Two Weeks In

Jo-Anne writing this time!  We have been here for two weeks now and I think our bodies have accomplished the twelve hour time change.

The mornings at this time are very pleasant, with cooler temperatures. This morning I went out for a bicycle ride before breakfast.  The house Chris and Yo rented for us is not too far from the River Nan,which although having many twists and turns, basically flows south. The river is to the east of
the house, so in the misty morning sunshine, I rode along a road that follows the river.  The first section of the road shows evidence of flood damage with erosion along the high banks, and a pile up of refuse.  Jim and I had walked along that section last week, but this morning on the bike I went
further and discovered what appears to me like a ritzy new housing development along the newly
paved wide road along the river.  The area between the road and the river was being beautified.  Must be some rich people living there!      

There are always a lot of dogs on the roads, and this morning two showed their displeasure by barking at me and taking pursuit as I increased my speed!  No dog bites yet!  I had a similar
experience a few days ago.  Must be sure to pray for protection from dogs and traffic while out bike-
riding.

I am finding it interesting learning how to cook some different foods. Yo brought me a bag of purple
sweet potatoes, which  I have been experimenting with.  Tried them boiled, deep fried and in a pork
stew.  Also found a recipe on line for mashed with coconut milk and maple syrup.

First Days

We arrived here on Jan 17 in the early evening. All the travelling went well. 28 hours travelling from Thunder Bay to Bangkok went fine, just very tiresome. Watched movies too long on the flight from Chicago to Tokyo. They made my head ache. Next time will try something else for part of the time.

A friend of a friend picked us up at Bangkok airport and gave us a bed for the night. The were very kind. Manuela helped us get to Don Meung airport on Friday afternoon which had some excitement. Taxis in Bangkok were reluctant to travel that direction because of the protests but we made it and had a nice flight to Phitsanulok. Yo, Chama and Fann met us at the airport and we arrived at the house at 7:30. Chris was there waiting for us. We like the house. Convenient comfortable and cute.

Had a pleasant weekend getting acquainted with the neighbourhood. Quiet. Except for the roosters that wake up about 4 am and announce their presence very boisterously. We are finding the food and other things we need. We enjoy having access to an abundance of fresh fruit and produce. And there are lots of little shops with prepared foods. Tasty and cheap.

The early mornings and the evenings just before sunset are the most pleasant times of the day. The air is so soft and fragrant with smells of life. Right now the nights are almost cool. The Thai people are all complaining  about the cold.

All in all life is quite gentle and pleasant.