Week 2 back in Thailand

This just cracked me up - on my bathroom door.  No squatting on the toilet

Wang Sam Mo – Arrived 30/5/2011

I got pointed all over the show trying to find somewhere to sleep and the vague directions shown on the sign boards were unhelpful.  There were two places within 400m of where I was standing but I couldn’t find either.  Finally found a nice place off a sand road off a dirt road off the main road.  Not too sure how.  I pay a little extra for an air con room only to find out later on that it doesn’t actually work.  It is cooler outside than inside my room.  How you can stuff up an air con unit so much?! Oh well I at least had a fan to stop me from sleep in a pool of sweat.

Phang Khon – Arrived 31/5/2011

Local surveyors!!! Two of them did something
while the other three just sat and had a smoke.

Happy to leave behind my roasting room and head off to find Boonruam’s friend.  It all started out fine, the sun beating down and ticking along nicely.  I look down and one of my gloves has fallen off (keep them strapped to the handlebars in the morning so I can work on my hand tan) so swing around a do a wee back track to see if I can spot it.  No luck.  Gutted, I’ll just have to get some new ones should be easy enough.  Then the rain came along, soaked within minutes.  This day isn’t quite going as planned.

Phang Khon approaches and the limited bike shops don’t have any gloves.  Hmm, you never seem to be able to find what you want when you need it.  85km down and just wanting a bed I decided to flag continuing for another 20km or so (which will just be backtracked the next day) to find Boonruam’s friend.  Would have been cool to meet him – that is if I found him as I was told just ask the locals where Tong lives and they’ll show you.

Found a quiet room and lots of food and I was happier again.

Sakon Nakhon – Arrived 1/6/2011

Woke up to the sound of rain.  I procrastinated for a bit hoping that it would ease off but no real chance so it was to be riding in the rain for the next 3 hours.  About 2 hours along it eased off but my feet and hands were pretty well pruned by then anyway.

Arriving into Sakon Nakhon was really nice.  Garden strip down the centre of the road and located along the edge of a lake. Seemed a relaxed town.

Hanging out in the local park helping to slay the dragon

This poor guy was stuck in the grass

I found a bike shop with some gloves.  The sizes don’t quite fit but it will do.  Will save my hands from getting baked in the sun though.

Happier again.

Nakhon Phanom – Arrived 2/6/2011

A really excited Thai guy pulled over to the side of the road after tooting when passing me, waved me down and was just so excited to see me touring it was fantastic!  He could speak a little English and asked me where I had been and was going.   Said I had gone through Cambodia

“You go to Siem Reap?” I reply yes and he gives a big grin and says

“Oh number one!”

I continue to say I have come up through Lahan Sai and past the temples

“Oh, you see Phanom Rung. Number one!” Massive grin and getting excited again

So I continue and say I’m heading into Laos and up north.

“Luang Prabang?! Number one!” Massive grin and excitement

He was classic and so keen to want to join in.  Kept me entertained for a while!

My first view of Laos

View from my room looking over to Laos

My final destination in Thailand – Nakhon Phanom.  I’m perched up on the 4^th floor (top) of a reasonably basic hotel just setback from the Mekong so I gaze out to Laos – very picturesque.  Laos looks to be a distinctively different looking country.  All I really see is bush with some signs of a city popping out of it then hills.  I think hills are going to sum up Laos especially for my planned route through the northern part.

It’s soon going to be time to say goodbye to 7-11 stores and all the convenient roadside shelters and continue into the unknown territory of Laos.  But first it was to be a feast from the night market and even to my luck there was a banana pancake cart!

The night market down the street