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2005-2008

When I returned to Thailand from my last big journey, Nee was at the airport waiting for me.  We returned Udon Thani and I took up my teaching job at Rajabhat University in Udon Thani.  My friend Clem had accepted a job at Thammasat University in Bangkok so I took over his apartment and we set up housekeeping.  Nee opened a beauty shop and her son Top lived with us. 

In November of 2005 we were married in a village ceremony in Ban Yang Um (Nee's village).  And I happily settled into domesticity.  After a while, we decided to buy property in Udon and build a house.  Click here for details

In March of 2007 we went to America.  Nee was very excited.  We arrived in LA and spent a few days with my friend Avram.  We went to Disneyland and the beach in Santa Monica.  We visited the La Brea Tar Pits and went to a game show taping.  We visited my Aunt and Uncle.

Then we hit the road in a rental car.  We headed for Las Vegas and there we were married for official purposes.  This avoided the hassle of registering our marriage in Thailand which can be bureaucratically difficult.   After Vegas we saw Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon and lots of nothing.  Nee was amazed at the open spaces with so few people.

In Dallas we visited my dad and Joy.  My cousins Ruth and Aynn and my Aunt Jean flew in to visit.  I showed Nee around Dallas and we visited my oldest friends David and Carol.  Then we stopped off for a night with my cousin John in Little Rock and spent another night with my niece Alli and her husband Dave.

After a few days of luxury accommodations with my sister and John we turned west.  Driving through a spring blizzard we stopped in Limon, Colorado for the night.  The next day we visited Buffalo Bill's grave and then stayed the night in Glenwood Springs.  We enjoyed our swim in the large thermal pool and had a great dinner.

West by way of Idaho we headed for Corvallis.  I visited friends and family.  I spent one day with my son Brentley and a day with my daughter Heather.  My ex-wife Diana had graciously agreed to store my stuff and since we were building a home in Udon, I decided to ship the goods to Udon.  We stayed at Diana's house while I sorted and packed my stuff.  This would prove to be a big mistake.  Nee became very upset during our visit.  Apparently, in Thailand, it is very unusual for divorced people to be on good terms. 

After leaving Oregon we travelled south along the Pacific Coast Highway.  We took the usual souvenir photos at the Golden Gate.  And, after a few days with Avram we returned to Udon.

About two months after we returned, Nee left me.  She said she was jealous of my first wife.  I kept hoping she would return but after several months I gave up and made plans to hit the road again.  At the end of the school term in March, I sold most of my stuff, put a dab in storage, dusted off my back pack and bought my airline tickets.

Who knows what adventures await me.

8-13SEP2004 I made my way to Germany by a circuitous route and arrived late in Karlsruhe...one of the gateways to the Black Forest.  I tried to contact Melanie, a fellow passenger on a dive boat in Australia, but, no luck.  

I got the last bed at the local hostel and set my course for Kassel.  It was quite a distance and as night was falling I decided to make up some time by taking the autobahn.  Usually I ride the small, winding back roads, but, after dark, I can make better time on the main road.  

So, I was cruising at 130km/hr on a six lane superhighway when (surprise!) my headlight goes out.  It was only a few seconds of darkness but it seemed longer.  My high beam still worked so I moved to the right lane and blinded some unfortunate truck drivers.  It seemed that TBGS was getting tired because also that night the fuel connection came loose and I stalled.  Time for some tlc.

And, that's just what TBGS and I got in Kassel.  I met Kai and Sandra at a campground in Leba, Poland and they invited me to visit.  Kai is and engineer with Daimler-Chrysler and a big fan of the KLR650.  

Kai and I (mostly Kai) spent most of the day going over TBGS.  We replaced the headlight, cleaned the filters, and topped off the battery.  Kai had a large pile of KLR parts including an almost new rear tire.  He generously gave me the rear tire as mine was starting to wear out.  To make the exchange easy we just swapped the whole rear wheel.  Then we engineered a repair on the fuel system ..that is, we used a plastic tie to make sure the fitting stayed together.  

That night we visited the castle of Herkules after we had a few beers.  We drank our beers at a pub that had seats inside of giant copper brewing vats.  Just as we approached the castle, the lights went out for the night.  It was spooky.

The next day we visited Herkules again.  This time Kai and Sandra's good friends Gunther and Marina and their twin sons Bjorn and Timo went with us.  We were in luck because every Sunday at 14:30 water is released from the top and flows through a course of fountains, aqueducts, and waterfalls to the bottom of the hill.  My favorite was the water-powered trumpets.  As the water began to flow the trumpets started to sound and got louder and louder.

Along the way we met two young Japanese tourists, Michiko and Akiko,  and we showed them the way down to the Schloss.  

It was a very pleasant afternoon and it was fun to watch the twins cavort around.  

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