1/3/25
We were glad to be able to make another early start after our blistering hot afternoon the day before. There was a kettle by reception that we could use to make some much needed coffee in our mugs. The sunrise draped the sky in some superb oranges.
When we were just about to leave, Jonathan tugged the zip on his frame bag to close it and the zip failed. Annoying. We managed to get the puller back on and he’d just have to not close it entirely from now on. We left the small pile of cockroaches in the corner and pedalled off.
We’d chosen to go straight onto back roads. The highway was quiet this time of day but it just isn’t a pleasant place to ride. Within a kilometre we’d said hello to at least 10 people and 2 angry dogs. The Thai way of life was so intriguing to us. Multigenerational living is far more common. The families are often sat outside in the mornings, eating or relaxing.
We ended up on a busier rural road than we’d desired. The wider the road the less possible shade. There’s always a good hard shoulder though. We imagined how nice it would be at home to have such a big space for cycling in. The miles went down quickly, our eyes soaking in all the uniqueness of the environment.
Eventually we came off onto smaller roads surrounded by plantation. We often saw snakes, only small ones mind you, in these ‘habitats’. They’d quickly slither off the road when they noticed our presence. The back road meant we had to backtrack slightly so we could join the 4 again. We decided to have a quick dragonfruit break at the bus stop. We assume they’re bus stops from days gone by. There didn’t seem to be local buses here.
The 4 narrowed into a beautiful single carriageway as it headed up and into the jungle. We started climbing then the hill paused temporarily and plateaued. We took a detour following a sign to. ‘Switzerland’. There was a gorgeous blue lake opposite a quarry. It wasn’t clear if it was man made or not. Opposite there was a long line of stalls selling various foods.
We went right to the very end and spied a woman making the elusive coconut pancakes, that are accidentally vegan, and we’d been hunting for. 20 baht. Crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Some had shredded coconut and some had sweetcorn. They were mighty good fare.
Back to the road and we started going up again. It was our first proper climb in Thailand. There was a sublime flat bit in the middle which had us weaving through gorgeous jungle. The air temperature fluctuated wildly as we went in and out of little pockets of hot and cold air. When we got to the top we stopped and poured water over our heads. There was a viewpoint above us. Jonathan went up on foot but it wasn’t really worth the extra ascent.
The descent was enjoyable, it snaked down still in the shade. It was nice to be pushing less hard for a while as the rest of the route was a net loss of altitude. The last 7km was on an undulating road however. It really dragged on and the traffic and the midday heat made us long for it to be over. Fortunately we were surrounded by incredible views of karsts.
We soon arrived at Zou hostel on one side of Phang Nga. There were ridiculously good views of the karsts that surround the town. When we arrived the man running the place was sat on a table with some friends. He didn’t say much. His friends gestured to us that we should wheel the bikes inside. It was like a proper Thai home. The living space was straight off the street. It was probably a garage though previously.
Not long after we arrived a German man pulled up on a scooter outside. He was called ‘Enrico’ and had been staying there for 2 weeks already. At the same time we were checking in with a young girl who was presumably the daughter, and who was translating everything. She was very diligent and didn’t smile. It made us feel a bit uncomfortable that the girl was working. We’d seen this a few times in Turkey as well. Enrico was very chatty and was trying to organise another night for himself. It was all a little bit hectic.
After we’d got sorted and had a shower we headed to the supermarket. A ‘Big C’. On the side of the road as we left the hostel was Tham Sam archaeological site. A gorgeous lake with a pergola. There were a few monkeys grooming themselves too. Then a deep cave with beautiful paintings on the walls. It was completely unprotected.
The supermarket was in a little mall and we seemed to be the only tourists there. We wanted a little treat and opted for a bubble tea thing. It was called something like ‘banana brown sugar cocoa’. The woman spoke English and we seemed to communicate the desire for coconut milk only. It wasn’t blended though, so we made the mistake of drinking too much before waiting for it to melt. We held onto it as we walked round the supermarket.
We opted to make dinner ourselves. There was a kettle and toaster at the hostel. So we bought rice noodles, half price dates, reduced cashew nuts and tofu. Among other things like sweet tamarind and a dragonfruit. We bought bananas on the way home too. We sliced and toasted the tofu. It worked really well. The rest was like a little salad seasoned with a mushroom soy sauce, lime and chilli.
Enrico came back earlier than expected. He’d gone to the national park on his scooter. He invited us to for a walk to a nearby temple to see the sunset. We were grateful to be hauled out of our den. We would never have had the motivation otherwise. It was a short walk through some plantation. We passed a man fishing with a harpoon no less. Enrico said he’d fished there and caught nothing.
The temple was beautiful. Apart from the annoying dogs. Up some stairs was a big Buddha statue positioned under an overhanging cliff. We were slightly late for the sunset but watching the bats fly around our heads was awesome. It was hard not to stare at the jungle. It was presumably all primary forest. Undisturbed for thousands of years. A beautiful sight.
When we got back we ate some snacks and watched a couple of shows. Toxic Town was about the poor decommissioning of an industrial sight in Corby. We tried sitting at the dining table but there were no chair backs. We retired to the beds. They were hard. No movement whatsoever. Two sets of bunk beds with curtains. Enrico sat up outside smoking. We probably should have laid down even earlier. It was almost ten when we finally did. And Frankie felt her belly playing up.
Surly They Won't Make It 