An Adventure Across Thailand on a Bicycle

[dapitt]

GT, thanks so much for sharing your experiences. I do so very much enjoy reading about them and seeing the photos. I appreciate all of your efforts!

[fedssocr]

Thanks for those awesome photos. I really need to visit Sukhothai one of these days.

 

I am enjoying your adventure from the comfort of my sofa as well. :-)

[Guest fountainhall]

Wonderful reporting! You should consider writing a book after it's over - or at least a major magazine article.

[Guest]

Ride from Suhilthai to Kamphaent Phet: Ride from Sukhothai to Kamphaeng Phet (52 Miles/83 KM)

 

We ate breakfast at 6:30 at our hotel. We stayed at the Pailin Hotel and it was quite nice. The swimming pool was lovely and the food was good. The rooms were clean and it was inexpensive. The hotel is located between the Old city and the New city. On the same road is a Big C and tons of bars and restaurants.

 

We met up with the Sukhothai Bike Club and they were very friendly and fun to hang with. I loved their colorful cycling jersey.

 

The road today was a bit off the beaten path and full of bumps and rocks. I think I saw at least 200 dead snakes along the way. That is fine for me but luckily I did not see any live ones.

 

We road about 55 plus miles today (counting the historical park stop) and ended up in Kamphaeng Phet. We visited the historical center called Muang Kamphaeng Phet and that area is a large road that you can ride or drive and it takes you past one amazing wat after another one. It must have been a very lively place back hundreds of years ago and while we were in the ruins, I could image the monks and the food vendors and the musicians and the activity raging on in the area.

 

Muang Kamphaeng Phet is located along the east of the Ping River bank. The lay-out of the city is in a square-shape braced along the river. The moat Wall along the north direction is beautiful. As an ancient city of Sukhothai, during the 14th and 15th century, Muang Kamphaeng Phet is one of the important frontier city of Sukhothai through the Ayuthuya period. The city was was build strong to repel the Burmese enemies.

 

While at one of the ruins I saw some monks that were visiting as well and I thought it very beautiful that they were on the ruins and the photo I took of them I thought was excellent. We asked them to take a picture with us and they agreed.

 

The ruins drive was stunning and peaceful. It cost 100 baht per person to enter.

 

Tomorrow's ride is over 130k so I need to sleep early and relax. Thanks for all the positive comments about the postings. I am happy others are enjoying it as well.

 

[Guest lvdkeyes]

We stayed at the Pailin Hotel and it was quite nice.

 

 

????????? LOL

[Guest]

????????? LOL

 

Yep. Sorry, misspelled it as usual. The map I got actually had the spelling of the name the same as Pailin but the Hotel is actually spelled, Pailyn.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

Yep. Sorry, misspelled it as usual. The map I got actually had the spelling of the name the same as Pailin but the Hotel is actually spelled, Pailyn.

Any spelling brings that Alaska witch to mind.

[Guest]

Ride from Kamphaeng Phet to Nakhon Sawan (73 Miles/117 KM)

 

We ate breakfast again at 6:30. I really did enjoy this hotel. It was called the Chakungrao Riverview Hotel It was a nice size hotel. The entire hotel was WiFi and fast. The lobby was great. The room service was good. The breakfast was good. It was an enjoyable treat. I almost said I was sick and stayed here a day to catch up on Internet work and meet them in the next city but just could not bring myself to do it. LOL

 

The ride today was long and flat. There were no hills to climb or descend.

 

We met up with a group from Nakhon Sawan after about 90k and had a water break. We then went to a school with them where we were the featured attraction. The principal (director) was there as well as the English teacher and they welcomed us back to their school of 303 13-16 year olds. It was a middle school. They were very well behaved. One of our guys dressed as Santa and gave out candy. We told them about our ride and or goal of helping others see the benefits of cycling for health, environment, etc. It was fun visit.

 

The road today was stunning. I have never seen so many colors of green in my life. Rice field after ride field and sugar cane field after sugar cane field. It was simply beautiful. The only issue with the sugar cane is that they are carried by the large trucks with 2 large beds and the cane flies out onto the road. It made for a bit of a bumpy ride today in what otherwise would have been a smooth road.

