MADRID,SPAIN

After long flight from Phuket ,Thailand via Dubai I was finally in Madrid.It takes 17 hours for me to fly here.I buy underground ticket for one week (35 eur).With that ticket you can ride underground and buses at central area as much you like.Underground is very good here.They have marked all stations and lines very well.It is very easy to use.Madrid is old beautiful town.I booked hotel MuchoMadrid ,nice small hotel/hostel at Plaza de Espana.One thing I like here is small tapas restaurants.Very cheap and good food,wine and beer.First day I just take small walk and check out neighborhood ,Palacio Real,Cathetral Almudena,Plaza Major etc.At christmas time they have more than 90 streets with christmas lights.

Palacio Real

Cathetral Almudena

Plaza Major christmas market

Jamon ham everywhere

Plaza de Espana

Plaza de Cibeles

Wednesday I walk to Plano de Jardin.It is big park and there is more than 5000 different plans around the world.After that I walk to Buen Retiro park.It is very big.There was art exhibition of Danh Wo at

Palacio de Cristal.Palacio de Cristal is house made of glass.After that I walk to see statue of falling angel (Angel Caldo).They say it is only one in the world made for lucifer.666 meters above sea level.

After that I start to walk back home , during my way to hotel ,there was also exhibition of Alvar Aalto.He is our most well known architect and designer from Finland.What a coincidence!

Plano de Jardin

Palacio de Cristal

Falling Angel

Falling Angel,Angel Caldo

Alvar Aalto exbihition

Parque del Buen Retrio

Thursday 24th of dec.Little bit different here than back home.It looks like it is normal working day.

I take undergound and go to see Prado.It is one of the biggest art collection (museum) in europe.

This place was HUGE.You can see there paintings from Rembrant,Goya,Raphael etc. just name it.

Very fast visiting (they close 2 pm) and it took me 4 hours just to see little bit.Something to see if you come to Madrid.

Prado museum

How about cup of coffee?

Gourmet hot dog restaurant,Plaza Callio

Friday I walk to La Latina.It is part of Madrid where is lot of flea market,tapas restaurants and small alleys.Very nice to walk there and stop once in a while and eat something and take glass of wine ,you know ,just hangíng around.

Puerta de Toledo,La Latina

Flea market La Latina

Flea market La Latina,

I buy this painting to our "collection"

They worship holy people here!

Small alleys at La Latina

La Latina

Saturday I walk to post office and send my paintings what I buy yesterday to home.After that I take underground and ride to Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.It is home stadium of Real Madrid football club.

It is big.It can take more than 80000 spectators.They have really nice museum there,if you are football fan you must check it out!

Estadio Santiago Bernabay

These shoes are made for kicking!

Real Madrid!

Today,sunday I was visiting Casa de Campo.It is biggest park in Madrid.There is zoo,amusement park,picknick area ,lake,football field ,very good bicycling roads,volleyball fields what ever.

Looks like it is some kind of lungs of Madrid.Quite peacefull there, middle of town.Some pictures from Casa de Campo:

Peacefull place ,middle of Madrid

Casa de Campo

Amusement park

Ok,that`s about it. Tomorrow I fly first to Istanbul and change the plane there and then I fly to Buenos Aires.Madrid was good to me.Until next time,stay strong! Ana

THAILAND

BANGKOK

After Australia we fly to Bangkok.We spend only 4 days there.Bangkok is very big city.If you go there you first have to think what you want see and do and choose hotel after that.Distances are very long there and it is 24 hours traffic jam every day.During our time in Bangkok there was
LOY KRATHONG festival.It is like end of harvest,goddess of water and full moon party.
People make floating flowers and candle bouts and put them at river or lake.We meet one old tuktuk
driver and shows us Bangkok.We visit big buddha temple and take also river boat sightseeing.

Our tuktuk driver,he charge us 50 bath per one hour.It is about 1,2 Eur

River bout sightseeing

Monks

They sell beer and other stuff from boats too

Loy Krathong festival

PHUKET

After Bangkok we fly to Phuket.Phuket is Thailands biggest island.We go several days to Patong beach.We rent scooters and I can tell you ,I have never been big fan of scooters and it was maybe

30 years ago I ride scooter last time.Scooters here are very popular.We rent small ones 125 cc.

They are very easy to handle ,they go like 100 km/h just perfect machines for these roads and traffic

here at Phuket island.Phuket island is about 60-70 km long at south -north direction so distances are not so long here.Now I have to say ,scooters are cool!

We make small daily trips to Phromthep Cape (southest point of Phuket island),Big Buddha (45 meters high Buddha statu covered with white marble.We also ride to see Wat Chalong (biggest tempple at Phuket island).One day we ride out from Phuket island to Phang-Nga.It is like natural park

north from Phuket.Really nice views there.One morning I try to go Old town of Phuket city but I

only ride 8 km and police stops me.It takes 2,5 hours that write me ticket.It also my fault because I start shout to cop.Reason for ticket was that in Thailand you must have insurance for scooter too

but it is impossible to rent one.There is no place here very you can rent scooter with insurance.So after 2,5 hours they finally write me ticket 500 bath and I pay it away and start to ride again.Hotel owner who rent scooter to me pay it back to me which was really nice.

View point near Kata beach

Phromthep Cape

Big Buddha

Wind bells at Big Buddha

What Chalong

After few days we moved to Kamala beach .It is only 10 km to north from Patong beach.

Per meet his family and I meet my wife Sanna.Me and Sanna rent also scooter for 2 weeks and

we ride around Phuket island almost every day.We ride one day to see Old town of Phuket city.It is

few block area which was made by portugal people more than hundred years ago at same trip we ride to small island where was sea gypsy village.

That is what I call recycling ,Phuket old town

Phuket old town

Phuket old town

Thai boxing is very popular here.Lot of fighters came here around the flat world.

We watch two times thai boxing here.Before fight they have rituals which takes several minutes.

Thai boxing fights they also kick .

Bangla boxing stadium,Patong 

Per and Kasper watching thai boxing

Sanna likes thai boxing too

Many of fights end knock out

Phuket island is full of beautiful beaches.Lot of things to do at beach.You can go parachute ride,they pull you with power  bout . Snorkling and diving is also very popular here.Sunsets at beaches are something to see too.

Ready for ring ride!

Nadja and Ulrika

Per and Nadja

Ring ride,thanks Kasper it was fun!

Me and Sanna make two days road trip to Rayong.Rayong is natural park 300km away from Kamala beach.Rayong are you can find waterfalls,hot springs and white sand beaches.Road goes thru natural park and it is curvy and it goes inside rain forest area.

We rent Harley road king for that.We rent harley from Nickys Handlebar,Patong beach.

Nickys Handlebar is restaurant,hotel,motorcycle rent place.If you ever go to Patong beach check it out.It is like biker bar,very good food also and staff very helpful and nice.We recommend!

Road to Rayong

My biker girl

Nickys Handlebar

Nickys handlebar

Indian sidecar at Nickys

They also built and restore bikes at Nickys handlebar

Last evening with Sanna we fly some balloons.

Young man little helps us with balloons

Here it goes

You must wait for awhile before you can let it go

Thailand was nice but now it is time to go.Next I fly to Madrid Spain for christmas and after that I fly to Buenos Aires Argentina for new year.Then plan is to take bus to Chile and pick up bikes.

Thanks Ulrika,Kasper,Nadja and Sanna.Stay strong Ana and Per