Thailand - Page 5

In Sri Chiang Mai, just across the Mekong from Vientiane, Laos, we met Erwin, the Dutch cycle tourist. He was 18,500 km into his trip from Holland to Darwin, Australia. He looked like a warrior and his bike was fit to carry him. His route included Chechnya, Kazakhstan, China, Tibet, Everest Base Camp, Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Burma. A mechanical engineer, he had designed several of the components, including his crafty 1 litter Pepsi carriers. His motto was "just add sugar" - a reference to his eating habits, not his disposition. We had the honor of riding with him the following day to Nong Kai, the border town and home of the second and final bridge across the Mekong River. We spent the night in Nong Kai and said goodbye after a breakfast of bread smeared with Nutella. We wished him luck on the final 6000 km to Darwin.

The riding continued as it started until eventually all the mountains and hills disappeared and on the last day it was completely flat. We had ridden 675 miles ( 1100 km ) in 12 days. Lisa's butt never stopped hurting but other than that, it was a perfect trip (including the messed up derailleur). We had 4 flat tires and 4 times the chain jumped off the front rings. I had bruises on the inside of both legs just below the knees from being hit in the legs with the pedals while Lisa was clipping in... BUT the stoker is never wrong so I mostly kept my mouth shut. Mostly. We averaged about $15 per day for the two of us. That friends is cheap. The northeast (Isan region) is generally considered to be the least expensive and least traveled - but by no means remote - part of Thailand. We loved it and highly recommend it to everyone.

Our final riding destination was Ubon Ratchathani. From Ubon we took a 12 hour train ride back to Bangkok. We made better time than anticipated so we still had a few days to explore. Lisa and I decided to visit the Ko Chang Island. Getting there is one of those great planes, trains and automobiles kind of trips. Bus, taxi, tuk tuk (3 wheeled motorcycle with a bench rear seat), ferry, pickup and small boats are all required. The northern parts of the island were crammed with tourists. Too many for our taste. The second day we headed south and found a quite area with great beaches and nothing but a light breeze to shake up your day.

With our trip coming to an end, we head back to Bangkok to pack up the bike and make arrangements to get to the airport at 4:00 am. Another 11 distinct forms of transportation and we are in the big city. The month went by so quickly, yet we felt truly satisfied by the trip. Thailand is a destination that we will return to again and again.

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