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The dirt road where we came from I kept the GPS zoomed all the way out as we traversed the path we were set upon. Further ahead, we came to a fork in the road. We made an educated guess as to which way was out, but a few kms later the little arrow on my GPS suddenly pointed southwards. We were headed deeper into the park! Now this was an awesome dirt road, the scenery was great and we were having a lot of fun. But I was still worried about the gas situation, so we turned back to the fork and took the other way. We're close to half-tank and it's the middle of the afternoon. It's the hottest time of the day right now and the red dust has stuck to everything, bike, clothing, face... and as I found out on one stop: the lens of my Sena Prism helmet camera was blanketed with dirt... Damn, how much footage did I lose? https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...0/L/sand-L.jpg Oh well... I radioed Neda and informed her that if we hit half-tank and it doesn't look like we're headed to the main road, we should turn around and retrace our steps. Kilometer by kilometer, we slowly inched eastwards on the empty field of the GPS screen. And then finally, a line appeared at the top edge of the screen, we were close and headed in the right direction! https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7394-L.jpg Made it back to Mae Sariang. Plenty of daylight and gas to spare. Just a bit dusty is all... https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map286-L.jpg Rough map of our route for the day... Maybe I worry too much, but I think if we're going to go exploring like this in the future, we should come better prepared. Extra gas at least... But it was soooo much fun! I don't think we're in love with these CRFs, at least not yet. But today, they've grown on us a little bit! |
And, I managed to salvage some video from my point and shoot, and also the helmet cam from when I remembered to periodically wipe the lens:
In the first few seconds of the video you can see how helpful the GPS was! 555! |
This is so inspiring. I've been reading your blog for the last two weeks and it's AWESOME!! :D Especially the sense of humor you have. All the quotes from movies,games etc have been a real blast from the past :rofl: Didn't even remember all of those things until I read your comments and the memories just poured in my mind.
Anyway, I'm totally in love with the idea of leaving "normal" life behind and hit the road. Maybe one day I get the chance of my own and leave. Thanks and keep up the good work :thumbup1: Johnny |
Thanks Johnny, good to have you along with us! :)
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Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/287.html
https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map287-L.jpg We got the phone call! The Honda dealership called us while we were in Mae Sariang and told us our license plates had arrived! Finally!!! https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7402-L.jpg Packing up and heading straight back to Chiang Mai. In the morning, we met a F800GS rider in our parking lot. It's very rare to see a big bike here in Thailand, much less a BMW GS! I felt like a local, eyeing his beast of a bike. How does he filter through Thai traffic on that thing?!? He also seemed curious about us, probably because we had just as much luggage on our CRFs as he did on his GS! Unfortunately he didn't speak much English so we couldn't really have a full conversation, but through sign language and pointing at the stickers on his bike, he told us that he had just participated in the GS Trophy, an international off-road competition hosted by BMW. This year, it was held in Northern Thailand. BMW Riders from all around the world took part and our new friend represented Thailand. Very cool! I wish I spoke Thai. We were all bursting with questions for each other, but we all ended up smiling and shrugging and wishing each other a pleasant journey. https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...IMG_3093-L.jpg Went straight to the dealership. We're legal in Thailand now!!! So we kinda rushed through the last part of the Mae Hong Son loop. Didn't take a lot of pictures, but it was more of the same... twisty roads, jungles, scenery, scenery, scenery... you get the idea. We just wanted to get back to Chaing Mai to pick up our license plates so we could go exploring South-East Asia! Not to say the Mae Hong Son loop wasn't awesome. Neda did an amazing job planning our route and we rode it in *only* 10 days! Just to put it in perspective, most people manage to complete the loop in 3-4 days, so our lackadaisical pace is about on par with the rest of our trip! 555! I've finally derived a formula to calculate how slow we travel: What's the longest anyone has ever taken to travel this segment? Multiply by 2.5. That's how long we'll take... |
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Booked a nice AirBnB place on the outskirts of Nimman It's too expensive to rent our old apartment just for a few days, they'll only give you a deal if you're paying monthly. But we're not planning on staying very long in Chiang Mai, so although we're not right in the middle of town, this will do for the short-term. Neda and I were discussing our future plans and when we move to Chiang Mai, we'll probably try to sign a long-term lease with the old Nimman apartment, we like it that much! The Mae Hong Son loop was a good test run because now we've discovered a few things we need to fine-tune and change up before we head out into Asia. And not just with the bikes. Ever since we started our trip back in 2012, I've suffered on and off from bouts of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. It usually flares up after I climb back on the bike after an extended period of not riding. I've successfully kept it in check with wrist splints but unfortunately I've left those behind with the majority of our stuff in Europe, so now we have to buy a new pair in Thailand. I really hate spending money on stuff we already own, but it was very hard to anticipate what we needed when we flew from Croatia so many months ago and we just couldn't bring everything with us... https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0259-L.jpg While we're town, we find out that there was a hot air balloon festival happening Unfortunately they launch the balloons to coincide with the sunrise, which means I have to drag myself out of bed in the early early hours of the morning. Since I normally go to bed around 3-4AM, I just stayed up a few extra hours. Problem solved! https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0350-L.jpg It's pitch black as they unroll the huge balloons out on the field. The burners start to fill the envelopes just as the horizon starts to brighten |
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This cat balloon is my favorite. It made me laugh every time I looked at it. I have 300 pictures of it. I won't post them here. https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...IMG_5964-L.jpg Filling the envelopes is a two step process, first a huge fan blows cold air to partially inflate them and the burners are used for the last little bit to force the balloon to rise https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0435-L.jpg Okay, here is another Cat Balloon picture. https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0585-L.jpg Neda is a morning person. There won't be any pictures of me in this entry... It's with a bit of envy that I watch these hot air balloons floating up to greet the rising sun. I wish that we could be in those baskets looking out to the horizon. It struck me that these balloons were like the natural evolution of the Yi Peng lantern festival that we saw when we first came to Chiang Mai almost four months ago. Staring up at these hi-tech lanterns, it made me reflect on how comfortable we are in this city. Comfortable enough that within a week of staying here, we knew that we would want to try living here full-time. It also made me think about all the "almost" places we considered moving to over the last four years - La Paz in Mexico, Medellin in Colombia... Although they were all in countries with very foreign cultures and languages than where we came from, these cities were very middle-class and westernized, that we had no problems feeling at home there. |
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Pretty colours overhead https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0533-L.jpg After all the big balloons took off, these little hand-operated balloons had their turn https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0562-L.jpg Some of them were flown like kites https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0572-L.jpg And some of these even had a small crew on board https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0578-L.jpg You know how sometimes there's loose change in the coin return in the public payphones...? Yeah, yeah, I know. What's a "public payphone"?!? https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0554-XL.jpg It's not even 8AM and we've been out here for hours! I need to sleep now We've spent just under a week here prepping our bikes and equipment and now we're ready to head out. Although this won't be the last time we ever see Chiang Mai, it might be awhile before we return from traveling. A lot of people have told us that Chiang Mai is not the "real Thailand" because it is so westernized. So now we're off to discover the rest of the country! |
Addendum: After completing the drawn-out and complex procedure of a farang buying a new motorcycle in Thailand, I've documented the entire process in as much detail as I could. If you're interested in doing the same, or just want to see how complicated it is, you can click below for a step-by-step guide. If you have any questions, send us an e-mail. Our address is at the bottom of every page.
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Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/288.html
https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map288-L.jpg After almost 4 months hibernating in Chiang Mai, we are finally packing up and heading out to explore. It's the longest period that we've stayed stationary in any one place and in hindsight it was absolutely necessary after almost calling the trip off due to extreme travel fatigue when we were in Finland last summer. It's been an amazing break - got a lot of rest, did some of our favorite hobbies (yoga and hiking for Neda, sleeping and doing nothing for me), made some friends, found new favorite restaurants. It's funny, we weren't even planning on coming to Thailand. Originally we were eyeing Greece as a place to spend the winter. And now we're making plans to settle down here. Crazy! But that's for later. Right now the travel bug has bitten again. Once again, we find ourselves staring at maps online, zooming in to all the little squiggly lines that zig and zag through mountains, across geo-political borders, dreaming of where they'll take us and what those places will look like. We're armed with motorcycles and we've just completed our sighting lap around Northern Thailand. Revs are up and the red lights go out! Hmmm... maybe a racing analogy isn't that apropos given our glacial pace around the world... https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7426-L.jpg With everything we own in Asia strapped down behind us, we head off to explore Thailand. Bye bye, FutureHome! We'll be back again! Getting out of the urban sprawl of Chiang Mai takes a while. It's a fairly large city, and the main highway south-east passes through many smaller suburbs and communities. The scenery doesn't get interesting until the road hits the Doi Khun Tan national park and we're back into mountainous territory again. |
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After riding through the Wiang Kosai National Park, we do a little detour past the city of Phrae https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0591-L.jpg We're stopping here to check out the Phae Muang Phee Canyon The two of us have been taking turns doing the planning while in Thailand. Neda organized our Visa Run into Laos, then I did all the research for buying the bikes here. Our Mae Hong Son route was planned by Neda and now I've taken up the reins again as we head south into the country. I've looked back into how we divide up these duties, and often it's the person who speaks the language that takes over by default: Neda did Latin America, Italy and all the Slavic countries. I did North America, France and Morocco. But here in Thailand, we're both equally at a loss with communications, so it's been more egalitarian. I found the Phae Muang Phee Canyon while looking for a route southbound. The sandstone here has been eroded over time to form phantasmagorical shapes. Legend has it that this place is haunted, as the "Muang Phee" means City of Ghosts. Creepy! As we've discovered in Thai, the "h" in "Ph" is silent, so it's pronounced Muang Pee. https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SCN7431-XL.jpg Phee-king out from behind the rocks. The red rocks and mushroom capped formations really reminded me of the Tatacoa Desert in Colombia. Funny how the more we travel, the more we see the same things in various parts of the world. Not just in geography, but certain similarities in the people and their cultures as well. https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0639-L.jpg Neda practices her newest yoga pose - this one is called the Human Compass |
After Muang Phee Canyon, we hop on our bikes and take a slow, lazy ride to our stop for the evening - another large city called Uttaradit. Total mileage for the day - 230kms. 555! Despite having AirHawk inflatable cushions, the seats on the CRFs are so hard, I don't think we can do any more mileage than that without suffering.