 

The group of Nakhon Sawan went back to our hotel and had some beer with us for a bit before we called it quits and showered.

 

A small group of us wanted Pizza so we walked to Big C about a mile away and ate at the Pizza Company. They wanted to eat at Swansons afterwards and so I followed them in. They didn't need to pull my arm after this long day.

 

Nakhon Sawan is considered the gateway to the North of Thailand and is where the Ping, Nan, Yom, and Wang Rivers meet to form the famous Chao Phraya River that flows through Bangkok to the Gulf of Thailand. We have pretty much followed the Ping River from Chiang Mai almost every day. I have loved the flow of the river and the many different kinds of crops that get their life blood from the river.

 

Tomorrow we follow the Chao River for the day and it is an 80 mile day. So once again, I am going to call it quits early tonight as I am beat from today and want to rest up for tomorrow.

[llz]

I know it is not easy after a whole day outside on the bike, to find the time and the spirit to find a place, write a report, sort the pictures and send all of this ... Thank you really for this great coverage of your trip. Reading it is really the highlight of my days here in Farangland where everything now is so gloomy and boring.

I found that the event you take part in is the Tour de Thailand Charity Bicycle Ride and I think this will be at the top of my must-do list if by chance I should be lucky enough to retire one day.

http://www.tourdethailand.com/

[Guest]

I know it is not easy after a whole day outside on the bike, to find the time and the spirit to find a place, write a report, sort the pictures and send all of this ... Thank you really for this great coverage of your trip. Reading it is really the highlight of my days here in Farangland where everything now is so gloomy and boring.

I found that the event you take part in is the Tour de Thailand Charity Bicycle Ride and I think this will be at the top of my must-do list if by chance I should be lucky enough to retire one day.

http://www.tourdethailand.com/

 

Thank you kind sir. This post was the highlight of my day.

[Guest jtrack33]

GT, I seem to have been following you...but by car. I also was at Doi Inthanon and the Pailyn hotel and the great Vachiratharn waterfall near Inthanon last week. You must be amazing to climb those 2,595 meters...it was 11 degrees C there at noon. The Sukhathai temple building site beats Ayuttya for beauty and preservation hands down in my opinion.

Here is my picture of the waterfall with my Pattaya friend:

 

[Guest]

GT, I seem to have been following you...but by car. I also was at Doi Inthanon and the Pailyn hotel and the great Vachiratharn waterfall near Inthanon last week. You must be amazing to climb those 2,595 meters...it was 11 degrees C there at noon. The Sukhathai temple building site beats Ayuttya for beauty and preservation hands down in my opinion.

 

Love the pics. The falls are beautiful aren't they?

 

I agree Sukhothai beats the other places hands down. It was pretty amazing.

[Guest]

Day 9: Ride from Nakhon Sawan to Singburi (80 Miles/128 KM)

It was another killer day today with a bit over 80 miles. My ass was hurt from the past few days of hard riding and I had a stomach virus from the night before. I was up in the toilet most of the night. This was my least favorite hotel and without a doubt one I can easily forget. I was not dirty or sleezy but it was loud at night and combined with the sickness, I had no energy for the ride.

 

Being so tired I asked the hotel for a massage. I told them I wanted a good Thai massage. A lady showed up at my door to offer this service but she didn't know how to massage. She knew how to suck and get fucked but didn't know a thing about massages. I only wanted a massage and after about 100 times of telling her No, No, No, I finally sent her on her way. I was a bit disappointed as I really wanted and needed the massage. If she had been the least bit attractive, I most likely would have only said No about 90 times and gave in. But, she was not. She kept patting her ass and saying, "Boom Boom". I kept telling her No Boom Boom. Massage. She laughed and they tried to take off my underwear again. Oops she would say as she rubbed my cock. hehehe and giggle. It was so frustrating that I think I just wanted to scream!

