CYCLE TOURING THAILAND (11) - MEETING TANIA

 

Thailand (11)

635 Km – 11 Days

21 August – 26 August 2017

MAP

PHOTOS

 

21 August - Vientiane, Laos – Udon Tani, Thailand - 87 km

I departed Christian’s place, dropped the key at his work and cycled to the immigration. Seeing I already had a Thai visa, a simple stamp allowed me into the country. No sooner had I crossed the border and rain came pelting down. It rained hard enough for me to seek shelter, luckily it soon cleared, and it became a comfortable ride to Udon Tani.

There wasn’t a great deal of venturing off-road as the heavy rains from the past few weeks left practically all rural roads muddy or washed away. Nevertheless, the few times I did were a pleasure. I enjoy few things as much as biking along country lanes in the company of villagers on their fixies. The rain further caused ponds and dams to be filled to the brim, and farmers were fishing and harvesting lotus flowers.

The Kings Hotel was a no brainer as the place was inexpensive and offered air-con and hot water.

 

22 August - Udon Tani – Namphongkao – 105 km

I couldn’t find any decent minor routes, and the main road was a tedious affair. Finally, I uncovered digs in the small village of Namphongkao and had plenty of time to attend to outstanding matters. I even did laundry. The problem with stopping early was I ate non-stop.

 

23 August - Namphongkao – Kaeng Khro police station - 120 km

The ride to Kaeng Khro turned out quite enjoyable. The thing about cycling is that generally, riding is more fun than writing about it or reading about someone’s ride. I largely followed small paths through tiny settlements and landed at Kaeng Khro, where I camped at the police station.

 

24 August - Kaeng Khro – Chatturat - 85 km

I packed up my tent under the watchful eyes of the villagers and police. They seemed to find the process intriguing. I was convinced I was becoming a hermit, as all I wanted was to be out of the public eye. I felt sluggish: maybe it was due to riding into a headwind. I thus called it a day in Chatturat, as there was no point in riding if not enjoyable. I treated myself to a room at the Ratchanee Place Hotel, as I was desperate to get a shower and charge my devices.

I hated having a destination; it seemed I couldn’t enjoy myself if I knew where I was heading. Still, I’d to get to Bangkok; the sooner, the better.

 

25 August - Chatturat – Tha Luang – 128 km

I was up surprisingly early and pedalled out of Chatturat. At first, I followed Route 201, but it turned out somewhat monotonous. I thus veered off but found the route hilly and into a headwind, a sure recipe for a slow ride. I even biked past a wind farm, not something one often encounters in Southeast Asia. I was surprised at the size of these turbines as they are considerably larger than they look from afar.

Not long afterwards, I encountered a long descend and soon sailed into Tha Luang. The wind and the hills made challenging riding, and I was starving when I reached Tha Luang. So I bought two meals (green curry and stir-fried rice), a piece of cake, a packet of crisps, a Pepsi and beer. Then, with all dangling from my handlebars, I settled for the first digs came upon and spent the remainder of the evening devouring my rations.

 

26 August - Tha Luang – Nong Khae – 110 km

Not a great deal happened during the day, and the hilly parts were the most exciting. Once on level ground, not a significant amount of interest occurred. I could’ve turned off Lopburi or Ayuttaya, but I’ve been there a few times and opted for the more direct route to the capital.

 

27 – 31 August – Nong Khae - Bangkok – 93 km

I emerged to bucketing rain; mercifully, the weather subsided. However, it still made a messy and rain-soaked ride into Bangkok. I slinked into vast and bustling Bangkok along a canal (or klong as it’s known). Not only was the traffic light, but it also gave a great insight into the life of ordinary Thai people. Temples, markets and stalls selling banana hearts abounded. I pedalled past bizarre shrines, giant Buddha statues, houses precariously balancing on stilts and people fishing, making use of “Chinese fishing nets”. Smoke billowed from barbecue stands selling tiny slivers of meat and rice wrapped in banana leaves.

With almost 30 km to go, I’d to leave the canal and followed the railway tracks where they were busy constructing an extension of the Skytrain—all making an easy ride into the Big Mango. Finally, I returned to my old joint, and it felt like arriving home. I love Bangkok with all its madness, tourists, narrow alleys, food vendors and mobile clothes carts.

There were heaps to do before meeting Tania on her ride to Hanoi. But, first, I needed to take the bicycle for a service, stock up on essentials and take the bus to Pattaya to sort out a few things at the condo.

Once all was done, I returned to Bangkok, where I found Tania ready to roll.