We don't get up too late the next day - around 8AM. But by the time we grab some breakfast and pack the bikes, it's pushing 10AM. The sun is beating relentlessly down on us in a way that we never felt up in the mountains around Chiang Mai. We're in the lowlands now and I have a feeling that as we head further south, we're going to experience the same kind of oppressive temperatures we felt when we first touched down in Bangkok. After a little discussion, we both agreed that we (meaning I) need to wake up a lot earlier so we can start riding before the hottest part of the morning hits us. By 9:30AM, it's already in the mid 30s and it's just about as hot as it's going to get for the rest of the day.... :( We haven't even started riding yet, and the bad news keeps coming: https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...IMG_5972-L.jpg As Neda was packing up her bike, she noticed the rack was a bit loose. Uh oh. That doesn't look good. The motorcycles have been doing quite well since we got them. They *are* brand new, so we aren't expecting anything less. But the aftermarket racks the dealership put on have been problematic. There have been a couple of loose nuts which have backed out, as if whoever installed them tightened them with just their fingers... And now one of the braces that supported the rack on the subframe has just snapped. And the other side was missing yet another nut, so the rack was basically flapping up and down, hitting the tail of the bike. It's not wise to continue without getting this fixed. The rack will vibrate itself off the bike if left in this state. The problem is that we don't know where to get it repaired and nobody out here speaks any English. Did I mention it is absolutely stinkin' hot outside? https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7438-L.jpg We hit the main street of Uttaradit hoping to find a shop that can fix the broken rack Uttaradit is a pretty big city. If we are going to get this fixed, we're going to have the most success here rather than forging ahead and finding somewhere else further on down the line. Our first stop was a Honda dealership. Fortunately these are almost as commonplace as 7-11s in Thailand. But we soon discovered that they're just sales outlets. When we walked into the store, the sales person immediately brought out the CRF brochure to find the part. Our rack isn't a Honda part, and even if it was, they don't keep any inventory. Everything in these showrooms is "order-only". Kinda like our CRFs in Chiang Mai... So all these Honda stores which are plentiful all over Thailand will be of no help on this trip. Good to know. Next we try generic motorcycle/scooter stores. There's one strategically placed every 200m down the main strip and we hop on and off the bikes in the searing heat. At each place, we knock on the door, point at the broken part, and receive a shake of a head and shrug for our troubles - no luck. The CRF rack is a pretty specific part. In the picture above, we just came out of a machining shop thinking they could make us a part but they also just shook their heads when we pointed at the broken rack strut. At least I buy a few extra nuts from them and fix one side of Neda's rack so it doesn't free-swing up and down anymore. Sweat is dripping down my nose as I simply screw the nut on the bare bolt. It's so hot and we've been wandering around for over an hour. What are we going to do? Where do we go to get this thing fixed?!? https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7440-L.jpg Then across the road we see this place... It looks like they are manufacturing those caps which convert flat-bed pick-up trucks into Song Thaew buses. After exiting the machining place, I didn't have high hopes, but Neda dutifully trudged across the street to "talk" (sign language) to them anyway. I went off to buy some water at the 7-11 next door (seriously, urban Thailand is basically wall-to-wall 7-11s and Honda dealerships) so we don't get dehydrated doing all this footwork. 15 minutes later she comes out with a grin. They'll take a look at it! Awesome! We wheel Neda's bike into the back of the shop and strip the bags off of it. The lady below is the person Neda was talking to and she speaks a little bit of English. There are about a dozen guys in the shop and they're all working on creating the shells of the caps that fit on back of the trucks. There are hundreds of them piled up on the sides. They must supply the whole country. This was a pretty big operation. But they still found time to look at our broken rack. One of them told the lady because it was aluminum, they couldn't weld or repair it. He took a piece of scrap iron lying on the floor, cut a small piece off of it and compared it to the snapped strut. They were going to fabricate a new piece from scratch! Cool! And then in the back of my head, I thought... How much is *that* going to cost...?!?! I don't ask. This needs to get done and we don't have any other choice... How expensive can it be? We're in Thailand, right? https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7455-L.jpg This guy is smoothing out the sharp edges of the iron piece so we don't cut ourselves At one point, there were three different guys working on our tiny rack strut. One guy was using a blow torch to shape the piece. This guy above was smoothing it out. And then the main guy kneeling at our bike above was in charge of making sure it fit. They seemed happy for the distraction from their everyday process. At several points, the other guys in the shop came over and looked at the work and our bikes with curiousity. https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7460-L.jpg 45 minutes later and Ta-dah! They even painted the new part! Made of iron, if we ever ride through a nuclear explosion, this will be only piece on the bike that will survive intact. The lady that we talked to handed Neda an official invoice for the work. I gulped as I looked over Neda's shoulder. 150 baht. Which is $4 USD. Holy crap! That's awesome! I love Thailand! We chatted a bit with the lady as we loaded the bike and stress-tested the rack. Everything looks great and we wave to everyone at the shop and head out to continue our trip. I know this wasn't a big issue, but finding solutions to a problem when you're in a foreign place and don't speak the language is such a satisfying experience! |
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A few hours on the road later, our next stop We've been delayed a few hours in Uttaradit trying to fix Neda's bike, so we headed straight south on boring urban highways until we hit the Thung Salaeng Luang National Park where we turn eastwards. So far our ride has gone like this: city, town, city... park. City, town... park... The road skirts the northern edge of the National Park and the buildings and people taper off, replaced by small, forested mountains and the lonely winding roads that accompany it. We had another small drama when we almost ran out of fuel because there aren't any gas stations in the park. We're totally not used to the minuscule range that the CRF's 7.7L tanks offer up. We hit reserve around 190kms with no fuel pumps in sight. Over the radio, Neda and I compared how long our reserve lights had been blinking for and we pulled the clutch levers in on every downhill stretch. By the time we found a gas station, our odometers read 240kms. We put in almost 8L of fuel each at the gas station! We're going to have to be more diligent about fueling up especially in the rural areas. I miss our BMWs. https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0785-L.jpg Neda and Ellie mugging for the camera https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0662-L.jpg I stumbled upon this beautiful temple by accident the other night, planning our route from Uttaradit We've visited a lot of temples in Thailand and Laos thus far, and it's easy to get a bit jaded after seeing so many. But when we pulled into Wat Pha Sorn Kaew, we were blown away by the scale of the Five Buddhas sitting cross-legged up on that high peak with the mountains of the National Park all around it. They look like those Russian Matryoshka dolls that sit one inside of another. These Buddhas represented five different stages of his life. https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0666-L.jpg Although the Five Buddhas are the main draw, the temple next to it was just as beautiful |
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It was fairly late in the day, so all the tourists were gone. We pretty much had the whole place to ourselves I've never heard of Wat Pha Sorn Kaew, it's not on any of the brochures or web sites, but this is easily one of the most beautiful temples that we've seen so far. Perhaps not so popular because it's so far from any large city. There's no public transportation to get here. https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0689-XL.jpg Phee-king Buddhas https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0692-L.jpg The size and grandeur of these Buddhas were just breath-taking Despite arriving late in the day and competing against the rapidly setting sun, we had to take a few minutes to just sit down on the huge tiled mandala in front of the Five Buddhas just to take it all in. With the mountains all around us and absolutely no tourists around us, it was a perfect zen moment. https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0697-L.jpg The temple was just as beautiful, but in a different way |
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Neda takes a picture of the amazing tilework in the temple https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...IMG_5987-L.jpg Pretty colours https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0684-L.jpg And intricate detail https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0746-L.jpg Sun is setting fast, causing all the golden statues and buildings to emanate an unearthly glow |
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After such a long and harrowing hot day, it was nice to finally relax and enjoy our surroundings The closer you get to the equator, the sunrise and sunsets converge to deliver a perfect 12-hour day. Daylight begins at 6:00AM and finishes at 6:00PM with a variation of only a few minutes regardless of what time of year it is. It's fortuitous that we arrived at Wat Pha Sorn Kaew right at sunset because we've got some astounding views of the temple in the golden hour. But moving ahead, we've resolved to waking up early and starting our riding day sooner. which means we'll be making more use of the 12 hours of daylight we have. Plus it won't be as stinkin' hot in the mornings as well. Still fine tuning the riding experience... https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0756-L.jpg Amazing detail in the temple at sunset https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0737-L.jpg It's no accident that Buddha is facing the falling sun as it disappears over the mountain range ahead |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/289.html
https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map289-L.jpg This morning, we're leaving from Lom Sak, just a few kms away from the amazing temple we visited yesterday evening. We're heading further east into the province of Issan. As promised, I drag myself out of bed up extra early and Neda looks up from the Kindle that she's been reading for the past hour and smirks at me. Morning people. I don't understand how they work. A quick breakfast at the hotel and then we're packing to be on the road by 7:30AM. Ugh. But at least it's nice and cool outside for a change! https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...IMG_3096-L.jpg Oh hello, Yamaha R3. Doesn't your seat look much more comfortable than ours! Speaking of which, I just discovered my AirHawk cushion sprung a leak yesterday. The cushion comes with a patch kit but unfortunately the leak is right at the valve stem, so it's going to be very difficult to fix. I think I'm going to need some rubber cement. Can't even return it for a refund or exchange, the shipping would be too expensive and where would they send the replacement to? I hate when new stuff breaks down when we're traveling. There are no options. https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...IMG_3100-L.jpg Past some of the local fields where they grow tobacco https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...IMG_3099-L.jpg Does anyone have Trypophobia? Sorry for the picture, then... |
Just outside of Lom Sak, we enter the Nam Nao National Park. This is probably the last scenic area we're going to see in a while, as Issan is a pretty flat province with not a lot of parks.
https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7469-L.jpg Enjoying the last twists and turns for the day https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7477-L.jpg I thought this sign was funny, but I guess it might not be that amusing to round the corner and run into a 7,000 lb elephant... https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0790-L.jpg Inside Nam Nao Park, we found a lookout tower next to a Buddha statue https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0792-XL.jpg Climbing up to get a better view |
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From here you can see most of the park https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0796-L.jpg Except that it's *still* burning season and the view is obscured by the haze. Too bad... But we're on our way out of Northern Thailand so it should get better soon https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0806-L.jpg Supergirl leaving her Fortress of Solitude https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0815-L.jpg Packed mule meets pachyderm |
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Bye bye scenery... https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0819-L.jpg ... hello, urban Thailand It's a short, but boring ride from Nam Nao Park to our next stop: Kohn Kaen. It takes us less than a couple of hours to reach the city, but with our butts sore from the CRF seats and the rising temperatures, we're just taking it slow and easy. We thread our way through the big city traffic, eager to check into our air-conditioned room for the day to escape the heat and congestion. I've noticed that we are getting a lot of looks on our bikes and thumbs up from all the vehicles around us, cars and motorcycles. Although we are on 250cc bikes, they are still pretty tall and I guess they look much bigger than they really are. We stop at a 7-11 to pick up some snacks for the evening, and a guy approaches me outside and starts asking the usual questions, "Where are you from?", "Where are you going?" But then he pointed at our license plate and said, "Chiang Mai", nodding appreciatively. Ah! So that's what the squiggly writing on our license plates read. It wasn't the bikes that people were giving the thumbs up for. It was the fact that we had ridden all the way from Chiang Mai! "All the way" being only 650kms from Kohn Kaen, but I guess not too many motorcycles stray too far from where they are registered... Now we know why we are getting so much attention. Plus the fact that we are in full gear. And that Neda is a farang woman on a big bike! So much for blending in... When I tell my new friend that we are heading south towards Buriram, with a low whistle, he shakes his head and exclaims, "Hot! Hot!" What? It's 35 degrees here right now. How much hotter can it get?!?! Well, we're about to find out. The next morning, it's another early start as we turn our bikes south through more of the urban scenery of Issan. |
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I don't normally like to take posed pictures, but here I'm telling Neda, "Are you ready for the shot?" Halfway between Kohn Kaen and Buriram, we stop for lunch outside these very pretty ruins. It's called Prasat Pueai Noi and I recognize the "Noi" as meaning "little" in Thai. Prasat is castle and Pueai is the name. Little Castle Pueai. It's a Khmer sanctuary, which makes sense as we are nearing the border to Cambodia. The architecture is also very different from anything else that we've seen in the country so far. https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0832-L.jpg Going in to explore the little Cambodian castle https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0840-L.jpg Built over 1,000 years ago, it was fashioned after Angkor Wat https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0851-L.jpg These were once part of the largest Khmer sanctuary in the area, but not much stands anymore except these doorways |
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https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0864-L.jpg Very detailed and ornate carvings on the tops of the doorways https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0869-L.jpg Staying out of the heat in the middle of the day Maybe we should consider traveling at night... :( |
It's not that far to Buriram where we're going to make our home base for a few days. All the hotels are fully booked there, but we're able to find a promising place on AirBnB. No reviews, but the place looks nice enough.
