Ga naar Nederlandse versie van deze pagina
Bangkok-Singapore by bicycle
Report of a 20 day's trip
part 1: Thailand
Introduction
During any cycling tour, I always make a logbook. In the first place I need something to
ventilate my impressions (I always travel alone) and then, of course, I like others
to read it. That's why I try to make it compact and why I put photographs at the text.
In order to make an even more attractive page on the Web,
I further reduced text and pictures.
This report is split in 2 parts. When you reach the Malaysian border at the
bottom of this page, you'll find a link to another page to take you
through Malaysia all the way down to Singapore.
Or, if you want to
skip Thailand now, feel free to do so.
23.02 (Thu) Bangkok km. 74
The first 11 kms in Thailand have been done: I am sitting now in the restaurant of
the luxurious hotel of the KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines) in a northern suburb of
Bangkok. This hotel is only for KLM crew and -personnel and only in exceptional
cases and only on invitation, other guests are allowed in. Thus: I am such an
exception.
This exceptional position I acquired last year, when I was roaming around in this area,
desperately looking for a place to sleep. Then luck was with me because I
incidentely ran into a fellow countryman, a KLM employee. He saved me from
ending up on a bench in the park.
many canals and marshy land near Bangkok. Feb. 24
24.02 (Fri) West of Bangkok km. 100
At eight thirty I threw myself into Bangkok traffic. The real start of this cycling
tour. I felt exited and I was looking forward to a few weeks of riding on my bike
in this tropical part of Asia. I enjoyed the re-encounter with Thailand: the
temples, the garbage along the roads, the busy traffic, the sound of the
motorcycles, the wonderful flowers, the blue smoke of the exhausts, the beautiful
women, the crippled dogs, the tuk-tuk's, the smell of food that is prepared
everywhere along the streets: I am exited to be back in Thailand.
24.02 (Fri) Samut Songkhram km 182
Further on during the day I have stopped another 4 times: not to spend the over-
amount of time available, but because I needed it. I was very tired when I reached
Samut Songkhram at five o'clock. I asked a tuk-tuk (tricycle taxi) to guide me to a
hotel. The shower worked alright, the bed looks good and it is not dirty, despite
that only cockroach that I killed. I also have a functioning airco. This room costs
US$ 6. Today, I spent half that amount for three times a plate of hot
food. How can I spend all my money in this country?
everywhere flowers along the road. Feb. 25
25.02 (Sat) Paktho km 206
When I was sitting along a busy street this morning, struggling my way through a
local style breakfast, it once again struck me to see what an important place the
motorcycle takes in the daily life of the Thai. You see very decently dressed
ladies on very decent shiny little cycles, you see fellows in rags, riding on
wrecks, you see whole families on Thailand's means of transport no. 1. One of the
Germans whom I ran in to on the market last night, asked me "Do you know why a Thai
family never has more than 3 children? "No". "A bigger family does not fit anymore
on one motorcycle".
When on a large junction the light turns to green, the air fills with crackle, amid
a cloud of blue smoke. When the advance guard of motorcycles
has spurted away, the droning sound
of overloaded trucks and buses follows, surrounded by greasy black smoke. Thailand
isn't Thailand anymore without motorized traffic.
The bicycle attracts attention. Cha-am. Feb. 25
25.02 (Sat) Cha-am km 282
Today I arrived in a tourist beach resort. And of what I have seen and heard of
Thai beach resorts, I must say that Cha-am is a very nice one. There is a beautiful
clean beach. I have chosen a good hotel and I have a very nice
room, where I shall not meet cockroaches. There is also a swimming pool, which I
want to try this evening. Now I am sitting on a fancy terrace, adjacent to the
beach, enjoying the surf, with a large bottle of Singha beer in front of me. I have
also spotted an Italian restaurant. I'll save that for later and you can count on
it that I shall take a glass of red wine with my dinner. There will be enough
time in the forthcoming weeks for a more local type of life style.
