For reasons that will soon become apparent I have difficulty typing this update which is also later than expected.

The Cathay flight to Hong Kong was smooth. I arrived and found I'd been booked in at the Skycity Marriott, I presented my licence and was given aircrew rate, even so this was a significant sum of money... It's comfortable and the breakfast is good even though it cost $30 US or CAD!

Hong Kong was draped in fog in the morning and we were further delayed by an aircraft breaking down behind us!
I crossed the Equator for the first time on the flight down to Denpasar...There were a lot of CuNims building in the Equatorial sky.

On arrival at DPS you must pay $25 USD or $27 CAD for the visa on arrival, this is the first indication of the fact that Indonesia is out to take you for as much money as it can.
They get you again on the way out with a 150,000 Rupia departure tax ($18).

In Bali it seems everything is 50 - 100% more expensive with lower standards than Thailand; bring lots of money and don't expect much!
I could have been ripped off by the aggressive taxi drivers waiting for victims outside the door... A text message from John advised me to go to the taxi kiosk and pay a lot less.
I quickly realised that Bali is not the place to rent a car or a motorbike, they're lunatics!
The taxi dropped me at the end of dingy Poppies Line 1 (Lane) and I had a hot walk avoiding the motorbikes to the Masa Inn, a nice enough place but expensive at $40 a night. I had picked up soap and shampoo in Hong Kong and was glad of it, these are not supplied here!
I had a local walkabout and then went to a restaurant for ok food, again much more expensive for less quality than other parts of SE Asia.

Taking a long walk in Kuta

I'm used to walking, I've walked many miles in this lifetime... So I walked along the seafront, checked out a Hindu temple, and carried on to the airport.
Then I walked back into Kuta town stopping for a good lunch at a better restaurant.

John

At the Masa Inn I met John an associate of mine from working in China... On this trip I met four people I knew from working at Beijing PanAm who now teach at Bali International Flight Academy in a fleet of Cessna 172s.
John was going to Jakarta and so he had come for one night.

Meeting Carl and travelling across the island

The next day I saw John off at the airport and half an hour later met Carl off the Cathay flight.
We were driven in a BIFA minivan across the scenic island to the northwest corner. It's not a great distance but takes three and a half hours of hazardous driving on narrow roads.
A lot of tourist money comes into Bali and nearly all of it goes to Jakarta, the infrastructure is primitive!

South of the equator and in the middle of Bali

John had very kindly loaned me his beach side villa and hs motor scooter. Instructor accommodation is very good.
We met up with Meriam at a beach side resort for dinner.

BIFA

Sunday morning was bright and beautiful... I got up and had a swim in the pool, a rare event in my life!
Carl got up and showed me around the BIFA campus before breakfast. We went to Ricardo's apartment on the campus for a chat, then lunch at another beach side resort, followed by a visit to a local Hindu monkey temple.

Bally Hell!

This from an e-mail sent to BCAA Travel Insurance explains what happened next:

On Monday morning I was following a friend (Carl) who was also riding a motor scooter.
The traffic came to a sudden stop and I had to brake hard and fell off sideways. There was one scratch on my motor scooter but somewhat more damage to me.
I was seen at a local clinic and then driven three and a half hours to Denpasar.
The Bali International Medical Clinic is good by Indonesian standards but poor by ours.
They patched me up a little and x-rayed me.
I decided it would be expensive in Bali and not so good and I was already booked to fly to Chiang Mai Thailand so I took this option as the flight would total 4 hours... Travelling back to Vancouver would take 22 hours and would be very hazardous.

Today, Wednesday, I went to the highly reputed Chiang Mai University, Sriphat Medical Centre.
The consulting orthopedic surgeon was trained in Minnesota.
He removed the cast incorrectly fitted in Bali and the nurses cleaned my flesh wounds. I was very worried about the cleanliness of my arms before the cast and bandages were put on in Bali.

