Yes, I think I did. Like many things in life, it often takes the passage of time to better understand an event and put it in perspective. I think that to a large extent, I'm still processing it. I didn't post the last entries until I made it out of the country. They don't like you making any negative comments about the military junta or the religion and I'd rather avoid even the remotest chance of getting on the wrong side of authorities in Myanmar.

Best time to travel in SE Asia?
Well, not during the hot summer season (mid January to June), that's for sure. Around mid October the wet season finishes and the northern reaches of SE Asia then flip into the "winter season" until about early January. I'm timing my return for late October and the cooler dry weather. Wet season is also fine, but the dirt roads turn to clay gumbo.

The Bike
Bangkok's Granny Bike and Bok Bok Bike are professional shops that build quality bikes. I can build a better quality bike at better prices here than I can in Australia.

Bike shops here take their time to build, so if you decide to go this route, then give them and yourselves plenty of time to get it done. Granny Bike is the only boutique "open by appointment only" bike shop I know of...

The Surly Troll frame is fine for touring, especially with the Modolo Dumbo handlebars. The bike's handling is a bit "titchy" as you would expect from a shorter wheelbase mountain bike frame. It requires a bit more care and attention on steep downhill descents than my longer wheel based Kuwahara. The Maxxis Overland Elite tires were a revelation. In the future, I'm going with big fat supple tires for all of my touring. I'll trade off a bit of flat proof durability for ride comfort and speed any time. So long Schwalbe...

I only put about 1,000 km on the bike before I terminated the ride, so I can't make any legitimate statements about its durability, the wheels, hubs or tires, but can state that they performed faultlessly and I suspect will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The bike is in storage at Bike World in Yangon and we resume the trip in the cooler "winter" month of November.

Thailand
Still my favourite country in SE Asia. Living costs are reasonable, certainly no more than the rest of SE Asia, perhaps less. The infrastructure is fantastic. Many of the bigger busier roads have bicycle/motorcycle lanes. The quiet secondary roads and canals are great riding and there almost always seems to be a cheap hotel waiting for you at the end of the day. Even the police are friendly: In your experience, how many policemen have opened their station for you to spend the night? If you pick your spot with a bit of care, roadside camping is safe and simple. Buses, trains and planes have no trouble taking you and your bike when you decide to take alternative transport. Hitch-hiking with the bike is also pretty easy. I eat the roadside food there with impunity and have never been ill.

Everyone greets you with a smile and hello.

Myanmar

Everyone here also greets you with a smile and hello.

I'm still trying to come to terms with what I experienced there but have a few tentative thoughts on the country. I don't think I'd ever repeat the trip from Thailand to Yangon again - at any time of the year. The road is simply too ugly and dangerous to warrant the effort required. My advice: If you're going that way, put yourself and the bike on a bus or fly direct to Mandalay or Yangon. Every other cyclist I met on the road was of the same opinion.

Although I didn't travel that section of the country, I've had the same reports about the stretch of road from Yangon north to Pyay or Taungoo. Put the bike on the train or bus and start your cycling north from there.

If you find yourself in Yangon planning a cycling route north, take the time to visit Bike World (the bike shop or the guest house) and talk to the owner Jeff Parry. You'll be glad you did. It's also a great place to stay. I met more interesting people there in four days than I did in two months of solid travel.

In comparison to Thailand, travel infrastructure in Myanmar leaves a lot to be desired. The main highways north to China and East to Thailand are very busy, chaotic and dangerous to travel. Luckily, the buses go everywhere and the prices are reasonable/cheap by SE Asian standards. Most longer distances are traversed by air conditioned overnight bus. A long distance train trip is a must do experience in Myanmar and you probably wouldn't want to repeat it too often. Most of the larger buses and the trains will take your bike.

Hotels are sometimes few and far between and stealth camping is frowned upon (technically illegal, but I doubt you'd ever be thrown into jail for it) - so take care if you do it. It can be a long haul between towns with foreigner approved accommodation and prices for a night's lodging are often exorbitant and poor value. People do seek lodging at monasteries, but remember, not all monasteries will take you in for the night and not all monks are on the spiritual high road to enlightenment - and single women need not apply. Reports from other cyclists are now surfacing that their progress is not being as closely monitored as it was in the past and they are finding a night's lodging with local families and stealth camping without difficulty. You might want to take your tent if you have one.

Health
Hygiene standards are not as good as neighbouring Thailand, so at road side food vendors, choose you meal with caution. Travel with a full compliment of travel antibiotics and don't be afraid to use them. Next time, I'm also packing a dozen Ondansetron pills. They are a potent/expensive anti-nausea pill that will stop the urge to vomit - might save my oesophagus from getting ripped up the next time I go down with bad food poisoning. You can pick up all your medical supplies and vaccinations in Thailand at a fraction of what it would cost you in the West.

Yeah... stay away from the fish and pork meals if you can.

You get sick here and you'll have to get yourself out of trouble. Yangon and Mandalay have the best health services, don't ever expect to find help outside of these two main centres. If they can afford it, the locals travel to Thailand if they need any medical services. Travel insurance might be a good idea.

The Rider
Yeah, this is a bit harder to evaluate. I'm 64 years old and my age/fitness is starting to play an increasing factor in my riding. I'm not invincible (never was ...) and need to factor my physical vulnerability into my riding. I should probably do some serious training before I start a ride. I also know I hate the idea of training (always have...), so doubt that will ever happen.

So given the above: At the start of a tour, 50 to 70 km is plenty of riding for one day for me, especially if it's difficult terrain and riding conditions. Once fit, then 100 km should be my upper limit for a day's riding. And I need to stay away from more severe riding conditions: don't ride in the hot season / don't ride the most rugged, steepest terrain. Over time during a tour, the fitter I get, the more challenging the conditions I can ride. But that threshold drops a bit for every year I age.

This is the second time I've had to terminate a ride due to health issues and at the time, I find it a difficult, disappointing and depressing decision to make. And when I run into trouble, especially if I'm travelling solo, I have to remember - forget the budget; just spend the money and get out of there. I can always resume the ride later. There will always be more rides in the future.

Thanks for reading...

May, 2021

Note to readers: I first published this journal in 2016 on the CG website, but haven't published it here until now.  Rereading it now, I realise I'm still learning from that ride.