Richard with Granny Mac in garden in Bangkok, 1965

Richard with Grannie in garden in Bangkok, 1966, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Here is a photograph of my brother Richard with my Granny Mac in the garden of our house in Bangkok, taken in about 1965 when Richard was one years old.

Tomorrow, I will leave Amsterdam to go to Bangkok where I will meet up with Richard with the idea of travelling to Cambodia and Vietnam and also seeing our uncle and aunty in Kuala Lumpur.

I have not been back to Bangkok since I was a young 18 year old and I imagine it has changed a lot in that time, like everywhere. Even then, just 14 years after we lefty it had changed an awful lot, the khlongs having been filled in and the motor car having taken over the city. However, now the process seems to have been reversed with the sky train, such that traffic is far less a probblem than it was.

My first memories of life were from Bangkok and one of them concerned a big flood we had which meant that all the goldfish in the fishpond had swam away. We were left with dirty looking river fish flapping around on the grass lawn once the water receded. I can alos remember the house, the maids (Patana and Mali), the khlongs, the hut in the garden, the garage with the coconut tree going through the roof, driving along empty oads, past the zoo (must go and visit that), going with Granny to the market and watching the kites flying, the kindergarten, standing on a bridge over a khlong and so on.

I am looking forward to seeing Richard and to be travelling again, a bit sad to be leaving Fred behind, as he has to work.

See you all again soon in Bangkok, I hope.