On the Way to Bangkok

Bang Saphan – Arrived 11/4/11:

Look how fast I'm moving my head!

Found some nice quiet coastal roads to cycle along, trying to avoid the main highway as much as possible.  Very happy with my phone too having the GPS capability as without it I would be getting lost very quickly.  In fact I tend to get marginally lost with it maybe that’s more the user though!

Bang Saphan itself nothing particularly great.  Got some pics of the fishing boats at night for ya though.

Prap Khiri Khan – Arrived 12/4/11:

The Temple

On the way up the coast I stumbled across where I should have stayed the previous night.  20km out of Bang Saphan were beautiful white sandy beaches and awesome looking resorts everywhere, beach soccer and one very impressive temple.  It was up the most ridiculously steep hill by worth loosing 15 litres of sweat over.  The note on the entrance to the temple said “appropriate clothing must be worn” – a sweaty tee and cycle shorts?  Huge inside.  Not allowed to take any photos sorry.

Entertainment at Prap Khiri Khan… monkeys.  There was a strip of land that they just ruled.  Signs aying ‘Don’t Feed Monkeys’ but everyone feed them there leftovers.  Corn strewn everywhere and monkeys running wild.  I think the main thing confining them was the busy intersections they couldn’t cross otherwise they would be ruling the whole city!

The drying racks for the days catch

How many monkeys can you count? I got 14, but
that is only a wee gang 

You're not meant to feed the monkeys!

Oh and I ate this thing.  Tasted like a chewy
glue blob covered in peanuts and coconut.
Not a fan.

Hua Hin – Arrived 13/4/11:

Towards the end the days water celebrations.
 It may look like it has been raining but it hasn't

So this is the Thai new year.  They paint themselves in a white paste thing and have massive water fights.  Was all good and fun for a while on the bike until I just started getting picked on by every truck passing me and soaking me.  Tired, hot and just wanting a room but all I got was wet and splashed in white paint stuff.  Makes me sound like such a kill joy.  Better looking back on it in hindsight.  No decent photos sorry in fear of ruining my camera.  Just imagine a 3 lane dual road bumper to bumper in traffic with about 17 people standing on the deck of every car (your standard hilux – I don’t even know how they all fit on?!) with a 44 gallon drum of water going mental.  It was mental.

Ban Laem – Arrived 14/4/11:

The straights

A bit more water thrown at me along the roads.

Lots of straight long roads.  Something like the Ashburton straights but at 47^oC and salt fields everywhere. I’m parched as bro.

No accommodation and pretty smashed.

I got talking and hand gesturing to a lady.  We confused each other, called a couple of her mates, talked to them on the phone, got directions to go back from where I came from,  called another friend, she came and translated for us. 

“We have a bungalow but mosquito’s.  You have spray?”

“Yea all good.” I just wanted something

“You follow us”

Wooden shed, over the salt fields, going to bitten to death (literally from malaria).  Apparently what they meant was; we know a mint place that will serve you dinner and breakfast and has a clean, tidy, air conditioned room. I have no idea how that worked out.

The endless salt fields.  They more or less streched
 from Phetchaburi to Bangkok (some 200km)

Sunset outside my room

Laem Thaem to Bang Saphan

A wee video test to give a real experience of what I'm doing...  Nice quiet roads alongside the coast.

Laem Thaem or there abouts...

Arrived 10/4/11:

Chumphon approached quick and is a pretty dirty place.  Left there and aimed for somewhere up the coast. Surely something.  Got some random directions from the people where I stopped for lunch – even a map drawn for me.

The small circle is where I strated, aiming
for Pathiu or Laem Thaem (30km away)

Everything going smooth, made another friend along the way at a big temple place, came to Pathiu… no where to stay.

“go to the airport, they will have something”.  Fair call. Nothing.  

“Go to the beach there is lots”  Headed off again down a massive road that no one uses, the few houses I see are all fenced off, everything is in Thai, can’t see the beach, turnoffs I should maybe go down, just super.  Rode down what could have been a runway, 2km long 20m wide and no one around.  A food house!

“Sa wat dee krap.  Bahn pak yoo tee nai?” (local jargen, I’m pretty much fluent in saying “hello, where is a guesthouse?”)

“Ah 2km” and points.

Beach side room and food.  Sweet.  Getting marginally lost is good!

Dinner on the beach looking out onto the ocean watching all the fishing boats lit up.  A very romantic dinner for one!

Smashed 120km which is great and I think I know where to go tomorrow…

Me and my buddy

Endless beaches along the Laem Thaem coastline

Dinner on the beach

Kraburi

Arrived 9/4/11:

Batman's cave with shrine.  (masses of bats inside)

So some deep and meaningful thoughts about Thailand.  It is such a contrasting country.  One moment you bike past very basic homes (built from all local materials within 100m of the house) the next there is a modern house – big, flash and shiny decorative tiling everywhere.  Every place I have gone through so far has masses of lush rainforest surrounding yet the towns themselves are very industrial and I expect it will be like that all the way to Bangkok.  Then Bangkok will be a megacity.

The sign!

Kraburi I thought I was going to be out of luck with accommodation until I randomly saw a sign and followed some signs into the middle of nowhere and turned out to be what has been the nicest accommodation so far and pretty cheap for what I’m getting.  Struggled with communicating but the guy has been great to me.  Cooked and served me dinner at a grand outdoor table, all smiles and very friendly.  Breakfast (instant coffee and crackers) served to my door and then he helped me gear up my bike and wished me good luck. Awesome.

