Its Flower Are Happy Again

December 12, 2019 to December 13, 2019

Uttaradit to Bo Thong

Relieving Any Unnecessary Tension

Uttaradit to Bo Thong

Uttaradit is a nice and fairly large city but we were more desirous of smaller places in the country. But first we had a box to mail at the post office. I don’t even remember what was in it besides several notebooks I bought in Mawlamyine because the covers had interesting designs. I have bought many similar notebooks in Myanmar through the years. They were heavy and not something I was going to ride around with anymore. We bungie corded the box onto the back of Andrea’s bike and made a quick trip to the post office which was across and down many very busy city streets. It took only an hour though and then we were on our way, 11.6 pounds (5.3 kilos) lighter.

Still in Uttaradit we crossed the fast-flowing Nan River and then followed along it on the east bank. The river was as beautiful as the homes along it. Then we had to get on a very large highway (11) for a handful of miles. We are not too intimidated by large highways in Thailand because they almost always have about 8 feet of smooth shoulder. The noise is irritating but we can usually make good time and any discomfort is not long lasting. Soon we turned left onto 2001 which was quite a small road. Immediately we were happier and could listen to the birds again. The road was very rural and most people who waved to us were a bit astonished to see us.

At one point we passed a large utility truck in a field with a door open and my favorite kind of Thai music coming from inside - old-time Thai music from the ’40’s or ’50’s. I had to turn around to do a video, mostly to record the music, but also for the oddity of a large truck in a field with music coming from it and no one around. Just as I started my video the beautiful song ended and then there were ads because it was actually an old time music radio station. I couldn’t wait around for more music to start but the time I did stand there I never saw a person anywhere. Maybe there was someone lying in the cab sleeping. It would not be an unusual thing. I love those sorts of odd moments. It was just so peaceful all around and the old Thai music fit right into the rural scene with birds accompanying.

It was hot again during the day. The hills ahead were now quite apparent; the hills we would have to negotiate through eventually. They were shrouded in either mist or smoke. Ah, who am I kidding, it was smoke. The Thais burn way too much stuff all winter. It can become quite awful as smoke builds up all winter if there is no wind or rain. We did have a bit of a breeze from the east which was trying to help the air quality but the only real fix is a big rainstorm and that was certainly not going to happen. It hardly ever rains in the winter in northern Thailand. We hadn’t had a drop for our entire trip.

Our ride was way out in rural Thailand with few vehicles, few hills, and even few people. The crops were rice, which had been harvested a month ago and tapioca root which was in the midst of being harvested everywhere. The soil in the area we rode through seemed to be not the greatest. I say that because when the soil doesn’t have much going for it that’s when they plant tapioca, which might deplete the soil even further but that’s just my speculation because I dislike the millions of square kilometers devoted to a crop that has zero nutritional value, is labor intensive and yields very little money.

Around noon we came across a noodle soup place near a crossroads. It was a perfect spot to have a soup rest stop. And then the same scenario set in motion as had always happened. The woman who made the soup welcomed us and then as we were parking our bikes we saw her visibly tense up. We are often in areas where the people have had little to no contact with foreigners so this is normal. We could see the wheels turning in her head as she tried to recall those five English words she learned in school. She probably wished she had studied harder or that her memory was better. But we spouted off just enough words in Thai so that she understood what kind of soup we wanted and then we watched as the tension left her. She beamed and we all smiled together.

Just about every time this happens there is usually a group of women sitting around and we hear them all chatter among themselves about how the foreigners were able to speak a little Thai and how happy that made them. It’s always the same and always makes us feel good as well as lowering any unnecessary tension. At that point we have made their day. These unusual foreigners on bikes coming to THEIR soup kitchen. Everyone is happy. It’s always good foreign relations. As important as it is to stop and order soup from them it is just as important to interact and make these simple connections with the local people. It’s surprising how far speaking just a little bit of Thai will go. Plus, the soup is almost always good.

