CYCLE TOURING THAILAND (19.2)- 2019

THAILAND (19.2)

1261 Kilometres - 18 Days
10 November – 27 November 2019

PHOTOS

MAP

 

10 November - Jomtien – Chonburi – 65 km

After months and months of frustration in getting my bank to send me my cards, the cards eventually arrived. Still, it remained impossible to transfer funds from South Africa to a Thailand bank account. Eventually, I flew to South Africa, opened an FNB account and transferred the money, hallelujah! Back in Thailand, it took more than a month to sort out all that needed sorting out, and to rent out the two units purchased, phew!

You can, thus, understand my excitement, locking the condo and getting on the bike to resume my journey. The first 20 kilometres took weaving through the Pattaya traffic until the route spat me out in the countryside. A huge weight lifted off my shoulders, and a big grin crossed my face as I, at last, made my way past familiar temples and cassava plantations.

Chonburi signalled the end of the day's ride and where the beachfront was swarming with holidaymakers as Thailand was preparing to celebrate Loy Krathong, the Festival of Light. Accommodation was at a discount as owners were frantically trying to fill their rooms and a ground-floor room, one road back from the beach, came at only 300 Thai baht. The room was odd and tiled in white tiles from floor to ceiling, and the toilet flushed with a bucket. I couldn’t care as I was as happy as the proverbial pig being, once again, on the road to nowhere.

It took time to sort out the panniers as things were hurriedly thrown in at random, and there was a considerable amount of sorting out to do, something which took the best part of the evening.

 

11 November - Chonburi - Pha Pradaeng – 110 km

What a long and varied day it turned out. Clearing the northern tip of the Gulf of Thailand was never a pleasant cycling experience. Sprawling Bangkok stretches down the mighty Chao Praya River to where it eventually drains into the Gulf of Thailand. That said, for the first 20 kilometres, the route led along the shallow waters of the Northern Gulf with its abundance of birdlife and fishing opportunities. A tranquil restaurant on stilts lured me in for a refreshing cup of iced coffee, where I sat watching and dreaming, realising how lucky I was to be there until it dawned upon me there was still a way to go.

The next 10 kilometres, was in hectic traffic along a busy highway, leading into Bangkok. Mercifully, it came with a service road running alongside; still it became a lead-laden, fume-inhaling ride. Once across the Bang Pakong River (waiting to be explored) a smaller road veered off, which became a far more pleasant ride through rural Thailand, or at least as rural as that part of Thailand can be.

Eventually, the road took me back to the dreaded Sukhumvit Road. Surprisingly, a country lane ran along the opposite side of a canal, which made a peaceful ride past villagers relaxing in the shade of large trees and past ducks waddling across the path. Add to that a ferry ride across the mighty Chao Phraya River saving a long and congested trip via the main road it turned out not such a bad day after all.

The day's ride ended when the Rimnam Hotel appeared, and what a lucky find. The hotel was situated along the Bang Khru canal where Loi Krathong festivities were in full swing. People were eating, drinking and families bought decorated offerings in the form of floating flowers, incense and candles, which were lit and allowed to float downstream. I was impressed to see most were biodegradable.

 

12 November - Pha Pradaeng – Samut Songkhram – 79km

Leaving the night's bare-boned digs was without coffee, as the room only had one plug socket, and the cup water-heater couldn’t make a connection. It didn’t surprise me as it was a budget room and very few things were in working order. A few kilometres further, and after clearing most of the early morning traffic, breakfast was from a roadside stall. This was always interesting as one never knew what was inside those banana-leaf parcels.

Albeit trying my utmost to find smaller roads, I remained very much in the thick of things. Only towards the end of the day, the path cleared the worst of the horrendous Bangkok traffic. The area between Samut Songkhram and Bangkok mainly consisted of low-lying, swampy land. Nearly all houses were on stilts, and general activities centred around fish, being catching it, drying it or manufacturing nets or boats. I, therefore, coasted along past mangroves, across canals (with steep bridges), and tropical-looking rivers where one could hear longtail boats but were unable to see them for the dense vegetation.

