Pattaya to Ko Samui

Nov 9, Bangkok, 15.8 Miles, Avg=9.7mph

I met Jerry outside my hotel at 7:30am and we took off for the bus station. We had enough time for him to show me the harbor area south of Walking Street. In it, early in the morning, I saw a huge number of speed boats, some being towed out to the water for a day pulling tourists suspended from paraglide foils or other excursions. The harbor area also has some nice restaurants at which one could have a quiet meal although you would have to walk through the go-go bars to get there.

At the bus station we bought our tickets, then walked out to the bus platform to load our bikes. Here, you pay the driver or attendant for taking the bike on the bus, it seems they charge what they want. Our driver charged us 100 Baht each (about $3). I shortened the boom on my bike and took the seat off, then twisted the handle bars to make it as compact as possible. Still the bike barely fit into the cargo hold at the bottom of the bus. Then Jerry tried to get his bike in and at first it seemed like it wouldn't fit and he might have to wait for a second bus. They depart every 15 minutes or so but it's annoying anyway so Jerry was a little upset and frustrated. But, by removing both front and back wheels we were able to get his bike in the storage area and protected from my bike so it wouldn't get scratched. Jerry has a very expensive carbon fiber frame bike that will lose considerable resale value if it is scratched. Not a common choice for bicycle touring but his bike weighs very little, a mere 17 pounds, only needs to support a very light touring load and enables Jerry to ride fast.

On the bus I had a very interesting conversation with a Mr Penguin (stage name) who sat behind me. He's been working in and around Asia since the late seventies, mostly in the entertainment industry. Right now he's on his way to China to produce and act in a television series. Evidently he makes comedic documentary type shows. For example, he might make a documentary proposing that the solution to Bangkok's traffic problems can be found by putting people back on elephants.

Talking with Mr Penguin the time went by very quickly and soon we were driving through the suburbs of Bangkok. The bus ride was faster than Jerry expected because the bus now uses the new expressway. Previously the bus had traveled on the regular highway and stopped for anybody along the road who cared to flag it down. Jerry often remarks about how much this area or another has grown since he started coming here. Routes that started as meandering two lane country roads are now four and six lane major highways. With Jerry in a hurry to get moving, once in Bangkok we quickly reassembled our bikes and started across town to the Khao San street full of backpacker style hotels. Riding in Bangkok was again thrilling and exciting as we weaved and dodged our way down the street choked with all sorts of vehicles. Thai drivers seem incredibly tolerant of bicyclists and scooters. So far I have not seen drivers purposefully making it difficult for us to squeeze by and get up to the front of the line.

I joined Jerry this time at the mid range priced hotel Rikka, right on Khao san road, about $30/night. After showering I went in search of a foot massage. The decadence of an hour long foot massage presents a new treat for me. A leg massage turns also includes the leg below the knee, and also neck and shoulders. The foot massage was especially relaxing today, sitting there, sipping a cold drink watching and listening to the rain of a sudden thunderstorm fall into a small garden outside my window, I could easily drift away. I also really like the menthol scented oil they use.

Nov 10, Hua Hin, 58.6 Miles, Avg=13.2mph

We met in the lobby at 6:30am, after a breakfast at a restaurant down the street we headed for the train station. Jerry had a hard time leading us to the station, despite his knowledge of the area. He led us unerringly to the general vicinity but Bangkok streets can at times degenerate into a maze of one way streets and dead end alleys. We asked directions several times without success. Once I cycled up to a well dressed middle aged woman talking to her friend and asked for directions to the railway station, she just looked directly at me coldly and said 'no', in english. I guess today for her Thailand is not the land of smiles. Finally, we cycled around a corner and could see the station down a one way road and across a difficult intersection, so we turned ourselves into pedestrians and walked the last little distance.

We took the train, about 3 hours, to the town of Phetchaburi. The cycling was much nicer today, mostly rural with little traffic. It was brutally hot, over 100 degrees in the sun. I ate fried rice with chicken for lunch, a safe and ubiquitous dish here in Thailand. Also copious amounts of soda pop, juice, Gatorade, and water. It seems almost impossible to get enough fluid. Gatorade does seem to help, I think I'll start drinking more of it when possible. We made it to the hotel just about dark. Jerry's choice was again too expensive for my taste so I found a very nice little hotel in a kind of wooded alley just down the street. I didn't know quite what to expect as I walked down a wooded walkway shaded by lush vegetation toward a reception hidden in the foliage. While holding my bike, standing on the walkway about 20 feet away from the front desk I asked if they had a room. The clerk asked sternly if I had ID! I replied that yes I had ID, did she have a room? Satisfied that I wasn't some sort of illegal immigrant making my way into Thailand on my weird bicycle she agreed to rent me a room My best bargain so far at only 790 Baht ($24).

