Change of Plans

We intended to get visas so we could ride into Laos. The capital of Laos is about 20 miles from Nong Khai which would have made a perfect day trip and an interesting trike story. We were advised that the roads have no shoulders and would be potentially dangerous for us so we opted to stay in Thailand. Our entry into Laos would have taken us across The International Friendship Bridge #1 so we rode there hoping to at least get a picture of the bridge, however the customs gates were situated so we could not see the bridge. We spent the next hour riding through dicey neighborhoods trying to get a vantage point to take a shot. In this photo the bridge is way off in the background and the Mekong River is the more easily identifiabl feature. That is close as we could get to the bridge. 

With Steven. 

With Myron. 

During the monsoons the water level rises and so, we presume, do these boat homes. 

As we were retracing our back alley ride a young mother with two children politely asked if we would mind posing for a picture. When we get requests like that, which is often, we like to let them take pictures and then use our camera to record the moment for us. It is always a fun moment with big smiles all around. 

We passed another spectacular temple. Some of them are more grand then others and this one is right up there.

Even the gate is a thing of beauty. 

Once we did our sightseeing it was time to transport us and our trikes to another part of Thailand but it meant a whole lot of transporting. Our destination was Koh Mak (Squid Island) in The Gulf of Thailand. The most efficient way to get there was first a 12 hour bus trip and then a four hour mini van ride. We folded our trikes which is a very easy thing to do with our ICE trikes and settled in our seats at 3:30 PM. 

Nong Khai was the origination point for the bus. When I settled into my seat there was a pair of Ray Ban sun glasses along side the seat and obviously the owner was long gone so I stuck them in my bag. Ray Bans are not my style but I thought there might be a use for them later. I will get back to the sun glasses later. 

Bus rides are a necessary evil. I won't get into the fact there was no toilet, it was meat locker cold and the seats were ill formed for six foot bodies trying to get a little sleep. We arrived at our destination and had to make our trikes rideable at four AM in the bus parking lot so we could ride a couple miles to a public bus station. That is where the mini van drivers hang out who could take us the last four hours of our non-peddling leg. We were dropped off beside the rode at our destination and after a quick trike assembly we were back in the saddle. 

As usual when hunger hits there is a place to eat and quite often a side story. We pulled into nothing more than a families front yard with an outdoor cooking area and a table. A man, his wife, eight year old son and 20 year old daughter greated us with warmth and the famous Thai smile. While the wife prepared our lunch Steven began changing a tube. The husband pitched in to help with the tire as if it were his own. The daughter and son inspected our trikes with genuine curiosity. Another photo op op. By the time we were done with lunch we were all seated around the table laughing and feeling very much a part of the setting. Nong, the daughter works for a Swiss national who is teaching her English. She had a book with English phrases next to Thai translation neatly printed out that she referred to often which enabled us to chat. As we settled into our seats were invited to stop on our return ride. 

Our room for the night was directly on the beach of the Gulf of Thailand not 20 feet from the water. This is a 180 degree view from the porch.

A narrower view. 

The owner of the guest house was a matronly type with an eye for detail. We asked where we could get a bite to eat and for 200 Baht ($7.00 US) we got calamari fried rice prepared in her own kitchen and served family style in her serving dishes. She sent her grandson out with a pan of water and towel to wash the dust off the outside table where we were served. It was excellent food taken in a beautiful setting. 

The next morning we got an early start so we could catch a ferry to the island. I decided to leave the Ray Bans on the counter in the room for the nice lady. Three miles down the road a scooter honked energetically at us and pulled over in front of us. It was the guesthouse owner with the Ray Bans. I am starting to wonder why we lock up our trikes at night.