73 THAILAND (5)
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25 May - Koh Kong, Cambodia – Trat, Thailand - 108 kilometres
The
Cambodian immigration office was a 10 kilometres ride across the Meteuk River
and a short ride to Thailand Immigration. It must’ve been the end of the
dry season as the rainy weather continued throughout the day. With rain pelting
down, I cycled the 100 kilometres to Trat, which sported a few basic
guesthouses.
This
ended my ride through Cambodia and brought me to centrally located Thailand for
the 5th time.
26
May - Trat – Klaeng - 136 kilometres
On
emerging from my windowless room, I found it still rainy, rain that continued throughout
the day. At least the temperature subsided, which made pushing on to Klaeng
easy. I passed a few interesting looking places, but with the rain bucketing
down, I thought it best to keep going. Every day has a story, and on this day,
I wished toilets were spaced at regular intervals; unfortunately, that sadly
wasn’t the case. Without going into too much detail I’ll only mention that I
was happy to reach Klaeng and find accommodation at the intersection. Time to
rinse those cycling pants! If ever you were inclined to envy my life, this day
was not one to envy.
27
May - Klaeng – Chon Buri - 108 kilometres
Thank
goodness the rain abated and the weather was back to the usually hot and humid
conditions; fortunately, the ride from Klaeng to Chon Buri was shorter. It’s
amazing how quickly an accident can happen. A truck overturned seconds in front
of me. Imagine being next to a vehicle when that happens – you’ll be
pancake-flat. Amazingly enough, the driver crawled out and appeared uninjured.
Not much further, another accident occurred; this time a scooter and a car.
All
these accidents reminded me of a cycle tourist killed in Turkey not too long
before and I was, once again, acutely aware of how vulnerable one was on the
road. While travelling, I often made the mistake of assuming all countries have
the same traffic rules. Although traffic rules are primarily international, I
always remind myself that each country interprets those rules differently. For
example, the fact that the road had a good shoulder didn’t make it a bicycle lane
and I did my best to stick as close to the edge of the road as possible. Still,
I considered staying safe a team effort.
28
- 29 May - Chon Buri – Samut Prakan - 85 kilometres
Fortunately,
my route followed the highway and soon reached a turn-off heading along the
coast on a minor road. However, the day turned out frustrating. The intention
was to find accommodation on the outskirts of Bangkok from where the plan was
to take a bus or taxi into the city the following day. I desperately needed a
new front pannier, as the old one was held together by duct tape and I kept
losing things.
At
the time Thailand only granted a two-week stay at land borders making it almost
impossible to reach the Thailand-Malaysia border in time. This lack of time
made me want to shoot into Bangkok, buy the pannier and get out as quickly as
possible. However, finding a budget room was more difficult than expected and
although there were plenty of hotels, most were expensive. Eventually, a love motel
had to do and came complete with a convenient chair. Ultimately, it might’ve
been better to bike into Bangkok, do my business and ride out.
29
May - Samut Prakan – Oena Resort, Khet Bang Khun Thian - 40 kilometres
A
taxi ride took me into the city where the panniers (only sold in pairs) were
found. A new lens cap was also purchased after losing mine on the Cambodian
boat trip (long story) and, therefore after midday before returning to the
motel. Rounding the northern tip of the Gulf of Thailand, there’s no avoiding
the city limits. I soon found myself amidst the worst traffic imaginable.
Frustrated, I called it a day and thought it better to continue in the morning.
30
May - Oena Resort – Samut Songkhram - 85 kilometres
The
day turned out quite an interesting ride. Firstly, I didn’t plan to go to Sumat
Songkran but turned in anyhow where I set out to the well-known Railway Market.
The
Maeklong Market is a unique place. At first glance the market looked like an
ordinary market, sheltered by low-hanging awnings/umbrellas. However, on closer
inspection, one noticed you’re walking on train rails. Every time a train came,
stallholders hurriedly packed up and made space for the train to pass.
Unfortunately, no trains came as I understood repair works were being carried
out on the line.
Being
weekend, I instead visited the floating market and was pleasantly surprised.
The market is immensely popular with people from the city and I never saw a
single westerner. The food was excellent and served directly from the boats.
