As all cruisers know, water pumps are the same all around the world, they just vary in size, voltage and application.  This one was on a plank suspended over a well.  Termites preferred the underside of the plank until they gnawed too much and the pump went all the way to the bottom.  All it took was drying out, a little buffing the armature and sanding the contacts to get her running again.  Bearings are noisy, but she’s working.  With 220v you have to get the polarity correct or the impeller turns backwards.  Fun to get my hands dirty again.

We’re promoting Colorado and Janet’s ScenicSacks here in Thailand, a place where the plastic bags outnumber dogs lying in the streets.  These are better gifts than “dustable” tchotchkes and it’s fun to see them being used in the land of the ubiquitous plastic bag.  Good news is one of these sacks will hold about 6 of their bags so you don’t have to festoon the scooter with little baggies swinging down the road.  Wish we’d brought more than 8 with us, we have enjoyed giving them as gifts to our friends.

Continuing on the helpful theme, we arranged to borrow a road bike for our Belgian friend who will be returning to Ban Wassana mid-January.  This vintage road bike has an interesting story, it turns out. 30 years ago this was the first road bike for sale in Trang and was listed for 40,000 baht ($1,250) which was more than a local had to pay for a motorcycle (scooter).  Evidently it never sold as mountain bikes were more popular and affordable, as they still are today in Thailand, so the owner donated this bike to the Trang Cycling Club and it’s been loaned out and around for most of it’s life.  I’ve gone back to our favorite bike “shed” and gotten the cables replaced and the bike tuned for $12.50.  When we tried to raise the seat for me and our Belgian friend, the clamp stripped requiring us to fabricate, “cruiser-style”, a replacement bolt for the aluminum fitting.  Believe it or not just behind us in the photo was a new 70,000 Baht ($2,750) Giant carbon mountain bike in for a tune up as well.  Always something to work on where ever we go, however I kept away from the Giant bike on the stand.