 

I really enjoyed the night in Nakhon Sawan and hope to go back there again to visit. As there is a marvelous temple on the hill, I really wanted to get there but had no energy to do it.

 

Day 10: Ride from Singburi to Ayutthaya (48 Miles/77 KM)

 

This was such a easy day with under 50 miles and I needed the break. It was nice to be able to be in front of the pack during the riding today. We have a very strong group of about 12 riders and I am ALWAYS at the end of the treks. Today, I was the lead into the first water break and into the second water break. I actually led the pack from the first water break to the second one. I was told that there was this amazing shake place in the city we were stopping out for the 2nd water break and I was so excited to get there. When I got there, it was a small shop, and only a bar with a few mixed drinks. When I say small, it was on the street and the guy who ran it also owned the barber shop inside. We sat outside drinking our banana shakes while the ladies were getting a hair cut. The shake was wonderful and 15 baht. That is about 40 cents. It was made with fresh bananas and ice. I am sure they also loaded it up with sugar as the sugar cane fields are abundant in the area. I asked for no sugar but they never seem to understand this and i just take what I can get. Plus, it tasted great.

 

We stopped at the park before Ayutthaya to see the King Narusuan The Great Monument. This is a tribute to a king who got into a cock fighting contest with another king. There are cocks all over the place. Unfortunately, it is not the kind of cocks I like but the rooster kind. Sad. I had my hopes up when they said we were going to visit the largest collection of cocks around. I thought, "finally, something I can get into." Alas, it was not the Soi Twilight show I had hoped for. LOL Plus, with the Boom Boom the night before and the No real cocks today, I really need a good night in Bangkok.

 

We then went to "Tony's Place"for lunch where there was a bird that greeted us saying Hello. Tony's is a small hotel that is more for backpackers but it looked lovely and fun and lots of younger foreigners here. The food was good and we were able to play a game of pool before heading onto the ferry to cross the river.

 

Day 11: Day off in Ayuthaya

Decided to stay in Bangkok as my hotel did not have Internet in the room and we would be there for 3 nights. One for tonight and one free day and then a ride from the city to Bangkok and back.

[Gaybutton]

I admire your courage. An injured hand, getting sick, and you are still pursuing this and still enjoying it. I don't know how you do it.

 

What kinds of roads do you and the group travel, back roads? I can't picture you doing this on main highways and thoroughfares with all the crazies driving.

[Guest jtrack33]

Thanks to GayButton's advice for getting a Thai driving license, I really saved on entrance fees. At the new Chiang Mai zoo aquarium, I was charged the Thai rate of Bht280 entrance instead of the farang rate of Bht520. At Doi Inthranon Park entrance, I was charged Bht40 for me and Bht30 for the car instead of the farang rate of Bht200-400. This "discount" was given without question or hesitation upon seeing the Thai driving license.

 

Crazy drivers do exist, but having just completed 3,000 kms in 10 days all over north and northeast Thailand, I did not see one accident or incident of really dangerous driving. Lots of examples of pretty harmless inexperienced driving, but by remaining defensive, I feel very safe driving in Thailand. In several provinces, I saw police radar checks and consequently in those locally-known areas, people were sticking rigidly to the 90 km/hr limit. I got caught for a Bht400 speeding fine in Buriram last year and received an "official police" receipt. The speed they claimed I was doing, 113 kms/hr, was spot on according to my GPS.

I find the road surfaces to be mostly very good with patching or complete resurfacing going on in areas where the rainy season has created potholes.

I rented a Honda Jazz car from Budget for about Bht1,050/day. This car used Gasahol 91 at Bht16-17/liter and achieved an average of 21 kms/liter of fuel. This results in a fuel cost that is nearly 10% cheaper than the intercity bus fare!!!!

 

 

[Guest]

Local Day Ride from Ayutthaya to Bangkok (56 Miles/90 KM)

 

We started in Ayutthaya at the hotel the group was staying in. There were over 100 other riders with us today from the Bangkok clubs. It is a lot more fun with tons of characters on the roads with us. I met a great lady who works for the embassy and several other nice people. Perhaps the most exciting part of the day was riding with the blind riders from the Thai Blind Institute. They are one of our charities and it was great to see them. They were on tandem bikes and they took volunteers to ride in front with the blind students. The blind riders were strong and fearless and it was a real inspiration to see them on the bikes.

