 71 THAILAND (4)Bangkok - Cambodia338 Kilometres - 7 Days26 April - 3 May 2015
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26-27
April - Mae Sot – Bangkok - By bus - 31 km
Priority was to get to the South African
Embassy in Bangkok to apply for a new passport. At the time Thailand
only granted a 2-week stay at land borders and having to apply for a new
passport and cycle to the nearest border, I didn’t waste any time. I hurriedly
packed up and cycled to the bus station but discovered the next bus was only at
18h50. After purchasing the ticket, I returned to the hotel, left my bike in
their care, and went on a walkabout. It soon became too hot out and I returned
to the hotel’s coolness.
The
bus ride to Bangkok turned out comfortable and a relatively pleasant journey. I
must’ve lapsed into a slumber as I woke with a start at the ungodly hour of 3
in the morning. The bus came to a stop at the Bangkok bus terminal. Feeling disoriented,
I hurried off the bus to collect my bicycle and panniers. The bus station was
about 10 - 15 kilometres out of town and surrounded by road works as a new
metro line was being constructed. The nightly rain made the roads wet and muddy
as I set off into the darkness through muddy puddles, hoping they didn’t hide
any uncovered utility holes. One can easily disappear down them, never to be
seen again. I assumed biking into Bangkok would be easy at such an early hour,
but the lack of streetlights made the ride somewhat nerve-wracking. The streets
were eerily quiet, with only the homeless, drunk and truly weird out at that
time. I giggled, realising I was out there too and could easily have fallen
into one or more categories.
28-30
April - Bangkok
The
following day was a busy one at the Embassy organising a new passport and it almost
felt like being back at work, filling in forms and paying money. I haven’t done
any such thing in a long while and couldn’t say I liked it.
Suddenly,
I noticed men in suits, briefcases in hand, talking on mobile phones. I
overheard people making deals, their body language and tone of voice made my
stomach turn. I felt incredibly pleased it wasn’t me sitting at that table. I
walked right past them, licking my ice cream, smiling, thinking, “been there,
done that”, and feeling grateful for being homeless, having only my iron horse
and a tent. But then thought I might change my mind about that statement pedalling
up the next mountain pass.
1
May - Bangkok – Chachoengsao - 85 kilometres
There
was nothing more I could do about the passport but wait until it arrived,
estimated at five months! With my passport only having two empty pages left but
five months on my hands, I considered it best to explore the rest of South-East
Asia, albeit a second time. It took the best part of the day to get out of vast
and busy Bangkok.
2
May - Chachoengsao - Sa Kaeo - 125 kilometres
The
day turned out another scorcher. Mercifully, around midday, clouds gathered and
soon big, big raindrops started falling, not something I was unhappy about. In
no time at all, the rain came bucketing down to such an extent it was best to
find shelter. A conveniently located roadside restaurant made a perfect spot to
grab a cup of coffee. The lady spoke no English, and me (obviously) no Thai.
She knew I wanted coffee but not which one and pointed to the menu on the wall.
What are the chances one can read Thai when unable to speak it? Still, it was a
good cup of coffee. Sa Kaeo was only about 30 kilometres further. Not being in
any hurry, I took my time drinking the coffee while waiting until the storm had
passed.
Once
in Sa Kaeo, a building along the main road resembled a hotel and even though there
were no English signs, I stopped to inquire. At least this time, the
receptionist used a calculator to indicate the room rate.
3
May - Sa Kaeo, Thailand – Saophoan (Sisophon), Cambodia - 107 kilometres
On
reaching the border at Po Pet, one left organised Thailand and entered a
slightly more chaotic Cambodia. The border crossing was made even more so as it
formed part of the Border Market. One needed to weave your way through the warren
of stalls until reaching the immigration office.
Once
in Cambodia, the route headed east in the direction of Siem Reap. An excellent
paved road, albeit not an exciting one led past stilted houses and dry rice
paddies. I was going like the clappers, trying to out-cycle the approaching
storm, wondering if it would be possible to make it to Saophoan without becoming
soaked.
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