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. 

How Safe is it to Ride in Thailand

There are several things assuring our safety as we ride. 

I have only seen one texting driver, a teen on a scooter. 

About a quarter of the vehicles are low powered scooters. They weave in and out from the shoulder and the car drivers make adjustments for them. Truck drivers seem the most observant but all drivers make adjustments for the slower vehicles moving in and out of the slow lane. 

We are the strangest thing on the road these people have ever seen. The amount of attention we get is overwhelming.  We act as if we are invisible and ride accordingly. To drivers we are anything but. 

There are periodic, random traffic checks to catch non-documented travelers. We have always been ushered through but at a check south of Nang Khai we were asked to pull over. We both carry passports and visas with us at all times but there is still that moment of pause. We were greeted buy two smiling officers with cell phone cameras lofted asking politely if they could take a picture of us. Here I am with my new best friend border agent. 

There are many beautiful temples but this one stands out. 

A large Buddha statue stands guard of the temple lands. 

This is a typical "food court" in Thailand. They pretty much look the same and they are pretty much everywhere. 

The chicken was outstanding. 

Sticky rice is the most common type of rice served. It is a different varity of plant and you have to tug to get a wad. It is commonly served with a sauce to dip in. 

This is the closest thing to salad they serve. It has red and green tomatoes, a type of green bean, grated green papaya and a fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, peanuts and palm sugar called som tom. Quite tasty and refreshing. 

The Nakhara International Hotel is worth mentioning. It boasts clean, modern rooms with a touch of class you would expect in finer US hotels. 

Look at the detail on the origami bath and hand towel. 

The room rate of $42 includes WiFi and breakfast.

Dress to Ride

Making good time on side roads just isn't possible in the stretch running to Laos so the remainder of the trip to the border will be on Hwy 2. It is loud, busy stinky and boring but we make good time. Lacking any good tourist pictures I will show how I dress to ride. 

This part of Thailand is 17* north of the equator which means protecting from the sun's rays is a full time job. It would take tubes of sun screen to do the job right and I would always feel like a grease monkey. Instead I use UV arm and leg protectors. They have an SPF rating of 50 and an added benefit is they evaporate sweat and cool the skin. 

My legs and arms are the same color as when I arrived here. 

The arm works the same way. 

The tip less gloves are a similar material. 

Neck and ears are covered by a buff. Not very stylish but hides the ugly haircut. 

It kinda gets disguised by the helmet. The glasses are rated at 90 something UV protection. 

The only part of me that needs sun screen is my nose, cheeks and lips. 

The peach colored door is at the Udon Travel Lodge where we spent the night. As soon as we got to the room the owner came to greet us. He spoke halting English but was proud to state that he had a friend in America that he had visited. He was a pleasant man but found out the next morning he had a kind heart as well. We got our usual crack of dawn start and were three miles down the road when a pickup pulled over ahead of us. The owner got out with Steven's computer mouse in hand which had been left behind in our haste to get an early start. 

A GPS never lies - Yeh, Right

There are two routes going north to the Laos border, Rt 2 the busy, fast expressway or on back country roads. We opted for quiet country, not a straight shot but a series of disjointed segments. We both have a GPS and entered the destination but got different routes. The next 21 miles we never really knew where we were. At one point the GPS took us into a sugar cane field much to the amusement of the workers. Okay I can look back on it now and see the humor but at the time I was too embarrassed to take out my camera and shoot a picture so just try to visualize this. Two Americans on high-tech trikes riding in to a field with about eight or 10 workers staring in disbelief at what they are seeing. They did tell us how to get back to Hwy 2 and we exchanged goodbyes they with grins on their faces and we with tails tucked in. 

During that leg of the ride we definitely got to see a different side of Thai countryside. It is planting season for several crops this time of year. The sugar cane harvest is in full swing so some fields are already growing the new crop. 

Avocado bushes are growing bigger by the day. 

Rice looks green and healthy. 

And the rubber trees are giving up their sap a few drips at a time. 

And the best crop of all are these young minds.

Once back on Hwy 2 we were glad to see a sign for a guest house and even more surprised at how clean and spacious it was for only $15 each for the night. There were two queen size beds and most nights we sleep on singles so we felt pampered. There was just one drawback. There was a mosquito pond 10 feet out the back door, and the doors did not fit well at all so it was back under the mosquito netting. 

Yes this the actual fit. 

It beats getting Dengue. 

Rural and Poor

The ride from Kohn Kaen to Nam Phon started on Hwy 2 which is a six lane commuter route. When the GPS give us an alternate route of a winding country road we jumped at the chance to get away from the noise and fumes. The alternate route took us through the heart of rice farming country. For the most part the machinery they use is primitive. 

The work is labor intensive. 

The people continue to be extremely friendly and nice. They are quick with a smile and go out of their way to be helpful. We were parked at the curb in one town trying to decide where we should eat. Suddenly a man was kneeling next to me and said, "You look lost." We told him we were looking for a good restaurant and he and his girlfriend jumped on their motor scooter and told us to follow them. A few blocks away they stopped and pointed to a restaurant and indicated it was one of their favorites both good and inexpensive. 

Bronco Playoff Game

Before I agreed to come on the trip I got an agreement with Steven that if the Broncos made the playoffs that we had to find a sports bar so I could watch the games. How naive on my part. They do play a little soccer in Thailand but that is watched live. Sports bars are completely an American invention. 

All our hotels thus far have had broadband so here is how I was able to watch the Broncos beat the Chargers. Becky and I have Dish Sattelite in Denver. There is an App on my iPad that allows me to access the recorders at home from anywhere I have a broadband connection. The game was played at four AM Monday which was perfect because we had to catch a 9:00 AM bus to our next trike ride spot. Fortunately the bus depot was less than a mile from the bus depot. The game ended we loaded and peddled and had plenty of time to get our trikes ready for stashing on the bus. The size of the bus luggage compartment requires that we fold our trikes. My Bronco flag rides inside with me. 

       

The bus ride took us over some beautiful and very steep mountains on the seven hour trip to Kohn Kaen in the central eastern part of the country. It is just to the right of the X in the map. 

It is likely you heard there are political demonstrations in Thailand. There are those who think the current Prime Minister is corrupt and want her to step down. Most of the demonstrations thus far have been in Bangkok. As we peddled our trikes out of the bus depot in Kohn Kaen a group of several hundred were marching in support of the Prime Minister. 

We were handed flags and ushered into the procession much to the delight and cheers of the demonstrators. My dog isn't in that fight but I am proud of my souvenir flag and will bring it home. 

Temple at Sukhothai

We took a day out from riding to visit the historical temple at Sukhothai. The site is spread over many dozens of acres and inspires awe at how much effort was put into honoring Buddha. 

A variety of building materials were used including lava slabs, kiln fired brick and concrete. 

Walking the grounds was a very peaceful experience and it is easy to imagine monks chanting, meditating and walking along the the pathways.