https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7500-L.jpg When we arrive, we are greeted by the very friendly faces of Jinny and Pea Jim, our AirBnB hosts for the weekend Our hosts are both teachers at the local university in Buriram (well Pea Jim just retired). It turns out that we are very fortunate to have found this place, because they are also both tour guides getting their certification to lead tours in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Because we are staying with them, we got a whirlwind tour of Buriram on arrival! https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0874-XL.jpg A quick visit to Pa Khao Noi which is right in town We also went to the market to pick up some food for the weekend as our hosts are treating us to home-cooked Issan-style breakfasts every morning. Walking through the aisles, Pea Jim pointed out some local delicacies. She showed us a basket of tiny white bubbly things, like a cross between white beans and puffed rice. I may not have heard clearly but I think she told us that these were ant eggs. Um. sayagainWHAT? Ant eggs? What do you do with them? "You eat them! They're delicious!" Um. What? I nodded, but inside I wasn't entirely convinced. Ant eggs?!?! https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0876-L.jpg Jinny and Pea Jim took us out to a traditional Issan restaurant The staple of Issan food is sticky rice, which you knead and then roll up into a ball and dip into the various salads and sauces on the table. What makes Issan food different from the rest of Thai food is the generous portions of herbs they eat with their dishes. A whole basket of greens and what look like tree branches is placed in the middle of the table and you pick off the leaves and put them in your food. Aromatic flavours like coriander, basil, mint and cilantro lend a very unique taste to the dishes. https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0875-L.jpg And of course, a dish of ant eggs gets sent to our table! The ant eggs are served in a salad called Koi Khai Mot Daeng. Well, if it's a local delicacy, we have to try it! What do ant eggs taste like? Mostly like the spicy sauce that they are served in, but the consistency when you bite into them is kind of like cooked barley. It's actually quite tasty and we finished the entire dish! We like Issan food quite a lot! Even the ant eggs! Glad we tried them. https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0543-L.jpg The next morning, Jinny and Pea Jim have left to complete their tour guide certification, but they left us a with a breakfast feast We need all the energy because we have a busy weekend ahead of us! |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/290.html
https://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map290-L.jpg Spoiler warning: Results of the 2016 World Superbike Race in Thailand are discussed in this post! We're spending the weekend at the Chang International Circuit to watch some motorcycle racing! Why do we enjoy watching motorcycle racing so much? Neda and I used to do a lot of track days on our sportbikes back in Canada, so a part of us can imagine what it's like to actually be out there, twisting the throttle Wide F(ull) Open and leaning the bikes at those crazy, insane angles. But for me, the real draw of motorcycle racing are the personalities out on the track, watching them pit themselves in head to head combat with each other - two-wheeled gladiators, clashing fairings, risking life and limb for personal glory, sponsorship dollars and the promise of a continued ride on a competitive bike. You know, racing is kind of like sales. Before turning nomadic, I used to work in a sales office and the mentality between racers and sales people are very similar: competition, pride, ego, jealousy, survival are all prevailing traits. So I'll introduce to you a few of the more interesting people in the race paddock and show how they're exactly like Four People You'll Meet in a Sales Office. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0533-L.jpg Riding to the track. We're only staying a few kms away, but still glad we have the bikes to go back and forth. It's HOT!!! The format for World Superbikes (WSBK) has changed this year. There's Free Practice on Friday, Qualifying on Saturday morning, Race 1 on Saturday afternoon and Race 2 on Sunday afternoon. Plus all the lower-tier race series in between. A whole weekend's worth of motorsports activities! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0882-L.jpg We take our seats for Free Practice. Not a lot of people show up to watch the racers test out their setup, but it's a good time to take some pictures https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0915-L.jpg Once again we get seats in the grandstand. The layout of the stadium in Buriram is nice because you can see the entire track from here https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0547-L.jpg All the vendors are setting up on Friday for the influx of spectators on Saturday and Sunday |
We take shelter from the blistering heat of the midday sun under the thankful shade of the Chang Circuit Grandstand. From our seats we watch the racers take to the track, with each lap they are fine tuning their machines for this particular track in these specific weather conditions. So as promised, let's take a look at who's in the Sales Office in this year:
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0962-L.jpg Nick Hayden is my favorite racing personality In a sport littered with Europeans, especially Italians and Spaniards, it's unusual to see an American succeed at the highest levels. If I were to describe Nicky Hayden, the "Kentucky Kid", in one word, it would be "polite". When he gives interviews and talks about racing, the sport, his team and the fans, you can't help but think, "Wow, his parents really raised him right". I've been a huge fan of his since watching him win the MotoGP World Championship back in 2006. In the modern MotoGP era, spanning the last 15 years, he is only one of four racers to take away a world championship from The GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), Valentino Rossi. But that was his most successful year, and he hasn't won a race since 2006. This is his first year in WSBK, having lost his ride in MotoGP. In the sales office, Nicky is like the salesperson who, despite being Mr Niceguy, had a blow-out year a few years ago, the best that anyone has ever seen. It surprised everyone because he just doesn't seem to have that killer instinct that a lot of the top salesguys exude. And since he's so nice, he never brings it up or brags about it. Unfortunately, in sales, you're only as good as your last results and he's never achieved that kind of success ever since. Now a veteran of many years and with lots of experience, he's been demoted from the International HQ to the National branch and everyone in the office whispers, "Was it just a fluke?", "I could beat him this year"... But his legend precedes him. Despite this being his first year in WSBK, he is one of the most popular riders in the paddock. Few MotoGP champions walk among us and fluke or not, Nicky Hayden is one of them. Can he reclaim former glories and win again in WSBK? Will he be both a MotoGP *and* World Superbike Champion? I can't wait to find out!!! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0040-XL.jpg Michael van der Mark, 2014 World Supersport (600cc) champion On the opposite end of the spectrum, but on the same team is Michael van der Mark. Last year, Neda and I cheered on this rookie sensation and watched him take his first podium in his home race in Assen, Netherlands. In the sales office, he's like the brilliant up-and-comer. He totally killed it in the Regional Office and now he's got a chance to prove his stuff at the National Office. Everyone has high expectations for him and he's doing solid numbers, but unfortunately he's assigned to the same desk as Nicky Hayden. Hard to get noticed when you're sitting next to an international superstar... |
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Jonathan Rae is the reigning WSBK Champion Jonathan Rae is the guy in the sales office that came out of nowhere. For years he did good numbers, but his name was never at the top of the list. Then he got moved to a booming territory and given good leads and now he's the number one salesguy by a long shot. Nobody even came close last year. At first, everyone in the office scratched their head and asked themselves, "How did that happen?" But now they know: he was always an excellent salesguy, he was just given a really crappy patch and had poor support. Speaking with a bit of an Irish lilt, he comes across in interviews as a really nice and humble guy. The kind of guy who you feel good about him winning. My second-favorite rider in the paddock. This year, JRay is facing a bit of a challenge. There's an upturn in the economy and the rest of the guys in the office now also have good territories and are getting excellent support. Everyone is a lot more competitive and they're all gunning for him. Can he defend his spot as #1 salesguy in the office? https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0232-L.jpg No one is gunning for JRay harder than his team-mate, Tom Sykes In the office, Tom Sykes is exactly what you think of when you envision a typical sales guy. An Ends-Justify-The-Means guy, an intense focus with a Machiavellian streak in his approach, he doesn't seem fazed that his team mate is more popular than he is, he's just pissed off that he's being beaten by him. Tom was the #1 sales guy in the office back a couple of years ago when Jonathan had the crappy territory and was doing poor numbers. But now that they're on the same team, with the same patch and the same support, it's obvious to everyone who the better salesguy is. Tom is no slouch though. He is still one of the best in closing quick deals (dropping back into racing terms - his single-lap qualifying times are blisteringly fast, the best on the grid), but his focus is too much on the short-term gain. He lacks the planning for the long game and that's where he's losing out to his team mate. There is no love lost between the two of them, and the rivalry between the two make for high drama! This year, Tom seems to have matured, having adapted his approach and focusing more on the larger picture in dealing with his fellow salesguys and his team mate, in particular. Will it work out for him? |
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Unlike Formula 1, there is no ship-to-shore communications between the teams and the riders. Pit boards are updated every lap to convey information. Unfortunately, Tom Sykes' pit board broadcasts a common theme: P2 = Second Position The next day, we show up at Chang International Circuit and the place is hopping! Whereas we were one of the few bikes that showed up in the parking lot, now we have to thread our way past motorcycles, big and small, to find a spot to park. Wow! Motorcycle racing is popular in Thailand! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0943-L.jpg Bikes parked against the fence in front of the Yamaha pavilion https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0552-L.jpg To beat the heat, Neda buys a beer from the company sponsoring the circuit. Because she's so thirsty, she chugs the whole thing! Neda is not really a big drinker, so I'm very impressed... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0492-L.jpg The air-conditioned trailers where the racers hang out between track outings. The only reason why nobody is stealing their leathers is because it's so freakin' hot out right now!!! :) |
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Neda looks over the Honda pavilion. Now that we're Big Red riders, we could have totally parked here if we had known! We are meeting up with a couple more motorcycle travelers today, Sheldon and Eva from Australia and Poland, as well as Wayne and Ohmmy from England and Thailand are here. We grab our seats beside them and start talking bikes. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl.../famous2-L.jpg Here's a picture of us! We're in the bottom right hand corner! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0482-XL.jpg Hey there's a Malaysian rider in the Supersport race. This is Zulfahmi Khairuddin. He's wearing the national flag on his helmet. Malaysia Boleh!!! :) https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0564-L.jpg While the crowd waits in between the lower-tier support races, a stunt rider comes out on track to entertain us https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0908-L.jpg He wrings his bike so hard, in the end it's leaking fluid from the bottom. This picture is pretty representative of my experience on this trip: My R1200GS leaking drive shaft oil everywhere with me in the air, falling off the bike... |
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Sheldon scored us some pit passes! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0793-L.jpg It's been so long since we've done a pit walk. We used to get pit passes for MotoGP all the time. That was when the funds were a lot freer... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0804-L.jpg I've always been a bigger fan of the Ducati Superbikes over their MotoGP counterparts. These Panigales look and sound sweet! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0819-L.jpg And then this happened...! :) Nicky Hayden was in the pits signing autographs! I knew we weren't going to be carrying any signed posters with us all over the world, so I just asked for a quick picture. COOL! Unfortunately a few minutes before, Michael van der Mark was also at the same table. But as soon as Nicky came out, everyone started pushing and jostling to get a picture with him, and poor Michael was forced out of the table by Hayden fans. I felt so bad for him, he's doing so well this year. He's even qualified on pole position this weekend, but he's been so overlooked now that he's sharing a garage with the MotoGP champion. I wanted to get a picture with him as well, but he bailed as soon as the Nicky Hayden fans rushed the table. :( |
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We take our seats and wait for the big race to start https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0578-L.jpg The reigning world champion, Jonathan Rea, preparing for Race 1 in Thailand https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0638-L.jpg Nicky Hayden on the third row on the grid. He's going to need some time to get used to racing Superbikes coming from the power and grip of MotoGP bike The red lights go out, and twenty-five superbikes jump off the line and hurtle towards the first turn! It sounds like a billion bees buzzing in the air. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0708-L.jpg After a couple of eventful laps, it's a familiar sight. Tom Sykes takes the early lead with JRay close behind him stalking him This is how it's played out the whole of last year. Sykes in front early, JRay biding his time until few laps before the end where he pounces on and takes over to win the race. Will this time be different? |
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Oh yeah, this reminds me of our trip too. Me on the ground and Neda rushing over to help me get my bike back up again... :( Speaking of which, I look over towards Neda but she's nowhere to be found. A few laps later, she returns to her seat, a bit paler in the face. It turns out that she drunk that Chang beer a bit too fast earlier and felt nauseous because of it. She almost threw up the washroom... But enough about Neda... Back to the race! Lap by lap, Jonathan Rea paces Tom Sykes. You can tell how comfortable a racer is by how tight his lines are and how much his bike is moving underneath him. I think Tom Sykes has once again mismanaged his pace and his tires are going away from him. Rea is looking way more comfortable than his team mate and it's only a matter of time before... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0716-L.jpg History repeats itself. The world champion passes his team mate... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0728-L.jpg ... and goes on to win the race! But by only half a second though... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0774-L.jpg And good for Michael van der Mark, he came third! Our fourth salesguy in the office, Nicky Hayden, finished in 8th. But this is not bad considering it's his second weekend on this new and unfamiliar bike. I think he's going to go on to do good things later on this season. |
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So awesome getting to see some live motorcycle racing again! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...274863_o-L.jpg And in the evening, our AirBnB hosts invite the whole motorcycle gang out for a dinner at the local Korean BBQ restaurant |
Quote:
Great seeing you both Wayne |
Hey Wayne, great meeting you and Ohmmy as well!
