Chao Samran

December 1, 2024 to December 2, 2024

Another day, another short ride. This will be the pattern until we get back to Bangkok.

Once through the back roads north of Cha Am we were on the cycleway alongside the 2021 until we reached Chao Samran. We had some nice birding along the way with lots of different wader species. With the birds being far away, as waders generally are, and staring into the sun, it was hard work at times but ultimately rewarding and enjoyable.

We had our breakfast on the beach at Cha Am before setting off. The usual sticky rice and pork satays.

A few kilometers south of Chao Samran we made a detour to Puek Tian Beach, a sleepy almost deserted holiday village. Its claims to fame are the statues of "the characters from Phra Aphai Mani, the masterpiece epic poem of Sunthon Phu such as Nang Phisuea Samudra (sea ogress), Nang Ngueak (mermaid) and main character Phra Aphai Mani, including other statues such as giant turtle and Chinese goddess Kuan Yin" (quote from Wikipedia).

We arrived in Chao Samran long before the weekend guests had checked out of our chosen digs, the hotel where we had stayed on our way down. So we had to waste and hour or two most of which was done over an lunch at a nearby restaurant. We're spending two days here hoping to enjoy a bit of beach time.

We had a short walk along the beach soon after sunrise.

The usual beach habit in Thailand isn't swimming. Instead beaches are where one has a picnic.

The weather has been perfect and we finally enjoyable swim in the sea after the rough conditions we had further south. Two days ago Leigh was stung by a small jellyfish in Cha Am and that incident spoilt our second swim when another jellyfish came drifting by. So we abandoned the swim in the sea and headed to the tiny swimming pool at our hotel.

It's a short ride to Petchaburi tomorrow. We're spending a couple of days there as a base for trying to get the Spoon-billed Sandpiper at nearby Pak Thale.

Today's ride: 35 km (22 miles)
Total: 2,579 km (1,602 miles)

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