Thai reentry

We arrived in Bangkok on the evening of the 11th and basically did chores around Bangkok, get a cell phone 01166854466954, booked tickets to Chiengmai where we are going to stay for most of the time in Thailand. The tourist business is way down due to the Burma situation in spite of the fact there is no danger etc. Bangkok is the same crazy place with terrible traffic, great food and visual contrasts galore. We will be in India for 2 weeks touring many of the places that the Buddha was born, lived, taught and died. This group consists of 4 buses (approx 100 people). We do a little sightseeing and a lot of discussion about Abidhamma. Out last trip was a similar size but only 4 "foreigners" but this time we have a lot more "farangs" and will have a lot more discussions in English.

Final preparations

It has been quite an experience preparing for such a long time away both emotionally and logistically! The shear number of services to be changed or terminated is sometimes daunting. Telephone, cable, Internet, cell phones, satellite radios, magazine subscriptions, plowing, landscaping, taxes, car registrations, driver license renewals and I am sure several other things I forgot to remember. I sold my hobie cat boat on Ebay to a guy in the Azores and it was picked up today and I sold my Audi TT Roadster to a guy from Burlington, VT on Craigs List!

So 4 more days and we are off! Then 2 days in Bangkok and then 3 weeks in India and then we return to arrive in Chiengmai on Nov 7.