Planalto Cycles

Yesterday, uploading a video to youtube had not worked, I even let the PC on overnight, it didn’t help. So, I decided to finish video cutting while I tried different things to fix the upload.
At 8:30, everything was done, and I left.
At km25, I stopped to buy another sliced pineapple (9/10 points!) and something I regarded as sliced jackfruit, because I had read now it is the season and it is the best region.

When I tried some at my next stop, I was disappointed or even shocked.

The taste was sour in a way I dislike at mixed pickles, I needed three bananas to swallow half of that stuff and later, I made another stop at a streetfood/restaurant to get fried rice and egg and with that I could finish nearly everything.

(The rest was done on the restaurant of Sam Phraya Beach for lunch)
For me today was interesting that I was similar exhausted at the end of this day tour than normally after double- or three-times distance. This can only partly be explained by the continuously strong headwind, – this was not much better yesterday, and I did 95km. My theory is that to a certain degree you can really grow with the task and when 100km have to be done, 40 is only the beginning and when 45km are to be done, you have another feeling at 40km. So, I think that I built up less tension today and could feel weaker earlier. Besides that, the sun was stronger today.
And then I arrived at the National Park, passed by the visitor center and finally came to Sam Phraya Beach. At the barrier, they wanted the entrance fee and didn’t know about any arrangement of Pat, (Pat, a couchsurfing friend, who works in the Organisation of the Thai National Parks, had arranged an accommodation for me, and it should be enough when I mention my name.) I asked for the way to the office and they pointed somewhere. Everything in poor and hardly understandable English. I went there, a woman was cleaning the porch of a bungalow and sent me to the restaurant. The lady in the restaurant sent me to the office at the visitor center, ~5km from the beach. I didn’t want to believe it and tried it again at the entrance and now they also sent me back.
I was not exactly motivated to go again and even to go back, I had been prepared to stay there, to take a shower or a swim. But I did it. After 20min,I arrived at the office. In the visitor center the sent me to the office and in the office, they sent me to the visitor center. Time to make a call to Pam! Luckily, I got here immediately at the phone and could let her talk to one of those ladies.
Then Pam and the lady both confirmed that I really could go back to Sam Phraya, everything would be organized.
Back I needed 25min, because the wind had been even stronger. At the entrance, they still knew nothing, time for another magic call. Then, they sent me to the restaurant (they had said “letalone or letter-lown, but they pointed in the direction of the restaurant) and the lady sent me back to the woman at the bungalow and the woman at the bungalow opened exactly this bungalow for me, where she had sent me away an hour ago.
Soon after unpacking, I took a short swim and then a shower and then started my business as usual. But then I needed internet for uploading and that meant going to the restaurant. I got rice with vegetables, added some nuts/seeds and the remaining jackfruit pieces and let the internet work with my upload.
At the neighbouring table, a group of tourists were leaving, and they left half of the serving plates uneaten. I took one plate with vegetables, not 100% feeling ok with it but 100% sure that I don’t want to see all those things going to the dustbin.

Then I went back to “my” bungalow.
Meanwhile, Pat had organized a tour to the Kui Buri Park where I hopefully can see elephants. To safe time for that, I wanted to visit at least one of the 3 caves in the park today and had seen that they close at 4:30pm. So, I left again and headed to the nearest of them and arrived there at 4. But the officer told me it is too late, they close at 4 and it is at least an hour to go and come back. Ok, another 10km just for nothing and I went back.
The bungalow was warm to say the least and I sweated like in a sauna.

sometimes, I am not sure if photos of burned, scraped or sweating skin are ok, I just hope so…

But after a short shower it was better again. I cut videos and when I was finished, went back to the restaurant for a dinner/uploading combination. It was very dark, only 4 small street lamps and the light of the restaurant where to see.

At the restaurant, there was only a man now and I was the only customer. He asked if I want “eye” and as I before had heard “bee” instead of beach, I knew there could be something missing and “ice” was the correct guess. I had read that they close at 9. At 21:15, I was finished. First, I had wondered if the man would come to take the money for the food as a sign, that I should leave, but he just watched movies on his phone and when I asked, he told me that he would stay overnight. So, he was not in a special hurry to get rid of me.
I would have liked to make a video of those small lizards at the wall of the restaurant, but it would have been too tedious.

They always made some fast steps and then ossified again. And most of the time, just one of them moved. And after a while another one. And then the next. It gave the impression of a complicated animal variant of chess.

