Second Breakfast

January 11, 2020

That Phanom to Mukdahan

Second Breakfast

That Phanom to Mukdahan

For a third day in a row we were determined to get an early start so we got up at 5AM. We had our usual papaya/etc./muesli breakfast out on our nice little porch in the dark while birds were waking up with us. We packed up, loaded our bikes and were pushing off when the owner of our “homestay” came running from his house across the street telling us breakfast was ready. There is no way we could disappoint him plus, I can always eat Second Breakfast. Normally there would be more separation of time between first and second breakfast but, well, we’re on a bike trip - who cares!

Our gentle, shy host had not mentioned breakfast was to be included when we had checked in the day before. I’m sure his even shyer wife (totally unseen but heard in the kitchen) had made our breakfasts. They were breakfasts we had seen here and there on our trip but never actually had. There were the individual pans the eggs were fried in and in addition some ground pork and a couple of slabs of sweet sausage, all topped with some sprinkled greens. Coffee too.

Our host was shy mostly because he couldn’t speak English well but together with our limited Thai and his English he felt more confident and we had a nice little chat. He was a super nice person. His dog was nearby sleeping in a plastic tub and a cat wandering in and out.

Our "homestay" host. This so called homestay was no different from any other bungalow we've stayed in except that we got a surprise breakfast.

Our lovely room was behind the palm trees.

Finally at about 7:45 we were off. We rode through town and at the center of town is the biggest temple. I stopped to take a photo of the distinctive chedi which is totally Lao style. We were immediately approached by a Thai cyclist who wanted to talk. He wanted to know all about our trip and our bikes. He spoke quite a bit of English and turned out when I attempted Thai he was a great teacher helping me with words and pronunciation. It turned out he was the same age as myself so there was a bonding of sorts. He was in way better shape than I. He said he rode 30 kilometers every day but every third day or so he rode way more by riding to Mukdahan and back which would be more than 100 kilometers. He was pretty obsessed with biking and was on a very nice bike. He said he would escort us out of town a little way.

It was fun riding with him but actually he wanted to keep talking so he rode way slower than we wanted to. We were on a small road, quiet and not many vehicles. After a few miles we came to a bridge and suddenly he was waving goodbye on the bridge and he turned back. We sort of thought we would see him again since he left so abruptly. He seemed like that sort of guy, like he would go home and get into his riding gear and blast off to catch up with us. He was a very nice guy indeed and I kind of hoped we would see him again.

Even though we were on a really nice small road we sought even smaller roads nearer to the river. If the Thai cyclist were to try to see us again I think this may have thwarted his efforts because I doubt he would ever take the roads we like. He was more of a road cyclist going fast and making time. We are the opposite.

The small roads we found were heaven. There were, at times, newly made bike paths with fresh smooth asphalt. The entire day was made up of small roads and I must say the day’s ride is in my top three rides of all time in Thailand list. It was nothing spectacular, just nice. It was peaceful, quiet, flat, nice people, easy. We loved it.

Two policemen always used to sit in these and watch traffic. Now they are all empty and falling apart. I sat there watching traffic and trying to feel like I was a cop.

This is the smallest, most rural actual post office I've ever seen in Thailand. Thailand, by the way, has great post offices. And I've never lost a thing I've sent back to America.

A big plus for me were the two old temples we came across on our route. The first one we had seen five years ago but it had since been restored a bit. They basically left the paintings on the inside walls alone. They preserved the structure by putting on a new roof and for some reason tiled the floor which was not the way the original was. It is a tiny temple, really cozy and quaint inside. The one door was guarded by a big fuzzy sleeping dog but he didn’t care about me.

I took a bunch of photos inside and outside of the surrounding buildings as well. The whole complex is right on the Mekong making for a pleasant stop. Plus, temples always have toilets which the monks welcome anyone to use.

Wat Phra Si Maha Pho, really tiny, 100 years old sporting a new roof and paint.

Other buildings on the grounds of Wat Phra Si Maha Pho.

