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Hot News Update - February 2006   (February 14th, 2006)

 

Website statistics: In January we were able to welcome on our website about (the counter was partly

                                failing) 32'928 visitors (= record) from 108 different countries who did 555'152 hits

                                (= record). (December 2005 = 30'241 visitors - 108 countries - 484'103 hits)

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It was February 7th, 2006, when we left Laos by the "Friendship Bridge" to Nong Khai in Thailand. Because

six weeks had passed since Liliana's unlucky car accident in Cambodia when she broke a leg, we headed straight

to the Wattani Hospital in Udan Thani, recommended by the Lonely Planet guide book. The doctor in charge

removed immediately the cast, prescribed the necessary drugs to speed the healing process and promised a total

recovery after a period of an uncomfortable walking adaptation period. This was the positive beginning of our

third entry into Thailand. Actually we intended to drive pretty directly towards Bangkok to run firstly after

our promised car entry permit for Myanmar and secondly to apply also for the Burmese visa.

 

However, as we wanted to take off on February 9th from Nakhon Ratchasima - the second biggest city in

Thailand - our Toyota didn't want to follow suit. A check of the compression rate showed that cylinder No. 2

was Zero, what pointed to a burnt valve. Another test at the local Toyota dealer confirmed the result. Luckily,

we carry many spare parts with us. Therefore, the local dealer of Toyota Thailand started immediately

with the major repair, while we were looked after very generously and even put into a good hotel. But this was

not enough. When after the fast and efficient repair we wanted to pay the bill, we were told to our big surprise

that it is free of charge.We owe Toyota Thailand our greatest gratitude! Thus we are happy that it happened

here and not later in Myanmar. After all, we cannot  really complain that after almost 380'000 miles of hard

driving the time for a "major repair" arrived. Once in a while this can happen also to a LandCruiser - like it did

the first time in 21 years of travels to Liliana, when she was hit and injured by another car - Professor Einstein's

theory of probability is proving it.

 

 

We still wait and hope for the soon arrival of the car's entry permit from Yangon - the former Rangoon in Burma -

probably it might come already from Pyinmana, the new Capital of Myanmar? As soon as we have it in our

hands, we will head to Ranong - which lies North of Phuket in Southern Thailand. If the loading by crane and the

shipping with the 'Myanma Five Star Line' from the neighboring Kawthoung are working out, our next news will

be posted from our 154th country.

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On July 7th, 2005, we were able to celebrate after a journey through 150 countries the car's

600'000th Kilometer - very prosaic in front of the post office in Cayenne/French Guiana.

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