It would have been possible to take swim, but eventually I didn’t want strongly enough.
So, I only made a short bike ride, to get a GPS location (yesterday it didn’t work at all and I wanted to try it with freshly charged batteries. And I wanted to have a beautiful sunrise, but this was cancelled today, because of clouds.

that dog wanted to participate in the selfie but then he just spoiled it

It was nice anyway.
Not so nice was the waste in that little lake…

At the resort, they had offered breakfast and out of curiosity, I took it. The only option was toast (or not) with butter (or not) and jam (or not) and hot water that you could turn into something like coffee or cacao with some powder. I took everything except the coffee and slightly after 7, I was on the street again.
Today, I saw so many dogs lying on the street that I decided to dedicate an own video or a section of one to them.And I had my 4^th fall with the bike, the first time during going. The other 3 times, I was standing of turning to the left and had forgotten that my left foot still was fixed to the pedal. This time, I wanted to avoid a bump but instead slipped on the sand at the side and fell. My right foot was fixed, and I could only “use” my leg and my arm. Taken the heavy bike and myself falling, practically nothing happened, except some small scratches. But my gopro was on and I want to get everything out of that:
I remember seeing an accident report in Taiwanese TV and was fascinated! They showed the little film material, that they had, 5-10 times in slow motion, normal, with graphic visualisation etc.
I want to try this now ?
On the ride, I saw some things that are funny for me.

a lot of sand to broom today!

And I had to do something, what I wouldn’t do again. I had to cross the rails but they way so high that I had to lift the bike over each of them.

Mr.G didn’t show any alternative but next time; I would look at the offline map on my phone to find my way and then back to the GPS route.
Today, I only bought an ice-cream, because I had to finish something from yesterday. In a shop I had bought something looking like a cake. But it was the same sugar-with-sugar-thing that I once had mistaken for a kind of chocolate in Armenia, only formed like small cakes. No idea who wants to have that and for what!
I dissolved that problem in soya milk and spiced it up with my last cookies from Iran, very rich…
The ice cream was no big contrast, also sweet, but cold and as topping, I could choose Jackfruit. As I had seen it before in different shops, people take off their shoes when they enter and I followed the other customers in that. I refilled my water bottle, but I also got a cup with ice cubes and I didn’t want to waste that and drank water from the cup, too, until the ice was melted.
Then I went and forgot my water bottle, only 20km later I saw it! It was originally a bottle with Gatorade that I had bought, because it fitted in the bottle holder and had a drinking valve. I had it for 2 years ? and now I need something similar again.
The route made a detour that led to Prachuap Khiri Khan. So, I saw some attractions and was ok with the 2-3km more although the wind had made it more exhausting than necessary.

there were lots of monkeys, passing the street to and fro

Most of the time, I could use only the 4^th and 5^th gear with the middle chain ring. And I had to use the wind shield of the helmet most of the time. For me, the windshield is not only wind protection, but also against sand and little stones and against insects. Yesterday, when there was less wind, I didn’t use it for a while and an insect flew against my open eye. It hit me hard, although I always wear glasses. Now, for a while, I will be more careful again…
Today, the road was near the sea quite often, here to other pics.

but also off the shore, some landscapes were attractive.

I call it “Thainburger Au” because it reminds me on the Hainburger Au at the Danube

I the evening, I tried to get a new water bottle and got only one fitting well in the bottle holder but with a normal screw cap.
And I bought again some bananas and tangerines and a yellow fruit that was formed like a mango and in some way also tasted like one. It was not very sweet, but apparently ripe and very juicy, let’s say 6/10 points.
Tomorrow, I have only 43km, so I will try to be relaxed ?

Here, I was

Today, there was nearly no rain, still enough clouds (maybe one hour sunshine all in all) but strong wind. We recall – at this time the wind comes from north-east, and that is my direction for the next months.
And the first cycling tourists I met since Iran, commented on that, saying that I go in the wrong direction. But it is like with cleaning windows or chains (provoking rain that someone might need): wind tends to be headwind for someone, so others can have tailwind. (blurred but only photo)

They were at similar age and similar dressed like those I had met in Romania and they also are Canadians. We met at high noon and in one of those short periods with (hot!) sun, at an unpleasant part of the street, so we agreed to establish contact and leave.
The streets today, were the well-known mixture of narrow and wide streets that the route planner suggests in Malaysia and Thailand. Only, greater parts of the big streets were under reconstruction and as a compensation, at least 10km were dedicated bike lanes and 90% of the rest also was bike-friendly.
Besides cycling, I am occupied with catching the right moment for a photo. Today, after a failure, I was quite satisfied with the rest. I had seen a dead animal, ~30cm long, looking like a baby crocodile. The thoughts, “What was that? Is it possible? No?! But what else – it looked so unmistakeable! Should I go back? But if it was something else?” took too long, I was too far for my “stop-and-return-pain-barrier”, so you and I will never know what it is.
After that, I stopped or even went back (a few meters) for other photos.
I saw another variant in the rubber plantations, white balls in the bowl – picture.