Yes, I downloaded the race and in between the action, there we were! |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/291.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map291-L.jpg We had a great weekend in Buriram watching the races and being shown around the city by our AirBnB hosts, Jinny and Pea Jim. But now it's time to hit the road again. Our route today takes us further south into Thailand. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...140295_n-L.jpg On the road by 7AM to beat the heat Jinny and Pea Jim told us about some fantastic ruins just south of Buriram, so we head down there. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0026-L.jpg Some monks also had the same idea https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0956-L.jpg To get to the Prasat Hin Phanom Rung temple, you have to walk down a 160m processional walkway. Quite the buildup watching the temple get bigger and bigger as you get closer. Phanom Rung is a Khmer temple built in the 10th century. With its Hindu shrines dedicated to Shiva, it looked very different from the Buddhist temples that we saw in the north. It reminded me that the geo-political borders on the world map are both arbitrary and temporary and these Cambodian temples in Thailand are a great example of that. There are only five Khmer temples in Thailand and we've seen two of them already! |
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Phanom Rung sits on the summit of an extinct volcano Maybe I'm getting tired of all the lotus blossom temples in Thailand, but Phanom Rung was a great change and a seriously impressive complex. I'm looking forward to seeing the larger Khmer temples in Cambodia, like Angkor Watt. However, by the time we arrived, the temperatures had already started to rise and the grounds were so extensive we had to find shade several times to escape the heat. And yet, we saw monks walking around with woolen caps! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0963-L.jpg Beautiful dragon motifs https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0971-XL.jpg Even the temple dogs were hogging all the shade at Phanom Rung to escape the heat https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0005-L.jpg A bunch of school kids on a field trip. Some of them were wearing jackets. *SMH* |
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Tons of bats inside the temple! Stuck to the wall ready to fly out at you and get stuck in your hair! :) https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0017-L.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0023-L.jpg Monks checking out the view. Pretty Phehom-enal, isn't it? After a couple of hours at Phenom Rung, we walked back to our motorcycles. We should have parked under some shade because the seats were blisteringly hot from the overhead sun. On our BMWs, there's a game we like to play called, "Hey, who turned on my heated grips?" when the bikes are parked. Actually, it's only me who likes to play that game. When I touched the grips on the CRFs, I thought Neda was getting me back. Then I remembered. We don't have heated grips on the CRFs. So hot out here....! |
There's not a lot of good motorcycling in the province of Issan. It's flat and the roads go through either urban sprawl or uninteresting farmland. However as we near the Cambodian border, we hit the Ta Phraya National Park.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7516-L.jpg It's like an oasis of greenery and we soak it up https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7525-L.jpg But it's short-lived and we find ourselves back on the boring highway again, headed westwards https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7518-L.jpg We are stopping for gas so often. I hate the teeny tiny tanks on these CRFs! There are some curious habits that the Thai drivers have when they're parked at gas stations. We see them lift up their hoods when they're stopped, presumably to cool the engines faster? Does that really work? Also, when they're parked for a long time, they lift their windshield wipers off the glass. I've read that it stops the rubber from sticking to the glass or warping because it's so hot. Kind of like what Canadians do in the wintertime for the exact opposite reason! 555! |
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At another gas stop we stop and chat to these two farang bikers! We saw these guys as we were heading into Bangkok, we were all riding in formation at one point and then we all turned into the same gas station to fill up. Neda and I sat down to have a drink under the shade to cool down and I saw the tall guy looking over at us, so I walked over to say hi. It turns out they recognized us from the WSBK races on the weekend! They were Turkish and their English wasn't very good, but we were still able to communicate a little bit. The taller guy has been touring around Thailand for a few weeks on his CBR250, and the shorter guy was his friend visiting from Turkey. They were so open and super friendly. When I told them about our trip, the taller guy beamed and told me that was his dream, just to live on his bike all the time. Then he hugged me in joy. That was funny. Two grown, sweaty men celebrating motorcycle freedom in a gas station in rural Thailand! :) The tall guy was very proud of his friend who was visiting him. He bragged that the shorter guy was very rich and owned several race bikes that he took out on the track. Then we started talking about racing and I asked them if they were cheering for Kenan Sofuoglu, the Turkish rider in the lower World Supersport class. Their eyes bugged: "You know about Kenan Sofuoglu? He is #1! Kenan Sofuoglu!" I replied, "Yes, Kenan Superglue!" His last name rhymes with Superglue so people call him that. They looked at me with confusion and corrected me: "Kenan Sofuoglu". I guess people in Turkey don't call him "Superglue"... :) The shorter guy took out his smartphone and showed me a picture of him and Kenan taken at some black-tie event. "Kenan is very nice. Very nice man". I smiled and said, "Maybe he is a nice guy off the track, but on the track he's not very nice..." Superglue has a bad reputation for unsportsman-like behaviour when racing. When I said that, both Turkish men grew silent and glared at me. Uh oh... Then a couple of seconds later they both broke out in huge laughs and clapped me on the back. "Yes, Kenan not so nice on the track!!! That's why he's #1! HAHAHA!!!" *Phew* These guys were so nice and friendly. If they're representative of all Turkish people, I can't wait to visit Turkey! They were headed for the beaches in Pattaya, so after another round of sweaty man-hugs (haha, so awesome!), we wished each other well and continued on our separate ways. Looking back, the Phenom Rung temples were nice and all, but what stuck out in my mind for the day was chatting to these two enthusiastic Turkish bikers. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...3m52s403-L.jpg Battling the terrible congestion in Bangkok. But not for our bikes! It's so nice to have tiny motorcycles. We weaved in and out of stopped traffic as if it was a metal labyrinthe of cars and trucks. I may have smacked a couple of SUV mirrors while doing so... Oh well. We parked our bikes and grabbed our stuff off of them and hailed a taxi to Bangkok International Airport. Our trip is going to take yet another tangent... |
Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua
Some info to consider about Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua.
Thailand Tiger Temple: Forty dead cubs found in freezer - BBC News |
Wow, that's terrible.
We have no plans to visit Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua, but that's good info for people to know! |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/292.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map292-L.jpg It was bound to happen. After 18 years together, 12 years married and almost 4 years on the road joined at the hip for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week... Neda and I hardly talk to each other any more. At least not in any language that resembles English! There's lots of of communication. How can you not, when there are border crossings, accommodations, groceries, laundromats to seek out in new and foreign places. How can you not convey to each other the wonder, the beauty... and yes, even the frustrations of roaming the earth, free-form style on motorcycles? But in all that time, we've developed a kind of marital shorthand between us, which involves dropping pronouns (and a lot of nouns and verbs as well), using made up words, which in our case is a mix of Croatian, Spanish and half-made up words. Sometimes I grunt and wave my hands. No, not sometimes. I actually do that a lot. It's like we're little kids that have our own secret language that nobody else eavesdropping would understand. We even complete each other's sentences, or just leave out the second half, trailing off after the first few words - relying mainly on telepathy. Which works most of the time. And when it doesn't... Well, that's how the fight started, your honour... Sure, we can fake speaking English when we're out for the evening with other people. But at the end of the night, our minds and tongues relax and we revert back into the gibberish-spouting infants that we really are. It's gotten even worse in Thailand. For the last four months we don't even put our English-speaking skills to use in public anymore. Instead we speak the simplified, pigeon English so the locals can understand us, and we pepper it with the only two Thai phrases we know: "Sawatdee khrap. Pad Thai. One. Kob khun khrap." So it's with a mixture of anticipation and dread that we're going to spend a couple of weeks with our friends from Canada who are flying in to Thailand to visit us! Can we pretend to be literate human beings for that long? On top of this, Neda also reminds me that we have to watch our behaviour, and not do the things that we normally do when we're only in each other's company. For me, that's making sure I wear pants inside the house. OMG, so much pressure not to screw up! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0027-L.jpg We're going to visit the Islands! Ordinarily, we would have ridden anywhere in Thailand to meet up with Anton and Mel. But because we had to be in Buriram for the motorcycle race last weekend, it didn't give us enough time to ride all the way down to the islands, where we were planning to meet up. We greeted our friends at Bangkok International. It was so good to see familiar faces again! But I warned them almost immediately, "English not good. No speak good. No practice. So sorry, okay?" Anton smirked and replied, "Dude, I'm Tamil. I speak Immigrant real good". I grunted in relief and waved my hands a little bit. And then I looked down. I'm wearing pants. The trip is going very well so far. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0038-XL.jpg Getting all Namaste in the lobby of our very swanky resort/hotel It's a short one hour flight from Bangkok to Koh Samui, but when we stepped out of the airplane, we were greeted with a warm, pleasant island breeze. It's the same temperature as Bangkok, but because of the constant airflow, there's very little humidity and it's so comfortable. The air is a lot less hazy than Northern Thailand as well. So nice to have escaped the clutches of the Burning Season. |
Anton and Mel are treating us to a few days stay at the Renaissance Hotel and when we pulled up in the taxi, Neda and I were wowed by the opulence and luxury. After living in tents, hostels, friends couches and AirBnBs for the last four years, our eyes bugged at how nice everything was!