 

We first rode around the ancient city and some of the temples and wats there. We took a few photo ops and headed onto Bangkok. The road were good but in Ayutthaua were packed with traffic and it took us a bit to get on the back roads which carried us into the city. At one point in the road we made a left turn onto a sidewalk but the sidewalk was across a swamp but with no handrails or anything. Here we were with tons of riders with marsh to the right and the left. I am sure it was no test for those great riders but for me it was a bit scary.

 

We stopped in Bang Pa-In to see the Royal Summer Palace and we ate a very early lunch there and spent over an hour just chatting with the other riders. I met one blind guy that talked good English and I chatted with him a bit. The Palace was great to see but I don't think they actually use it much anymore.

 

Once we got into Bangkok the traffic was tight and rushed. To me, this was the hardest day. It was not so hard on my body as it was on my mind. I kept thinking about all the nutty taxi drivers I have known over the years and wondered if they were going to come up on me fast and knock me to the side. There was only one accident today and that was when 2 riders collided and one got a bit hurt. We had the ambulance service from Bangkok Hospital there and they took card of the rider. To my knowledge that was the only incident.

 

There are only about 6-7 of us that are riding the entire trip. I thought in the beginning there were 15 but many have dropped by the wayside for one reason or another. Most of them had planned to take only part of the trip and I think some have just had enough. I am still throughly enjoying the trip and do not plan to stop early.

 

One of the greatest guys I have met left today. He is blessed with the same name as me and he was a true inspiration to me the entire trip. He is a man that is in his sixties and was the lead rider most of the days. He is strong and tough and his knowledge of everything just blew me away. He is a retired physician and had hiked Everest and tons of other amazing things. He was always willing to share advice and sweet to everyone. His only grip ever was daily when we didn't leave on time. Like me, he is an early bird and much prefers to start the day early and miss as much of the sun as possible.

 

While i was in Bangkok the last few nights, I was able to get some good sunblock which I have not been able to find anywhere. I really needed it.

 

I was also able tonight to get the best massage I have ever had in Thailand. I went to B and N and told the manager I wanted a four hand massage with no sex but the guys MUST be strong and dig deep into my body. He picked 2 guys and off we went. They are not the ones I would have picked but the made a great choice. One of them is the strongest guy I have ever had give me a massage and it was truly needed. I was thrilled with the hour of massage and my body had a much needed break. Plus, the two guys were great with the happy ending which I didn't expect but was very pleasantly surprised.

 

Our ride today ended at JJ Market area. There is a park directly across from the sky train and we ended up there. The park is beautiful and was busy. I was told that many people run and job there daily around the 3k track. There was a lovely pond in the middle with lots of trees, birds, and flowers. If you go to JJ Market, walk across the street to the park for a picnic. It is a real beauty in the city.

 

My mind is flowing with so many amazing things that happened today that I know I will forget most of them. But, it was a fantasti

[Gaybutton]

I'm glad you got to see the Bang Pa-In palace. That's one of the nicest stops in all of Thailand, in my opinion, and very well maintained. It's well worth a side trip for anyone visiting the Ayutthya area.

[Guest]

Ride from Ayutthaya to Suphan Buri (42 Miles/67 KM)

 

The hotel in Ayutthaya was nice but tons of Xmas decorations. I always find it interesting when Thais try to tell me about Christmas as they just say "farang holiday."

 

We had 3 nights at the hotel in Ayutthaya and I needed 3 nights at the Intercontinental Hotels to get my Platinum status for this year so I decided to go in and out each day. I had to get up by 5 the last 2 days so it was a very tiring few days. We had one day off followed by the ride to Bangkok. Then today we started to make our way around Bangkok so we can go south. There were several clubs that also met us today and we were off. There were many clubs that met us along the way and dropped out as they got far from their own city. I love all their shirts and bike gear. They are very serious about biking and plan weekly rides to stay fit. What I loved about the group today was that there were a lot of families. There was one kid who was about 12 years old and he kept up with us at 25 k an hour. His little legs were pumping hard to maintain that pace but he did. His mother did the same thing and her bike was at least 40 years old. It was a classic bike and she wore a very cute hat. The father also came on the ride with us.

