March 20, 2019
Kaeng Krachan
We are spending the next two nights at Baan Maka Nature Lodge near Kaeng Krachan. On our first cycling tour to south-east Asia, Kaeng Krachan was one of the first places we visited. To get there was a rather hot and strenous ride from Petchaburi and Leigh didn't have good memories of it. Thankfully those memories had faded somewhat so when we left Petchaburi this morning all she was concerned about was the rather fresh headwind. The general wind direction at this time of the year is north-easterly but it has been blowing from the south for the past three days. I guess it will change back to north-easterly once we head north.
A quick breakfast of patango was enjoyed before leaving town. I remembered a rather aggressive troop of macaques on the outskirts from three years ago and they were there in waiting as we passed so it is just as well we enjoyed the patango when we did.
It takes about five or six kilometers to get out of Petchaburi's clutches but after that the 3204 is quite pleasant. For much of the way there is a good road next the canal running parallel to the 3204 but it petered out eventually. At this point we passed through a busy farmers market - time for a second breakfast of pork satays and sticky rice.
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Once back on the 3204 proper the better shade cover compensated the busier traffic. It's a gradual, almost imperceptible, climb up to the intersection with the 3499. We turned left onto a country road soon after this and for the next thirteen kilometers we hardly saw another vehicle. By this stage it had got as hot as hell and Leigh's memories were revived. Despite the heat, or maybe because of it, we stopped regularly to look at birds - the avian density seems to be higher here than further south.
We soldiered on to Ban Nong Puen Taek where we had a long lunch break before tackling the last five kilometers to Baan Maka.
First business after check in was to get our hands on a large Beer Chang and a Sprite. While enjoying our drinks on the verandah of our chalet Leigh spotted our first lifer since being back in Thailand - a Square-tailed Drongo Cuckoo that posed nicely for us for a few minutes. Baan Maka seems to be teeming with birdlife so hopefully a few more new birds will present themselves.
Today's ride: 65 km (40 miles)
Total: 1,263 km (784 miles)
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