Leaving Bangkok: It somehow took longer than I calculated

July 26, 2015

It always does.

I arrived on a Sunday morning and leave Bangkok 10 days later, on the Tuesday morning. It goes like this: get my shots on the Monday, feel like **** for the next two days. Next thing you know it is Thursday, the start of a 4 day national holiday and everyone will be out on the roads travelling. I need my second rabies booster on the Monday after the holiday. It seems to make sense to just stay put here until then: avoid the holiday traffic, do the second rabies shot on Monday and head out on the Tuesday. I shall play tourist while I wait it out.

Chinatown back alley: snack foods shop. You could spend a month wandering the soi and alleyways of Chinatown and never be bored and never walk the same ground twice.

Chinatown back alley: hole-in-the-wall shrine.

I have no agenda and a good working budget, so I shouldn't be thinking about being behind a schedule that doesn't even exist. But I do. I'm going to have to put a serious wiggle on it for a few weeks to see if I can get through Thailand a bit quicker. In a probably vain effort to boost my daily km average, I've sent back a bunch of gear and my two front panniers. I'm hoping a lighter load will mean I can put down more kms and get over those hills that are coming with a bit less effort.

I'm anticipating that again I'll be feeling like **** after the booster injection, so I'm putting me and the bike on the train to Ayutthaya in the morning, spending the day there and heading north early the next day.

I've realised just how well Thailand & SE Asia are set up for travellers. I can get flights from Perth to Bangkok for $200 AUD. I can pull up to any bus port, rail station, or even airport with the bike and they take it "as is." Accommodation and good food is plentiful and cheap. The natives are friendly. And I can get cheap flights to the rest of the planet from here.

I'm ready...

Meahwhile, some photos.

Granny Bike. They specialise in cargo and touring bikes. Need a Surly Troll with Extracycle extension? Parn can set you up. If you're a cyclist and heading for Bangkok, stay here in their upstairs hostel.

Royal Palace wooden doors. I'd do anything to have a front door that looked like this. I'm thinking if they would fit in my daypack.

Royal Palace, the real thing. He'd probably do anything to keep me from taking them.

Rock Steady. Monkey soldiers holding up the stupa.

You can't take photos inside the Emerald Buddha building. They take their religion and cultural heritage seriously here. I appreciate that they even allow the public to view one of their most important religious icons. It was actually very crowded inside the building and you couldn't get very close.
But you could get very close (inches from) the murals that cover all of the inner walls of the compound. They are exquisite and alone are worth the price of admission - everyone just walked right past them...
She's about 3" high and gorgeous.

I did this 2" high figure in the camera's art filter to highlight the details. This wall was recently restored, but even the unrestored murals were fantastic.

Wat Pho: Yep, for the foreigner. We pay, locals enter free.

Same temple, close up - notice the back wall mural. All of the +10 metre high interior walls are covered in intricately detailed murals. But you'd need a big ladder and a floodlight to see them properly.

Reclining Buddha, Wat Pho. Laid back? Oh yeah...

Gold leaf devotion. The faithful were buying sheets of gold leaf (attendants and ATM at the back) and applying them to the various and sundry buddhas, then offering prayers and incense sticks.

Gate Guard. I just love this guys dress and attitude. Wouldn't he make a great bouncer at your local pub?

Today's ride: 358 km (222 miles)
Total: 2,010 km (1,248 miles)

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