Final Leg

The five hour bus ride from Trat was our last bus ride and would take us to the start of our last riding segment. The bus stopped at a dusty wide spot in the road close to a town called Wang Nam Khiao and the belly doors of the bus were opened and parts, pieces and bags were hastily put in heaps alongside the road. Unloading is where we must be most vigilant because if a piece doesn't make it off the bus it spells big trouble. 

As we hastily took inventory we spotted an extra suitcase just as the storage doors were being closed. This was a road side stop with no attendant so if we had not returned it, it is unlikely bag and owner would have ever been reunited. 

It was getting late in the day so we felt an urgency to find a room. Needing a room late in the day has a different feel to it when riding a trike that averages 10 mph than when in a car with an engine that doesn't know fatigue, has headlights and as a plan B; reclining seats. 

Unfortunately we were riding through the mountains and there were no guest houses, read that affordable, but lots of resorts, read that budget busting. Just as the sun was kissing the landscape good night we saw a tiny little sign pointing up a long steep hill. We took a gamble and it paid off. The room was just that, a room; the commode, sink and shower were a healthy distance away but it fit our price range. As an added bonus it was clean and in a quite setting. We were told breakfast was included beginning at 7:30. Given the long ride required the next day we needed to start rolling by 6:30. When we mentioned that the desk clerk said a breakfast would be waiting for us before we left. 

We were able to lock our trikes outside our room.

Breakfast was a several course meal includung shrimp rice, egg, soup, toast, coffee and the best papaya on the trip. I did the best I could but had to leave some for the angels or I wouldn't have made it up the first hill. 

Rolling down the big hill with the sun yet to give us it's blessing to our last day of riding we knew we had a hard day ahead. Our goal was to get to Muak Lek where Steven's house is located. Although we were in the mountains there were no killer hills, just normal ups and downs but still 60 miles of riding. 

The map shows Wang Nam Khiao in the lower right and Muak Lek in the upper left as mapped on my cyclometer and showing the mile markers in blue circles. I parked my trike in the direct sun on the break at mile 44 and the system shut down with a "cool me off" message. I really didn't mind taking the extra time for it to cool off because my body was giving me the same message. 

After all systems got cooled off the peddling seemed easier. We were in the foothills going down. The chart shows the elevation profile near the end of the ride. Loved that last eight miles.

We were able to take showers every day on the tour. However, the one on that day felt different, just a little special. Could it have been the soap feeling more silky while taking off the extra road grime? Or may it have been taking some extra moments to rinse off. Or possibly it was the emotion that comes from forming a sly little grin to no one in particular just before turning off the water.