The short distance to Samut Songkhram made an early arrival, allowing plenty of time to rinse cycling gear and charging devices. At sunset, the famous food stands made their appearance, and the main street became jam-packed with stalls frying, grilling and steaming their respective delicacies. There wasn’t a great deal suitable to vegetarians, but I managed to locate a few nibbles and with my bounty bagged, returned to my abode.

 

13 November - Samut Songkhram – Cha-Am – 113 km

The next day I zigzagged through the countryside along smaller roads, and from time to time discovered the route ended abruptly. It nevertheless remained lovely to amble aimlessly, mostly past salt farms where the salt had only just started to form and would still be a few months before it could be harvested.

I’d biked this route on many occasions and, stayed over in Cha-Am where I didn’t frequently overnight. Cha-Am wasn’t significantly different from Pattaya and seemed largely to cater to older European men on the prowl for young women. This lifestyle surely seemed to have given the men a new lease on life as the parties continued until the wee hours of the morning. Good for them, and I hope they treated the girls with respect.

 

14-15 February – Cha-Am – Hua Hin – 31 km

From Cha-Am to Hua Hin was a short ride, a blessing as I felt tired. Once in Hua Hin, I headed straight to Bird Guesthouse, my old favourite on stilts over the water. It took no time at all to plop myself down, glass of wine in hand, gazing out over the ocean.

The following day was spent doing laundry and shopping for items I didn’t pack, all of which I found at the well-stocked supermarket. The Huahin bike shop provided a new back tyre, and being an unfamiliar name (CST Pedium), I wondered how it would fair.

By evening, I met up with Gavin, who lived in Hua Hin at the time and, as can be expected, far too many beers were consumed.

 

16-17 November - Hua Hin – Prachuap Khirrikhan – 118 km

It came as no surprise I didn’t feel too bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and ummed and aahed whether to stay another day. Eventually, I dragged my alcohol-soaked body out of the guesthouse and got on the bicycle in the direction of Prachuap. There was no display of speed as I forced my unwilling legs to pedal on, stopping ever so often to fill up with water as I’d the mother of all thirsts.

Eventually, I pedalled into Prachuap where I bunked down at the old faithful, Maggie’s Homestay, where a bed was only 220 THB.

As Maggie’s was inexpensive and centrally located with water purifying and washing machines, staying one more day was a no-brainer. It allowed doing laundry and buying a pair of cycling gloves which I miraculously lost. How do you lose your cycling gloves?

 

18 November – Pratchuap – Bangsapan Beach – 110 km

Not much happened along the way, although it was comfortable riding, flush next to the coast. Once in Bangsapan, it took cycling around to locate an inexpensive room. In the end, I settled for a 400 THB bungalow - a lovely place with aircon where I’ll stay again when in the area.

 

19 November - Bangsapan Beach – Chumphon – 112 km

Following coffee, the first stop was at a nearby cave. The first one was a bit of a walk up the mountain, and the overgrown path indicated not many ventured up there. The cave had plenty of natural light, and one could wander about without a soul in sight except the many hungry mosquitos who made sure I didn’t linger. The second one looked lovely, but was pitch dark and not possible to enter without light.

The rest of the day was spent searching to find more caves or other interesting things. Still, there wasn’t much, and I proceeded to Chumphon where a conveniently situated hotel allowed wheeling the bike right inside.

 

20 November – Chumphon – Pak Nam Langsuan – 86 km

Following the previous night’s decision to catch the night ferry to Koh Tao I was slow in rising, especially as it started drizzling and the ferry wasn’t until 7 p.m. There wasn’t a great deal to do in Chumphon and, following a few hours of waiting, I loaded up and pedalled out of Chumphon as I lacked the tolerance to wait the entire day for a ferry.

The weather cleared, and it became a pleasant cloud-covered ride through the countryside. At around 60 kilometres, a conveniently located restaurant called for a lunch of fried rice, following which the path proceeded along the coast. No sooner had I left, and a massive storm rolled in from the Gulf of Thailand, complete with horizontal rain and wind. I pushed onwards regardless, and at times feared the wind could blow the bicycle from under me. There wasn’t much one could do but don a plastic raincoat, pull the cap down as low as it would go and push on. The dirt road became a muddy mess, and the heavy rain made poor visibility. At around 85 kilometres, I was relieved to spot a bungalow tucked behind banana plants. At first, there was no one in sight. Still, I kept calling, “Sawadee! Sawadee!” Eventually, a young lady appeared, obviously taken by surprise at the presence of a drenched farang on a bike.