I have an appointment for Friday to operate on my arm. The cost of this operation at 100,000 Baht (31 Baht = $1 CAD) represents good value and I am far more comfortable having the op done here!

BIMC charged me 7,749,925 Rupia ($865.56 CAD) [Paid]
SMC charged 620 THB = $20.03 CAD [Paid] (Much better service, only extra at BIMC was the x-rays!)
100,000 THB = $3,231.21 CAD [Not yet paid].
Hospitals in Thailand are among the best in the world.

After paying the high price at BIMC I left one bag and took a hazardous walk to the 100 Sunset Hotel, 800,000 Rupia ($90) per night, and I could not sleep in the comfy bed but sat up on the sofa all night.
I took no pain killers, it hurt, but I developed a high pain threshold in my youth. I was more concerned about miss positioning the broken bone bits, I need not have been concerned as the doctor had already done that by fitting an incorrect cast. This cast was removed by the doctor here and the flesh wound cleaned and treated... That iodine tested my pain threshold, jep mak mak!

My arm is much more comfortable now and for the first time since Monday I managed to sleep somewhat last night and make my porridge this morning.

Carl and our driver at a scenic stop on the way to BIFA




Carl DeMontigny and Ricardo


Three fractures of the humerus

Heroic statue near Denpasar Airport



BIFA operates a fleet of Cessna 172s



The villas where some BIFA staff live

The bed I couldn't sleep in; 100 Sunset Hotel Denpasar

Having lunch; hotel buffet Imperial Mae Ping on Thursday

Room 1432 at the Sriphat hospital


Good views of Chiang Mai

Hospital food, I could order out if I want to

Repair scheme completed

It's Tuesday morning... I got up after an uncomfortable night, made my porridge in the rice cooker and brewed some tea.
Everything has to be done with care and mostly left handed, but I can shave and shower and except for my shoulder I'm not in a mess.

Last Wednesday the doctor patched me up enough for me to be able to go out for lunch on Thursday... I was a right bleeding mess then!

Friday morning I turned up at the 13th floor of the Sriphat Medical Center, late! It took me longer than expected to get ready and leave.
Showering single handedly and even putting a shirt on is difficult.
Outside there are always Song Taew taxis passing on the road, except today!
Finally three came along and I took the first one, which dropped me at the hospital after a short tour of Chiang Mai dropping others off along the way. I paid my 20 Baht fare and went up to the thirteenth floor.

Thai hospitals are well organised and so everthing runs like clockwork. Blood and urine samples were taken, I was taken for x-rays, and then to the ward on the fourteenth floor of an adjoining building.

The hospital is spacious and the view was good from my balcony. Wifi internet, television with a multitude of channels in both English and Thai, a fridge, microwave, water boiler, porcelain and cutlery, all combine to make this a home while you stay.

I could have gone to one of the private hospitals used to dealing with foreigners with travel insurance. I was in two minds whether I should have gone to Bangkok Hospital in Bangkok or Pattaya or to Chiang Mai Ram, but Sriphat came highly recommended by Thais (and probably half the price for as good if not better).
I believe Thai health care to be as good as the NHS, and better than BC Medical, so now I get to experience it in a serious way.

The problem was the travel insurance and the time difference did not help at all... The hospital's cashiers wanted paying before I had the operation whereas the insurance company would pay after!
I did not have my credit card with me... How was I going to pay?... Take a taxi back to the apartment to pick up my card? I'm supposed to be on the drip by 18:30 and here I was e-mailing, phoning, and explaining that the deductible is not the sum insured! It was a lot of stress I did not need. This would not have been a problem at a private hospital used to dealing with travel insurance.
Finally the cashiers relented; I was put on the drip and wheeled over to the operating theatre.

A gas mask was put over my mouth, I felt a cold flow into my left arm, and then I was out.
Two hours later they woke me up to the worst pain I'd ever felt... A nurse spoke to me in soothing terms and fed me small lumps of ice while apologising there was no whiskey to go with it. She was wonderful.
After maybe ninety minutes I was wheeled back to my room and slid onto my bed.

