Bicycle Touring – Page 4 – Simply cycling around

Chaiyaphum > Ban Nong Bua Khok (50km)

Today, I’ve been travelling from a good spot to another very good one! Lucky me :-) I stopped as usual at the PTT petrol station and worked on my website. Mainly that’s all I’ve done today, nothing fancy, just efficiency: Early cool ride, arrived at the petrol station, had a shower and washed my clothes, worked at the café, went out for lunch, came back at the café until 5pm, enjoyed evening ride and wonderful sky, found a great spot for the night, cooked some noodles, had a “one litre shower” and slept deeply. And especially, no dogs bothered me! Perfect!

Ban Nong Phai > Chaiyaphum (49km)

As planned, I cycled this morning towards the next checkpoint. Until now I used to travel from remote place to remote place and stop during the day in Café but now I’ve broken that pace. That’s why this morning I cycled directly all the way to the next stop so later this afternoon I will be able to sleep between petrol station again. Except that, that next petrol station had a very nice spot again. At the back of the area, behind the buildings, next to a lake, out of the noise and close to the toilets, there was a very clean shelter with benches. How to resist? I didn’t :-)

Ban Hua Fai > Ban Nong Phai (26km)

When I set up my camp yesterday night under this construction I thought: “I must remember to take a picture from above tomorrow morning. I might be nice”. So that’s why this :-) And then I thought: “An animated gif would look even better”. The gopro helped because If I used the camera, I would have only 10 seconds to run down a flimsy ladder, jumped in the hammock and… Well, it would have been too short as you imagine. So I’ve used the GoPro and its wifi connection paired with the phone. Things become a lot easier then :-)

Ban Non Sawan > Ban Hua Fai (20km)

I’m not really in hurry these day: today is one of my slow record. Another easy day with no particular events. Last night was a lot more quiet compared to the Chinese temple so I could recover a bit. Once all packed, I cycled to the next PTT petrol station, stopped for the day until 5 or 6 when I came back on riding during late afternoon. I ended up in a half finished or half broken building with a remaining roof, the only thing I’m really looking for. I cooked dinner, browsed a little the news on my phone and slept. Simple!

Khon Kaen, Chinese Park > Ban Non Sawan (34km)

Beautiful sky today! I will have to stop definitely before 11am because if I don’t I’ll melt! Today I met Wimol! You never heard about him but I did ;-) He is a Thai guy we met with Stephane back in Penang (Malaysia). At that time he gave us his address and invited us to stay in case we would come around his living area. I absolutely didn’t know I would finally see him again. Wimol stayed an hour and came back to work. Me too :-) I kept working on my website until the sky urged me to move soon. Another 15km later I was laying down in my hammock in a peaceful spot.

Ban Kham Pia > Khon Kaen, Chinese Public Park (31km)

Ow! How to start a day with an colourful sunrise! When I opened the eyes first I had blink few times to be able to see better and believe what was happening. Quickly I jumped out of my bed, picked up the camera and enjoyed that crazy sunset! The lake amplified a lot the effect!

Nong Thuen, Public park > Ban Kham Pia, lake (36km)

That’s how I slept yesterday night :-) I was squeezed between the roof and the table. That’s good because it was windy, so not too hot. And yesterday evening, I had a table to cook and a bench where to sit. I would say 4 starts hotel this time because there was no toilets. Damn it! haha. Today has been quite a non interesting day. I cycled to the next petrol Station, stay at the café (I think you get it now :-) and then cycled later the afternoon. I ended up in a veggie garden front of a lake. It was dark and too late when I realised there was growing plants where I stopped. The advantage of sleeping in a hammock is I don’t touch the ground so I didn’t damaged those plants and had a quiet sleep.