26.02 (Sun) Cha-am km 282
I'll stay one day in Cha-am. There are 3 reasons for that: 1 (most important): my sun-
burns. I am oiling my skin several times a day, but as long as the naked sun keeps
shining, it stays painful and especially at night it's no fun. 2: A rest day now
might fit well in the program for recovering my good condition. 3: This is a very
nice place and it is weekend; it's pleasantly crowded with holidaymakers.
27.02 (Mon) Prachuapkhirikhan km 404
Also this place has a fine beach, but no tourists. There is a seaside promenade,
there are beautiful surroundings with rocks that rise high up from the sea, but
obviously, nothing is done to attract tourists. I have chosen the best hotel, with
the most expensive room (with sea view) and yet, I do not succeed in spending more
than US$ 30. Maybe I look like a big spender, but I do not conceal my real nature:
I just bought some beers at the grocery's (I won't touch the hotel mini bar),
in a moment I will send a fax
message from the post office and from the laundry service they will neither earn
money from me: I am washing my clothes now, using the waste paper basket.
restaurant along the river. Feb. 27
28.02 (Tue) Bang Saphan km 479
I really like to do a big distance after all those short ones and today is a
suitable day for that. There are not many places along the road to the south. The
first one of reasonable size is at 160 kms, according to the map. But the chance is
little that I will find a cockroach-free hotel there. The first decent town is
Chumphon, at 190 kms. I haven't decided yet whether I shall take the cockroaches at
160 kms or a good hotel at 190 kms. In any case, I started early (7:15) and I'm
riding on a tight schedule. Now, I've done 73 kms. I have to stop before dark (6:30
p.m.), otherwise it is too dangerous. The road is busy and narrow.
The landscape is becoming more and more pleasant. There are more hills now and the
vegetation is dense and more tropical. To the right, there is a mountain ridge,
forming the border with Burma and to the left there is the sea, which I cannot see
by the way.
28.02 (Tue) Chumphon km 582
I had over-estimated the distance and after finding a secondary road which was a
shortcut to Chumphon, I entered the town via a back-door already at 5:30 p.m. and I
counted 178 km for the day.
away from the main road. Mar. 1
01.03 (Wed) Langsuan km 659
I have planned to arrive in Suratthani on Thursday (I know a good hotel there) and
between here and Suratthani there is only one place of decent size: Langsuan. And
there I am now. Therefor, I only had to ride 77 kms today and I dedicated only the
afternoon for that. But if there is no push for
some performance, then cycling is less pleasant and it became a dull ride.
Then I arrived in Langsuan and a
motorcycle taxi took me to the best hotel in town. And that didn't look bad at all.
While walking through the little town, I entered a bookshop and bought a map. The
owner spoke English reasonably well and that is rather exceptional in Thailand. He
also had a good knowledge of the surroundings and he was able to tell me how I
could ride best to Suratthani: keeping paved asphalt roads and yet avoiding the
main road for large stretches. That's exactly the information I need. Then I found
a good restaurant (where I still am now), where I had a very good dinner and where
the servants are very nice (as mostly). Langsuan looks like a success.
02.03 (Thu) Thachana km 705
I made a long night's sleep in Langsuan. The hotel could also offer me a
substantial western breakfast and at 8:30 I left the small town with pleasant
memories. On the way to Suratthani. There was a lot of traffic on the road and the
only advantage of that is that trucks, that pass by at close distance, create a
suction that make you go very fast. With an average of 29 km/h I stopped after 45
kms for my first pause. And that is now. I am sitting along the road in the shade
(33° C) at a place where they sell drinks. Unfortunately they don't sell (hot)
coffee. That's mostly a chance of 50% and especially in the morning at my first
stop, I always fancy a nice cup of coffee. The owner of this place is hovering
around me: he very much likes to start a talk with me. But I don't want it. I only
know the Thai words for water, beer and good morning and that makes a conversation
very limited. A conversation with gestures and with the help of my "Thai
phrasebook" is very tiring and you must be in the mood for that. Not now. If he
would have served me a nice cup of coffee, I might have taken the trouble.