I had not shed a tear, I developed a high tolerance for physical pain as a child. I also developed a way of coping with terrible situations by maintaining a sense of humour as well as a 'damn you ***' attitude otherwise there would not have been a Michael beyond teenage! People I spoke to while sorting my financial problems were amazed I kept my humour.
But when a nurse stated "You stay alone" that did me in, for quite a while, but my humour is back now and I'm coping.

It was possible for me to be discharged on Sunday, but they suggested it was better I stayed, and I felt better about this too.
On Monday morning the doctor wanted to check me over, and there was a therapy session then too.
Dr Chana Karn was born in Boston, he trained in medicine in Ann Arbor Michigan, and he operates in Chiang Mai. The metalwork he put in my arm was made in Switzerland... I'll apply for partial Swiss citizenship.

On Monday the question of payment was still not fully resolved and so I waited like a hostage until late in the afternoon.
The total bill was 110,422.50 Baht ($3536.99 CAD), and I paid the deductible $300 (9,241.24 Baht).
I'm not sure whether I will recover the Bali International Medical Centre charge of 7,749,925 Indonesian Rupia ($858.20), and I recommend visitors to Indonesia who get sick get out as soon as possible and get proper medical care in Thailand or Australia.

The problem I have with BIMC was that they did not clean my wounds sufficient to prevent infection prior to my leaving. They took a lot of money for little treatment and showed no duty of care. I'm thankful the Thais have ethics and do the job properly.

Back home I showered, ate a little, watched the Titanic and tried to sleep. It's not easy finding a good position. I tried slinging my bad arm to the chair back to elevate it (it gets swollen).
I'll survive.

Tomorrow, another visit, change my dressings, and final inspection by the doctor.

Young nurse prepares to change my dressings
The rest of this picture is quite gorey as there's no dressing on my wound

Some of the caring staff in my ward

I've been busy and tired and so it's taken me a long time to get around to writing this update... It's not easy writing this 'blog' when I am so bloody ill... This arm hurts nearly all of the time and I barely accumulate four hours sleep each night, it's hard to find a comfortable position and then fall off and roll in one's sleep leads to a painful awakening.

Today the stitches were removed and so the nasty scar can heal on its own, and I had another session of physiotherapy; I go every other day for about an hour.
Life goes on, and it's been busy for me.

Since this is difficult for me there's a photo essay below, with thousands of words depicted in a pictorial way.

On Friday (4th) I caught TG 101 to Bangkok and then the bus to Jomtien (124 Baht) to be met by Alasdair.
I delivered the Rotax bits I brought from Canada and had a nice weekend catching up with people around the Pattaya-Eastern and Bang Phra flying scenes.
This time I stayed as a guest of Alasdair and Gill in their house by Jomtien Beach and I was well looked after, especially with fresh baked scones and home-made jam.
On the Saturday Alasdair flew me over to Bang Phra for lunch and to catch up with people there.
The club only had one booking each weekend day, and this was with the same student; not a good sign.
The DCA has changed again; new people and 'new' rules. A flight plan now has to be filed even to fly in the circuit, and one hour in advance.
My Thai validation has not been issued, we're back to waiting six weeks or more for this simple procedure... Not that I can use it, I'm out of medical since my fractures.
I got the impression that many people are simply fed up with the new regime at the DCA; back to the bad old days...

We got taxy clearance to carry on to Dok Krai as per our flight plan only to be recalled as there was a VIP flight into U-Tapao.
When such flights occur everyone is grounded within a hundred miles or so. The delay meant we were no longer in time to go to Dok Krai, and we needed another flight plan to be filed when the airspace was opened with the additional flight plan file to takeoff time!

Approaching Easter with my good hand on the stick and right hand on the throttle I was too high and so went around to finally slip the height off against the crosswind and plonk the Ecolot gently on the ground. I can still do it even if I can't log it!