At
a mere 50 Bhat, one could take a canal tour, including visiting a few of the
temples along the river. Although everything was in Thai, fellow visitors were eager
to translate and explain the various temples. By the time we returned to the market
the time was past 6 p.m. and the market was a hive of activity.
31
May - Samut Songkram – Cha-Am - 95 kilometres
Although
I’d biked the stretch between Bangkok and Malaysia on two previous occasions, pedalling
along a coastal/scenic route remained pleasant. The road was pan-flat and ran
past numerous salt farms and fishing villages. The road even came with a bike
lane. On reaching Cha-Am, the weather came in, making an excellent excuse to
find a room.
1
June - Cha-Am
So
lovely was it; staying another day came easily allowing a long walk, and short
jog. I did laundry and with so much time on my hands, went to the hairdresser,
and at the same time, got a mani- and pedicure.
2-3
June - Cha-Am – Prachuap Khiri Khan - 125 kilometres
From
Cha-Am a flat and easy cycle led past plenty of roadside stalls selling fruit
and other snacks. Shortly before Prachuap, the weather came in, and although
going flat out there was no escaping the rain. In Prachuap finding a place to
stay was easy as there were plenty. Again, staying another night came easy in
Prachuap.
4
June - Prachuap Kiri Khan – Bang Saphan (Nipa beach bungalows) - 93 kilometres
From
Prachuap to Bang Saphan is an incredibly scenic stretch and I took my time
heading south. For the first time in many months, I met another cyclist - an
Italian guy who lived in Cambodia and was biking to Italy, although I thought
he was going in the wrong direction. Thailand is famous for its beaches and one
could hardly believe there were still long stretches of white sandy beaches
without a soul in sight. Even the “resorts” were low key and tucked away behind
bougainvillaea and frangipanis with only a few hammocks strung between palm
trees. By the time I spotted Nipa Beach Bungalows right across from the beach,
I was ready to call it a day.
5-6
June - Bang Saphan – Sea Beach Bungalows - 99 kilometres
Again,
the ride was glorious, but a little hillier than the previous days. The idea
was to head to Chumphon as I ran out of visa time and needed to get out of the
country asap.
Shortly
before Chumphon however, Wua Laen a coastal village with a lovely beach as well
as bungalows lured me in. On stopping to enquire, another cyclist, arriving
from the south, was also looking for a spot. Peter Yoong from Malaysia was a
lovely, friendly guy and we rented rooms at Sea Beach Bungalows. While chatting
on the little veranda, the Italian chap who met earlier that day also pulled
in. At first he didn’t recognise me with my clothes on (LOL).
That
evening the three of us grabbed a bite to eat and a pleasant evening was spent in
the company of other cyclists. Peter turned out a Warmshowers host and kindly
invited me to stay at his place once in Malaysia.
The
following morning was a lovely day and once again, I stayed an extra day,
knowing full well that it would be impossible to reach the border in time by
doing so. Still, remaining an additional day was worth it, and I took a long
walk and a swim before having breakfast.
7-8
June - Hat Yai, Thailand – Alor Setar, Malaysia - 105 kilometres
I’d
no option but to take a bus to the border. I didn’t feel bad doing so as I’d
already cycled that stretch on a previous occasion. A 30-kilometre ride took me
to the bus terminal in Chumphon where busses ran to Hat Yai. From Hat Yai an
easy 55-kilometre cycle led to the border and the crossing into Malaysia was
effortless. I wish all border crossings could be this smooth. Not only was entry
uncomplicated, but one automatically was given a 90-day stay and I loved
Malaysia for that. Another 60 kilometres down the drag I rolled into Alor Setar
gateway to Langkawi, not that I planned on going to Langkawi- I only wanted to
find accommodation.
No
country is perfect; but some are closer to paradise than others. The food in
Malaysia came with a good dose of Malay, Chinese and Indian, and I was in my
element and thus placed Malaysia close to the top of the paradise list. I,
unknowingly, found a room right next to the night market and was spoilt for
choice! I scoffed down more than one Roti canai as they were a mere RM1 each
and retired with a full belly.