Day 70: Thung Wua Laen Beach - Chumphon - Frankie goes to.....Indochina

March 28, 2018

Day 70: Thung Wua Laen Beach - Chumphon

Routing: #4008, 4001

I did not sleep at all last night. During my very short time down at the beach after my arrival I must have suffered at least another 30 or 40 sandfly bites. I really only jumped into the water once and stayed out in the afternoon sun for no more than 15 minutes. The problem is you do neither hear nor see the horrible little creatures and the damage (pustules and itch) only becomes apparent once the flush of histamine has commenced hours after! I am not particularly allergic to insect bites or stings and am absolutely puzzled how the Thai people deal with it staying in the sand all afternoon. Can you get immune to it through permanent exposure? However, at night I was almost going nuts from the itch and the Fenistil Gel I have on me only gave me very little relief. I applied it again in the morning after a cold shower though and decided I was feeling good enough for the short ride to Chumphon. And was proven wrong! I guess the sweat and the rubbing of my clothes made things worse. I was really in agony when I got into Chumphon and stopped at a pharmacy before I went to the hotel. The pharmacist had a quick look, commented with: "Oohh!" and gave me some cortisone ointment. He additionally advised me to rest in a cool room as I may well have suffered an allergic shock from all the bites and the successive histamine flow.

A shame this new health issue has affected my whole sensibility otherwise I would have called it a wonderful day out. The #4008 is hugging along the coast and sees very little traffic as it is definitely not a through-road. If you are in the area and not in a rush - ride exactly as I did. Whether you are going into Chumphon or leaving town.

I only realized last night I have been to Chumphon several times but I never actually stayed overnight. I hope the cortisone cream will ease some of the terrible itch and I can have a decent look around town tonight. My accommodation: The Suriwong Hotel booked through agoda for 420 Baht. Good value!

My recommendation at Thung Wua Laen Beach: The young couple in this non-descript two table "restaurant" down at the very southern end does excellent and inexpensive khao tom and pad pik gaeng moo until 8 pm

I only took this photo as I was desperate to find out why my lower right back was itching the most. Must have been related to the pants rubbing on the bites as you can see by the mark

Today's ride: 31 km (19 miles)
Total: 5,300 km (3,291 miles)

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