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7533-L.jpg This was our room! I cried when I saw that the nightlights that lit up the path to the bathroom were little tea candles... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7535-L.jpg Hmmm, shall we hang out at this pool just outside our rooms....? https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7543-L.jpg Or head down to the beach and drink some beers while sitting in the warm waters of the Gulf of Thailand? https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7560-L.jpg Even with my lack of verbal skills, I was able to make a new friend down at the second pool |
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The beach by our hotel https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7551-L.jpg Sun, sand and suds. This is the life! This is what Thailand is famous for and after four months, we've finally experienced it. What a difference from the mountains in the north. We love it here! Screw Chiang Mai. We're going to live here instead! We just have to figure out how we're going to be able to afford this very lavish lifestyle... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0096-L.jpg Vendors sell gasoline by the bottle. Are there no gas stations here? For the evening, we decide to head down to Lamai Beach to check out the action. It's about a couple of kms away from the resort and we took our time and walked all the way there, chatting about all the peculiarities of Thai culture that Anton and Mel had discovered in their short time here. Although we're definitely not old hands here yet, it was still interesting seeing Thailand from a brand new set of eyes! Also, it was nice speaking English again. And joking around in English. I really miss that. A lot. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0067-L.jpg The main strip of Lamai Beach. So touristy! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0108-L.jpg The strip is littered with restaurants, pubs and of course, go-go bars. This one was called The Sexy Sex. I wonder what goes on in there...? After seeing so much of Thailand, it's unfortunate that this is what farangs know about the country. |
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We head down to the beach for a seafood dinner. Anton is picking out the crabs and fish we'll be eating. I sense that Neda is hungry... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0121-L.jpg We gorge on so much crab and red snapper! SOOO GOOOD! Good food with great company! It's so nice when friends visit us while we're on the road. This is Mel's second time coming to see us. She rode out to Nova Scotia way back at the beginning of our trip to ride the east coast of Canada with us! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0082-L.jpg Another beautiful day hanging out at our hotel https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0086-L.jpg They had a mixer at the hotel bar. With free massages and cocktails! |
The next day, we booked a kayak tour of the Ang Thong National Marine Park. The Park is actually an archipelago of 42 islands, some of them very small, so the actual number varies by how you define an island. We spend two hours by boat getting there, enjoying the tropical weather and salt-water breeze on our faces. This felt like such a vacation. Then it struck me that coming to Thailand in the first place was a vacation from our vacation. So really, this short trip to the islands was a vacation from our vacation from our vacation.... 555!
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0190-L.jpg The boat anchors off one of the bigger islands and we're off to do some kayaking! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0156-L.jpg Some of the interestingly shaped islands in the Ang Thong Park The park is about 50 square kms and the islands are really these huge limestone formations that jut out of the water. Time, weather and erosion have carved amazing nooks and crannies in the rock above the waterline, and kayaking into these naturally-formed grottos, shelves and hidden lagoons is a popular tourist activity. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7575-L.jpg Neda paddles out of one of the caves while I take a picture of her strange hat. I made her paddle in and out until I got the shot just right... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0178-L.jpg Neda paddles our kayak under these neat shelves that the tides have cut into the limestone while I take more pictures https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7577-L.jpg Neda paddles out to one of the more unusual rock formations. I take a picture of the cool sharp jagged edges right at the top. |
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Neda paddles our kayak into a small lagoon inside one of the caves. I take a picture of our fellow kayakers https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0185-L.jpg The boat takes us to a couple of different islands and we can stop and walk around some of the secluded beaches. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0203-L.jpg Neda and Mel getting some girl-time in. I think Neda really misses female company. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7625-L.jpg Back out on the kayaks, Neda paddles us out through some narrow canyons. I take more pictures. By the end of the day, Neda is asleep on the boat ride back to the Koh Samui. That girl is so lazy. |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/293.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl.../maps293-L.jpg Clear blue skies, golden sandy beaches within walking distance and friends to share it with. These warm island winds have a way of washing away all thoughts and concerns about yesterdays and tomorrows. Every morning we congregate over the bountiful and delicious breakfast at the luxury hotel where we're staying. "What do you want to do today?" Shrugs all round. We take the path of least resistance: Hang out at the beach. Hang out at the pool. So easy and relaxing. Every evening we head down to the Lamai Beach to our favorite seafood place that we found the first night. A nightly ritual develops, involving devouring copious amounts of crab and red snapper to the soundtrack of the dark waters of the sea lapping at the coast beside us. It's so idyllic here, but compared to Chiang Mai, the prices are outrageous! Every evening, I rankle at how much we're being charged to catch a tuk tuk into town and back to the hotel. Over double what we're used to paying in the north! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0280-L.jpg Sick of haggling with the tuk tuk drivers so... For the price of a couple of tuk tuk rides, we rent scooters instead! We're mobile again! Just like we're taking a vacation from our vacation from our vacation, we're now leaving behind a string of bikes every time we pick up and take off, scoring smaller and smaller wheels every new place we land. I feel very recursive, like a Mandelbrot drawing zooming in on itself. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7663-L.jpg Armed with our 125cc scoots, we set off to discover the island during the days https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7632-L.jpg Through city streets and jungle roads, we roam around all of Koh Samui |
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Stop to visit some touristy stuff. Like the Secret Buddha Garden. We dive into the middle of Koh Samui. Our lawnmower-engined scoots complaining loudly as we climb broken dirt roads, overtaking Jeeps and Land Rovers to reach the peaks of the hills. Neda and I race Anton and Mel's scooter but we're hopelessly outmatched on the steep hill climbs as their scooter has a better engine. Either that or I ate too much at breakfast... At the top of one of the hills, we find the Secret Buddha Gardens. So touristy!!! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0256-XL.jpg A durian farmer named Khun Nim started decorating his land with all sorts of stone statues back in 1976 The large property now contains hundreds of stone tigers, dragons, musicians, warriors, etc. It's a nice place to go for a little hike, there's a stream, some stone houses you can go exploring inside. But so touristy though!!! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0263-L.jpg Anton being a tourist https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0270-XL.jpg "Does it move or do something?" "Dunno. Maybe you have to put a coin in somewhere..." |
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Back on the ring road around Koh Samui We did a whole loop around the circumference of the island. It's less than 60 kms around, but because we were puttering around on scooters and stopping to poke around all the sights it took us most of the afternoon. Despite the breeze, every once in a while, we would duck into an air-conditioned shopping mall to cool off from the searing sun overhead. Most of the scenery here has a typical island feel to it - it reminds me a lot of Hawaii. And then the larger cities like Chaweng Beach are very developed, just like Waikiki Beach. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SCN7658-XL.jpg Mel checks her GPS on one of our stops https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7652-L.jpg Neda offered me a chance to ride. Check out our geeky brain buckets! Most of the scooter riders on the island are farangs (Actually it seems like most of the population here are farangs), and they all ride without helmets. We feel very geeky with our beanies on... That evening at dinner, Anton announces, "I don't want to go back to work! We're just going to hang out with you guys a little bit more!" 555! That's awesome! Our travel bug is like an infectious disease and we've just contaminated two more people! But having seen the entire island of Koh Samui, where else can we go now? https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0295-L.jpg We abandon our scooters and head to the docks... (To be continued) |
Thanks for the pics of Ang Thong Gene, now I remember nearly carking it on that damn staircase to view the lagoon doh:rofl:
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Haha, yes, that was quite a hike! :thumbdown:
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Happy Four Year Anniversary!
We left Toronto on June 14th, 2012. We were on two motorcycles with no plan, no route - just the wide open road in front of us. We could never have guessed at all the places that we'd visit, the things we'd see and the people that we'd meet along the way. One thing for certain is that we never thought we'd be out here for this long. But we travel slowly and there is still a lot of world to see. To everyone who's following our journey: thank you for all your emails and PMs, all of your comments and your encouragement. We love having you as our virtual passengers and sharing our experiences with you. Please grab some cake and help celebrate with us! Neda & Gene https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...0/L/cake-L.jpg |
Neda, Gene
congrats on the 4 years. thank you for bringing us along.Wishing you many more great miles or kms. john |
Thanks John! :D
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Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/294.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map293-L.jpg The ferry to Koh Phangun is filled with twenty-something farangs all looking like they are ramping up to go to a rave on the beach. Jacked-up dudes with tattoos and skinny girls with sun-bleached hair take up every available seat and the hot air inside is filled with the scent of sunscreen and sweat. What the heck is going on? And then we find out: there's going to be a full moon in a couple of days. We had no idea but now we are inadvertently on our way to the most famous Full Moon Party in Thailand. In fact, Full Moon Parties were invented on Koh Phangun, started by a bunch of tourists in 1985. Since then it's grown so large that tens of thousands of young partiers flock to the islands, dancing to electronic music all night, getting high on E and passing out on the beach. Totally not our scene. I felt like the oldest person on the boat. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0296-XL.jpg Neda catching some rays at the pool with a view Even though we're staying at a small resort several orders of magnitude less nicer than the Renaissance in Koh Samui, it felt more homier sharing a bungalow with Mel and Anton and hanging out in the living room watching movies, yelling at the MotoGP race and planning out how we are going to fill our days. Mel asked if we had watched "The Beach" which is set in Koh Phangun. I hadn't, so I put it down on my To-Watch list. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0306-L.jpg If we followed the Smaller-and-Smaller theme, we would be renting mopeds, but 125ccs is the lowest we're willing to go |
Our resort is not near any of the towns so once again, we've rented scooters and we're going to explore the smaller island of Koh Phangun.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7715-L.jpg We're staying at the top of a hill and this is the view every time we leave it. Marvelous! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7671-L.jpg If I had eyes in the back of my head, this is what I'd see Koh Phangun is a lot less developed than Koh Samui. There are fewer cities, the towns are smaller, less hotels, less bars and restaurants and less activities. About the only thing it's known for are the Full Moon parties every 29 days. But in between it's a sleepy island. We just happened to be here as the party is ramping up, so we see lots of farangs on scooters shuttling around the island. If it wasn't for that, I think I'd prefer Koh Phangun over Koh Samui. A bit more slower paced and relaxed. Just like us... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7675-L.jpg Some stalls in one of the tiny towns on Koh Phangun |
Our primary goal on Koh Phangun is to find the best beach on the island. And then lie on it and watch time pass. It's a rough life, but someone has to live it! :)
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0312-L.jpg Taking a break from the hot sun before braving the beach https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0315-L.jpg Trudging through the village to our destination. Hard work! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7685-L.jpg This one looks good https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7696-L.jpg Feeling the sand beneath our toes |
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Another guy living the hard life. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...IMG_6043-L.jpg Crystal clear waters and white sands. Not bad. We hopped from beach to beach by scooter before we found one we liked. Some of them were too noisy - fishing boats and ferries pollute the air with noise and the waters with refuse, but we finally found one that we could spread out a blanket and then we set our timers so we knew when to turn over like turkeys basting in the oven. We're really enjoying ourselves in Koh Phangun! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0403-L.jpg Our neighbours for the next couple of hours https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0425-L.jpg We alternate between baking on the sand and then cooling off in the refreshing waters |
