80 THAILAND (7)
1766 Kilometres – 36 Days
20 May – 15 June 2016
MAP
PHOTOS
19 May - Alor Setar, Malaysia – Hat Yai, Thailand - 106 km
The 60 kilometres to the border was uneventful, and navigating Thailand immigration a breeze. Then followed the usual SIM card and ATM prosudures, a further 57 kilometres cycle ride spat me out in Hat Yai. The area around the railway station came with a plethora of inexpensive digs. Park Hotel turned out quite reasonable at 350 Thai Baht (app. $10) for a sizable room sporting wi-fi and a bathroom.
20
May - Hat Yai – Phatthalung - 110 km
Departing
Hat Yai was along a rural route, and the day turned out pretty exciting. When
travelling by bicycle, one seldom flies under the radar, and my path led
slap-bang through the centre of the Friday market. It was clear the area was
off the beaten track as not only were all the road
signs in Thai, but my presence caused quite a stir and put the fear of God into
the kids. Villagers informed it was impossible to reach Bangkok by bicycle, and
not even the mange dogs gave chase. However, the main indicator that this was rural
Thailand was coming upon the “reading tree,” where a pair of communal reading
glasses were left hanging from a branch. The way ran past large rubber tree
plantations, small communities, and a multitude of temples.
I
even managed to fall off the bike, something not done in years. The tarmac
sloped so severely I slid right off. Oops. All of this occurred between bouts
of rain. Luckily, convenient shelters gave cover when the heavens opened.
Around 5 pm, I cycled, sopping wet, into Phutthalung, discovered a room, and hurried
to the night market. One should never go to the night market hungry; and I bought
far more than needed. My walk further revealed it was a Buddhist holiday, so no
beer was sold. Sigh!
21
May - Phutthalung – Thung Song - 90 km
A
vital document I’d sent via DHL from India never reached Cape Town
and more than two weeks later, still nada, nothing, niks. Oi, the Indian post,
and I didn’t get along very well. Of course, I’d a tracking number, but its
status was “number not activated.” Searching the internet revealed no telephone
number for Kochi DHL. The DHL customer care was equally useless. My only option
was to email Henry from Kevin’s Homestay (where I stayed) to ask him for help.
In the meantime, I scanned the area for a courier company to resend the
document; the closest DHL office was Krabi, 220 kilometres west. Arghh!
By
morning, I hung a flower garland on the bike, pulled my cap down and continued
north; what must be done, must be done. Seventy kilometres down the drag and 20
kilometres before the Krabi turn-off, an email came in from Henry. Not only did
he get me the number, but he physically went there, spoke to them, and gathered
all the details concerning the document and the new tracking number. There are fantastic
people in this world!
The
document arrived in Cape Town, but was on hold as the fee charged wasn’t sufficient
to cover delivery. Have you ever? I wondered how long it would’ve taken them to
contact me. It boggles the mind and there was no thanking Henry enough for his
efforts. However, Tung Song made a convenient place to overnight and ensured
all was sorted before proceeding.
22-23
May - Thung Song
An
additional day was spent in Thung Song to double-check that all was in order. In
the process, I ate everything in sight and only stopped short of going into
KFC. The eating started at the morning market and continued through the day, up
to the night market. The exciting part was coming upon a fascinating festival.
Devotees walked the streets revealing cheeks pierced by metal spikes,
accompanied by a procession of dancers/actors and, of course, the
ever-present fireworks. The affair was colourful and boisterous, not to mention
bizarre.
As
the day wore on, I felt increasingly weak; by evening, I’d quite a fever. I
feared I’d contracted dengue fever, as my whole body ached, and I’d an upset
stomach. The night was spent tossing and turning and 3:30 before dozing off. A
racquet outside my window woke me at 6.30, and I realised the fever had
subsided. How weird, having such a fever in the night and all gone by morning.
Once
off the beaten touristy track, little English was spoken. It wasn’t surprising,
as English isn’t one of Thailand’s official languages. English wasn’t even spoken
at the hotel I stayed, but then, it’s not too difficult to indicate your
intentions when walking through the doors of a hotel. Not feeling well, I toyed
with ordering a basic pizza instead of eating my usual fried noodles. Still, the
process proved a tad more complicated than foreseen. In the end, I gave up and ate
my traditional fried noodles. Word was received, the document posted in India was
traced, and (many phone calls later) had finally reached its destination.