This time the soup was amazing. I ordered it with chicken but we were very surprised when the woman set the bowls down in front of us. Each bowl had an entire barbecued thigh on top of the noodles. We had never gotten soup like that before! The chicken was fantastic too. During the entire meal we were speculating as to how much more the soup would cost than normal. Normal would be around 30 Baht or $1 per bowl. I was expecting it to be double that, which would still be a bargain. We gobbled that chicken and soup and were quite filled up. I asked the woman what we owed her and she said it was 60 Baht total. No way! Unbelievable deal. Then we always tell them in Thai that it was very delicious, the best. Everyone in the area responds, not just the cook. Everyone is happy and they watch as we get ready and ride off waving our goodbyes. We hear the chatter begin as we leave. They will talk about us for a long time, well, at least a week. It’s a good feeling to have made connections with the people.

Then we turned right onto 1214 because we had seen two resorts show up on Google maps, the only places for us to stay in the area. This is the main reason I’ve been mentioning road numbers (I normally don’t). We chose the first one we came to which was called My Home Resort. A nice young Thai woman, all business, was in charge and showed us the bungalow furtherest from the road. There were several and all were new and beautiful. 400 Baht ($13.33). The woman also ran a beautiful new, modern coffee shop and small restaurant. She showed us the nice place to have our free coffee and snacks in the morning and showed us her cat who was very sweet.

Pretty new, clean, modern bungalows with a cafe in front. What more could we ask for way out in the countryside?

The eating area right in front of the coffee shop/restaurant of My Home Resort.

We went in to the coffee shop/restaurant and we had good times there. Fortunately we were not there on a Monday.

After our showers we ordered an espresso with sweet milk, iced. It was strong but the best coffee we had had yet in Thailand. We thought it might have been a mistake so late in the day but actually it was only around 1:30PM.

The compound was in the middle of rice fields. Too bad it is the dry season because if those rice paddies were bright green it would be quite a sight. There was no town nearby. We did go out on our bikes around dusk to look for a papaya for breakfast. All we found was a large bunch of very cheap bananas which in a pinch can substitute for a papaya. We were such an oddity that simply asking how much and saying thank you in Thai was enough to send three women into stitches laughing, in a good way, because they were so surprised.

I love these bungalows in the middle of nowhere, Thailand.

I don't really understand why they put these tiles in the bathrooms at some resorts.

While out we also looked for a restaurant because we were a little afraid of what the prices would be at the resort being trapped there and all. We did find a small rustic restaurant along the road. In situations like that we always just order the easiest and safest thing; fried rice with a fried egg on top. The woman seemed a bit aggressive to me and I should have listened to my intuition. The mistake I probably made was letting the woman talk me into including shrimp which is always a bit more expensive. I mean, there is no ocean nearby.

I was suspicious of that woman right from the start. She seemed like a control freak. She had a boom box very near to our table playing music pretty loud before we got there but she didn’t make any attempt to turn it down and that is very unusual for a Thai person not to be more considerate and respectful. Definitely a control freak. The food was good, not outstanding or anything and sure enough it was overpriced.

It was one of those days where we won one and lost one, as far as food prices went. At least we are talking very small money and I have to say that overall it was another great day of riding in the middle of Thailand but really, in the middle of nowhere. Finding such a beautiful place to stay at in the middle of nowhere is something fairly unique to Thailand and part of the reason we love it so much. We were awake most of the night and had lots of time to think about how much we love our trip so far.

lovebruce

The young woman (sorry, no photo) seemed to run everything including making meals and coffee and cleaning the bungalows. Her mother and father were around and were really nice too but they didn't speak any English. This is her mother cutting up shallots to fry to make crispy shallots, a condiment.

In the free coffee (Nescafe coffee mix) area we were also offered free snacks. In the middle of the snacks I found this packet, and immediately ate it.

Today's ride: 22 miles (35 km)
Total: 471 miles (758 km)

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Jen RahnLove that you were able to create a connection and leave a good impression with just a few words in Thai.

I'm sure your smiles and genuine interest also go a long way to relieve unnecessary tensions and to make its flower are happy again.
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4 years ago