November 25, 2016
And on to Chai Prakan
I ate breakfast across the street from the Huts, the same place I had eaten yesterday. It had the advantage of opening at 7 am. Then I headed out.
I let my Garmin lead me off road, and when the dirt track ended but the Garmin path did not, I turned around and went back to the main road. That's the second time in two days that I'd retraced my path! Not good, but it wasn't too far.
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The road was pretty, and rolled up and down before reaching the first big climb. I did okay with it, shifting into my low gears and grinding away. There was a small market at the top of a hill, with a few hill tribe women in traditional garb. There were also a couple of tour buses there. I bought some oranges, ate one and left. The orange was not nearly as tasty or juicy as the ones I had been gifted back near Wang Chin.
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The road rolled on, and then started climbing. Really climbing. It went on and on, and the day was heating up. The traffic had picked up quite a bit, too. It passed me in long convoys, held back by a slow vehicle. With the heat and the slow grind, I was weaving a bit, and didn't feel safe. I got off my bike and started pushing. I think I pushed for over a kilometer before the road topped out. My Garmin said the (uncalibrated) elevation was 2400 feet.
The ride down was twisty and turny and a lot of fun.
Approaching the town of Chai Prakan, in an area with some restaurants and shops, I heard a shout. There was a group of touring cyclists stopped and eating! I pulled over and sat down with them. I didn't feel like eating, and had just had a cold drink, so it was just for the conversation. There were 5 of them, 4 women and a man, heading the opposite direction from me. They had come from Vietnam, through Laos, and said there were big hills. That's not news any more. Some of them were from Colorado, too. After sharing tips, we said good-bye.
I hoped to stay at a resort just before Chai Prakan. I stopped there, and there was some construction going on. I eventually found a manager, and I could have a room but the restaurant would not be open. Since it was a ways out of town, I opted not to stay. Soon after I saw another resort, the Saimoonbury. It was quite nice, and they poured me some cold water before showing me a room. The room itself was 1500 baht, and not much nicer than the rooms I had been getting for 600 baht. And there was a line of ants going under the door into the room. The woman who showed me the room suggested the Chai Pracarn Mansion, 1 km down the road with rooms for 450 baht, and that's where I am. It was a little hard to find, on the southbound side of the road, in the back of the red building that has a jeweler in front. Its okay, if a little worn, clean, with AC and a fan and good wireless. The only thing a little odd is that the door to the bathroom opens into a little fenced in courtyard, private to the room, and then to the bathroom. The little courtyard is visible to the neighbors, so you want to be clothed when you use it. My bike is in the room with me.
I had dinner at a noodle stall next to the hotel. I had noodles with barbecue pork and dumplings. It was quite tasty until I realized that the black specs in it were ants! Then I went on to the market, across the street. I probably should have eaten there. It's a big market, with a variety of things. If I needed new underwear, this would be the place! Actually, my clothes aren't holding up too well, so I may need some before too long. I picked up a few things for breakfast, including a banana roti which is now in the fridge in my room, and headed back to update this journal. I sat outside in the lobby for a bit, but the mosquitoes started biting, so I'm finishing it in my room.
Today's ride: 62 km (39 miles)
Total: 910 km (565 miles)
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