Bound for Trang: It's the wet season here...

July 5, 2015

Note: for those of you adding up the kms, this is not a precise science on my blog. I go off of the total on my cycle computer and try to enter it into the daily journal. Sometimes I forget and have to add a few kms on the journal entry to match up to the cycle computer.... Trust me, the totals are adding up, more or less.

To Satun, Thailand by Ferry

I figure that at only $68 ringget that the ferry to Lankowi will be cheaper than riding two more days in Malaysia, plus I don't have the hassles of dealing with the Malaysian road traffic, of which I have now had enough. And then there is the ferry in the afternoon to Satun (which I almost miss because I'm queueing for the wrong ferry - silly me), that costs another $30 ringget. And then they hit you up for a bike fee, which is half the cost of the passenger ticket. It adds up... OK, maybe I should have ridden it out.

I arrive late in Thailand and with the bike I'm at the end of the customs & immigration queue. By the time they get to me none of us can be bothered with formalities: a quick stamp in the passport and no putting any of my luggage through the scanner - free pass. I'm liking Thailand already. First impressions are good. The ride into town in the fading light is mellow and laid back. There is a big motorcycle/bicycle lane and there are lots of local cyclists out for a ride. They all greet me warmly. It's dark as I roll into town and hit the first ATM to cash up with Thai Bat. I take a room at Cliff Man Hotel and Art Cafe. It's a dive and Cliff Man himself and his barfly mates are real characters. I think he gives up his personal bed for me. It's a small (my wife won't let me write "wee" anymore) loft about the size of a 2 man tent within stumbling distance from the bar,. Cats are down below, we have an agreement - they stay down there and I sleep above. I can hear Cliff Man and the boys shooting pool and drinking till late. Hey, it was a cheap bed for the night. If you stay here, don't expect much and you won't be disappointed.

20 km riding from Georgetown to Satun

First of many Thai shrines, they like elephants...

To Pak Bara

With Sponge Bobs on board, next day I aim for Pak Bara. It's only about 60 km from Satun, but with the mozzies and the bar noise and the unfamiliar funky setting, I didn't get much sleep last night and with the help of some paracetamol to dull the headache, I grind out the distance, find a place to stay and call it a night. I toy with the idea of throwing the bike on the ferry to Ko Lipe when some of the ladies who work there encourage me to. I decline as I'm tired and not really thinking straight. It's low season / wet season and Pak Bara is very quiet, with most shops closed down for Ramadan and the Wet. Satun province (all of southern Thailand) is predominantly Muslim, so everything is pretty quiet until "break fast" in the evening. But it's raining so hard out there that nothing is open, save one small burger stand and the 7/11. Burger from one and sim card from the other.

62 km from Satun to Pak Bara. I log my first 1,000 km as I enter Pak Bara.

Now we're getting somewhere. Clocking up the first 1,000 km

To Trang

It's about 120 km to Trang, a distance I can do, but don't really want to push the body that hard this early in the trip. So the plan is to go until km 75 and see what turns up, knowing I can do the distance to Trang if I have to. It's a really nice ride: the traffic is manageable and for the most part respects my small footprint on the road. There are some hills and some flats and for most of the ride I'm pushing into a headwind. Normally, that would slow me down considerably, but I hardly notice it for some reason... must be the scenery. It's beautiful native forest and Karst cliff faces through a narrow valley. It rains occasionally, and I seem to always find cover somewhere. The ride goes on like this all day until I get to about km 75 when the road opens up to 2 lanes in each direction and the traffic appears from some vehicle demon 4th dimension, cause I sure as hell can't explain where it's come from.

Today's ride, gotta love the scenery and the bike/motorcycle lane.

At km 78, right on queue, a 24 hr Love motel appears. I roll in and take a room. I had read about them in several Crazyguy blogs and was thinking one would show up sooner or later. I'm finding it's often hard to tell what is a hotel because the Thai script is impossible to decipher to my western eyes. I think you could often ride right past one without knowing. But there is no mistaking the 24 hr Love motel. They are usually painted a gaudy pink or blue, have the number 24 in bold print on their signage and each room is separated by it's own drive-in cubicle where the patrons can discretely drive right up to the door and step into their room for the night. They are great value with aircon, wifi (that may or may not work) and only $400 baht - so far the best value I've found. Free full length bedside mirror, no extra!

Love motel private driveway, with Turtle at rest, waiting for a break in the rain. Did we mention it's the rainy season?

The swallows were out flying in this downpour, hoovering up the flying insects. How a swallow could fly around in that rain, let alone the insects they are chasing beats me.

Notably, I get three good meals into me today. Breakfast at Pak Bara was easy to find this morning cause it's not raining and everyone is out and about. Then I get the best meal so far - lunch from a run down little roadside street stall at a small village. We have an animated discussion (point, laugh and make comments in our own respective languages) about what to order and they get to work on a green papaya salad, fried chicken and rice. I learn my first Thai word, "arroy" which means delicious. I put my new found vocabulary to use for my evening meal, too, at a great restaurant across the hiway from the love motel. It's a good day cycle touring.

Arroy is the word for today's Thai lesson. I'm finding the people very friendly and helpful. Ordering a meal is always an adventure and almost always very arroy.

This morning, I fly the remaining 40 km into Trang in the rain and take a hotel room right smack in the middle of town. Breakfast is taken on the road: ice coffee, fried banana and egg on a stick. The girls at the coffee stall are a real treat and feed me free fried bananas and throw in the egg on a stick, no charge.

I'm loving it!

Weekdays there is the main market and weekends there's the one they put on in front of the train station. Either way, when you go to Trang bring your appetite with you. The food is cheap and delicious.

Sri Trang Hotel, downtown opposite the train station. I love old Chinese hotels, this one was built in 1952, almost as old as me! It's a good place to stay and they let me put my bike in the lobby..... Speaking of which, this photo is taken from the second floor looking down the central staircase/lobby at the feature fishpond at the bottom. So yes, that's an old bike hanging from the wall.

Today's ride: 222 km (138 miles)
Total: 1,112 km (691 miles)

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