MERRY CHRISTMAS

AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

See you all on the Maldives

Everything new!

We are preparing ourselves for part two of our adventure: Giant Indian Ocean, pirated Red Sea passage, motoring the Suez Channel, the all too long Mediterranean,the fierce Bay of Biscay and eventually the brutal Norwegian coast. For this, two brand new Hong Kong made sails (jib and light wind genoa), a new well used dinghy with a 3,5 outboard (the old one was stolen in Krabi) and a perfectly overhauled main-engine have been added to the update list. We are ready for everything.

Multi-tool Kjell (Øyvinds father) will join us for the passage across the Indian Ocean, and has been an essential part of our preparations here in our Phuket marina.

We are also filled up with food again. We just saw the last of our New Zealand stock-up go away some weeks ago. Hopefully this will last us another seven months.

Muay Thai

Break!

I am so tired I line up with my knees in the ground, my upper body leaning on my gloved fists. I take the first push-up.
ONE
Shit! I can't do my push-ups on my knees like a little girl. I straighten out my legs. I hate my pride.
TWO
I could have been surfing in Phuket now. WHY did I go back here?
THREE, FOUR, FIVE
I notice a small brown stain on the canvas under me. A dried-out drop of blood. A punch that landed a bit too hard on a nose during sparring probably.
SIX, SEVEN
I am starting to catch my breath again now. This is not normal. I am doing push-ups during the "break" and I am actually resting from the round of pad-work I have just done.
EIGHT
....Or I could be climbing in Krabi.
NINE, TEN!
I get up after sitting on my knees breathing for a few seconds. OK, can't sit around here too long, the break is just one minute, I've done push-ups for about 20 seconds, and I have some more five-minute rounds of kicking and punching the pads that Wang is holding. I need to get some water. I stumble over to the corner where my cup is. I pick it up clumsily with my big boxing-gloves on. I want to swallow it all in one gulp, but I force myself do take small sips. Just half a cup, any more and I'll be fighting the urge to puke for the next five minutes. I want to drink five cups! I compromise by pouring the rest of the ice-cold water over my head.

BREAK OVER! FIVE MINUTES, LAU LAU LAU!

Ten kicks right foot, ten kicks left. Jab, punch, elbow-elbow, knee. Knee not good enough, again!
I'm on my second visit to the thaiboxing-gym in Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. It's been exactly two years since my last visit here. I didn't really expect it, but it was really like coming home. The neighbourhood has not changed much. I recognize the tailor on the corner as I give him a shirt to repair, as I did the last time I was here. A couple of new buildings, the barber has shifted a block and some french expats has opened a really nice coffeshop that is visited by one or two tourists pr. day.

I was here for six weeks the last time, and I left in something very close to the best physical shape of my life. When I arrive for my scheduled two weeks I am probably close to my worst, and already the second day I can hardly walk down the stairs in the morning. The 2x2,5 hours of constantly working on my toes the day before has made me realise how I probably will feel every day in about 60 years, when I am 89! (Yes, I'll live to see 89. The average Norwegian life-expectancy is rising, and I am born lucky, OK?) After three days my my stupid body finally understands that there is no point complaining and the aches start to subside. Good thing, as I was contemplating beginning to roll down the stairs in the mornings as it is probably less painful.
I've been looking forward to coming here. Get a rest from boats, sails and oceans. Meeting up with some of the people I met here the last time. I am also thinking of coming back here in a year to stay for longer. Three, maybe four months. Have time to get some fights, and to really get back in shape. After a week here with two trainings per day I'm sure I will come back.

After five days and ten trainings I join Stephen along with most of the people from the gym to the boxing stadium. Stephen is half German, half Liberian, he works as an actor and has never trained Muay Thai before. He has trained at the gym for three and a half weeks now and he is having his first fight tonight. A few hours later he is slightly disappointed. He has won. Knock-out by knee after two minutes, a bit too quick he thinks.