Sunday morning was socialising at Eastern and then it was a pizza for lunch and after an ab nam (shower) I caught the 18:00 bus to Suvarnabhumi Airport and Thai Airways back to Chiang Mai at 21:30.

Monday I got up and took the Song Taew to the iron bridge to walk to Lanna Thai Guest House where Peter Dreyer was staying. The Song Taew was full so I stood on the grating hanging off the ladder on the back, not ideal with a broken arm!

Having met up with Peter (who'd arrived from Vancouver the day before), we went across the bridge again to see a photographic exhibition primarily of Boonserm Satrabhaya's work over the past 50 years in Chiang Mai.
I bought the book offered at this exhibition as I like old pictures.

On the way we checked out the Riverside Guest House which is one of my recommended places in Chiang Mai.

Tuesday we intended to take a Song Taew to Lamphun along the tree lined Chiang Mai - Lamphun road I enjoyed driving along when I was at Chiang Mai Flying Club.
First we went to a Butter is Best cafe in Chiang Mai and then we walked to the Chiang Mai - Lamphun road... The blue Song Taews were all full and then came one of the little minibusses with aircon and so we piled in.
I sent a message to Mint who is working in Lamphun and so she was able to meet us and shuttle us one by one on her motorbike to gin kao, eat lunch.
Then we went to a monument, to the large wat (temple), and across the covered bridge.

The bus was there when we walked back and so we had the same ride back... I got off to ab nam at the apartment and then went out to meet Peter, Redmar, and Chris to eat dinner at the Ancient Thai House restaurant.
Redmar rents the Katanas from SLA and is visiting South East Asia with an English friend.

This morning I arranged to meet Khun Chart for a trip around the museum at Tango Squadron, then it was therapy, the stitches were removed, and an x-ray taken to confirm the state of repair of my humerus.

Not many people know that the Tiger Moth has a rudder trim

It's not that good is it?

Krisada Doi colour

10th March - 14th March

With two visitors from Canada and one from Britain it was smart to rent a car for the day and to drive around the Chiang Mai area on Thursday.
We rented a Honda Jazz for 1,200 Baht and drove out to Baan Tawai village to see the furnishings and art available there.
Then it was on to Krisada Doi gardens where we stopped for lunch. This is a favourite place of mine and is a long way down a mountain road... I can't believe how far I rode the bicycle the first time I came here.

I took a left turn to follow the road around a loop and into Mae Rim where I took us around the Huai Kaeo Botanic Park.
Chiang Mai has many places in which one can spend one's time...

Then it was up the twisty turny road to Doi Suthep, taking in the views on the way up.
I purchased a candle, incense, and lotus bulbs and walked three times around the Chedi, once for Buddha, once for the Monks, and once for Education.

The next day I added 810 Baht's worth of petrol, picked up Peter, we dropped the car off, walked to the Pra Sing Post Office, to a coffee shop, and then took a Song Taew to Lai Thai Guest House.
The server in the coffee shop knew me from my previous visits to Lai Thai where he had worked before.
I'm known around the place it seems.
I left Peter at Lai Thai and took a Song Taew to Sriphat Medical Centre for another session of physio therapy. I've done this every other day so far but on both Sunday and today, Monday, this week.

On Saturday we invited the girls from Lamphun to come to Chiang Mai for dinner... The intent was to go to the Riverside restaurant but this was too crowded and so we went to the Thai Country Restaurant where once again I was recognised as a familiar person! The food was as good as ever but I miss the entertainment they used to put on here.
The Tuk Tuk driver who picked us up from there took us to a girly bar I'd been to once before with friends, it was empty, we walked in looked and walked out and then went to Hotshot, the town's disco... This wasn't much good either.

On Sunday morning I went with Koi in a minivan to Lamphun where he took some Dutch visitors flying. They were astonished when I mentioned flying in and out of Budel in Holland, it's their home town!
Koi is doing a good job of taking people flying when they visit Chiang Mai, and he took 66 people, mostly children flying on a school outing to Chiang Mai Airport. He's doing his 'Young Eagles' bit as well.
Thai nicknames are common to both male and female and so Koi is the name of the mechanic at Lamphun as well.
There is a Cessna 152 and a Cessna 172R at Lamphun ready to go when the paperwork is complete.