 

At one point, I was really peddling hard to keep up. Someone said that they heard a noise and thought my breaks were rubbing. At the next water break, we checked it out. They were right. I had been riding with the break on all day. No wonder it was harder for me today than other days. The falangs tried to fix it to no avail but the Thai guys took out their tools and starting twicking and playing with it and in less than 2 minutes it was working again. They saved me a ride to the bike shop to get it fixed.

 

My favorite guy today was a man about 64 who said he was once champion and had hundreds of trophies. He also said I was bisexual as he say one of my tattoos and I said no not bisexual. He said, it is OK, "I am too." I laughed.

 

The hospitality of the people here still impresses me. One of the groups had prepared for us a drink stop and we didn't expect or plan on it. They had drinks and snacks for us. It was a very sweet gesture. I would say there is about 50 or so riders today.

 

We stopped about 10k outside of Suphan Buri to eat at a local university. It was a beautiful college with great grounds, a few tennis courts, swimming pool, great landscaped lawns etc. The dining room was welcoming to us and we had a great variety of food to choose from. We ate with the students and it was fun to interact with them. All I spoke to were well versed in English and very friendly. They loved practicing their English with us. A group of gay boys had just finished a test and I chatted with them a bit. I thought about asking to stay at the university for the night instead of the hotel. LOL Or, perhaps I'll just apply for a job there.

 

As we rode today we saw a great deal of marsh and I was told that this is because of the dam system in Thailand. They said since Bangkok was the financial center and capital, they don't let it flood and keep things flooded upstream. We saw entire rice fields under water and I have been told the farmers are compensated when they are unable to harvest.

 

The roads today were fun and fast. We were able to keep up a nice pace of about 24 kph. The road took us through some beautiful country and into the city were are staying. The Thai bikers with us were great and very encouraging.

 

The one thing that stuck out in my mind today was a few of the Thai riders wanted us to try a turtle egg. I didn't have the balls for it but some of the guys did. What you do with a turtle egg is puncture it on the top and bottom and then suck out the inside. It was funny to watch but I was not interested in participating. After one guy tried it from our group about 20k down the road he said he was still unable to get the taste out of his mouth and that it reminded him of a luggie in his throat. I just laughed and was happy I was not did not try it.

 

It was a fast day today and I know I am getting more comfortable with my bike and with riding. While I was in Bangkok I went to Pro Bike and got a speedometer and a night light and a cushion for my seat. I also got some bike shoes that attach to my petals. I have never ridden with them and when I tested yesterday I was not able to get them to click in. It was a bit like a comedy of errors and I had a few guys watching me test this and they thought it was quite amusing. I was happy that the photographer was not there taking my picture trying to click in new shoes. I did notice that the media photographer kept taking photos of me on the ride to Bangkok. He even came up and leaned beneath me taking photos of my ass. I thought he was gay and thought my ass was hot and wanted to get inside. It kind of made me happy. But, as the day went on, he kept taking pictures of me and finally I figured it out. He was looking for the perfect poster boy for the ride. If he takes the photo of my ass and puts on a poster it could say, "If this mother fucker can ride the Tour de Thailand, any MF can!"

 

I really liked riding with the Odometer. It helped me know how far I had between breaks and hot fast I wanted to peddle. It is something I should have had all along. This is true learning experience for me. I have a great deal more to learn but I do see improvements every day and every week. There is nothing I can hope for more than to stay safe and keep learning.

 

[Gaybutton]

I thought he was gay and thought my ass was hot and wanted to get inside.

Now, how could anyone possibly resist your ass? It must have taken all the will power the guy could muster.