Hallelujah!
24
May - Thung Song – Surat Thani - 110 km
Someone
asked if cycle touring was still exciting after nine years. Amazingly enough, a
new destination remained as exciting as the first day. Each day (weather providing)
put a big grin on my face and I believed myself one of the luckiest people on
the planet. Cycle touring may not always be easy or comfortable, but whose life
is devoid of ups and downs and saddle sores, figuratively speaking?
The
two days’ rest did me a world of good. Feeling energetic; not even the rain or
roadworks could damper my spirit. It rained the entire day but I clipped in my
flashing lights for added visibility and flew to Surat Thani. There must’ve been
a tailwind, as I seldom “flew” anywhere. Finally, accommodation uncovered at
the intersection of Route 44 and 41, allowed showering and donning dry clothes.
25
May - Surat Thani district – Roadside cottage - 110 km
The
day turned out another 110 km ride. The weather was cool and although a
constant drizzle prevailed, the rain didn’t bucket down as usual, and it felt like
I was burning up the tarmac. “Felt” being the operative word as, in reality, I never
burned up any road! There were heaps of lovely people en route; firstly a friendly
lady selling steamed palm cakes. They were delicious. The next stop was the
coconut sellers. The vendor handed me a unique coconut containing a shell filled
with jelly. Delicious, thirst-quenching, and cool, and she wanted no money. Following
110 km of riding, convenient chalets came into view. The price was reasonable,
and it sported a small shop selling crisps, beer, and cup noodles. I love it
when a plan comes together.
26
May - Roadside cottage – Chumphon – 90 km
The
rain continued throughout the night and was still drizzling by morning. Not particularly
good at waiting, I donned my plastic raincoat (cut in half to make cycling
easier) and headed to Chumphon. Fortunately, the weather soon cleared, and the
day became pleasant biking.
Ladies
sold steamed palm cakes, making a perfect breakfast stop. Thailand is aptly
known as the land of smiles, and during the day, I met tonnes of smiling faces,
from fruit sellers to plastic bottle collectors. What a friendly nation Thailand
is. The route went past beautiful temples and the ever-present durian vendors.
Chumphon
offered digs at the “Farang Bar,” which looked a tad worse for wear. The rooms were
basic, but one couldn’t complain about the price. Next, my wheel picked up a
severe wobble, and I searched for a bike shop. Food was, however, first on the
list. Fortunately, you don’t need to go far in Thailand; one could smell them
miles away. Finally, a bike shop and a new battery for the remote were located.
Unfortunately, the lack of English at the bike shop meant nothing got done.
What I did find was an extensive array of Dim Sum.
27
May - Chumphon
“Don’t
have” is the first line of defence when walking into a shop. Hence sorting out
the wheel not all easy. Moreover, one discovers how frustrating and challenging
communication can be when doing business in a foreign country. In general staff
became nervous seeing a Westerner heading to their store. Still, I persevered
and, in the end, found a second-hand rim, which hopefully would last until
Bangkok. In addition, a keyboard for the
laptop was located, seeing it lost the use of the bottom row of keys. And there
I thought the Mercury Retrograde was over.
Half-heartedly,
I cleaned the drizzled fuel mess off the bike, did the laundry, and cleaned my
water bottles, which by then had a lush growth of fungi. In the meantime, more
Dim Sum was consumed. I felt sorry for the French couple next door as the lady
contracted dengue fever and was very ill.
28
May - Chumphon – Thungwualaen Beach – 20 km
Chumphon
to Thungwualaen Beach was a mere 20 km, but one of my favourite beaches. However,
the place looked a tad forlorn. Still, my room wasn’t too bad at 300 baht but I
could tell by the droppings and the hole gnawed in the table I wasn’t the only
occupant.
