Ban Phue

October 29, 2024

We're quite enjoying this lazy phase of the trip. With only a short distance to cover today there was time to do a bit of birding before we left as well as while we were on the road.

A Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata) outside our digs this morning.

We came upon an enormous flock of Asian Openbills a few kilometers south of Tha Bo. There must have been over a hundred of them either settled on a boggy patch of grass next to a flooded field or flying overhead. Unfortunately all the action was on the southeastern side of the road meaning we were staring into the sun so the light was very difficult.

Asian Openbill (Anastomus oscitans). Despite the number of birds swarming around, I struggled to get one flying in the right direction for the light.

Most often they were flying with the light behind them.

Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus). Where ever we have been on this trip there are always a few of these perched in an obvious place, usually hawking insects from their perch and often flying off to harass other birds that may fly into their space.

It was barely ten thirty by the time we arrived in Ban Phue but it was already quite warm. It's a far bigger town than we were expecting with a population of about fourteen thousand and seems very industrious. Industrious seems a harsh word to describe the town becauseit isn't industrial in the way a city based on manufacturing might be. The Afrikaans word bedrywig, which implies a purposeful busyness, seems more appropriate to me.

We cycled around a bit and then headed for a nice hotel, the Boonjarut Home, which is where we are spending the next two nights.

Supper was, unfortunately, a Thai BBQ of pork, including some organs. Not my favourite. We had a similar BBQ experience in Cambodia about twelve years ago but that time it included frogs' legs.

We've got an early start lined up for tomorrow so that we can get to the Phu Phra Bat Historical Park before it gets too hot.

Today's ride: 32 km (20 miles)
Total: 1,578 km (980 miles)

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