[Guest]

Ride from Suphan Buri to Kanchanaburi (65 Miles/104 KM)

 

Today was a great day. We had several riders from Suphan Buri's bike club to meet us at the hotel and a lot more from Kanchanaburi to drive up in trucks with bikes attached to meet us and ride with us. Along the way, we met up with several other groups who were fun and pleasant to talk to.

 

I really was amazed at the speed of these riders. They are not casual riders like me. They are out for blood (so to speak). I feel very comfortable going 23kph. To me, that is a perfect pace and when I push a little higher I am OK but a lot higher and it is a rough day for me. Some of the clubs today were hitting over 42kph and zooming in and out of their pack. It was beautiful to watch as they passed by me at each break. One would lead for a bit and then duck back and another take the lead. It was simply beautiful to watch.

 

We stopped for a photo shoot at another monument and then had a bite to eat for lunch. We then went to one of the rider's homes as this was his last day. His wife had tea and biscuits for us and we had drinks on their porch. It was quite nice and a good way to say goodbye to him. He is 72 years old and he was one of the fastest riders every day. He is English and had an encylopedic knowledge of Thailand and Asia. He has lived here for about 20 years and speaks fluent Thai and is part of the bike team for this city.

 

The guys neighbor is the one who designed the war cementary museum. I got to meet the guy and chat with him just a bit. One the way to the hotel, we stopped at the cementary and had a look. It was such a moving experience.

 

For dinner, we took all the Thai riders out to eat at the Jolly Frog. I was impressed with how many showed up and I think we had around 25 at our table. It was a lot of food, laughter and funny stories. The funniest thing for me is that the guy riding with us who ended his journey today was sitting next to me when I made some outrageous comment. When I wasn't listening, he asked the other guys, "Is he a gay?" They all laughed as they didn't know he had missed the last 2 weeks of me asking every hotel where the gay bars were.

 

The next day we had a day off. We decided to go to the Hell Fire Pass. It is a museum that tells the story of the Japanese occupation of Thailand and the 100,000 men who died to make a railway to connect Burma and Thailand to the south. It is dedicated to the men and women who died and suffered while working on the construction of the Burma - Thailand railroad during the second World War. The museum was free and beautifully done. The trip down the mountain was filled with wooden steps and then onto gravel and the actual railroad itself. It led us to the cutting that was made by prisioners of war and Asian laborers. We had audio devices that told the story as we walked along the 400 meters of the railroad. The story was sad and made me really appreciate how lucky I have been in life.

 

We then took a train back into town and were able to see some of the beautiful mountain ranges to both sides of the train on the horizon. We also rode past the River Kwai several times and along the cliffs of the river. The ride was great and we ended just after the bridge as we went across into down. The ride lasted about 2 hours but was well worth it. We saw an elephant gazing at one point as well as tons of farmland, mountains and streams. Lots of little towns and villages were on the stops for the train. The 2 hour journey from the top to the city was 100 baht.

 

I didn't get to the waterfall as we decided it wasn't hot enough to go swimming there and opted for the railroad visit.

 

Tomorrow is our halfway point and our journey south. Soon we will be on the ocean and riding down toward Phuket. That will be in a few days when we get close to Hua Hin. As usual, tonight, I am off to bed early to try to prepare for the coming day.

[dapitt]

GT, I want to thank you again for these wonderful reports. I look forward to reading each one of them. I'm quite impressed with your commitment to the ride. I know it's far from being easy. And your taking the time to make the photos and getting them online is very much appreciated. I'm keeping a list of all of these sites you write about and will add them to my 'must see' list, which is getting longer and longer. Thanks again!

[Guest laurence]

From the photos I noticed that many Thai riders looked "well fed" and also appear affluent. Are they middle class, upper, etc; sure not farmers.

[Guest]

Thanks Dapitt!

 

From the photos I noticed that many Thai riders looked "well fed" and also appear affluent. Are they middle class, upper, etc; sure not farmers.