I saw an empty Fish/shrimp basin – picture.

I tried to catch the mood of death and evanescence caused by those stairs to nowhere. Which photo transports that meaning most likely?

I found something for special humour, because I at first read shrink instead of shrimp and there was a disproportionately smaller – shrunken?! – version of our beloved king or whoever that is.

I even documented my breakfast (only the first course, nuts/seed + rice, 2nd course were bananas and rice pudding pastries)

On facebook, you can read more about those photos.
The next was easy, I think my bike slowed down by itself to take this picture!

Then, I could finally set a check-mark to the coconut cemetery photo – done!

To see the sea during cycling also makes me stop, easy picture (but not so real like reality)

The bananas: I wanted to buy some, but the owner slept. So , I just read the price and put the money a little bit hidden on the desk. The double banana would help to reduce packing material!

The figure of the policeman had a funny face, but I nearly missed him. And then I remembered the croc and went back…

The kids on the billboards were on my to-do-list. Check. I try to imagine similar things in Austria and happily can’t.

To get drinking water and to have something for dinner, I had bought 2 big carrots and a pack of cooked rice. I added another portion of my nuts and seeds, so one box is empty, 3 other containers will follow.

Then I was busy as usual and nearly missed the beach.

Maybe before breakfast I will go there for a swim tomorrow. Everything must work well for that ?

The first thing to see when I opened the front door, was a day break spectacle that made me say “Oh my god!” So, there might be more in the picture than meets the eye. I post it 2x, the original photo and an edited version.

(and – which is the original?!)
I again felt good in the morning temperature and didn’t want to stop for a while. But then there was this crab and I had to stop!

After that however, I went on and on until I got hungry enough. Enough for what? Well, I was going with an average of 22 km/h and that reminded me on a record Mr.G had told me. On 5^th of Oct (on the way to Pasargad), I had made the fastest 40km so far, in 100min. And now my brain started to work. Could I be faster? But for what? Anyway, it would be good to be fast in the morning, so what? And so on…
So, I was hungry enough to stop that race against myself and a small electronic device that triggered some of my weak points.
I saw bananas looking eatable and I wanted to combine them with rice I had kept from yesterday’s dinner and nuts&seeds that I wanted to use up. The lady had no change but offered me some fried bananas

(In fact those bananas that I had bought apparently had been decoration only) and a seat. So, my meal was complete and gave me energy for a next round of cycling. The weather was complaisantly, nearly all the time cloudy, 5 times raining for some minutes and not too windy.
There is something funny or just a proof for God’s strange education program or his humour:
When I clean my windows at home (not too often!) it starts to rain soon, except I clean my windows to provoke rainfall. (Otherwise it would be my education program for HIM not his for me). And now it rained, because I had cleaned my chain yesterday.
Today, I could make a check mark under “altar shop”, because I had missed a beautiful one yesterday, including daring tigers and other animals.

And I found the exception to the rule regarding motorcycle recognition. A man in a military (like) camouflage suit on a pink not-tuned motorcycle.
What else?
You know, I like signs telling you to do this and to leave that.

“avoid lordosis – always”!

And my route planner showed something funny:
go on 53km and then turn back!

I soon remembered the reason for that, but at first I was shocked. Many streets have separated lanes for the two driving directions. And every few kilometres, there is a U-turn and I should have used one. But I used the one before my junction and did what many motorcyclists do, I went in the wrong direction on the hard shoulder.
Not that funny is an advertisement for a cockfight-event.
I cannot understand people delighting in animals fighting, hurting and killing each other (or by some “heroes”, like in Spain).

On the way, I had only made two other stops to buy fruits, one sliced pineapple (great!) and little bananas and big tangerines.
(When I re-read that, I found “mad to stops to by…”, that is 3 mistakes in 5 words and I know that I don’t even find all of those where I know how to write it!)
So, I was at the hostel after 6,5 hours although it was 118km. At the room, I wanted to take a shower and all my skills and experience from this trip didn’t help, no water came. I asked for help and the solution was to turn the tap longer, then a small fountain appeared, I just had given up after some rounds – too early!
Now I had small and smaller bananas to compare, the smaller ones won with 8/10 points, but maybe only because I had eaten the softer of the bigger ones first and now only half-ripe were left. The big tangerine won against the small, like 9/10 vs 8/10.

