Surly They Won't Make It

31/3/25

We were surprised to find that breakfast was included. Not only that but they served it from 6am. Some kind of meat infused porridge, plain spaghetti, an assortment of biscuits, toast and jam. We went for the salad selection and some deep fried dough sticks. As well as thick black coffee of course.

When we left in the morning, swarms of women in green shirts, with ‘Fresh’ printed on them, were all around us. We passed a big factory where they must have been heading. Adding to the drama was the noise emanating from the megaphones that were strapped to wooden masts.

They were attempting to preach above all the other noise. They seemed to cover a large area, for at least 10km we could hear the same voice. We were on tiny concrete back roads, barely wide enough for a car. Many of the residents were outside their houses for the early morning. Some with piles of deliciously orange marien plums. Even when we reached highway 3222 there were still megaphones. No one could possibly hear it.

We had a surreal moment. Music came on over the megaphones. We could see the mountains in the National Park beyond, glowing orange. We were cycling through  a thick woodland. Criss crossing the larger roads we headed east. It was slightly slower being on bumpy concrete roads or the occasional track, but it was definitely nicer to see the people in their communities. We bought some of the tasty plums from a woman by the road.

We turned from a tiny road onto a busy street. The atmosphere changed immediately. We went to the end of the  street past a very fancy looking school. There were soldiers doing chores by the side of the road. They didn’t look like fit soldiers. This was the Royal Military Academy. The road we wanted to take to the right was gated loo off. There were soldiers on duty moving the gate for each car. They looked to their superiors in a cubby, to the side of the road, and confirmed we could take the route.

It was a beautifully quiet road. Along the way we stopped on a bridge to eat some marian plums. We were overlooking a huge lake. It was a pretty place. But when we got to the end of the road there was a padlocked gate. Luckily it was only waist height. We had to completely dismantle the bikes to get them over. Then put them back together again. It’s only the panniers, but it definitely felt like we were taking them apart.

We wouldn’t be going down any more military roads we decided. They just have known what lay in wait for us. The next road was a little deteriorated but still and lovely quiet. We were surrounded by plants and trees. The jungle up above us. The air was cool and the sky was full of clouds. It was ideal.

The road eventually led to a big road, but Mapy was serving us well today. Crossing the road led us back to roads that we could enjoy. Narrow concrete roads, slightly above the height of the farm fields. The only downside was that there were hounds everywhere.

We stopped for a soda at one of the many roadside stalls then crossed the Nakhon Nayok to a temple. It was a large river that dictated the route we could take for the day. We sat by the temple to consume the fizzy orange drink. We’d be heading south now, away from the national park sadly.

Our bums were stinging with pain. We ended up on the 319 for the final 13 km into Pratchinburi. It was a busy road. Luckily it was flat. We broke it up by stopping for a cheap bag of mangoes. 3 for 30 baht. It was only 11:30am but we felt finished for the day. There was nothing to look at along the road. Just big signs for MG, Ford and Lactosoy.

We crossed a large bridge with a minimal hard shoulder. What there was, was full of grit. It was hard going. Down the other side we flew into the town. Thank God for that. We stopped at the first 7-Eleven to consider which hotel we should stay at. The first hotel we tried was full. It took a second to translate what the woman was saying. Gestures are not worth much in Thailand. 

The next similarly priced we had flagged was called Peamsuk. We couldn’t help but call it ‘Peams UK’. This place was perfect. When we asked if we could put our bicycles in the wide corridor she said “No put them in your room”. We had to doublecheck to make sure they were serious. There was loads of room. We quickly headed out to find some food. The be vegetarian restaurants often shut early.  We also needed to buy a new phone charging cable. They get a lot of abuse when they are tucked into bags.

We were the only tourists in Ban Na that was obvious. The streets were also definitely not made for walking. We were the only ones as always. At least the Sun wasn’t at full force. The jay restaurant was tucked away near the market. We ordered a big noodle bowl and a huge plate of all the different proteins. A bargain for 110 baht. We weren’t even plagued by flies. 

The cook was curious what we were doing there. We guessed there weren’t many tourists visiting. He told us he really wanted to see snow. It filled us with pangs of guilt. How lucky we were to travel around. It seems so unfair. 

Inside the market we found some ground peanuts, sweetened dried jujubes and some more bananas. We also wanted an hdmi cable. Very handy to plug into the televisions the hotels often had. We visited a secondhand electronics store and the kind man gave us one for free. It was only 3 minutes after leaving that Jonathan realised he’d left his phone behind and darted back to find the smiling shopkeeper waving it at him. 

We’d learnt that the favoured currency of Cambodia was dollars for large amounts and then their Riel for smaller amounts. They’re pegged to the dollar unofficially basically. This even applies to paying for a visa. We should have found some dollars in Bangkok. We tried several banks in the town but none of them kept any dollars. It was an interesting experience anyhow. We got favourable treatment in one of them, a fast track response from a clerk. In another, our ticket number was read out in English instead of Thai. Amusing.

On the way back home we went to another, larger, night market. So many different types of food once again. Mostly animal based. There was a man making huge, sesame seed covered, fried balls. One of our favourites. We also bought a coconut milk drink with tapioca in it. Finally we were resting at last. We lay around in our room enjoying our treats for the afternoon. Our bikes safely next to us. Not having ‘part of us’ outside was an unusual feeling.