| AFTER SPENDING A FEW DAYS IN HONGKONG WE FLEW TO THE PARADISE ISLAND
OF KO-SAMUI IN SOUTHERN THAILAND. ME, MARGARET, PHIL & SHELL STEWART,
OUR SCOOTERING FRIENDS FREOM NEWCASTLE. |
WE PLANNED TO STAY FOR 10 DAYS THEN GO TO BANGKOK FOR A FEW DAYS
BEFORE GOING HOME. IN KO-SAMUI THERE WERE NO TRADITIONAL SCOOTERS
AROUND. LOADS OF PLASTIC JAPANESE MOPEDS WITH BIG WHEELS, EXCEPT FOR
AT KO-SAMUI SCOOTER BAR WHERE JERRY FROM ESSEX HAD A NICE WEE COLLECTION
OF VINTAGE VESPAS AND LOTS OF SCOOTER MEMORABILIA DECORATING HIS BAR
WHICH WAS JUST ROUND THE CORNER FROM THE SKA-BAR.
AFTER 4 DAYS IN KO-SAMUI THE MONSOON SEASON CAME A FEW WEEKS EARLY
SO WE DECIDED TO PACK UP AND GO ELSEWHERE. AFTER SOME ADVICE FROM
OTHER TRAVELLERS WE GOT A FLIGHT TO CHIANG MAI, THAILANDS SECOND LARGEST
CITY IN THE NORTH NEAR THE BORDERS OF BURMA & LAOS. |
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| CHIANG MAI IS A BEAUTIFUL CITY SURROUNDED BY JUNGLE & MOUNTAINS
WITH A VERY WARM (NOT TOO HOT) CLIMATE. BETTER STILL THERE WERE HUNDREDS
OF CLASSIC VESPAS AND THE ODD LAMBRETTA BEING USED AS DAILY TRANSPORT
BY THE LOCALS. THESE SCOOTERS HAVE BEEN IN CHIANG MAI SINCE THE 50’S
& 60’S. AFTER SPEAKING TO THE LOCALS AND SOME GOOD DETECTIVE
WORK WE FOUND A BACK STREET VESPA WORKSHOP, ALSO A NICE VESPA SHOP
SELLING SCOOTERS & PARTS WHICH WAS OK BUT ME & PHIL ARE LAMBRETTA
MEN AND THERE WAS THE ODD LAMBRETTA AROUND SO WE KNEW THERE HAD TO
BE A LAMBRETTA GARAGE. |
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ON OUR LAST DAY MARGARET & SHELL WENT
TO A HEALTH SPA FOR SOME TREATMENTS ………..SO ME &
PHIL WENT LOOKING FOR THE LAMBRETTA SHOP. MOST MEN GO TO THAILAND
TO GO WITH LADY-BOYS & WEE BOYS N GIRLS JUST LIKE GARY GLITTER
BUT NOT US WENT LOOKING FOR LAMBRETTAS. EVEN THE PERVERTS THOUGHT
WE WERE PERVERTS. WE JUMPED IN A TUK-TUK GIVING THE DRIVER VAGUE DIRECTIONS,
WE DROVE AROUND FOR AN HOUR OR SO READY TO HEAD BACK TO THE HOTEL
WHEN WE SPOTTED A LAMBERETTA TV175
SERIES 111 AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OUTSIDE WHAT LOOKED LIKE AN OLD
SHACK SO WE STOPPED AND SPOKE TO THE OLD GUY OUTSIDE BUT HE COULDN’T
SPEAK ENGLISH AND DIDN’T UNDERSTAND US UNTIL I SHOWED HIM THE
PHOTOS OF MY LAMBRETTAS IN MY WALLET. HIS EYES LIT UP AND HE INVITED
US INTO HIS WORKSHOP WHICH HAD AT LEAST 20 LAMBRETTAS INSIDE, LOTS
OF PARTS, ENGINES ETC. AND THE ODD VESPA. |
Owner of Lambretta workshop Chaing Mai |
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THE DRIVER OF THE TUK-TUK HAD A COUPLE OF BEERS (FOR
THE ROAD) WHILE WE HAD A RAKE AROUND THE WORKSHOP, PART OF WHICH WAS
THE OLD GUYS LIVING ROOM/KITCHEN. THE GUYS SON TURNED UP ON ANOTHER
TV175 SERIES 111. HE COULD SPEAK ENGLISH AND TOLD US HIS PLACE WAS
THE MEETING PLACE FOR LOCAL LAMBRETTA OWNERS SOMETIMES WITH AS MUCH
AS 20 LAMBRETTAS PARKED OUTSIDE.
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WE SAID OUR GOODBYES AND HEADED BACK TO THE HOTEL PAST
THE BROTHELS & BARS WHERE THE OTHER TYPE OF PERVERTS HANG ABOUT.THE
NEXT DAY WE FLEW TO BANGKOK FOR A FEW DAYS. BANGKOK HAD A FEW CLASSIC
SCOOTERS DRIVING ABOUT AS WELL BUT NOT ON THE SAME SCALE AS CHIANG
MAI.
WE GOT SPEAKING TO A LOCAL ON A LAMBRETTA ON THE FAMOUS KAOSAN BACKPACKERS
ROAD. HE INVITED US TO A SCCOTER NIGHT COME PARTS FARE ON THE OTHE
SIDE OF BANGKOK BUT WE DECLINED AS WE HAD A 12 HOUR FLIGHT IN THE
MORNING.
12 HOUR FLIGHT?????????? IT WAS JUST LIKE SITTING ON A SCOOTER TO
THE ISLE OF WIGHT. SORE ON THE ARSE.
CHEERS, SHEP
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Shep in his element, Lambretta
workshop Chaing Mai |
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Phil in his element too |
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Lambretta workshop Chaing Mai |
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Jom Vespa, Chaing Mai |
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Jom Vespa |
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Vespa Workshop, Chiang Mai |
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Vespa Workshop, Chiang Mai |
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Tuk Tuk |
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Four Twats in Hats |
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