The day before, I had read that bananas are hybrids and have no seeds – there were some!
I made a round through some streets to find food and see a bit of the city. I found a place to get rice and vegetables and after that, I bought a piece of cake, but this was maybe the last try, so far, I didn’t find really good sweets. On my way back, I saw many other and fr me suitable places, but I was not hungry, so I just bought more of these “rice-pudding” pastries for the next morning.
For the blog, I wanted to take out screenshots from the video, but since the last update of Magix, the screenshots only are the left upper quarter of the screen.

I did, what most parents of digital natives older than 7 or 8 do: I asked my sons (and they are not only a bit older than 8 and digi natives, they work with computers) and learned a new windows combination: WINDOWS + SHIFT + S. It is even better, because you can immediately select the part you want to have.
Thank you, son ?

Ah, today I was able to post the youtube video and the blog post at the same time, so you will find that sign in the video.

“the machine is working” 🙂 there was nobody and nothing. And not working

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.

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.

kind of jubilee: 6000km are completed today

It is not only an internal problem when I wake up that early. Today, it had been very quiet around midnight, and at 1 a.m., I woke up with the feeling it must be morning, because people were shouting around and making work sounds that I associate with day time. This was for the next 3 hours, then it was more silent and then the “real” acoustic morning scenery began. That was at 5 and I got up. Again, I worked a bit and then I packed to leave.
At 6:30, I sat on the bike. This was not necessary, because today only 90km were to manage, but I wanted to make most of it before it gets hot.
I was going in a upper medium speed when a woman on a racing bike and an elder man on a touring bike overtook me. Just for fun, I wanted to keep up for a while and tried to stay in the slipstream. They were going with 30km/h and to my surprise I could cope with it. After 10km, Mr.G told me to make a turn to the left and I left them. After 200m, I should go right and then I saw that the streets would meet again and thought it would be fun to meet them again. The road had a worse quality and alone I only could do 26km/h, and this was hard. But to my surprise I saw the man (without the woman) in front of me after a while. He also saw me and stopped. But we couldn’t talk, he couldn’t speak a word English and I no word Thai. He went to a shop to have breakfast and I continued for a while.
Then, I also wanted to get some food and asked a woman with a pan what she would fry. She didn’t understand so I wanted to show what I meant and went to the side. And there was a roof and I hit my head so hard that I had to sit down. Even my neck was hurting from the impact and curiously, my lip was open, but not my head. She had no food, so I took a drink to sit for a while, refilled my water bottle and went on. I was ok again.

Because of the “race” before, this break was at km35 instead of 25 and so I waited to km60 with the second one. The man there told me that the soup was not ready but then he asked his neighbours sitting with their food in front of their house if the would have something and they brought me a white stew with some tofu, herbs and vegetables

and I was happy that his soup was not ready, because the alternative was delicious. On the way, I tried to get a better photo of those cranes with cows, but they are so shy that they always fly away before the camera is ready. So I made a photo of a slow tree covered with a kind of grass that was also growing on the ground,

Before I reached the hotel, I bought some tangerines

and I found a fruit beside the street that looked eatable.

In Thung Song, I needed a stop for orientation and this was at the side of a street shop selling some interesting things where I couldn’t tell if it is food or decoration. Some things were indeed not food, but I found interesting sticks that I wanted to try.

The hotel was nearby and at noon I was in my room! It was a nice and big one and the bathroom was good, too. I also washed my clothes, wondering about the wardroom that seemed to be made exactly for my needs.

I wanted to go to bed earlier and leave with the sunrise tomorrow, because it is a longer tour and in this case the morning hours are more important than otherwise. But there was a night market and I wanted to make a short round to find good food.
I bought a mango…
Then I bought fried noodles, good, and something that I supposed to be a kind of cake. It was maybe a sweet potato or similar. I would have got sugar and spices and the taste was neutral enough to justify it, but after a few bits I like it as it was.
Back at the hotel, first I tried to upgrade my bike mirror by adding some glue to the joint. The mirror always slips down and Gray’s foil that he had implied in Dubai, was only effective a few days, but I fear that the glue also will not help long.
And then, the mango. If there is a scale between 1 and 10, with 10 being heavenly, this one would get 5 for average. Even in Austria I had eaten fruits like this, who give you a slight memory of what a mango can be and can do.
I have to go on!