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Junk boat trawling the waters of the island Junk boats originated from China but are found all over SE Asia. You can charter these traditional junk boats to take you all around the islands and the marine parks. Speaking of which, there are a lot of Thai words that I recognize from Chinese. More than half of the numbers are derived from Cantonese. Anton also pointed out some words that he recognized from Tamil, so between the two of us, we really don't understand any Thai at all... We've gone into a lot more stores with Anton and Mel, and we've picked up more slang. A popular phrase is "same same", when a Thai person is trying to tell you something is similar. However, we've realized when a Thai salesperson tries to convince you that something is "same same", often it is not similar at all. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0409-L.jpg I'm going to try to sell this picture to some postcard companies in Hawaii, Jamaica and Fiji. Same same. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...IMG_6055-L.jpg Havin' a swingin' ole time! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0334-L.jpg Koh Phangun is actually Thai for "Farangs on Scooters". They (we?) are everywhere! Okay, so I downloaded that movie, "The Beach" and we all watched it. Holy hell, that's not the kind of movie you want to see while you're actually on the islands. Like watching an airplane disaster movie as your in-flight entertainment! |
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Hanging out with fellow travelers, John and Jen from BC John and I have been e-mailing through the blog for a while and it just so happened that we were all on the islands at the same time. So we met at the bar right beside our resort, where we grabbed a couple of drinks while watching the spectacular sunset. Not a bad way to spend the evening! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0339-L.jpg Everything is so chill https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0445-XL.jpg Billy Corgan spinning the beatz. Absolutely Smashing! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0355-L.jpg Just before the sun sets, everyone tries to capture the moment |
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Loving the stacked layers of colours when the sun starts to disappear We really like hanging out with Anton and Mel. They've got a very chill and unhurried approach to traveling, which means they book lots of one-way tickets and have plenty of flexibility to stay, roam or go. This fits in so well with our style of travel. We literally do not know what we are going to do tomorrow and I think that that's awesome!!! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0358-L.jpg Fishing boats out in the Golden Hour It's not all smiles and giggles here on the islands. We've been wrapped up inside our riding suits while in Thailand for months now and this is our first time out in our bathing suits. Neda got a nasty sunburn *EVERYWHERE*! If you are not easily offended by a bit of skin, here's a small peek: The Full Moon is coming and I'm reminded of the movie we just saw. Time to leave Koh Phangun... |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/295.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map295-L.jpg Our vacation from our vacation from our vacation is nearly over. We're quickly unwinding our travels in reverse, catching taxis, ferries and planes back to where we originally came from. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0459-L.jpg First stop, the ferry docks at Koh Phangun https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0465-L.jpg While we board the ferry, we watch fishermen haul their boats in and out of the water After only two days in Koh Phangun, we are escaping this island right before the Full Moon parties kick off. Unsurprisingly, the ferry is almost empty. There are no twenty-somethings leaving Koh Phangun. Just a bunch of old people... |
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Back to the big cities of Koh Samui We are only spending the night in Koh Samui before we fly back to the mainland in the morning. We're staying in Chaweng Beach, which is the largest city on the island and only a couple of kms away from the airport. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0471-L.jpg Walking around the very western malls in Chaweng Beach looking for dinner https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0472-L.jpg We don't really want to eat western food, so we head back outside But there are many farangs who travel all the way to Thailand and are happy to pay western prices for a hamburger and fries. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0478-L.jpg Ah! This is more our speed https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0480-L.jpg Waiting for our seafood dinner. Crab and noodles tonight. Again! :D |
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The next morning, some photo opportunities at the Koh Samui airport, waiting for the plane to Bangkok https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0487-L.jpg And then an hour later, after touching down at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, more nice things to take pictures of We're not done with Mel and Anton yet! Neda and I had planned to pick up our CRFs in Bangkok and ride a bit north to check out some ruins. Since our friends still have a couple of days of vacation left, they rented a car and we all piled in and headed up together. It was all highway to Ayutthaya, just over an hour's drive north of the city. I stared out the window as boring, flat urban landscape packed with towns, roads and vehicles scrolled past. Being in a car is both monotonous and hypnotic. We're traveling during the middle of the day and I glanced over at the temperature gauge on the dash of the car. The numbers slowly crept up: 38C... 39C... 40C! So humid too! Missing the islands already. So glad we are in a car on this boring slab-run with the air-conditioning blasting glorious cold air on our faces! I may even indulge in a short nap in the back seat... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...IMG_6062-L.jpg Wat Chaiwatthanaram at sunset We arrived in Ayutthaya in the early afternoon, checked into our hotel, then waited until sunset to venture out to see some ruins. There are quite a few in the area. The hotel manager suggested we visit Wat Chaiwatthanaram. It's the most well-known of the temples and is the picture on all the postcards of Ayutthaya as well as Google Images. Well, if it's on Google Images, we *have* to go take our own pictures then and add them to the library! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0505-L.jpg Do you have this picture, Google Images? Well you do now! SEO tag: Ayutthaya Ayutthaya Ayutthaya |
Ayutthaya, the capital of what was once known as Siam (now Thailand), was once one of the largest cities in the world. More than a million people lived here in the 1700s. But most of it was destroyed when Burmese invaders burned it to the ground in 1767. Most of the city was made of wood, but the parts that still stand now are the stone remnants of the temples.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0622-XL.jpg After sunset, we play around with the shadows of the floodlights, lighting up the stones https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0650-L.jpg This is actually the moon peeking out from behind the tower https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0654-L.jpg Getting late, time to go. Lots more to see tomorrow! There are many different ruins in Ayutthaya, all are within a few kms of each other. There are bus tours that shuttle you to and from all the sites, and we try to beat the tourists that pour out of these behemoths. We've heard that you can also rent bicycles and ride between the ruins, which is a terrific way to die of heat exhaustion. We'll stick to the air-conditioned car, thank you very much Tourism Board of Ayutthaya. |
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Visiting another site in the morning, Wat Chaiwatthanaram in the background https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0720-XL.jpg The red bricks look like they've been scorched from the time when Burmese invaders burned the city to the ground https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0748-L.jpg Neda ponders Buddha's Head amongst the tree roots in Wat Mahathat This is one of Thailand's iconic images. No one knows for sure how Buddha's head became entangled in this tree's roots. During the Burmese-Siamese war, the attacking forces chopped off the heads of all the Buddha's in the area. There's speculation that one of these heads might have rolled under a young tree and over time the tree's roots grew around the head. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0789-L.jpg This dog lives here, so he doesn't find it all that interesting |
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There are a few decapitated Buddhas on the grounds. But some have managed to keep their heads https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0801-L.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0812-L.jpg The forests around the area are teeming with wildlife. Here's an egret by the lake. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0815-L.jpg We were driving between sites and Neda spied something on the side of the road. She yelled out to Anton: "STOP THE CAR!" Then we quietly tiptoed out, took out our cameras and... Water Monitor Lizard. This guy was pretty big, about a foot and half long. Gorgeous creature, but very shy. He slinked away from the cameras very quickly. |
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Wat Phra Mongkhon Bophit https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0831-L.jpg Bird Dog https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0890-L.jpg Wat Phra Sri Sanphet is the largest temple in Ayutthaya, well known for its chedis (Thai Stuppas) all lined up in a row These aren't the original chedis. They've been restored after the Burmese attacked in 1767. This wasn't the first time Ayutthaya had fallen. The war between Siam and Burma had raged for centuries and the first time Burma took Ayutthaya was in 1564. After they razed it the second time, the city never recovered. |
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Looks like there are still ongoing archaeological efforts to find more of the ruins at Ayutthaya https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...IMG_6071-L.jpg Wat Lego. When the Burmese tore these temples down, they inadvertently stepped on the bricks strewn on ground and were repelled due to the excruciating pain https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0911-L.jpg Temple of the Reclining Buddha at Wat Lokayasutharam. I like how they gave him a real cloth robe. That's a lot of material! |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/296.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map296-L.jpg Lopburi is only an hour north of Ayutthaya, but the Buddhist temple there, Phra Prang Sam Yot, is a major tourist attraction. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0040-XL.jpg But the temple itself is not why people come here... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0036-L.jpg Monkeys. Everywhere. It would be totally like a scene out of an Indiana Jones movie, were it not for the fact that the temple is on a tiny grounds that is surrounded by the bustling city of Lopburi. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0946-L.jpg Monkeys are not just confined to the temple grounds, they spill out onto the city streets |
The owner of the hotel last night in Ayutthaya warned us against coming here. The monkeys sometimes get very aggressive with the tourists (especially if they think you are hiding food from them) and there have been some reports of rabies due to bites and scratches.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0192-L.jpg That doesn't stop a lot of people from coming anyway. Including us https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0002-L.jpg The little ones are so mischievous. One of them takes a liking to Mel It's the baby monkeys that are the most daring. They sneak up on tourists behind their backs and look for piggy back rides. There are signs on the temple gates advising people to leave their wallets, glasses, cell phones, etc. in the car because the curious monkeys will find them, play with them and break them. Sounds like something I would do. Huh, I should really be wearing a sign like that around my neck! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0993-L.jpg Curious creatures. They get into everything and everywhere There's a security guard at the gate of the temple. But we soon discovered he is not guarding the temple from tourists. He carries a stick that he uses to beat away the more aggressive monkeys. He also uses a slingshot that he pings rocks at them. I was happy because either he was a really bad shot or he just aims in their general direction to scare them off! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0130-L.jpg Mostly they are driven by food You'd think the locals would be sick of their town being overrun by monkeys, but we saw many people drive up and dump food near the grounds. I think the monkeys are good for tourism. And then tourists come and bring them more food. These guys are well fed. |
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SO cute! Especially the ones hanging onto their momma monkeys. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0220-L.jpg Monkeys own the temple https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0289-XL.jpg I don't think they took over recently. Engravings of monkeys adorn the temple. They must have been here all along https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0158-XL.jpg This was as close to the monkeys as Neda wanted to go. The talk of rabies scared her a bit |
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"Be kind to all creatures; this is the true religion" -- Buddha https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0142-L.jpg Farewell, Monkey Temple of Lopburi! We drove back down to Bangkok and spent a last evening with Anton and Mel. It was very sad leaving them mainly because they are our friends, but partly because we knew this would be last time we would be able to speak English in complete sentences for a long time... It's been almost two weeks with them and by the end, I was actually using pronouns and multi-syllable words. I also wore pants. Most of the time. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7774-L.jpg Early morning departure. Bye Anton and Mel, thanks for coming to visit us!!! We left Bangkok early in the morning to beat both the heat and the traffic. The highways around the capital city differs from the rest of the country because motorcyclists are banned from using them. I think this is because most of the bikes are low displacement and aren't capable of traveling 100km/h. Unfortunately this isn't fair to the bikes that *are* capable of achieving that speed, which our 250cc dirtbikes are able to do, although they sound like they are going to self-detonate at that speed. I led our way out of the city and one time I inadvertently got us onto the No-Bikes-Allowed highway. We frantically searched for an exit ramp and lucky for us we found one because not half a km after we exited, we saw a policeman ticket a Thai motorcyclist who was using the highway. 2000 baht fine! That's like $75, which is a huge amount considering how far that can go in Thailand. *phew* Dodged a bullet. |
