Week 94: to Sukhothai: Flat tires and rain

January 11, 2017

"Remember be on the left side of the road" Patrick says as we start out on a backroad then end up on a few unpaved roads before reaching the main road.

"Is it too early to stop at a 7-11?" Rachel asks. We've only gone 4 km. It will be 50 km before we see another 7-11. We had stopped just before at a roadside restaurant and ate a pork omelette, a coffee drink, and our own donuts, and yogurt we have carried from Tak.

Then only about 12km out from Tak, Patrick has a flat back tire. We don't get too far down the road and the tire is flat again. The rain has been drizzling off and on, but nothing like the downpour last night.

We make our way close to Sukhothai when 10km out Rachel's back tire goes flat. We think it might just be a slow leak, so pump it up and Rachel starts pedalling her little legs off to beat the leak....only for about 2km and the inner tube definitely needs changing. Only now we are out of fixed tubes. Rachel has been carrying two, then the third one changed in Patrick's tire, he just tossed. It's no fun fixing a tube by the side of the road.

Finally, we are in town, we meet a German cyclist heading to the historic district. We chat for awhile then continue on. It's time for lunch, before heading to Garden House where Patrick has made reservations, we stop at the Poo restaurant for Pad Thai. We are only about a hundred meters to the Guesthouse.

In the afternoon we enjoy beer on our balcony while it pours rain.

We take a "short cut' from our hotel and learn that not all roads shown on googlemaps are paved. This feels like Mongolia, trying to pick the "right" track.

Just before Sukhonthai we meet Simon, a German cyclist on his way to Chiang Mai.

Garden House Guesthouse in Sukhonthai. A little "rustic" but nice, friendly and cheap.

Sitting on our porch enjoying a cold beer.

Today's ride: 84 km (52 miles)
Total: 27,228 km (16,909 miles)

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