Day 5: Lampang - Thoen - Frankie goes to.....Indochina

December 19, 2017

Day 5: Lampang - Thoen

Felt much better this morning and better so! Despite the nice time I had
in Lampang I was desperate to get moving again. As I will now slowly be turning east towards the Mekong the most logical and shortest route would have been to stay on Hway 11 through Den Chai to Uttaradit. That is definitely challenging terrain though and as I did have no idea this morning what this influenza would have done to my general fitness I picked the by far longer, very likely more the more busy but at the same time the easier route. Straight down Hway 1 to Thoen that is.

Only 12 degrees C when I got out of the hotel but bright sunshine and it
looked like the wind was coming from behind. Everything set, just some fruit and a cup of coffee at the hotel lobby and Bye, Bye Lampang it was. When I was on my way out of town I decided to have a first drink stop at a nice temple compound where I was completely fascinated by a tree I had never seen before. Good start - my "good days" depend very much on the visual experiences and sensations along the way. Doesn´t have to be anything spectacular but I am very receptive towards beauty of nature, colours and just every day life that´s different from Europe. Hopefully more to come along the not very promising route today.

While saying that I wish to disagree with a lot of other cyclists who are desperate to avoid those single figure highways. I don´t - when it makes sense with regard to my routing I roll along their reliably wide shoulders and regular service stations without hesitation. Like today. Perfect shoulder, perfect surface and the traffic far less than I thought it would be.

About 20 km into my day I realized there were heaps of school kids lined up on the other side of the road. They were holding signs but I could obviously not make out what they were saying. Another 5 km down the highway there was a huge group of cars, people and advertising banners on the other side as well. I decided to cross over and have a look. When I parked my bike at the side of the highway next to an inflated advertising arch I was all the sudden surrounded by predominantly teenagers who started screaming and running towards the arch. Right then I did not have any idea what was going on but still got my camera out as anybody else did.

Only when the whole screaming group had slowly moved north an elderly lady introduced herself as a retired school teacher and told me this had been "Toon Bodyslam", one of Thailand´s biggest rockstars who is running up the country from south to north and has already gathered 90 million Baht for various hospitals. Good on you, Toon!

That was the only real excitement today but I enjoyed just being out there,
able to breathe properly again. Quickly some words regarding the route: Just one "climb" at 30 km for approx. 3 km but with a very moderate gradient. I didn´t even need to use my small sprocket on the front.

The biggest disappointment is certainly today´s hotel. The Nakorn Thoen
Hotel is right at the intersection # 1/ 1048 and doesn´t look too bad from outside, not too bad in the reception area but the rooms are just and only shabby. For 600 Baht, which is more than double of what I paid in Lampang. I tried to find something else with no luck but who cares, it´s just for one night.

Good day it was, see what the food situation is like in non-descriptive
Thoen....

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3 hours later: Thoen had a lot to offer as the little town was "en fete" as the French would say. Some not really magnetic food options too, a clear indication I am coming closer to the Isaan region. Got everything I wanted though and definitely a pleasant end to a pleasant day. Now back to the hotel - I just realized that I don´t really have a plan for tomorrow. Most unusual! Starting to get relaxed, Frankie?