the Vlog one thing I noticed at Chang Mai airport was a sign advising not to carry 'copy' (means counterfeit) products into some European Countries. I though this concept applied to Thailand and ALL European Countries.

We had a great time in Chang Mai, did the usual night markets, watched Thai 'Pat Tong" a sort of football. (I took this clip on my phone.)

And apart from that we just generally relaxed and enjoyed ourselves. This time I did not take another set of Photos of the Wats, well only a few....

Interestingly the young Monks like their adult counterparts shave not only their heads but also their eye brows!

The main purpose of going to Chang Mai was to catch up with our friend Khun Pathan and his lovely wife Duan. They were having a house blessing and we had promised to go for so long that we just had to make it. And I'm glad we did. Great time had by all.

That's Wanna, Me and our Friend Khun Pathan in the picture above.
So apart from visiting Chang Mai, up in Khon Kaen there was April the 29th. A very 'lucky' day by all accounts and it therefore was taken as the day to commence the foundations of Wanna's parents house just down from ours. This is a separate subject. Construction is planned to take 6-8 weeks maximum, and I'll cover it over a series of entries and videos.

So on with the April Vlog....Just some ramblings.....Well maybe next time. I seem to have covered all I wanted in this here. Have the Ha Noi trip and Khon Kean house project to follow.

Ha Noi, Viet Nam

I had a quick visit to Ha Noi in northern Viet Nam a few weekends ago.

It was not my first visit but possibly the 7-8th time I have been up there. So the excitement of a trip was lost on me.

It was cold, wet and damp. No doubt the worst weather I had experienced there. Often in summer very hot and humid and then beautiful Autumns and Springs. All four seasons.

I took only a couple of pictures the whole trip. Those of a berth.

Note the three levels of bollards. I've never seen anything like it before. Maybe on cruise ships? Anyone advise?

Buying And Testing A Water Heater

We were at Home Pro this morning with the intention of buying a lot of stuff for the Condos we had purchased on Bangkok. They come fully fitted out including a kitchen etc. Strangely there are no water heaters. I would have thought there would be plumbing for one central heater but no, plumbing was set up individually. One connection in each bathroom and nothing in the kitchen. Only cold water to the kitchen sink. Anyway what will be will be!!!!
Hence Home Pro and a exciting trip to the water heater department. As with all purchases in Thailand product guarantee is not what you might expect. Several people have told me getting a refund or a replacement in Tesco/HomePro and Carefourre are next to impossible. Why you ask? Well it's their clear company policy, they just don't do it. Simple as that. So don't waste your time and get high blood pressure over it. OK? Cause nothing will change.
However, and it is a good thing, that they test all electrical items before you buy. So in effect it is a sort of warranty and you know its in working order as you walk out the door.
They did this with our water heaters. The testing was simple. Open the box which it comes in, remove the water heater and well 'test it'!
Open it and 'sort of' plug it into a make shift mains and then connect in water, which in under the counter..... Switch on and wait, Yes, out comes hot water!!!
Amazing and it works. Health and Safety would have a fit back in UK. But we are not in UK are we. 'TIT'. All in all a good purchase.

Following on from Owens Saling.. Again..

I mentioned a couple of days ago the super 'Saling' we had seen at Ban Phe. Imagine only two later I saw a much more, what can only be described as "a utility family version". It was old, decrepit looking but still running. Real family machine, which if you look closely has a rear bracket for the bar b q gas bottle!!!!! I counted 7 people in this one.