After a day of rest(& 2 massages) we left Phitsanulok in the morning on Hwy12 heading east...The original plan was to take hwy 12 across the mountains but we decided there was an easier mountain crossing further south so we turned right on hwy 11 & headed south. Hwy. 11 is a nice ride with the mountain range on the left & rice fields all around. Charles & I rode together & had good conversations & I almost hit another snake!( I ran over a small green snake on day 3!) We stopped at one of the fruit stands in the morning & I got a bag of rambutan & a dragonfruit. I also got a nice honey/peanut snack mix which I seem to have become addicted too! The riding went smoothly & we got to experience a beautiful purple/pink sunset. Just before dark we pulled into Nang Bua, which is basically an intersection of two highways. Charles spotted a '24 hr' sign which means a 'hotel'(more specifically a 'love motel'...at least it was clean & had two beds!) I found a nearby restaurant & even though I said 'ken-jay'( I eat vegetables) they still put the dead flesh in my food (I gave it to the dog) It rained heavily that night & I was glad I was in bed!
Day 7 Nang Bua to Phakti Chumphon (90km)
Today is the day we will enter the mountain range but we have almost 70km just to reach it! We rode on hwy 225 which is lots of farming country. Not so much rice but lots of cattle herders(we have past dozens the past week) & corn, peanuts, & other root crops. We think the corn grown is a GM-hybrid version as posted signs(in Thai) have a picture of corn with '999' ( or some # like that) We passed a HUGE chicken plant with two Golden Chickens at the entrance. Also lots of small vendors selling mushrooms , peanuts, & other locally grown vegetables.
We finally entered the hills/mountains & started our climb to Phakdi Chumphon. Uphills give one a great lung & leg workout! After about 15km or so we passed a resort but decided to go into town and try our luck..We made it into Chumphon about dusk & rode around the small town(only about 15o meters long on two lanes) Right when we decided to turn to the only Wat in town a woman called out in English to us to sit down outside her clothing store. She moved back here with her Pakistani husband(who has been here over 20 yrs) from Bangkok several years ago. She offered us her brothers empty house for us to stay at which was very close by. After leaving our gear there & a quick shower we went back to town & ate 4 pad thai dishes & went to the local internet where the folks where very friendly too.
Day 8 Phakdi Chumphon to Chaiyaphum 90plus-km
The morning brought pouring rain & we went to our new friend clothing store where she made us some coffee. We considered staying an extra day but when the rain let up decided to get on down the road. It was a steep uphill leaving P.C. but eventually turned into rolling up & down hills (the downhills are always nice!) It was beautiful countryside with passing still more cow herders & agriculture land & forested hills. Charles had problems with his seat & I had more problems with my gear(backpack & guitar) rubbing my back tire occasionally.
We rolled into the larger town of Chaiyaphum where the traffic was slow as the streets where flooded because of the rain. Our first stop was a Vegetarian restaurant(the first I have seen since Chiang Mai) which had great food & a friendly owner who spoke English & recommended a nearby guesthouse. The husband/wife there were friendly & we had a good stay there.
Day 9 Chaiyaphum to Prathi 85km
Leaving in the morning at the guesthouse we met a Chinese teacher who was living/teaching there & then we ate breakfast at the vegetarian restaurant. We said goodbye to our English-speaking friend & then got on the road, eventually turning southeast on hwy 202. It was a nice road with beautiful countryside. Charles continued to have problems with his recumbent seat & we stopped at a Wat to work on it. There didn't appear to be any monks around & interestingly, one of the temples appeared to be a crematorium with a chimney smokestack & big oven to burn the bodies. We soon got back on the road & passed various villages & vendor stands. In the early afternoon we came to the town of Sida, in which we hoped to find a place to stay. In asking Thai folks for directions to 'hotel' or 'guesthouse' we got all sorts of answers & directions. One man sent us about 2 kilometers down the road where I decided to ask the local police.(or perhaps highways patrol office) They were all enjoying a meal & drinking beer & in their broken English told me there was no nearby place to stay. Chas & I decided to continue to the next town of Prathi. When we arrived we found one '24 hour' hotel which was a dive & eventually found the 'Banana' for 350 baht. Afterwards we went back into town & I had fun talking to the lady vendors in the market about being a biker & 'ken-jay'...Chas found some new guy friends who offered him beers & told us where the local internet shop was...
We are only about 3 days from the Cambodian border...I will probably not write anymore until Cambodia as it will be(as the shirt says) "same, same, but different!" Most Thai people are very friendly & of course, knowing the language would help tremendously. Biking is a great way to travel as it has given me a new perspective on the world & the beauty of the countryside is incredible. It certainly is a 'warrior' path as one is living with the elements of intense Sun, wet rain, wind, & sometimes hills to climb. Biking will get you in shape! Go for a ride!
No comments:
Post a Comment