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Looking for a nice place to lay down our beach towels in Hua Hin Hua Hin is only three hours from Bangkok, but the rising heat of the late morning and the terrible seats of our CRFs force us to stop for the day. The ride is an uninteresting trek through a very urban landscape. After getting settled into a small hotel outside of the city (cheaper), we traveled into town for food and to find a place to dip our toes into the ocean. There are a few beaches in Hua Hin, and we hopped from place to place, heading further south until we found one that we liked. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0416-L.jpg Khao Tao beach, about 20 minutes south of the centre of Hua Hin This was far away from the bustle of the city, very quiet place with nice sand to squeeze between our toes. There were beach chairs and umbrellas which we could rent for 100 baht ($3) for the day. The weather along the coast is not as nice as the islands where we came from, but it's waay better than Bangkok. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0372-L.jpg Plus there are monkeys here to entertain us These guys were hilarious, they were diving into the water from the rocks. Head first sometimes. Amazing how human-like some of their behaviour is. Or is some of our behaviour monkey-like? Hm.... |
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Neda spent her time running in and out of the water to cool down from the relentless sun overhead https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0448-L.jpg I spent my time studying these strange patterns under my beach chair https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0434-L.jpg The patterns are created by these tiny crabs, digging through the sand for food I don't know why I find these guys so fascinating. They use their front claws to dig through the sand in front of them and pass it through their mouth, filtering the food out. And then their hind legs roll the used sand up into tiny balls which it pushes behind itself. I guess so it knows not to go through the balled sand again. But it's the methodical way it travels from it's little cave, out in specific spiral pattern away from the centre that creates these cool patterns. I must have spent over an hour just watching these guys work. I'm a bit OCD in some ways (Neda has a million embarrassing stories about this so I'm glad she's not writing this blog), and this really appealed to me. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0405-L.jpg Also, I found this interesting. This is how Asian people go to the beach In Thai culture (and pretty much all of Asia), light skin is seen as being more favorable than dark skin. Skin whitening products prominently decorate the shelves of the pharmacies. So almost all the Asian tourists on the beach were covered up in long sleeves and pants despite the 35C heat. And if they were wearing shirts and shorts, they would always be hiding under an umbrella. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0325-L.jpg Compare this to the Western tourists... |
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These guys were selling horse rides along the beach https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0471-L.jpg Found a dead crab on the beach. Hm... getting hungry https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0477-L.jpg When we got back to our bikes, a vendor had set up his cart right in front of them. I guess we parked in his spot... Hua Hin is just a short stop. Back on the bikes again, we're heading further south. |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/297.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map297-L.jpg Back on the southbound road. Thailand funnels down into a thin strip of land, squeezed even narrower because it has to share the peninsular connection with Myanmar. This stretch of road is pure torture on our behinds. The CRF seats are killing our butts and the straight, unending highway offers no distractions as we squirm about on top of our motorcycle, searching for ways to get comfortable even as the temperatures rise to the low 30s by mid-morning. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7803-L.jpg Boring, boring ride. When is it going to get interesting? https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7807-L.jpg Did we see anything interesting along the way? Jack. The heat and the seats are limiting our mileage. We've been averaging about 250kms a day and we stop in Chumphon for the evening. I say evening, but really we arrived after lunch, stormed into the room and cranked the air conditioning up full-blast while we sat around in our underwear trying to cool off. So glad Anton and Mel aren't rooming with us anymore... PANTS OFF TIME! |
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Packing up bright and early to leave Chumphon We finally make it past the narrow neck of the peninsula and suddenly things start to look a lot more interesting. In the distance, large monolithic structures shoot up from the horizon. We enter the outskirts of Krabi and check into a hotel we found. It's so much cheaper getting a place outside the city, I'm glad we have motorcycles so we're not forced to find accommodations in the expensive city centre. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7818-L.jpg Cool-looking rocks up ahead! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0479-L.jpg Heading out into Krabi to explore the town |
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Karst Towers in the background These structures are a type of Karst formation - erosion of limestone causing sinkholes, caves and when taken to the extreme, leaves only towers of free-standing rock behind. These Karst towers are a signature feature of this area and are commonly found on postcards distinguishing Krabi beaches from any other beach or island in Thailand. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0495-L.jpg The two towers are separated because the Karst system dictates no intermingling or marriage between Karsts. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7819-L.jpg We are staying a couple of days in Krabi, so the next afternoon we pack up to go find a beach to sit on We have to time our beach excursions for later in the day. The time between 10AM-3PM is the hottest time and the heat is unbearable, even in the shade. So we wait until the late afternoon to head out. We did some research and there are some amazing places around the Ao Nang Beach, about 15 kms away. From there, we can catch a ferry to some of the more remote and hidden beaches, inaccessible by road. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7830-L.jpg Our ride takes us past more Karst-inspired features |
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Krabi is one of only three places in the world where the Karst towers extend into the sea (not this particular one though). One of the other places is Croatia's Dalmatian coast https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0520-L.jpg Water ferries at Ao Nang Beach Ao Nang Beach is a hellish tourist trap. The main strip is lined with bars, restaurants and tour offices. Traffic and the throngs of people walking up and down the boulevard make it difficult to feel relaxed. Even with two tiny dirtbikes, we had problems finding a place to park. Worse still, our Internet guide to Krabi beaches promised us water ferries charging 60 baht ($2) per person to Railay Beach, which is one of the more secluded spots around the corner, accessible only by water. I saw pictures of Railay Beach on the Internet, it's surrounded by more fascinating Karst structures. Unfortunately for us, tourism has really taken off here and all the ferries to Railay are now priced at 200 baht per person. A steep hike from 60 baht. We were not going to pay $15 when we thought it was only going to cost us $4 total. Total rip-off. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7842-L.jpg Instead, we just stayed on Ao Nang beach itself We sulkily laid down our towels with all the other cheap tourists who couldn't or wouldn't pay the exorbitant ferry fees. There were a lot of people around, so we had to walk a distance to find a spot where we weren't sitting on someone else's beach towel. This sucks. I fear this is what's going to happen to Thailand when a lot more people discover how nice it is, that the prices are just going to go up exponentially and the crowds are going to kill any kind of local flavour. I say this as a very selfish farang, of course. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7847-L.jpg Just around that corner of rocks is Railay Beach. :( If only our CRFs had pontoons... |
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Crowded Ao Nang beach is a good place to people-watch. Check mate in 6 moves, my friend... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0546-L.jpg Watching the rip-off water ferries come and go https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0541-L.jpg Sun slowly sets and I come to my senses and think: "Why so krabi? Look where we are! It's still very pretty here!" https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0552-L.jpg Attitude readjusted. I love Thailand again. The landscape has gotten much more interesting now that we're this far south. Our surroundings are vastly different from Northern Thailand: mountains and jungles replaced by beaches and ocean-view sunsets. Our time on the islands and the beaches have us contemplating where in Thailand we want to live. Everything seems so idyllic down here compared to Chiang Mai, but overall the prices are on average 1.5 times more expensive, and the accommodations are easily over twice that. We're going to try a little experiment... |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/298.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map298-L.jpg We really enjoyed hanging out with Anton and Mel for a over a week and a half on the islands. Despite the higher costs, it gave us a new angle on living in Thailand. So we're going to try island living on for size for a short period. This time, we'll have our motorcycles with us, so no having to haggle with tuk tuks or renting scooters. The east coast islands of Koh Samui and Koh Phangun have a reputation of being party places, but we've heard of a more laid-back place called Koh Lanta on the west side, just south of Krabi. That's where we're headed. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7854-L.jpg Just a couple of hours south of Krabi and we're at the docks waiting to cross the very narrow channel to Koh Lanta Noi Technically, Koh Lanta is an island, but the ferry crossing is only 1 km across. This is actually a two-ferry crossing because the first ferry takes us to a "pre-island" called Koh Lanta Noi. "Noi" means small in Thai, but on the map Koh Lanta Noi looks about the same size as the "large" island. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7860-L.jpg We've taken plenty of ferries before, but this is the first one in SE Asia with our CRFs! |
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Leaving the mainland https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7870-L.jpg Neda finds another farang to talk to on the ferry https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7875-L.jpg 15 short minutes later and we're on Koh Lanta (Noi) There's not much on this "pre-island", we pass by some small villages and then 8 kms later, we're on the other end of the island. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7880-L.jpg From here, we catch an even smaller ferry. This one is only 5 minutes long and the channel is so narrow that they're in the process of building a bridge to get across it to the main island, Koh Lanta Yai (Yai means large). Once across, we pass through the main town of Saladan. It's tiny! So unlike the metropolitan cities on Koh Samui. By camparison, Lanta's main "city" is more like a large village. The whole village is maybe less than a km long, and we ride through it almost as quick as we enter it. |
Our hotel is right in the centre of the island - once again we're staying out in the middle of nowhere because it's cheaper. We're not near any major town and quite a bit inland from the beach. However, the island is only 3 kms at its widest point, so being far away from the beach in our case is really only about 600m.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0603-L.jpg After checking into our hotel, we head straight for the beach. These aren't our shoes... The closet beach to us is Phra-AE Beach, or as the farangs call it, Long Beach. There's about a a dozen beaches and almost all of them are situated along the west coast of Koh Lanta, as if they were all strategically placed for the tourists to watch sunsets. Which is what we do. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0596-L.jpg We're not the only ones Our stay in Koh Lanta is a bit of trial run to see if we are beach people. We really enjoyed our time on the eastern islands with our friends last week, so much so that we're reconsidering making our permanent home on the beaches in the south, vs the mountains in Northern Thailand. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0605-L.jpg After sunset, we ride into Saladan to check out the town As noted before, despite being the biggest town in Koh Lanta, Saladan is a tiny place. There are the requisite restaurants (we found a nice Indian place to eat), some bars, one supermarket and tons of souvenir shops, but the biggest thing that stands out is that there are almost no western franchises here. It's almost unheard of to not see any McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Pizza, etc. The only familiar store is the ever-present 7-11, of course. After spending so long in Thailand, I've come to the conclusion that 7-11 is really a Thai-based company, not a US one. I love that this place is so undiscovered and undeveloped, especially after our experience at Ao Nang. It's like a breath of fresh air. Still a lot more expensive than the north, but I hope no more farangs find out about Koh Lanta. |
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We do manage to find some cheap food on the streets. But it's not very good though. We'll stick to the restaurants https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0617-L.jpg I wanted to try some roti. It reminds me that we're getting close to Malaysia. But this is not good either. I'll have to wait a bit longer for the real thing I am starting to see more of the Muslim influence as we near the Malaysian border. On our way to the ferries, we passed by several mosques and we've seen a lot more women walking around in headscarves. It's interesting to note the gradual shift from the Lanna-style temples in the north. The onion-shaped domes of the mosques intermingle with the golden Buddha statues as we ride southwards. We are taking a few days in Koh Lanta to relax and discover our beach personalities. The early afternoons are way too hot to be outside, so we hide in our hotel room with the air-conditioning cranked and wait till around 4PM to venture out and catch a couple of hours of beach-time before sunset. Rather than show you pictures of all the beaches we visited each day (they're all quite nice), here's a little road trip we did, exploring Koh Lanta on two wheels: https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7893-L.jpg Sun and the beach, warm ocean breeze and two wheels beneath you. Paradise! |
Although I make it sound like quite a trek, the entire island is less than 30kms tip to tip and it takes less than 45 minutes to traverse the whole length. But because we like to stop and take pictures and walk around, we make an afternoon out of it.