The second old temple, a few miles down the road, was new to us. It, too, was right on the Mekong and was much much larger than the first old one. It also seemed a lot older. The Nagas at either side of the entrance were of a completely different style than we had been seeing. And there were other elements that were different such as the entire front facade which was carved wood.

Inside there were two school girls who I could immediately tell wanted to try out some English but they were super shy. One of them gathered courage and of course asked me where I was from. I was in awe of the temple and it showed because one of the girls told me that the temple was 330 years old. That’s really old for a temple of this sort. I think the only reason the wood carving was still looking as good as it was is because it faced east and not south. I was surprised how sparse the inside was, completely devoid of wall paintings. I didn’t spend much time inside because it seemed I was making the girls flustered. They were whispering English to each other as if trying it out before speaking to me but they weren’t speaking to me. They were too shy and I relieved the pressure by going back outside. The architecture was more interesting in this temple than anything. It was a masterpiece and I’m pretty sure it will be preserved in the right way.

Wood carving on the front facade of Wat Mano Phirom.

I've never seen wood buttresses like these going from the eaves all the way down to the foundation - one piece of teak.

A beautiful group of lantana cultivars on the temple grounds.

As we have been following the river we’ve seen countless numbers of temples built right on the banks of the Mekong making each have a special sort of feeling and lovely setting. Through the years they all must have seen many floods. This one, just north of Mukdahan, is by far the oldest and anyone interested in Thai temples should add it to their list to see.

Then the small road we were on came to an abrupt end at an enormous pile of sand and gravel from yet another extraction site. They simply didn’t care and completely obliterated the road. We had to find another way which meant backtracking on some really small back roads trying to find a way to a larger road. In so doing we passed another Children’s Day festival which we didn’t attend. It was completely obscured by trees and we were safe from being called in. We heard the music loud and clear and it sounded like everyone was having a good time.

Nice work sand and gravel men. Judging by the buildup of leaves on the road it seems it's been a while since they blocked the road.

Eventually we wound up near the Mekong again and went under the fourth Friendship Bridge. Then, like entering Nakhon Phanom two days earlier, it was a beautiful slow approach to Mukdahan which unlike Nakhon Phanom or That Phanom has not seen the effort to refurbish old buildings or build new ones. In fact Mukdahan had a sort of dirty, heavy, downtrodden feel to it as if it is in dire need for some cleaning. I still like Mukdahan and see lots of potential. I think it has a great future because how could it not with one of the few bridges to Laos and beyond right near it.

Just north of Mukdahan along the Mekong.

The fourth of five Friendship Bridges across the Mekong between Thailand and Laos.

We pulled in to the old Chinese hotel, Huanum Hotel, which we stayed at five years ago. Nothing had changed there either. Same woman at the desk and we got possibly the same room. The familiarity is nice but the entire time we were there I had this strange deja-vu feeling, not bad, just weird as if I didn’t know what year it was.

I generally have a rule, or rather more of a desire, to eat the food of the country I’m in because that’s always going to be the best bet. Food in Asia of another country has a very good chance of being awful because the cooks don’t have any idea how or access to ingredients to fix foreign foods. Oh, there are very expensive Italian, Japanese, French restaurants in large cities and those are fine. But the restaurants at the level we eat should remain the ones of that country. For instance I’m never ordering pizza in Asia ever again unless I’m in Chiang Mai at a frat bar which means I’m never ordering pizza again in Asia. But I broke my rule and we went out for Vietnamese food in Mukdahan. It turned out to be pretty good but not like it was in Vietnam. And it was way more expensive. I would have been happier with Thai green curry. It doesn’t matter, however, because how can I complain when I get two really nice breakfasts minutes apart! Maybe I was still too full to enjoy dinner.

lovebruce

Entertainer at the night market in Mukdahan.

Today's ride: 32 miles (51 km)
Total: 1,072 miles (1,725 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	10
Comment on this entry	Comment	0