Newsletter 7 (31 december 2002)

Hi you english speaking people all over the world,

Time for another newsletter from me (Jan that is). The last you heared from me was from Bangkok after i had spend there just a week. Right now it's the last day of december and we are all waiting for the big moment (start of 2003 that is obviously). The day after i wrote for the last time i went to Kalasin, where Pareena teaches some economical items at the university there. She had asked me if i wanted to tell her students about my travelling and about life in Holland and i played some guitar for them. They loved all that and i enjoyed to do it as well. I gave about 6 of those little lectures and in return i got a house with my own internet acces, a good bed, more food than i could eat, a nice stereo set, a guitar and a nice collection of CD's. How about that. I felt so greatfull and so welcome that it almost put me to shame. And by the time i left they even brought me more presents. I really didn't know what to say. I love these people and i wish them all very well and i sincerely hope to see them again one day. Just beautifull. When i returned to Bangkok i met Tommi (from Finland) again. We both decided to go south to one of the Thai islands (Koh Chang) and so we did. After a long minibusride we arrived at the ferry, hopped over and found our selves a (shabby and too expensive) place to stay. The day after that i moved to a little better place and we stayed there (white sand beach) for 3 days. Swimming, having our beers, watching some football every now and then, clubbing and so on. Good days, but we wanted something better, so we moved southwards to the next beach (lonely beach, which is not a correct name, since there were quite a few people around there) and spend there 8 more days, mainly as a lazy tourist, which was good. Met some nice people, had a good time with them and too soon it had become the 18th of december and i had to leave, leaving Tomasi all on his own (sorry chap). I went back to Bkk to meet Pareena for the last time, did my last preparations for my trip to Bombay (or Mumbai as they call it here). On the 21st Pareena brought me to the airport (thanks again sis) and there we said goodbey, which did break my heart (Pareena, just don't change and stay who you are, coz that's more then good). The flight to Bombay went well and arriving about an hour too late i met Arnout, a very nice bloke from my hometown. Great to see him again. With him and 9 other people we are now travelling in a big truck around India. A luxury way of travelling i must say, coz everything is organized really well. What i have been doing so far in India: one day strolling around in Bombay, then southwards to Goa (rough camping in between, with a very nice bbq), spend 5 days on the beach here, partying (including a wonderfull christmas meal out in the wild), reading, renting scooters to check out the surrounding and then.... a dreadfull thing happened. One of the groupmembers fell of his bike and got badly hurd (4 broken ribs, a broken keybone, a burned foot and a small concussion). Result of all this was that we couldn't do our little trip to one of the small islands over here, which is too bad of course. Well and that's where we are now: last day of the year, close to the beach, where i am about to take a swim and waiting for the new year to arrive. Talk to you all next year and have a great 2003.

Lots of love,
Jan.