I walked around last night looking for dinner, Hua Hin has an upscale feel to it, with lots of european visitors. I had a hard time finding a Thai restaurant hidden in with all the Sweedish, German, Italian, and British restaurants, not to mention the odd French bistro and the ubiquitous American fare.

Nov 11, Surat Thani, 23.9 Miles, Avg=11.8mph

We met at 7am with Jerry still eating his hotel breakfast. I went out to find something to eat and ended up stopping at Andy's Bar, a sort of London transplant run by a British expat. They serve breakfast all day and offer two sizes of breakfast, big and not so big. I took the big breakfast and for the first time had more than I could eat. They served me several slices of thick bacon, two sausage links, three eggs, beans, three pieces of toast, hash browns, two cooked tomatoes, and a banana. Finally, I gave up and had to pass on the hash browns, cooked tomatoes, and banana. The banana was soft and mushy so inedible by me anyway.

After breakfast Jerry took me on a short tour of Hua Hin. We went down to the harbor area to see the fishing boats, and then to the Royal train station. Evidently the King has a summer home here, in fact his building of a residence here put Hua Hin on the map a few decades ago. When he comes by train, presumably back when train travel was something practiced by royalty, they would put his royal car at the end of the train. Then so that he could avoid the rabble, they built him a special station just a little to the north of the main station. The main station itself is a cut above, very nicely constructed out of wood in the traditional Thai style. The royal station looks like a cross between a country home and a temple, all made of wood.

 

While touring Hua Hin Jerry was evidently rethinking his plan to take the train to Phui Phen and cycle 10 miles to Surat Thani; instead he decided to take the bus to Chaiya and cycle about 35 miles to Surat Thani. We finally found the bus station and luckily a bus was just about ready to leave. We got the bikes on, extra 100 Baht each, and then started south. It took us till about 2pm, 5 hours, to reach Chaiya and by that time Jerry thought it would be better to continue on by bus to approximately Maluan on highway 41, so that we could get to the hotel in Surat Thani before dark so we continued on with the bus and paid a small extra fee. Again, Jerry's knowledge of this area from his many trips makes it easy to change and adjust his plans on the fly.

The bus let us off by the side of the road near the airport, just outside of town. Careful to avoid the speeding traffic near by, we assembled our bikes and rode easily into Surat Thani, finding our hotel just before dark. The highway was good, with the usual broad shoulder, and steady but not oppressive traffic. Jerry maintained his usual fast pace which enabled us to get to our hotel just about dark. Jerry had chosen a large institutional looking hotel which had a room available for me at only about $20/night. Tonight I decided to take the easy solution instead of searching around the quickly darkening town for a room.

After a shower Jerry and I took a Songthaew (truck taxi) down town to the night market for dinner. We found a busy outdoor eating area where we could get some cold fruit smoothies and a good plate of fried rice with chicken and vegetables (30 Baht). The lady selling the fried rice spoke excellent english and on questioning we found out she was also the english teacher at the school in town. I tried to get a picture of our laughing host but my first attempt was blurred and my second attempt cut off the top of her head. So much for my dreams of becoming a photographer. She was busy and I couldn't ask for a third attempt so the cutoff head will have to do. With the fried rice and a wonderful fruit smoothie from a nearby food cart I was able to satisfy my famished stomach and slake my never ending thirst.

Nov 12, Lamai Beach, Ko Samui Island, 65 Miles, Avg=14.2mph

I found Jerry waiting for me in the lobby when I came down at 7am to eat breakfast. Jerry informed me we had to hurry this morning to make the 10:30am ferry to Ko Samui, it seems I am going to regret the 1/2 hour I had goofed off in my room watching the news. Eating quickly, we managed to start about 7:15, giving us just over 3 hours to do about 35 miles, thus we needed to average about 12 mph, including any stops. Not too bad, just a little faster than my normal pace. But, I should have learned by now that Jerry consistently and seriously underestimates distances. From the first day, a planned 45 miles turned into 75, the next day a planed 25 miles turned into 44. He so consistently underestimates the distances, and only underestimates, that something besides random error must cause this pattern. I think he enjoys cycling so much and moves so fast that he just doesn't recognize how far he has gone. In this case 35 miles to the port turned into 45.