29-30
May - Thungwualaen Beach – Bang Saphan Beach – 95 km
Feeling
lethargic, I soldiered on, past heaps of beachside accommodation, all looking extremely
inviting as they were right on the beach. The road ran past many a temple, all immensely
colourful and ornate. A few temples featured a Buddha sitting in the shade of a
multi-headed King Cobra. Known as the Naga Buddha, it’s believed the snake
protected the Buddha from the elements while attaining enlightenment. My route followed
the coast, and the recently resurfaced road was in perfect condition and
sported a lovely bicycle lane. The way crossed numerous rivers where fishing
boats were lying side by side, sometimes 3 or 4 deep. Smoke billowed from mobile
carts selling grilled fish and other delicious looking eats. The aroma was
enough to make anyone hungry.
Bang
Saphan Beach was reached early, even though the way was slightly hillier. I
only mentioned this as southern Thailand is pan
flat, and one seldom encounters any hills.
An
additional day was spent in Bang Saphan as ample time remained to reach
Bangkok. The plan was to meet Tania in Bangkok in two weeks for a 6-week touring
holiday in Southeast Asia. There thus remained plenty of time to get myself to
Bangkok and I therefore went for a jog but didn’t go far, maybe only 5 or 6 km,
as the beach wasn’t long. Early morning the weather was already boiling, and
the Thais must’ve considered me insane. In general, Thais don’t like doing
exercise. When they do, it’s indoors, i.e. their love for badminton and table
tennis. If they thought me strange cycling (while they all have bicycles), you
could imagine their surprise seeing a person running.
31
May–2 June - Bang Saphan Beach – Prachaup Khiri Khan – 93 km
I
emerged tired as half the night was spent chasing cockroaches. As soon as the
light was off, they came out. Sandal in hand, I gave chase, but they gave me a
good run for my money. These wee buggers were
as fast as lightning. In the morning, I left Bang Saphan with a pack of dogs in
hot pursuit and I could’ve sworn we were followed by an intrusion of
cockroaches. Cartoon style, I gripped the handlebars, pushed my elbows out,
made myself flat, and gunned it as fast as possible. The entire neighbourhood’s
dogs wanted a piece of me that day. Mercifully, a smaller path veered off, and they
gave up.
Nearly
the entire way to Prachuap, the road hugged the coast, a paradise. Low-key
accommodation lined the beach, consisting of bungalows barely visible behind
bougainvillaea and frangipanis. The only sign of life was often a lone hammock
strung between two palm trees, lazily swinging in the slight breeze. Bliss! The
area was rural; chickens darted across the path, men fished in small dugout
canoes, temples, shrines, and the ever-present snakes abounded. I’m sure
Thailand has the largest population of snakes in the world. It’s a miracle I
didn’t cycle over any. The weather looked ominous, but I pushed on, wondering
if it was possible to out cycle the approaching storm. Amazingly enough, my
destination was reached without getting soaked. In hindsight, it was a good day
as neither the dogs, snakes, nor rain caught me—pity about those darn
cockroaches. I swear I’m not making this up.
It
dawned bright and sunny and I went for a run. The promenade stretched a good
few kilometres, both north and south, making an enjoyable run. I jogged past
the pier, a resident troop of monkeys, and the Khao Chong Krachok hill temple
before returning to Maggie’s Homestay. Maggie’s wasn’t only dirt cheap but a pleasant
place to stay. As a result one more day was spent in Prachuap Khiri Khun,
especially following rumours of torrential rain.
3
June - Prachuap Khiri Khun – Khao Sam Roi National Park - 70 km
Hanging
out at Maggie’s Homestay, shooting the breeze with the other travellers, came
easily. Most of the people at Maggie’s seemed to do long stints in Thailand. We
drank a few beers and I debated staying another day,
but moving on is what I did.
I
thus saddled up and pointed the bike in the direction of the nearby National
Park. The park was home to roughly six caves, and investigating the Phraya
Nakhon Cave sounded fun. I met a family on bikes en route - mum, dad, and three
kids ranging between one and six years of age. How cool is that? Mum carried
the littlest one in front in a kind of baby seat and the middle one behind her
while dad was on a recumbent with the eldest; needless to say, they were loaded.
I tip my hat to them.
An
abode right along the river lured me in and I soon set out in the direction of Phraya
Nakhon Cave. Getting to the cave involved cycling to the beach, taking a boat
around the headland, and a steep walk up the mountain. The cave housed a
beautiful temple, but no light came through the cave ceiling.