I recommended the Dutch go up Doi Suthep for an excursion in the afternoon to the Wat, Puping Palace, and the Hmong village... I went in for therapy at Sriphat and the weather/visibility was awful... But when I came out again it was quite good and so the recommendation was a good one.
In the evening Koi picked me up and we went for a beer at a nice pub on the river called Yoy's.

Today I tried to take it easier... I'm getting tired as I still do not sleep well.

.

Thais know how to party, sanook sanook

David discusses rice whiskey with Mint

Mint loved the chicken cordon bleu

Excllent visibility after the rains

Wednesday and Thursday were rainy cold days in Chiang Mai, this was very unusual for this time of the year and I'd never seen it before.
Thais were shivering in the cold and so was I!

On Thursday I had my final therapy session at Sriphat Medical Centre... On the way I went to the Airport Plaza and picked up a new pair of shoes while leaving my umbrella there... I picked up biscuits which I gave to the nurses on floor 14, and some chocolate for my therapist... I realised I had forgotten my brolly as I stepped out of Sriphat into the cold rain...
I had a dental appointment as well, and got soaked waiting for a Song Taew.
I went into a Tesco Lotus and bought another umbrella, a yellow one! It was the only brolly I could buy without girlish decoration. 'Still Peter later gave me some jibes about having a yellow brolly, but I think it will be practical on the apron at Boundary Bay, it'll get you noticed!

After my dental appointment I returned to the Airport Plaza and recovered the blue brolly...

The previous night (Wednesday) there was a party at Mint's cousins guest house as David a Frenchman was leaving after two months in Thailand. Thai's need little excuse to party and they know how to provide food, drink, and music with consequent dancing to make everyone happy.
The people included a couple from Germany... He was born in Vancouver but said he had no intention of returning there as he enjoyed the European way of life. He was critical of his own country. Canada needs to get a life it seems, and this is especially true with respect to Vancouver.

Another person was Chinese Malaysian; subjected now to the growing racism in that country why would she return there to live?
She lives in Spain.

Travel is the way to learn other opinions, to experience other ways. We all sour in the one place if we exclude other viewpoints.
I for one lay there in the hospital bed after my operation and the pain of my lifestyle in BC made itself very apparent.
Yes BC is a fantastic place to fly aeroplanes, and I do have some very fine friends, but the place is the loneliest I have ever lived in. How much of a more human life do I need?
Thailand is a land of honesty, it's a land where people are accepted for who they are without so much criticism. It's a Buddhist viewpoint; you could be born to that other person's life.
It's also a land of serendipity and I find this very interesting.

It's been very difficult for me this week, I simply can't do anything quickly as the pain my right arm brings forth is very distracting.
I am getting more and more movement in my arm but perhaps I am overdoing it a bit.
The apartment had to be cleared out, and I had some help from the cleaning lady, but it was a difficult time. Stressful as any move would be.
I finished Friday morning, sort of!, and caught the 11:30 flight to Bangkok.
It's always difficult for me to leave Chiang Mai, I feel at home and familiar in this place.

On the ground at Suvarnabhumi I checked two bags into left luggage at 100 Baht per day and took my small bags down to the ground floor to catch a bus.
There's a really good food court on the ground floor where you can eat very cheaply. I had a good main course, ice lemon tea, and ice cocoa for less that $3!
Upstairs in the airport restaurants you'll pay airport prices!

124 Baht gets you a bus ride to Jomtien, two hours usually.

Alasdair and Gill met me at the other end...
The Tsunami in Japan was a reminder of why they were here. They were caught on Koh Phi Phi when the Tsunami hit Thailand. They realised life was too short, packed up their stuff in Scotland, and moved to Thailand.
I had a great weekend enjoying their hospitality... I did have to work though.
Alasdair needed checking out in the EuroFox and I was happy to oblige.

