Day 293. 112km. Kantang – Thung Wa

Posted: January 17, 2016 in Cycling, Thailand
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Today it rained – and it was refreshing. I met a cyclist heading north and it seems I’m entering a new weather region – one of short, torrential downpours – like the ones I know from Kuala Lumpur.

Downpour

Downpour

I met up with Terje – a guy from various cycling Facebook groups. He has had an amazing life travelling the world, and has a lot of stories to tell – from everywhere on the planet. Tomorrow will be a day of kayaking and caving before crossing over the border to Malaysia the following day.

Bone voyage

Bone voyage

Day 292. 31km. Koh Lanta – Kantang

Posted: January 16, 2016 in Cycling, Thailand
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I breathed a sigh of relief when I stepped off the boat and onto my bike. Peace. Away from the masses on the tourist drag. Just the empty road, locals, people waving and the countryside. I didn’t get too far though, the boat was late and slow, only leaving a few hours for cycling. It’s good to be back on the road again.

Clean air technology

Clean air technology

I’m meeting up with a fellow cyclist from Facebook tomorrow for a bit of cave kayaking before plunging over the border into Malaysia.

View from the boat

View from the boat

Tsunami signs

Tsunami signs

Rest Day. 0km. Koh Rok

Posted: January 16, 2016 in Thailand
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It’s night, and I’m bathed in sweat, drenching everything I touch inside the tent. I stagger outside into the tranquil night, with the waves lapping on the sandy shore. Kneeling in the still water in the dark, peace reigns as I wave my hands through the water. A green entrail of phosphorescence sweeps behind my hand. Spots of glittering green swirl around in the clear, dark water. On the beach a firefly passes overhead. Hermit crabs scurry across the sand – their shells casting moon-shadows. The beach is at its best in the silent heart of the night.

Koh Rok island at sunrise

Koh Rok island at sunrise

To get to Koh Rok I took a snorkelling tour. Well, actually 2 – one to get there, and one to get back. The waters are clear and turquoise blue. They are warm without being hot. Just floating above the coral I watch all the characters from the film Nemo swim past. The clown fish darting in and out of the coral grass swaying to and from with the current. Bright yellow and black fish with a long upper fin floating behind in their wake. Then I pass through schools of tiny tiny fish, moving in unison to form an amazing cloud that engulfs me. Clams with lips of blue close as I approach.

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Koh Rok beach

Koh Rok is not as remote as I thought. There is a restaurant, open in the morning and evening, and groups of Russian and Italian yoga people stayed overnight in the big, less hot tents provided. After 10, the beach is packed with people from the snorkelling tours. Alone on a tropical paradise was not my Koh Rok experience. Only in the death of night was I able to experience nature alone – an intimacy with nature which no guided tour can provide. I hope there will be places in nature that remain just that – natural. Places without restaurants and park rangers. Deserted tropical islands from Robinson Crusoe. I guess they still exist – somewhere.

Ko Rok beach

Ko Rok beach

Day 291. 118km. Ban Chongplee – Koh Lanta

Posted: January 13, 2016 in Cycling, Thailand, Uncategorized
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Another sprint, Metallica blaring in my ears, and then all I could hear was the call to prayer. The local mosque was calling out to its followers. Slowly the religious landscape has been changing as I travel south. I am approaching the second large muslim region of the planet – Malaysia and Indonesia – my home for the next months.

Ao Nang beach

Ao Nang beach

I have seen more women with hijabs, many fluttering in the wind as they pass me on their motorbikes. I have seen more halal restaurants, and I have seen more mosques. The variation in the world seen slowly from the eyes of a cyclist.

I left my warmshower host, Andrey, early and did a little detour to Ao Nang beach. It seems there littering is allowed for 21 hours each day.

Littering allowed

Littering allowed

The rest of the morning was spent in Krabi replacing my broken bike computer. I couldn’t find one with an altimeter, but, I guess I’ve already done most of the mountains.. ☺ Getting to Koh Lanta – my planned destination – became another race as I only left Krabi at 13.00. Head down, music on, on the freeway, I couldn’t enter the zone today. The headwind saw to that.

Tomorrow I’m off on a snorkelling trip to Koh Rok where I will spend the night in my tent on the beach by my little self. An evening snorkel in the clear blue waters as I watch the sunset is rather appealing to me at this moment. No blog entry tomorrow.

Day 290. 46km. Koh Yao Noi – Ban Chongplee

Posted: January 12, 2016 in Cycling, Thailand
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I almost cried for the beauty today. Turquoise, still water studded with rock pinnacles on the horizon. Then security guards with batons, broken bike computer cables, missing pannier screws and broken helmet buckles added to my low blood-sugar levels, putting a dampener on a day which unfolded in a glorious paradise backdrop.

Koh Yao Noi

Koh Yao Noi

Many people I have spoken with said I must make the detour to Koh Yao Noi. I am glad I did. The views are absolutely amazing.

Koh Yao Noi

Koh Yao Noi

Koh Yao Noi

Koh Yao Noi

Koh Yao Noi

Koh Yao Noi

I had a few hours, so I decided to visit one of the beaches at the end of a dirt road. I chose the one leading to Paradise Resort. This is a very very steep and dusty road through the jungle. Quite pleasant, but I was looking forward to sipping a smoothie on the beach at the end. Not to be.

No Trespassing! Paradise Resort at Koh Yao Noi.

No Trespassing! Paradise Resort at Koh Yao Noi.