4
June - Khao Sam Roi National Park – Cha-Am – 80 km
I’d
difficulty dragging myself from under the white linen (an absolute novelty), as
I rarely
enjoyed the luxury of a room that gave any cover, let alone white linen.
Moreover, Thailand’s weather is far too hot and humid, and thus no need for
blankets or even a sheet.
I
set off through the hills of the National Park - my African music going full blast.
Indecisive about overnighting in Hua Hin, I continued to Cha-Am. At first, I considered
giving Cha-Am a miss, but Bangkok was a comfortable two-day ride away.
Moreover, I wasn’t happy finding a tick on me, even though getting tick-bite
fever was unlikely. Still, I wasn’t too fond of these pests. The reports of
rabid dogs in the area were far more worrying.
5
June - Cha-Am - Samut Songkhram – 90 km
The
stretch between Cha-Am and Samut Songkhram was varied and scenic. Not only was
the way dotted with interesting food and drinks stands, but ran past salt
farms, tiny fishing villages, temples, and
mangrove swamps. Crab fishing was at the order of the day and almost every
stall offered cooked crab. Add an excellent road featuring a cycle lane, and
the ride was pleasurable.
Albeit
blistering hot I rolled into Samut Songkhram early and headed to Hometown
Hostel. The hostel is lovely, offering modern air-con dorms, clean bathrooms,
and friendly staff. Once unpacked, a beeline was made for the markets as they
were already in full swing. Samut Songkhram is home to the fascinating railway
market that spills onto the railway line. Canopies hurriedly get taken down
when a train approaches. However, once the train has passed, the whole shebang goes
back into place, and trade continues.
6-12
June - Samut Songkhram – Bangkok – 90 km
One
good thing about cycle touring is travelling along minor and rural country
roads. It’s incredible how rural the area along the outskirts of mighty
Bangkok was. People lived along and from the many rivers and canals, and taxi
stands were longtail boat jetties. Meeting a broom and feather duster salesman,
as well as an elephant carer, wasn’t unusual. Still, in both cases, our
conversation was limited. All went well until around midday, after which I
started feeling feverish and my entire body started aching, from my hair
follicles to my ankles. Drained of all energy, I pushed on, remembering my
motto, I’ll get there if I keep going forward. I honestly didn’t think I could
finish the last 20 km, and even reverted to my counting method.
As
if feeling this dreadful wasn’t enough, the traffic was horrendous as I somehow
landed upon a route where the new Skytrain was under construction—what a mess.
Once in Bangkok, it was straight to my old go-to guesthouse only to find they
no longer existed. I’d no energy to search for alternative accommodation and opted
for the first available place and flopped onto the bed, shaking like a leaf and
vomiting each morsel consumed that day. Phew, what a day. In hindsight, I’ve no
idea how I managed to cycle the 90 km from Samut Songkhram. In the following
days I went from bad to worse. Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease, which
has no treatment
as yet. True to its name, the condition is characterised by a high fever,
severe body aches and pains, headaches and the distinctive pain behind the
eyes, nausea and vomiting. The body aches and pains came as shooting pains
leaving me moaning and groaning at the slightest movement. It was virtually
impossible to eat anything as all came straight out. The only medication
available was treating the symptoms, and I stocked up with painkillers and
anti-nausea tablets. It felt like I slept 40 days and 40 nights, and surfaced with
half my body weight. Still, I don’t recommend Dengue as a weight loss programme.
All
the time, I was aware Tania was arriving in a few days, and there I was, lying
without even being able to walk to the corner store, let alone cycle around
Southeast Asia.
June
13-15 - Bangkok
Mercifully,
the day Tania arrived, I
finally turned the corner and felt marvellous compared to the previous days. I’d
breakfast which miraculously stayed down and even managed a cup of coffee. Of
all things, I missed my coffee the most. Around midday, Tania arrived, and I
was impressed by her packing skills; all her stuff neatly fitted into her bike
box and one other bag. All I needed was to get myself into cycling shape, so we
could explore Southeast Asia. Arggh. I wish I were feeling 100% already. As the
days wore on, I felt stronger and stronger; we explored Bangkok and its
alleyways by eating food from the many street vendors, and in general, enjoying
the craziness of Bangkok.
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