She pointed me to a wooden bungalow situated right on the water’s edge, and I mean right on the water, to such an extent I feared the tide could take both me and bungalow into the ocean. The room was no larger than the bed and the bathroom – clearly, an afterthought as it was a few steps lower than the room and consisted of a squat toilet and what I call a “mundy” (a concrete reservoir from which one scooped water to use as a shower). I thought it the most magical place I’ve ever stayed. Right on the beach and all at 250 Thai baht! I hoped the tide wouldn’t come in any higher as I could see the sand through the floorboards! Being low tide at the time, I guessed anything could happen.

I was equally happy I’d lunch as there were no food stalls and I had to make do with cup-noodles. The landowner, a fisherman, and his family invited me to share their dinner, but I declined as their crab and fish looked barely enough to feed them.

 

21 November - Pak Nam Langsuan - Surat Thani – 124 km

I was relieved to wake in the morning and still find the bungalow standing and the sea considerably calmer than the previous day. The owner brought coffee, and I drank it while sitting on my little veranda while he inspected the sea conditions. With only a small boat, I didn’t think there was any chance of him going out in such a rough sea.

The route to Surat Thani was a particularly scenic stretch as it zigzagged through the countryside, mainly sticking close to the coast and past quintessential Thailand scenery of limestone pinnacles and picture-postcard white sandy beaches. The day was predominantly cloudy with a drizzle every so often. Five kilometres from Surat, the weather came in as I made my way into the city in the pouring rain. It’s always a tad stressful biking into a town (even a small one) in afternoon traffic and bucketing rain, all while trying to read a map.

Surat Thani sported the My Place Hotel, a bargain at 230 Thai Baht and where I headed straight to the shower. Supper was from the night market, conveniently located around the corner.

The next day was also spent in Surat as the hotel was cheap, and I was in dire need of doing laundry. There wasn’t much to do in Surat, as the town was primarily a transport hub and jumping-off point to the nearby islands. I liked places like that as they were typical Thai towns where people went about their usual tasks without catering to tourists. Streets were lined with temples and shops selling temple paraphernalia. Markets sold fish and vegetables, and the alleys were lined with rice stores where it appeared a great deal of their time was spent chasing greedy pigeons trying to eat away at their profit.

 

23 November – Surat Thani – Tha Khuen – 108 km

The pleasant weather made easy cycling and the main road out of Surat a good one through scenic countryside. I stayed on that route, planning to exit later but somehow never did as it was quiet with a good shoulder. The path was littered with small villages, roadside stalls and the ever-present Buddhist temples. I finished the days ride at a convenient “24-hour” which provided a bed and this time a “normal” bathroom!

 

24 November – Tha Khuen – Hua Sai – 115 km

I left my luxury accommodation and headed south along my route to nowhere, and what a delightful day it turned out. I’ve never cycled this particular route, and the area was thoroughly enjoyable. It wasn’t an area frequented by farangs as I was stared at to no end and there were a few giggly hellos.

My route followed the coast and, as can be expected in Thailand, it became another day of blue skies, bright green rice paddies, ornate temples and colourful fishing boats. It turned out so pleasant, I hardly realised I was pedalling, and the day flew by without me noticing.

Seeing I haven’t spoken to anyone in days, I stopped and chatted with a couple making cigarette paper from palm leaves. That was my socialising done for the next week. Soon afterwards, the way ended abruptly. Fortunately, there were ferries carting people across the river. (I don’t know what cars did as the boat was rather small.) The ferry ticket was 1 Thai baht, and I wondered if collecting 1 THB was worth the paper it’s printed on, let alone paying the ferry captain and the ticket seller. In any event, the village on the opposite bank was fascinating, and you can imagine the interest my presents created as I cycled off the ferry and weaved my way through the warren of covered stalls lining the narrow alleyways of the market area.

