Today, I wanted to start early and when I set my alarm to 5:30, my body/brain system interprets this as invitation for 4:40. In addition, the personal of the hotel shouted to each other as if there were a highway between them and the acoustics of the hotel assisted hem in their efforts to wake up everybody (or only me?)
It was interesting to see that the same woman that could shout in that unpleasant screaming voice, a little bit later could say thank you in this graceful Thai way that looks a bit like praying.
I had forgotten to charge my phone at night, so I did it now and ended up with leaving at 6:10, which was near to my original plan.
It was hard to get to the main street, because there was a running event and I had to cross the endless crowd 2x. Later, until 8, I saw some groups of cyclists on racing bikes, but all in the opposite direction.
The temperature was pleasant enough that I didn’t want to stop, but after 5km I had to stop because apparently, some insects were biting around on my back and I couldn’t find relief. So, I stopped, put off the shirt, cleaned it and my back and then it was better. Then, I only made a short break directly on the roadside after 30km to swallow 3 rice flour pastries I had bought yesterday, each combined with one of those tiny but tasty tangerines I still had.
By that, the pattern for today was laid with a 30km framework and so the next stop was at km60. It was a precut pineapple and would get at least 7/10. At km75, refined the framework to have a drink, I was short of water and normally, you also can refill the water bottle. A boy bought a something in fascinating red and I thought if he survives that, so will I and ordered the same (also for practical reasons, I had no idea, what else there was).
The lady mixed 2 or 3 powders with hot water and 2 other liquids and if the result would have been toothpaste or window cleaner, it would not have surprised me.
I wanted to have it in my own cup, without straw and other accessories and this was complicated for her, but she did it.
Later on the road I completed my rubber tree photos,
because now I saw trees at work, last time, the pots were turned down. And I tried to get bull + crane photos, one time I was nearly satisfied, and I can make a check mark to this.
After that photos, the birds flew away. The black bull started flying, too, (see his left leg!) but the rope forced him to stay.
To the section “snakes” in the folder “roadkill”, I didn’t want to add photos, but the green one should be an allowed exception.
Besides animals, I always see many Buddhist temples, sometimes at unexpected places in the forest, but most of them directly on the main road.
On the photo, you can see a gong with 4 or 5m diameter.
90km, next and last stop:
Soup or stew. I didn’t choose the place, with a “hello, sir!” I was chosen to come. I was not even there when one of the three women brought me a glass of water with ice cubes. A customer invited me to sit next to him and he helped me to order the vegetables and tofu I hoped to get. While I was busy with that, my glass was refilled by one of them. During our conversation, I learned that mango season is March to May, so they are allowed to be imperfect now. Until I was finished with my food and paying, I got 4 glassed of cool water and really couldn’t drink more. So, I put the rest in my own cup and this seemed to be an unsatisfactory sight for them and they added ice to the top of the cup.
My construction is not fitted to full cups, so I later tried to drink down as much as I could…
Today I was tired (see my closed eyes on the photo!). Tired during cycling and especially around noon so tired that I nearly fell asleep during the ride. And for the first time also tired of cycling…
I asked myself what the use is of doing 1ookm every day, always in a hurry to get off from one place early, always trying to keep up with photos, videos and diary, always missing places off my route. Of course, I know the answers and of course I also know that such a “crisis” was only a matter of time. But still, I have one lesson to learn, that is a good mixture of tension and release and not adding artificial pressure to everything….
The last 40km were not my favourite part, but at least there was a kind of count down on the GPS, because I had to follow the road for 40km and then the hotel would be 100m on the right.
At my room, I finished my last pot of Austrian high protein mixture, Now I still have four pots with salty seeds and nuts, but this is not pure Austrian material, because I always added something, the last time in Iran. Maybe, in China I again will need my own stocks, but in countries with street food every now and then, my victuals are unnecessary.
To proof that, I went to the night market and at first bought some little cakes. At the river there should be an art event every Saturday, but if this was art, I didn’t understand it (I have some difficulties with contemporary art!).
Then I went up and down the night market to find something nice for dinner and took another pineapple. Then I found a place where you get noodles in one of four sauces and add vegetables offered at the table.
The sauce was too spicy for me and I had to take many sprouts to cope with it. At that market (compared to those in other smaller cities), you could see some signs in English and the seller also more often know a few words.
A former pupil and a Couchsurfing friend wanted to meet in Thailand. It was clear that there are some difficulties because of my bike trip so, it seems to be impossible.
Both will stay on Islands on the Western cost of Thailand and I was about to reach the Eastern cost.