Actually, it's really hot. Every time we stop, we need to find some shade. Better just to keep moving! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7898-L.jpg We head inland! But the inland road won't last more than 3-4 kms before we hit the east coast... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7903-L.jpg Some twisties. But mostly straight roads through the jungle of the interior https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7906-L.jpg Lots of huts and shanties along the interior of Koh Lanta. I guess this is where the locals live as they leave the coasts to all the farangs and their restaurants and resorts |
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We hit the east coast and visit Lanta Old Town Lanta Old Town is the largest town on the east coast. It's a very quaint place - lots of traditional Thai wood houses, the ones situated along the shoreline extend out into the sea and are built on stilts above the waters to give themselves more real estate. Plus the tourists love looking down on the waters when they're sipping their chai tea on the patios! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0632-L.jpg All the buildings on the water are on stilts, there's even a little shrine out here We visited during low tide, but it must look very pretty during high tide with the waters lapping away just below the boardwalks that are built on these stilts! Lanta Old Town used to be a trading post and port for the vessels going between Penang, Phuket and Singapore. The shops reflect this cultural diversity, lots of Chinese influences mixed in with the batik stores and the Thai fishermen on the pier. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7911-L.jpg Riding out to the pier to see Lanta Old Town from a different angle |
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Looking out onto Lanta Old Town https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0644-L.jpg This is where all the ferries dock to take tourists to the smaller islands off the east coast https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0646-L.jpg One of the ferries coming into the pier |
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Patios on stilts! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0661-L.jpg Did you notice the beach mat strapped down on Neda's back seat? That great ball of fire in the sky has dipped low enough that it's time to hit the beach again! We ride back to the west coast in our search for the perfect sand. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0663-XL.jpg We've not been this far south before, and we find an awesome secluded beach (best one yet). You have to hike down from the cliff a little bit to get there, so not many people do I prefer the beaches on Koh Lanta more than the eastern islands. Much less crowds and no vendors along the shore. There's not a lot of nightlife on the island, which suits us just fine. If you come here, there's only one thing you can do: sit on the beach and relax. |
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I got tricked "Sit on that rock over there." "Why?" "Just do it" "Okay, now wha-AAAAAAH!" "55555" *click* https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0700-L.jpg Beach bums for a week https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0696-L.jpg As the sun sets, we ruminate on whether the beach bum lifestyle suits us or not We've spent six nights on Koh Lanta. Every day, we've developed a little routine: Neda does some cross-stitching and reading outside on the patio in the early morning till it gets too hot. I sleep in, only waking up when she comes in out of the heat. Then we hide from the afternoon sun in our air-conditioned room only to venture out to catch the last couple hours of sun. From one of the many beaches on the coast, we take our seats on the warm sands to view yet another golden sunset. Then a nice dinner somewhere and repeat the next day. Sounds ideal? Not really. It's kind of boring. We're not beach people at all. Neda is suffering a lot from the heat and we've figured out that the real reason why we had so much fun on Koh Samui and Koh Phangun wasn't the surf, the sand and the ocean breezes. It was because we were hanging out with our friends. Without them, we're just hot and uncomfortable most of the time. And bored. When I look back on our life in Chiang Mai, we really like all the options that a moderate-size city affords us: hiking club, yoga studio, camera club, volleyball club, a huge supermarket with lots of different food, twisty mountain roads to ride, but most of all a cool, temperate climate. Well, at least we know now. But before we settle down, there's still more to see. Onwards, we go! |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/299.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map299-L.jpg We're leaving Koh Lanta with a better sense of what we like about living in Thailand. Which is ironic, because we are on our way out of the country! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7916-L.jpg One of the two ferries that takes us off Koh Lanta and back to the mainland More of that straight, boring ride as we prepare to leave Thailand. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7919-L.jpg At one of our frequent gas stops, we see a bunch of guys in the back of a truck. One of them seems to be a bit horny... |
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We have an overnight stay in Hat Yai, just north of the Malaysian border. Our hotel reminds us of the Love Hotels in Latin America! We're a little concerned about passing through Southern Thailand. Over the last decade, Hat Yai has been in the news due to a series of terrorist attacks. There's a separatist group which is fighting for independence from Thailand on behalf of the Muslim population near the Malaysian border. There have been several bombings, the last one as recently as 2014. Despite this history, we ventured into town to try to find some dinner. It's like any other Thai town, we didn't perceive it to be any more or less dangerous. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7932-L.jpg A preview of Malaysia food in Thailand and Neda talks to the stall owner about our trip As we were leaving Hat Yai early in the morning, we decided to stop at a food stall which was open for breakfast. We couldn't read Thai, so we just asked for whatever everyone else was having. The lady who ran the place served us a bowl of hot congee, which is a rice porridge. Except she didn't call it congee, she called it jook - which is the Cantonese word for congee. Growing up in Malaysia, this is what we know it by. I had never heard of the word congee until I came to Canada. Apart from all the mosques we had seen in the area, this was the most personal reminder to me that we were headed to the place where I used to live. So excited! It's a short ride to the Malaysian border from Hat Yai. As we were leaving Thailand, we got our passports stamped quickly and then we were looking for a place to export out our bikes. Couldn't find anywhere to do it. We talked to a guard standing around and he just waved us through the border, "Go! Go!" All the Thai cars and motorcyclists were just passing through the border without stopping. Call me a stickler, but I didn't want us to leave without getting the motorcycles properly documented out of Thailand. I've read up on the exit procedure for Thai vehicles leaving Thailand, and you require an official export form issued and stamped by customs. Add to the fact that we aren't Thai - I wanted to avoid any problems coming back to Thailand. We rode in and out of the No Man's Land looking for the customs building. After much pestering, one guard opened up a booth and processed our papers. Finally, we obtained official permission to leave the Kingdom with our motorcycles. Thai vehicles are only allowed one month out of the country. Any longer than that and we would have to pay a fine to get back in. I know of no other country that does things this way. However, I was glad to have the permission form and official stamp on it. I've read a lot of accounts of travelers sneaking in and out of borders, not getting the proper documents and stamps. But to prevent future problems, we tend to do everything by the book, *especially* at borders. Except maybe for that one time we rode around Russia without insurance... |
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Selamat datang ke Malaysia! Welcome to Malaysia! Kedah is the north-western-most province in Malaysia neighbouring Thailand and we were now preparing to enter it. Now that we were officially out of Thailand, we have to get us and our bikes into Malaysia. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7938-L.jpg Motorcycles have their own lane for the border crossing. Cool! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7939-L.jpg They fingerprint you at the Malaysian border. Not cool. |
The border crossing for us was pretty quick, but it's always the vehicles that take longer. Our Thai insurance that we received when we bought the motorcycles didn't cover Malaysia, so we stop at this booth right at the border.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7941-L.jpg Yes, that's how they spell "insurance" in Malay, Neda And that's how you spell "lorry". And Taxi is spelled "teksi". Lots of English words are just transliterated into Malay. Three guesses what a "bas" is? https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7942-L.jpg In order to be properly insured, you need to display a front license plate - even for motorcycles The Insurans lady translates our rear license plate and makes stickers for us that conform to Malaysian rules. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7955-L.jpg Hey, my first sticker on my CRF! Adds 5hp! We go to the customs office and get our bikes imported into Malaysia. There are numerous forms to submit, and in the end we received an International Circulation Permit - which is strange because we've been riding all around the world and never needed one of those before - as well as the official temporary import papers into Malaysia. Whohooooo!!!! We are in Malaysia! |
It feels pretty cool to come back to the place I grew up.... on motorcycles! There's so much I want to show Neda, but part of me is feeling just a tiny bit of trepidation - that I won't do the place justice. I left Malaysia shortly before my ninth birthday, so I only have childhood memories of this place. By contrast, Neda left Croatia when she was nineteen, so when she shows me around her home country, she is able to add so much more details and colour to her commentary.
The road from the border is boring, same scenery as Thailand. Still, Neda comes in over the communicator: "It's so nice being able to read the road signs again!" I reply, "You can read Malaysian?" She responded, "No, I meant the letters aren't in script anymore". "Oh yeah, so it is". It seems like I am taking a lot of things for granted in Malaysia, not noticing the small things that Neda is. She asks me what certain words mean. I didn't really learn a lot of Malay before I left, but I teach her the basics - thank yous and greetings: "Selamat Pagi is good morning. The sign you read when we first came in, Selamat datang is welcome" "Oh, so selamat is like from when we were in Morocco, the Arabic greeting Asallam Alaykum" "Oh yeah, I never thought about that". Neda was pointing out things that were plain to see, but I just never put it together because of over-familiarity. I do the exact same things when she is teaching me Croatian. Interesting role-reversal. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SCN7958-XL.jpg We stop by a food centre at one of the gas stations. Our first Malaysian meal! I was afraid that I wouldn't remember anything about Malaysia, but staring at the menu in this food stall, mental images starting flooding back reading the items. Perhaps the brain may not be that good at recall, but the stomach certainly is. I ordered us some Mee Goreng, a noodle in a blend of oyster and soy sauce with lots of veggies and some chicken thrown in. It was delicious! And from a stall at a gas station too! I can't wait to try the food in the restaurants!!! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN7964-L.jpg Just 150km south of the border, we cross the Penang Bridge into Georgetown https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0705-L.jpg Can't believe we're in Malaysia!!! Going to do some serious exploring now! And by exploring, I mean eating... |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/300.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map300-L.jpg I'm not sure if I've ever been to Penang before. If I did, I was too young to remember it. I e-mailed my dad and he said he didn't know either, it was so long ago. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0711-L.jpg Remnants of British colonial-style architecture from when Malaysia was a colony Most of what I know about Malaysia is from long after I left it, either from what my parents told me, or reading up about the country. I've only gained an interest in this in my adulthood. Growing up in Toronto, I had a pretty typical Canadian childhood - played ball hockey in the streets, learned to skate in the wintertime when they flooded the baseball diamond at school, saw Rush in concert like pretty much everyone else did. We had immigrated to a very multicultural neighbourhood in the north-east of Toronto: Scarborough - what some people call the ghetto of the city. I didn't think so at the time. It was just home to me. The friends I hung around with were Jamaican, Indian, Romanian, Pakistani, Korean, etc. The extent of discussing our ethnicity was peering into each other's lunchboxes to see what our moms had packed for us. I remember there being a lot of rice in tupperware... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0725-L.jpg Eager to do more food explorations So here I am, back where I came from, with a renewed interest in the history of this place. The Chinese in Malaysia date back several hundred years, the "first wave" settling in the south of the country back in the 1500s. Today, they make up the largest of the "ethnic" population, 30% of Malaysians are of Chinese descent, 10% are of Indian descent, while the largest group, 50% are native Malays. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0739-L.jpg Teoh Kongsi clanhouse |
We're exploring Georgetown, which is the capital of the state of Penang. There are more Chinese in this state, percentage-wise, than anywhere else in Malaysia. These were the original settlers, they were sea-traders and came through the ports in Penang and Malacca. Everywhere you walk, there are signs in Chinese, and red lanterns hanging above.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0745-L.jpg Teh Tarik is the national drink of Malaysia. Tarik means "pull": Pulled Tea. I introduce Neda to teh tarik, and we are both immediately addicted to the copious amounts of sugar they put into this drink. You can order it hot, but we prefer it served in ice. When you drink teh tarik, you can feel your teeth start to rot from all the sugar. So goooood.....! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0768-L.jpg Shopping for more sweets https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0772-L.jpg Georgetown, like most cities, is pretty modern. But we like walking around the old city to see all the historical buildings. |
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One of the most extravagant Chinese buildings is the temple of the Khoo Kongsi (the Khoo Clanhouse) Clans play a very important part of the Chinese culture. Ancestor worship is part of the religion, and the family village or temple is a much venerated site. The Khoo clan (not related to the Klux) was the largest in the country and their ancestral home was here in Georgetown. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0781-L.jpg The Chinese are pretty much the Targaryens of Asia https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0786-L.jpg ...that one time when the whole clan went to see the Ozzy Osbourne concert... |
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