Jerry started leading very fast, by slip streaming him I could follow and we made good time, probably averaging about 17 mph, way over my normal pace. After about 20 miles I took the lead and we slowed to around 15-16 mph. Finally, after about 10 more miles we turned toward the coast and started a series of rolling hills gradually ascending and then gradually descending toward the Gulf of Thailand. In the rolling hills Jerry's lightweight bike and touring kit combined with his "need for speed" set a fast pace. For the last ten miles I was feeling really depleted, needing some serious food and re-hydration. We finally arrived at the ferry about 10:15am, just 15 minutes to spare. We had come 45 miles from our hotel having averaged 15.1 mph while riding, the fastest average speed I have ever achieved over such a distance on a loaded touring bike. I must admit that by the time I walked onto the ferry and began to absorb some of that air conditioned coolness and drink cold bottles of water that my fuel tank was pretty well empty. I was really really glad the ferry would take nearly an hour, time enough for me to recuperate.

We landed at Nha Thon and stopped at a nice little restaurant Jerry likes for lunch, a combination bakery and swimsuit store! We even had swimsuit models to watch as the tourist walked up and down the little street looking for something, anything, to buy. I had fried noodles and a papaya milk shake that topped off the sandwich, Gatorade, and water I had on the ferry. I don't know how to describe the heat. Jerry's thermometer shows 105 F in the sun, I don't know the temperature in the shade but it must be at least hot. While cycling it doesn't seem too bad but as soon as I stop the sweat just pours out of my body, dripping down my torso inside my shirt, soaking my shirt and shorts. I can't carry my small plastic coated notebook because even with the plastic cover the paper still gets wet. When I sit down the sweat beads up on my face, dripping down my cheeks and neck, down my forehead past my almost gone eyebrows into my eyes. I have to pull out my handkerchief to sop up the water leading to a soaked handkerchief I have to put back into my pocket. Sitting in the shade outdoors with no breeze or fan leaves me soaked, my shirt dripping wet, the sun is impossible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jerry took me on the scenic long way to Lamai. We cycled a narrow quiet mostly shaded concrete road with a good surface. We climbed a few small hills, one quite steep that kept tempting my front wheel to leave the surface as I pushed each forward stroke. I mostly could not see the coastline, even though the road more or less follows the coast, because of all the residential and resort development. We did eventually pop back onto the main around-the-island highway which we followed to Lamai where we turned down into the Lamai beach area. Pedaling through town to the Sand and Sea Resort and Spa I passed the typical lineup of restaurants, souvenir shops, and bars. We stopped for a cool drink at a Seven Eleven store. The Seven Eleven brand has a really big presence in Thailand. Evidently Thailand has more Seven Eleven shops per capita than any other place in the world. Around Bangkok the shops litter the business districts, I have seen some shops on both sides of the street, facing each other. The Soi 11 street where I stayed had three Seven Eleven stores in a single long city block! At the hotel we each have a separate bungalow, just 50 meters to the beach. I like the room's mix of comfort and primitive beach shack ambiance, very nice and not too expensive, although more than I would like at 1200 Baht

 

 

 

Jerry likes to tease me about my recumbent bike, which he seems to not consider a real bike. At stops he generally jokes to the Thai people who come over to see the bike that I am lazy or crazy or both. I usually jokingly agree but I am not so sure many understand the meaning. He was especially delighted today to hear that I could not climb a steeper hill because the front wheel of my front wheel threatened to leave the pavement on each forward stroke. "See", he exclaimed with a big grin, "a REAL bike is better". I had to agree that over that 20 meters an upright bike worked better than a recumbent bike, in fact I went further to agree that in general recumbent bikes have a disadvantage at hill climbing. (See my comments on recumbent bikes at my bicycling web site.) However, I think a recumbent bike suffers only a small disadvantage on hills relative to an upright bike, the driver counts for more. That is, I think Jerry climbs hills faster than myself partly because of his light weight rig (approximately half the weight of my bike) and partly because he has more horsepower in his legs and partly because of the upright design of his bike, but that the design was less important than the other characteristics. At least that's how I see the difference after touring on both types of bikes and often with upright bike riders. Since it's important for him to go up hills fast I am glad for him that he has the power to excel and can afford the bike he needs.

