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Published: July 16th 2017
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Geo: 16.392, 103.924
The weather is dreadful but apart from a brief hold up due to a small accident we make good time arriving half way, at Khorat, about 23:30. Off again by midnight and actually manage to sleep until we are pulling into the bus station at Roi Et at 3:30.
Arrive in Phon Thong about 4:00 then a quick stop at the 7/11 for bread and milk, and a slow tuk-tuk ride through the dark along what looks like having become dreadful roads again. Happens every year. They repair the roads as cheaply as possibly then when the rains come they are largely washed away.
Pull up outside the house and can see the light of the TV flickering through the windows. Jai's mum has gone to sleep and let the set on but at least good news inasmuch as it is still working ! The house doesnt look too bad at all and we find out that Jai's brother and wife, Pad and Ram, who take of the rice in our absence had been around yesterday and given the house a quick oncew over. Thanks folks. A quick look out the back and I discover that Pad had even strimmed the
back garden for me. The bathroom is a different matter altogether, however, as the drain for the wet room has been blocked for a while and as well as looking filthy it stinks. Urgent job for Septic Sam methinks.
Unpacking doesnt take too long then the visitors start to arrive. Fin has become even more of a porker in our absence and the dress that we bought her, for 7-8 year olds, nowhere near fits her !! She will have to make do with some chocolates to make her even bigger.
Luckily Jai manages to get some chicken and some eggs from a passing pick-up and as soon as things have quietened down we eat some breakfast then sit back for a bit. It feels like early afternoon so I was a bit surprised to see that it was only 09:00 !! Its going to be a long day ...
I sort through the books from the suitcases and find 31 which should keep me going for a while.
Apparently the farm is looking good and only 1 of our new palm trees died even though I was fearing for 3 of them when we left. Brother Sai has finally moved the old shelter at the farm as well.
It is a Bhuddist 'tambon' day and people are arriving and giving us gifts of food etc and Jai is feeling most uncomfortable as we have nothing to give back.
Visitors continue on and off through the afternoon so I seek refuge with a book. Apart from a few hours when we were camping I havent read for nearly 6 months and it is nice. Jai has been busy cooking some of the bananas we have been given to make sweets wrapped in banana leaves that she can give to people when they come.
Mid afternoon I walk along the road a bit and phone mum to report our safe arrival. A few spots of rain follow me back to the house.
I get the motorbike out from the rice shed and it looks a bit sad. Dirty, covered in cobwebs and with two flat tyres. Sorry bike but I cant face you today; the village garage is closed anyway.
With the rains coming every day now there is plenty of bamboo around so dinner tonight is a bamboo and chicken liver curry.
Apparently someone is coming to sort out the bathroom drain tomorrow but that means tonight the bathroom is out of bounds for showering. The heavy rain has stopped and left us with a couple of buckets of nice fresh water which will do the job just fine.
To bed before 19:00 withe the Thai version of The Voice on TV. Neither of us can settle to sleep so turning on the TV at 22:00 I find Denmark v Armenia and reaching half time not even this can help me to drop off.
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