Fishing Jomtien early Sunday morning

The EuroFox is a development of the KitFox series and is a nice aeroplane to fly.
Stall speeds were 75kph clean and 70kph with full flaps and the stick fully back. Approach was flown at 100 - 110 kph, and it was easy to land on the short Eastern strip. Flap limit is 110 kph and so you need to be careful. She slips easily with a very effective rudder.
I had no problem operating the throttle, flaps and trim with my right arm... Don't tell my physio therapist!

Sunday afternoon I took the bus from Pattaya to Ekamai, 113 Baht, and enjoyed the company of a Swedish woman on the way. We got off at On Nut BTS (Skytrain station). I got off the skytrain at Nana and walked down Sukhamvit Soi 11 to the Grand President Hotel where I am writing this update.
In the evening I met up with Ed, Pakorn, and Lek for dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Ed has been flying his Malibu Jetprop all over SE Asia and has just returned from a flight to the Philipines and down to Palau. He's gone a long way since those days we flew together at Lamphun.
Pakorn is now on the A320s with Thai Air Asia, a long way from when he did his CPL at Pro, Boundary Bay.

The nong awaits our order at the beach restaurant

This farang pilot first bounced on Pattaya Airpark's runway downwind
before obeying the windsock and landing into wind.
The first effort upset the german modelers big time, they appreciate
good airmanship as well. I had a word with the pilot!

It's a real jet, and too expensive for my crash 'em fix 'em modelling past

Fishing boat returns to Jomtien

Clean panel

Sunday evening dining on Sukhamvit Soi 11

Formation kites over the beach

Pattaya Airpark on Saturday
The Savannah is an Italian 'Zenair' type
Vortex generators replace the slats

Fishing near Jomtien in the morning

Alasdair gets some right seat time; yes the strap's twisted!

We did steep turns and stalls and then 12 circuits and landings

I opened the stops to picture the dancers in the shadows

Dancing and praying opposite Siam Centre

All these girls want me to take them out!

Monday morning I had one thing in mind, I had seen a leather camera case made to fit the Canon G11 in the old fashioned way and I wanted to go to Phanthip Plaza and get one.
I did; 900 Baht.
But then it poured with rain for a while and I was stuck.

Rain doesn't last very long however and within an hour I was ready to go.

I walk and I walk, and sometimes I don't eat when I should. This was one of those days, and so I had some food in an S&P Bakery at around 1pm having not had any breakfast at all. I'd booked the hotel through Agoda and breakfast was not included.

I stayed at the Grand President Hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 11, convenient, but I think I'll stay at the Tai Pan again the next time.

From Panthip I walked to the MBK shopping centre and then took a skytrain to Nana and went on a walk about...
Passing a park I was stopped by some girls wearing "Amazing Thailand" polo shirts to be asked some survey questions, and this ended up with them inviting themselves out with me!
OK, there would be five, "ok?", ok, but then there were eight.

It was a good evening out, we ate at Gulliver's on Soi 5 and then took a taxi to a Thai place with live Thai music.
There was music and dance and we all had fun though it emptied my wallet! Not so much though, Thailand is cheaper than most places, but I do feel a bit put out by it all. Mai pen rai, it was an enjoyable time.

I was back at the hotel just after 11pm, alone, to sleep five hours before getting a taxi to the airport.
Cathay was on time to Hong Kong, and now I await the 16:25 flight back to Vancouver.

I've decided that the Year of the Rabbit is an unforgiving year. I made a mistake at the beginning of this trip and it has cost me pain since.
1987 was a Rabbit Year and I remember it well for the pain and suffering I saw and felt then. It lead to my becoming sad and letting go of all I'd built to that time.
I went to Canada two years later...
My accident in Bali also led me to become sad. Sad because the life I have made in Canada will lead to social isolation in later years as it has for so many retired people who live on my street. This too must be changed.

And then there were eight. Feeding the many.