Then there is the other side.  Everywhere has a strong smell of something not quite right, rubbish littered all along the road side, very brown rivers and the occasional tout (con-artiest).  I had my first experience (I think) of a form of tout today.  Wanted to show me around and take me to his bar and bungalow and then just followed me around while I rode around. I played nice and just said no to everything and he finally left me.  It gave me a funny feeling of mistrust and unease which so far has not been the case in Thailand everyone is happy, smiles at you and says HELLO!

I suppose it is all just the way of a developing country.

Climbed my steepest hill today. Granny gear. Great descent though.  I’m sure there is going to be bigger.

Dinner at the grand table.  Love plastic plates.

Finally

Some awesome seat carvings

Sweet!

Ranong

Arrived 8/4/2011

Ranong - one of the bigger desolate
buildings I've seen

The supposed to be shorter day – felt long and tiring hopefully some fitness will kick at some stage.  I have decided I am a Mule.  Slow, steady and carrying a lot of weight for no real reason.  There are some differences between us I like to think - hopefully I'll still be fertile after all this riding!  Saw another cyclist and had minimal gear.  I think I’m learning the hard way of the need to pack light.  I am now thinking that maybe it was fate that I broke my speedo as it is rather depressing looking at the speeds I go! Life ay! All very depressing… but I have an air con room and had a massive feed.

The big archways and shrines for the King and
Prince pretty impressive.  You'll find them in the
 middle of town, on a corner and half way
to nowhere along a highway

Apparently Thai people never sleep.  All night there is music cranking and the people in the next room sounded like they were yelling at each other.  And if they do sleep, they get up at 5am.  Just chill out and sleep a bit people! 

I was tempted to get some fries from a cafe today.  I withstood the urge and had a pork and flat noodle soup instead - similar.

A nice evening run along the Ranong River

Kapoe

Arrived 7/4/11:

The first proper day of riding - 115km, 15km longer than I wanted and that was pushing it. A slightly tenderised bum and hungry by the time I finally arrived a Kapoe.  The up side is a shorter day tomorrow… well, we’ll see how it goes.  Had a wee spout of afternoon monsoon rain.  Found a shelter sat, snoozed and waited half an hour before it eased off and starting clearing. 

Pull!

I was put to shame today.  Came across a Danish fella who had started riding 6 months ago from Denmark and only had two rear panniers and a tent strapped to the carrier.  How he managed that I have no idea but has made me think about the kitchen sink that I brought!

I also had the treat today of seeing an elephant in action.  All roped up hauling a massive tree up a bank to the side of the road.  It was pretty impressive.  A couple of wheelies then it managed to pull it up – very powerful.

I think I made my first friend in Kapoe if only for about 5 minutes. Wondering to the local market and a kid drives past asking "where you go?" "market" jumped on and he took me there.

Taking pissing in the shower to a new level.

Takua Pa and Khao Sok National Park

Arrived 5/4/11


So I thought it was interesting / difficult enough to get around Khao Lak but that place is set up for tourists.

My first day of cycling an easy 30km into Takua Pa.  Started riding realise my speedo was broken – I had crushed the cable, idiot. I hadn’t even started riding and I had already broken something and something pretty helpful and important. Oh well shit happens.  Stumbled across a bike shop in Takau Pa and with many gestures got a new speedo and with even more difficultly I asked to pump my tyres up more with a floor pump.  Wow that was a hard to explain.  Mai kow jai, mai kow jai (I don’t understand) the lady kept saying.  Tyre – pump – me use? How else do you break it down! So I just grabbed a pump and pointed then two guys came out and did it for me, sweet.

Sorting accommodation: “Room, two nights? Me, two nights stay. One, two nights.  Tonight and tomorrow.”

And I have a room.

Dinner.  “Do you have a menu?”

“only in Thai.  Chicken?”

“Yes, fried rice” – token white boy

I need to learn Thai quick!

The night market works well though just point and take who knows what you get until you eat it!

There it is hiding in the greenery

Khao Sok National Park:

Khao Sok National Park was alright. I made the mistake of not allowing enough time to actually get over to the lake and see the renowned krast landforms that I wanted to see but I'm sure something else will come along later.  Instead I just took a guided walk through a section of the park with Adam (probably has another name in Thai...).  Communication was a bit of a struggle.  He'd rattle on about something and I'd pick up a couple words then simile and nod while he waited for me to answer.  "...sorry what did you say?" Classic. He knew a good bit about the place and happy to grab everything. Some funny creatures in there and I was lucky enough to see a Black Monkey - although very briefly.  Spiders (not a fan), Cameleons or similar (lizard things) and flying lizard things and lots and lots of bamboo.

I was told just to hold its tail as it bits
"not bad, not poison, but it bite"

I also got to experience my first belt of monsoon rain, luckily undercover.  A wise man once told me that when it rains it pours, and it poured.  Then the sun came out and hour later, sweet.

Ginger plants apparently,
well the roots of them.

"ah Adam, there's an f 'n' big spider on your face." 

The flying lizard. 

Some of the Krast landforms. I think the ones
on the lake would be a bit more impressive

Rain