 

You are right. Most are hard working middle class and more affluent riders but in each group there are those with the bikes that cost 5k USD and those that cost 500 baht. It is a wide variety. The ones with the bike clothes that I love are able to afford them and they are not cheap. Their bikes usually cost more than mine and they do this several days to week to train. The groups from the past few days are really dedicated cyclists. Some are there just to have fun and enjoy the day and to learn about riding but you are right Laurence, some are very affluent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ride from Kanchanaburi to Ratcha Buri (66 Miles/106 KM)

 

Two of the riders from the previous day rode with us today the entire trip and they were very kind to me. I have found the every single Thai I have come across on this ride are great guys. They want nothing in return and are willing to help in any way they can.

 

I decided to try on my new shoes today that are bicycle shoes and they have hooks on them that attach to the peddle. I have not been able to use them until today as the traffic out of Bangkok has been so horrendous. Since we were on a bit less traveled roads, it was time to try them on. It took a bit to get use to them and even using them the entire day was hard for me. I found I was easily able to clip out but getting to clip in was VERY hard for me. It would often take me blocks or longer to get them clicked in. They did make the ride easier today and it was something I should have been using all along. They keep your feet and legs moving the way they should on a bike and without them, I was working much harder than I needed to in order to complete each ride.

 

We stopped at Chum Phon Cave for lunch. This was a delight. I love monkeys but these little mischievous creatures were a lot of fun. They kept trying to come over to the noodle stand we were eating at. We also had a goat come over to the table for handouts. Yep, a goat. Between the cats, dogs, goat and monkeys, we had to guard our food pretty carefully.

 

You can buy peanuts for 10 baht to feed to the monkeys. You get a bowl full of peanuts and if you are holding the bowl, they are aggressively going for you, tugging on your pants, holding out their hands, etc. At one point, I was handing a peanut to a money in the tree and another one tried to reach for my camera. You have to be really careful of anything you have that is not attached to you as they are likely to steal it. I enjoyed feeding the moneys and did it like 5 or 6 times.

 

We then went inside the cave and it was very nice. There was a laying Buddha inside and a monk was guarding over him. The cave was a bit of an uphill and downhill trek but very well worth it. The cave was massive in size and an entire army could live in it. I thought of Osama Bin Laden and how we joke that he is reduced to living in a cave. Well, if it is anything like this one, I bet he is having a good life and the cave is comfortable and perhaps has a harem with him. LOL

 

The cave was just one of many I saw today as there were road signs all along our route today. We don't have time to check them all out but I would love to come back to this area to see more of them. As you can see from the photos, there are some beautiful mountains and the rock formations in this area is quite amazing.

 

I am still enjoying my trip but today was perhaps one of the hardest days for me. I had a flat tire, I hard a very hard time with my new bike shoes and clips and I fell more than once. When I got into the city tonight, I saw a sign that said Bangkok 100 plus something kilometers. It did cross my mind to call a taxi and head for a nice five star hotel and spend the holidays there but something kept me at the little hotel we booked. It is half way on the journey and I had not really missed home or my family until today. The closer I get to Xmas, the more I think of them and the more I would just love to fly home and surprise them. I have been blessed with a great family who is very supportive and loving. But, I know they would be thrilled for me to jump on the next plane in time for the Xmas turkey as well. I'll see how I feel tomorrow but today was a hard day for me. Maybe a good night's rest will cure the homesickness. Maybe it won't. Tomorrow is another day (Scarlet O'Hara).

[Guest travelerjim]

Great reading and I admire your determination...

and the Charity Ride is wonderful too!

 

Thanks GT for taking the time to post,

and the pics are added treats too...

(and this also makes #3 for me today :-)

 

Merry Christmas,

 

tj

[Guest]

Great reading and I admire your determination...

and the Charity Ride is wonderful too!

 

Thanks GT for taking the time to post,

and the pics are added treats too...

(and this also makes #3 for me today :-)

 

Merry Christmas,

 

tj

 

 

Thanks Jim. Glad you are enjoying it. Merry Xmas to you as well. To me, it does not seem much like Xmas and we have a ride tomorrow on Xmas day. But, a day off the day afterwards.