129 to Tha Chana 26.11.18

Another early start after waking up too early. First, I wrote an email to Bella who has 60th birthday today. It was no easy task, to find the right balance between distance that she might want to keep and credible congratulating. My sons maybe can tell later if it was ok!
The early starts are attractive for me, because it is not only less warm and less traffic, there is a certain atmosphere of calmness (including a fading moon)

This silence gets more and more interrupted and later removed by motor sounds. I noticed that the more I came north, the more pick up vans were on the streets and generally, those and the SUVs seem to be oversized in most cases according to their purpose to move people from A to (an often nearby!) B. And regarding motorcycles, in 90% of all cases I can tell if a woman or a man is approaching. Not a single woman was driving a tuned motorcycle that was hellishly loud like those of many men. And women were slower. And another thing:
On many motorcycles, 2 or 3 or even 4 persons are sitting and if one of them smiles, all of them smile. They don’t have agreements how to act, it just (maybe) shows that personality is not so much formed by what we call education (and overemphasize) but by attitude. You can see that through generations, people cannot be to old or to young to smile to a stranger and on the other hand also children can have those closed faces and just stare earnestly on that strange stranger with his strange bike.
Today, I saw many fish or shrimp farms and I wonder how near they are to that kind that causes so many environmental problems (not speaking about the fish “living” there).

there was always too much green for a good view

The first stop was again set for 25km, but it took me another 5km to find a place with shadow. It was a closed little shop with two seats in front and music coming out. I sat down to eat something I had bought at the night market yesterday and listened to the sweetish pop song(s) that either came in endless repetition or is so similar that I cannot hear the end of one and start of the next.
When I wanted to go, the shop owner came and I didn’t want to be impolite and leave after finishing, while she opened her shop. She was in no hurry to offer me something, more important was to take photos, so I also dared to take one. (Normally it takes me extra willpower to photograph)

On the photo, you can see the chemistry lab, that those shop owners need for their drinks
I have a list of things that I didn’t photograph when I first saw them, because I was not determined enough to stop or even to go back.
Today, I saw one of those big pictures of the Thai king or family members. And in this case, there were 3 stairs positioned in front of the picture. For worship?? I must have more information, but it was strange for me, very strange. I didn’t find another picture with stairs in front, so it is on my list.

stairless but still so adorable

Then, there was a small “temple” at the street in the middle of nowhere with some soft drinks as donation. The drinks were opened and had a straw. Now I wonder who buys a soft drink and stops to put a bottle with unhealthy sugar stuff there? And did those gods or whoever these drinks are aimed at, immune to diabetes?
I later found a bigger place of worship, with some discarded mini temples or altars and can make a check mark to “strange places and kinds of worship of whoever.”

…and around the corner, some expired altars

Some more dead snakes reminded me today on a living one a few days earlier that was on a main street leading straight into a city, not in the woods. The snake was frightened like me and thank god(s) left in the last moment instead attacking out of fear.
Today, on a crossroad there was a police man, and when I was about to pass, he pompously stepped forward and I was sure he wants to stop me but he just gave me a thumb up and waved me to pass by.
On most of the streets, they had not the usual reflectors at the side, but nice glass-like things. Don’t know how, how good they are, but at least they are different 😉

Today was only a 62km ride,

so I arrived early and could do my laundry and other things that I kept for a day with more time. The Wi-Fi signal in my room was to poor to do anything so I went to the place where the owner/manager sat to upload another video. Now I am up to date with my diary and only 5 days behind with the videos, so, in 4 days this could be up to date, too. I only lost a video from the cargo ship with sea and clouds that I had cut on the last day on the freighter and now I wonder where it is.
The manager had the TV running and there was again such a pretty-pretty pop music and I saw that it was different music, because the videos were different, but all of them used variants of the same corny sentimental/”thoughtful” melody that I was in real troubles. He, apparently, too, because he fled into sleep. And then, his phone rang, and the ring tone was another variant of that “music” and it matched in a way that let me make off fast.
I made a short walk to the beach, the nervous waves and the dirt on the beach didn’t help my motivation to get me into the water, so I went back.

by going north, i had crossed the Malayan Peninsula from west coast to east coast

Today, I finally cleaned my chain! So far, I only had put oil on it, but today the situation allowed no excuse, because I had time enough and the bike directly in front of my room. It is no big deal, in fact, but you have to get the equipment out of the bag, which takes 45 sec and you must turn the pedal a few times, then you have to put back the equipment and clean your fingers. Ok, it is done! And maybe next time will be earlier than after 6000km (ok, it is the second chain, in Yerevan I had got a new one)
With the clean chain, I cycled to the place the owner of the resort had recommended. I was the only guest and for me, they even turned on the music. It was country pop between “Puff, the magic dragon” and “Achy breaky heart” and I admit that I can stand that longer than that Thai pop, although I normally am interested in the local music in all forms.

The food was ok, but the price was at least double than usual. Had I to safe their day? Is it normal for this region or that restaurant? But, do you know – this means I payed 6-7€…
On the way back, it was completely dark and a dog coming from the side and growling, made me shriek involuntarily.
In general, in the hotels and hostels I drink tab water from my filter bottle to avoid buying too many plastic bottles (Sometimes, I couldn’t refill them when I had not been at restaurant). I just cannot put filtered water from this bottle in my bike bottles, it doesn’t come out by itself.

I eventually found those lost ship videos and outside the room, with good connection, I uploaded them all.
Then it was time for a rest, because tomorrow again a longer tour (125km) waits and when I want to start early, my “system” overachieves the demands and I wake up at least one hour earlier than planned, but my loyal readers know this meanwhile…
and for the especially loyal ones, a sequel to the endless story of the imperfect bathroom:
what is missing here?

Many Asians would not miss the toilet paper,
so it is something else.