 

 

Nov 13, Lamai Beach, rest day

I went for an elephant trek today. The "Eco Tours" people picked me up at 8:30am to join four other people, two couples, for a Songthaew (pickup with benches in the back used like a mini van) to their elephant pen. I chose the Eco Tours because they advertised a kinder gentler elephant experience. I suppose I believe that claim but after seeing a couple other rides it seems they treat their elephants about the same. Getting out of the truck, the guides directed us to a kind of platform or balcony up to which the elephants walked. Standing at least 12 feet, each elephant had a seat for two people so the two couples loaded first and me last on my own elephant. As we stood there looking down at the ground 12 feet below and waiting for the massive beasts approaching our perch the older woman from New Zealand expressed the feeling for us all, she sort of gasped "I've gone off the idea of an elephant ride". She and the rest of us gathered our courage and stepped aboard the lumbering creature then set off on our elephant ride.

Finally all aboard, we started on a short round trip, part of which was up a small creek and an even smaller ravine. I found it very surprising how well these huge animals could traverse a rocky boulder strewn creek slowly placing each huge padded foot firmly on the ground. As they move rather slowly and always with at least three feet on the ground, I soon settled into confidence that the creature would not topple over and crush me. The ride was short, about 20 minutes. That was enough time to satisfy my curiosity, especially because I had to devote some of my energy to fighting off the ants that infested the elephant and the seat I was using.

 

 

 

From the elephant ride we went to a ramshackle Thai house for a demonstration on how to make Thai curry and to see a trained monkey harvest coconuts from trees. It was interesting but sort of ramshackle like the house. Our host was a student in a tourism program who had only rudimentary English skills, it seemed like she was working as an intern. Finally, we were driven to the nearby waterfall and dropped off for a self-guided viewing of the waterfalls. I guess the tour saved me the trouble of going to the falls on my own but not much else. The falls themselves were pretty and although I very much wanted to take a swim, I decided against it because in the humidity my shorts would never dry.

Nov 14, Lamai Beach, rest day

I rented a motor scooter late yesterday for 24 hours planning to drive it around the island on a mini tour. I really enjoyed motoring along on my little scooter, watching the countryside pass along. I found the scooter really fun and easy to drive. With an electric start and fully automatic transmission I could concentrate on staying on the left side of the road and not running into pedestrians as I motored along on the shoulder. I stopped for lunch at the Big Buddha, a large statue of Buddha on a significant promontory pushing it's way out into the ocean. Some very beautiful shrines surround the impressively large statue.

 

 

 

 

I also visited a small Muslim village near Lamai beach. It puzzles me to see the adoption of the hejab by women in Thailand and Malaysia. When I traveled though this area in 1972 I saw no hejab, or least so few that it didn't make an impression on me. Clearly, hejab does not form part of the cultural heritage of Thai and Malay Muslims. To see this retrograde women-oppressive garment now spreading at the same time the people of Malaysia and Thailand move into the international economy really puzzles me. I just wonder why the Muslim women of Thailand and Malaysia would adopt this foreign garment completely unsuitable for the climate and conditions in which they live. While some husbands and fathers have probably pressured some women into wearing the garment I don't think that represents a complete explanation. I know some Muslim women in the US adopt the hejab as a sign of their devotion, the same thing must happen here as well. But why should they adopt this form of expression now as the country integrates more fully into the international community. I have to think that some of the trend derives from the presence of European, Australian, and US tourists. Travelers from the western countries dress and behave in ways that can only offend the traditional culture here and local women must want to distance themselves from the imported culture of hedonism and self-gratification they see on display. Of course the western tourists don't consider themselves as behaving in an offensive manner, it doesn't seem that way to me either. If men and women visiting here were either compelled or felt obligated to dress and behave as the locals do then surely the tourist trade would decline significantly, which would reduce the over all standard of living. Ironically then, the influx of western tourists and their culture has probably led in the short run to the adoption of conservative Islamic dress codes imported from the middle east at the same time the local people slowly merge into that international culture we see developing around the world.