This night, I had a strange way of sleeping. The first time when I woke up with the feeling I should, was 1a.m., the last was 5a.m., then I gave up and prepared to leave. I used the great wifi again, so in the end, I left the hotel at 6:30.
This was a nice experience, because the streets were less crowded and for a while, the temperature was pleasant.
I had my regular stops at 25, 50 and 75km, and the last, 100km, would have been the hotel, only a small detour made it longer.
On the way, you often can see cows, or mainly bulls accompanied by cranes. I don’t know if this is a symbiosis but here for the first time with maximum zoom, I could catch that. Normally the birds fly away when they notice me. The bull cannot fly, he is fixed with a rope in his nose.
The first stop was mainly to empty and refill my water-bottle. I had had a drink with ice yesterday and had put the ice in the bottle, but it was not pure enough and now I had stinky, milky liquid that was hard to swallow, and I said to myself maybe it is better not to swallow it in this case. In Thailand, they offer a jug of water when you sit down for food and I combined a soup with drinking and refilling the water bottle. When I left, the shopkeeper ran to me with my purse that I had forgotten on the table! That would have been hard when I would have seen that another 25km later and would have to go back to (hopefully!) get it again! It was typical human error that occurs when things combine like being distracted and in a hurry. There had been a few situations like that and most of the time I had good luck and in no case something really bad had happened so far…
On the way, I didn’t find a lane Mr.G wanted to send me and when I tried to correct this mistake I found out that it was because of a market that filled the street completely. When I realized how long this market was, it was too late and impossible to turn back, so I went on in the crowd, seeing delicious and other stuff to eat accompanied by the suitable smell and noise of a typical market scene. After 15min, I had reached the end of the ~200m lane and could go on.
The next stop would have been dedicated to fruits, but I did not find any, so I made a stop at the last shop of that village owned by an old couple and bought small cakes.
This day, I came through many rubber plantations

and this was good for me as the trees often were standing near enough the narrow streets to provide some shadow. Sometimes, there also were clouds and I hoped for rain, but at least they also made shadow from time to time.

So, I always was thinking, should I put on sunscreen or not and always when I was near to stop and do it, there was a period of shadow. My forearms look a bit strange now, there are two layers of blisters, from yesterday and from today. I think it is no sunburn, so I am not sure if sunscreen would have helped. Maybe the sun and the sweat provoked a kind of allergic reaction?

sorry for showing this – I promise not to show every bodily problem I have, only those that people on the street also would see!

Today, I saw snakes in all states between freshly killed and a longer time ago. And one apparently was still alive when I took a picture but one of the next cars will change that for sure.

At km75, I decided to eat again some street food. A man invited me to sit down at his table and he liked to talk about Europe, especially Germany and Switzerland, where he wants to go one day to climb the Matterhorn ? He knew some information like how many “Kantons” Switzerland has and could say some words. In the end, he told me that he is Muslim and he is married to the owner of the restaurant who is Buddhist, and this is not problem at all for them personally and in Thailand in general.

some religions seem to be more playful than Islam, Christianity & Co, or would they hide plastic Tigers in their sacred places??

I arrived in Phattalung, and this time I was sure that I had integrated the location of the hotel in the route, but after a while, I again became suspicious. Maps me, the offline map, didn’t show enough details, so I couldn’t find the place, but fortunately, yesterday I had got the suggestion of google maps to download an offline map and there I at least could see the name of the road. (I had the address of the hotel). And then I found out, that Mr.G had brought me there, I had been in that road, but on the GPS, there was no hint that I should stop or that I would have reached an intermediate destination.
I learned from that and at the hotel, before uploading or so, I planned daily trips with the accommodation at the end, so I could not pass by (when the tour would end somewhere else, in this case I had a 550km part to the middle of Thailand as one tour) and additionally, I bookmarked the hotels in the offline map and, additionally I bought a Thai SIM card. That should be enough.
Before I reached the hotel, I found a shop where they sold mangoes! I had heard that Malaysia imports them from here, because they are better and had even skipped buying bananas today to enjoy mango in the evening. I tasted a piece because in case of paradisaical taste I would have bought 2 or 3 or 4 but it was sour! The lady gave a pot of something in the bag and I thought it was sugar with some spices like cinnamon. At the hotel I did this and that to prolong the waiting time, then I poured this sugar upon it and – was shocked! Now it was not only sour, it was spicy and hot! ☹ With great difficulties and lots of sweets out of my stocks and plenty of water a could eat or better dispose this vegetable disappointment. Yesterday, I had seen a man with a handcart, selling different fruits, partly pealed and sliced and I hoped to find someone like him when I later went out to buy that SIM card. But there was nothing to find, luckily my Thai-days are not over yet, I will not give up! Instead of sweet fruits I met nice students collecting money for a school camp. They only had started at university now and were very enthusiastic about their international Islamic studies. I am not, but their project was ok and we had a nice talk, so I gave them some money and went back to the hotel.