August 6, 2017
Hat Yai to Songkhla: A short ride towards the coast
Thunderstorms were predicted after ten o'clock this morning but when we woke up this morning there was hardly a cloud to be seen. We enjoyed the breakfast at the hotel and, after posing for photographs that the hotel wanted to take of us, we set off for Songkhla at around eight o'clock.
The road to Songkhla was mostly a busy four lane road but like most busy roads in Thailand it had a nice wide shoulder. It was hot as hell this morning, reminiscent of our time in Thailand during the hot, dry season last year, but the clouds built up as the morning carried and every now and then we were treated to the sun disappearing for a few minutes.
Once in Songkla we rode around a bit looking for digs. Soon we spotted the Sook Som Boon 2 Hotel which I recognized from John Loper's and Alison Deshong's journal from 2013 so we went inside to check it out. It looked pretty good and the price hadn't changed in four years. To top it, the owner is also a cycle tourist so we had a long chat with him. His bike looks pretty good (the frame is apparently made in the same factory as Surly's in Taiwan) and seems well spec'd. His off on a short (ten day) cycle tour next month.
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A gentle rain had started while we were getting sorted out in the hotel room with our usual chores but it certainly couldn't be described as a thunderstorm. We had lunch at a restaurant around the corner before heading back to the hotel to get some work done. Later in the afternoon we took a cycle to the area around Chalathat beach where we enjoyed an evening drink before finding a plastic chair for some pork and rice for supper.
Today's ride: 43 km (27 miles)
Total: 3,888 km (2,414 miles)
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