No passing through here

No passing through here

The guard was armed with a script in English, insisting that due to security, all visitors had to register 48 hours in advance. A bomb going off was mimed to explain the security risk. The guard was also armed with a baton. (Don’t worry – he was only doing his job. When I backed off, he put the baton away.) I walked the steep public footpath to the nearby rock-climbing area, and to the other edge of the private resort.

Koh Yao Noi

Koh Yao Noi

A note to the owners of Paradise Resort on Koh Yao Noi. Please put a sign at the start of the dead-end road informing people of your policy of no unregistered visitors. This can reduce the frustration had by all.

Thanks to Andrey, my lovely warm showers host in Krabi. The night is still young, but I’m looking forward to exchanging stories!

But first, one more photo from beautiful Koh Yao Noi.

Koh Yao Noi

Koh Yao Noi

New cycle video: Xiahe (China) – Luang Namtha (Laos)

Posted: January 12, 2016 in China, Cycling, Laos
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My arrival in Luang Namtha sees the end of my delayed posts of my cycle trip through China. Like for the rest of my trip, I have put together a little video. This video is of the section from Xiahe to Luang Namtha. I hope you like it!

Day 244. 38km. Na Teuy – Luang Namtha

Posted: January 11, 2016 in Cycling, Laos
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The end was in sight, and was reached today. Arrival in my place of rest was wonderful. Afternoon sleeps. Banana smoothies. Finalising my video. Listening to podcasts in bed. Everything the heart desires. The simple pleasures of a completely exhausted cyclist!

Fields near Luang Namtha

Fields near Luang Namtha

Three days of relaxation until Mark arrives. Several rounds of the three pizzas for the price of two deal at the local fast food place, and drinking lots of banana smoothies.

After having recovered somewhat, a kayak trip through the dense jungle did the trick. Such rich green, pouring down the steep river banks. Long roots hanging down from the heavens into the water, as we navigated through the cool water as it eased around the rocks, down the valley. Butterflies – blue ones and yellow ones. Dragonflies of all colours. Birds. A beautiful cacophony of nature.

Day 289. 49km. Patong – Koh Yao Noi

Posted: January 11, 2016 in Cycling, Thailand
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The endpoint today was what I had planned. The path there was somewhat different. This morning I consumed a breakfast buffet in the hung-over Patong. This evening I dined with a view over the still turquoise waters studded with kaarst islands. Party vs serenity, and in between, an island I didn’t expect to visit.

Koh Yao Noi

Koh Yao Noi

Actually, there are no boats that go from Phuket town to Koh Yao Noi – only from the town I cycled past in a blur yesterday. I had no desire to cycle the same freeway with a headwind. The alternative was to take a boat to a different island – Koh Yao Yai, cycle across it, and catch a further boat to Koh Yao Noi. This made for an unexpected serene bike ride across the peaceful, beautiful tropical island of Koh Yao Yai.

Koh Yao Yai

Koh Yao Yai

Koh Yao Yai

Koh Yao Yai

Koh Yao Yai

Koh Yao Yai

Day 288. 185km. Phang Kan – Patong (Phuket)

Posted: January 10, 2016 in Cycling, Thailand
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I didn’t think I would be in the party capital of SE Asia this time yesterday. Look where going with the flow brought me today. The lack of boats from Phangnga to Koh Yao Noi on Sunday, the big tailwind, and the endorphine rush of cycling long distances in ‘the zone’ brought me to Patong Beach.

Patong beach at sunset

Patong beach at sunset

The boat left from the 80km distant Phangnga at 13.00, so I left early to try to make it. It was cool and misty, I was bursting with energy, and there was a tailwind. By 11 I was in Phangnga, only to find there was no boat on Sunday. There was a boat to Koh Yao Noi, however, from the north of Phuket island (a further 70km away), so I set off for it. Cycling along the freeway with music blasting in my ears, I entered the ‘zone’. I had boundless energy and simply flew along, laughing all the way. This is cool! I realised: I didn’t need to catch the boat today. I can experience the absolute opposite of my lonely beach experience – at Patong Beach. I knew this is what I wanted to do.

The freeway to Phuket

The freeway to Phuket

Sunset at Patong Beach

Sunset at Patong Beach

This place is quite a sight. An evening of mayhem before returning to serenity. Walking down the tourist drag in the early evening, I saw bars – massive ones lined with stools stretching off to the horizon. Music was pumping out onto the street in preparation for the long night. Topless men and scantily clad women thrust menus for drinks, food or other services at me as I walked past. This must be heaving with people in the evening before the people heave themselves at the end of the night. I didn’t see any heaving. I did see empty, void expressions on many faces. Tourists and sex-workers alike, some people are not happy here, and everyone has the right to be happy.

Patong

Patong

Day 243. 73km. Mengla – Na Teuy

Posted: January 10, 2016 in China, Cycling, Laos
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I have left the People’s Republic of China, and am now in Laos. I staggered over the border – I have spent all my energy cycling in China, and am ready for a tropical rest in Laos.

Na Teuy

Na Teuy

I started on the old road today. I curved its way around the landscape as expected, but, was the centre of much roadwork activity. With the peace gone, the road surface only OK, and delays while trucks did their thing, I returned to the new road, went through tunnels, and got to the border faster.

I am staying in a little village 20km over the border in Laos. Another 35km tomorrow to Louang Namtha and then a rest while I wait for Mark (who cycled with me in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan) to join me.

Na Teuy

Na Teuy

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