The path later reached the coast at an area that appeared a windy one as it was the location of a wind farm. I thought I must be getting near the end of the Gulf of Thailand and closer to the South China Sea's open waters. Once again, I was impressed by these wind turbines' size (if that’s what they’re called).

November was theoretically winter in Thailand and, albeit still in the mid-30s, the sun sets far earlier. Around four or five in the afternoon, I started looking out for accommodation and discovered an abode right on the ocean at 300 Thai baht. Later, I sat watching the sea a while before biking into the village on the hunt to find supper. A good day, all in all.

 

25 November – Hua Sai – Songkhla – 110 km

The early morning drizzle made me have a second cup of coffee. Once on the road, it rained on and off for the best part of the day and the camera barely came out. Only two mentionable things happened: one was I lost my lens hood in the river. The lens hood has never come off before, and I wondered why it had to happen while on a bridge. (OK, I admit there was a bit more to the story.) The second was before Songkhlan where I found a car ferry across the mouth of the Songkhla Lake, saving riding via Ko Yo. I stand to be corrected, but think the mouth was opened artificially.

The day was one of effortless biking, and I slinked into Songkhla shortly past 3 p.m., covered in drizzle fuelled road muck and more than happy to find Bo Yang Guesthouse. At 450 THB, the room was slightly more than what I have paid before, but it was worth the extra 100 THB as the room was massive with crisp white linen, aircon and a bathroom that even had a bath! (I kid you not!)

 

27 November – Songkhla

I could see heavy rain through my bedroom window and believe I wore a smile as I rolled over and continued sleeping. It was, thus, late before finally emerging to place my laundry in the street-side washing machines and went exploring.

It didn’t take long to find Old Songkhla, a place that hid many exciting stories. I learned archaeologists discovered between the 10th and 14th centuries Songkhla was a substantial city and an important harbour town which traded with places as far afield as Quanzhou in China. Many decades later, in the 18th century, Chinese citizens settled in this area, resulting in Songkhla having a lovely “Old town” peppered with old, wooden Chinese shophouses. The area consists of narrow lanes, typical wooden shophouses and impressive temples. Part of the village's ancient wall still exists, and the Songkhla Lake remains a busy fishing harbour.

A pleasant walk led up Songkhla Hill which provided views over the city. Once back along the coast, I strolled along the beach and through the sculpture park and, as was often the case with these parks, it was sprinkled with rather odd statues.

Songkhla isn’t without a legend and, as I love legends, I’ll tell you about it. The story goes that a merchant from China often sailed his junk to Songkhla and back. While shopping for goods to take back, he bought a cat and dog. As time went on, the cat and dog got bored on the ship and decided to steal their master’s magic crystal which prevented drowning. For this job, they asked a mouse to help which stole the crystal, and the three swam ashore. As things go, the mouse wanted to escape with his crystal. The cat wanted crystal and, in the process, the crystal was lost and all drowned. The mouse and cat became the islands in Songkhla Lake while the dog died onshore and became Songkhla hill, known as Hin Khao Tang Kuan.

 

27 November - Songkhla – Padang Basar – 80 km

The weather bureau put out an alert for heavy north-easterly monsoon rain and flash floods across Southern Thailand. Instead of heading south to the Malaysian border, I used the tailwind and swung west across the Malay Peninsula. Traditionally, Malaysia’s east coast’s rainy season runs from November to February and has a more substantial rainfall than the west coast. Even though the wet weather seemed across the entire region, I thought it best to head to the west coast.

I flew along with a tailwind and stayed on the main road, which never made exciting cycling. Still, I wanted to get to the west coast and the border as quickly as possible. Most of the rain was expected over the next three days, and if all else failed, one could park off on the island of Langkawi while waiting out the weather.

It was evident I was nearing the Malaysian border as mosques became more frequent and more ladies wore some form of head covering.

Upon arriving at the border town of Padang Basar, threatening clouds made me call it a day. Typical of a border town, it turned out a real dump! Afterwards, I was sorry as the rain was light and I could’ve made a good distance. As the bungalow was already paid, I took a walk to Pedang’s food stalls and then hunkered down in my pink windowless room.