02.03 (Thu) Suratthani km 785
It was a very pleasant journey today. It's 3:30 p.m. and I am sitting in the
coffeeshop of the Siam Thani hotel; 12 years ago I was in this same hotel on behalf
of my company. Before I will launch myself into the swimming pool, I'll take a
coffee and a sandwich.
coffe, cake and curious children. Mar. 3
04.03 (Sat) Hua Sai km 998
Today I had planned only a small ride and I counted 70 kms, to Hua Sai. There
are no towns in the vicinity (this is a big village) so I already counted on
finding very modest accommodation for the night. Near this village, I happened to
find a sort of a bungalow complex. Wooden cabins can be rented for US$ 10.
It is rather far from the village and I cannot have dinner here, but I am now
sitting on the beach under palm leaves. That's something different from my
airconditioned room in a good hotel in the city center, like last night.
It is now later in the evening and I just returned in my cabin. The ventilator does
its best, but it is still 28° C inside. I had dinner in the village. I supposed that
there would be a restaurant close by, so I set off by foot at six thirty. No
restaurant. The road runs along the coast to a small hamlet, say Hua Sai-on-sea, 3
kilometers down the road. After half an hour's walk I was there. In the meantime I
have looked out for motorcycle-taxis, but no one passed by. You can recognize a
motorcycle taxi from the driver: he wears a special shirt with a number. The sun
went down and it became dusk. Men with culottes and women with scarfs headed for
the mosque. In this part of Thailand Buddha must often make place for Allah. In Hua
Sai-on-sea were motorcycles indeed, also drinking establishments, but at the few
restaurants where I tried, the answer was "no, no!" and I did not see anybody
eating. Too late? It was only 7 o'clock. Well, then I'll take a motorcycle taxi to
Hua Sai, a few kilometers in-land. But the motorcycle taxis had disappeared. And
there I stood in the dark, hungry, feeling lost and trapped on the junction.
At last a motorcycle taxi came and took me to the village. I made it clear that I
wanted to eat something and he dropped me at (probably) the most renowned
establishment available. Imagine a sort of barren garage, illuminated by
fluorescent light, with a fridge, a T.V. and a number of chairs and tables. Dinner
is prepared on the street, in front of the garage.
What strikes me most this evening, is that few people take notice of me and nobody
starts talking to me. On the road, on the bicycle, there is a continuous "Hello!",
"Where are you going?" and other shouting. Now, people leave me alone. I like that
and I am enjoying my big bottle of beer while I'm waiting for my rice. I was
philosophing why suddenly I am no more the target of all curiosity. The only
explanation I could find was that people could not picture me in the right frame.
On the bicycle I am a weird foreigner, travelling through Thailand and that people
can understand, there are more strangers, doing that. But a stranger, in this
establishment, on this time of the day, in this remote village, that is so out of
place, that is just impossible. So, undoubtedly, I cannot be a stranger, I will be
a Thai with foreign parents, or something like that.
The plate of rice was abundant and good. I remained seated for a while, because my
big bottle of beer wasn't empty yet. I enjoyed being inconspicuous. To be
continuously in the center of attention is annoying. I greet back friendly in
villages, I keep on waving, laughing and saying hello. On the standard question
"Where are you going?" I do not give an answer anymore, that is too complicated. I
say "Far away" or "South" and that mostly satisfies the questioner.
Sometimes I think that people laugh at me.
It makes me feel ridiculous. I would like to ride more anonymously and I am
thinking about planning my next cycling tour in Europe or North America.
05.03 (Sun) Hat Yai km 1128
Now I am again 9-high over the center of a big city, airconditioned, with a T.V.
and a good bed. Today I did 130 kms. Last stop in Thailand? Hat Yai is a very
dynamic town. It has the atmosphere of a capital city with its sky scrapers and
numerous first class hotels and yet, on most maps it is indicated as a village. How
is that possible? I don't know, but I noticed this already when I was here twelve
years ago, so I was not surprised anymore.
06.03 (Mon) Alor Setar km 1237
With a nice tailwind I left Hat Yai this morning, over a fine wide road. On both
sides of the road were many rubber plantations. Exactly at noon I crossed the
border and then I was in Malaysia.
This report continues on another page, where you can find the second part
of this trip
through Malaysia, down to Singapore.
