Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Cycle Tours => Topic started by: Matt2matt2002 on May 08, 2023, 09:43:18 PM
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Flying out to Bangkok tomorrow from Aberdeen Scotland via Amsterdam for 50+ days.
Faithful Raven Tour with me as usual.
Personal circumstances prevented me going earlier in the year so heading into the rainy season.
Research has revealed a few locations that could be drier than others so I'm open to changing plans.
Always good to be flexible, from experience.
Looking forward to the change of scenery, new culture and new diet.
I've used Crazy Guy on a bike for route planning and have started my own journal there.
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/TimetotryThai
I'll keep folks here up to date as well.
Best Matt
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Best of luck on your tour, Matt. It sounds like a grand time and lots of Adventure ahead. :)
Best, Dan.
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Have fun. So looking forward to following your tour Matt. Keep your fluids up and enjoy the Thai experience. It’ll be a great tour.
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Sounds like a great adventure, have a wonderful time.
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I'll keep folks here up to date as well.
Looking forward to it. Enjoy your tour, Matt.
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Great stuff, Matt. Look forward to your stories. Safari njema/safe journey, and enjoy!
John
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:Day 5 sees me 100+ km South of Bangkok.
My 2 days setting in went well and I could have got by with one.
But why rush? I have 50+ days here
City driving is intense but rules appear to be obeyed.
Landscape very flat so far. Haven't used the first 4 or 5 gears.
Heat, like the traffic, intense;30°+.
Tactics; 6am start and finish before noon.
Food fantastic.
Prices good coming from UK.
Raven running well. No issues despite bike box a little battered.on arrival.
Today's ride was alongside salt planes. Long straight roads. The head wind slowed me but helped since the temp hit 30°+.
Plenty of fluid intake.
Top Thai tip: small plastic bag of ice placed in bandana resting on the back of my neck.
Stayed in the roll until I pulled into the next cafe for a top-up.
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/TimetotryThai
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Top Thai tip: small plastic bag of ice placed in bandana resting on the back of my neck.
Ha! All the nerves pass through your neck to your brain. It's the logical place to put a bag of ice to cool you down. Lovely idea.
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Top Thai tip: small plastic bag of ice placed in bandana resting on the back of my neck.
Ha! All the nerves pass through your neck to your brain. It's the logical place to put a bag of ice to cool you down. Lovely idea.
I must confess it wasn't my idea. After a snack break as I was about to ride off one of the customers asked me to stop, filled up the wee bag with ice
cubes, sealed it with a rubber band and handed it to me.
My first thought was what the heck am I going to do with this? And then I had the idea to 'carry' it in my bandana.
Worked a treat.
Btw
Does this link work? It's from Komoot.
https://www.komoot.com/tour/1118820023?ref=avs&share_token=akUQrdi30YLa1EtEVkU2CxihExmVeAvkYguY1NbnWILVJ72JKJ
Matt
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Does this link work? It's from Komoot.
https://www.komoot.com/tour/1118820023?ref=avs&share_token=akUQrdi30YLa1EtEVkU2CxihExmVeAvkYguY1NbnWILVJ72JKJ
Works a treat, Matt.
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I'm following your Crazyguyonabike posts. Hope you have a great and safe tour. You're giving me ideas for the future.
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I'm following your Crazyguyonabike posts. Hope you have a great and safe tour. You're giving me ideas for the future.
Thanks. I must admit to being a bit overwhelmed with the writing up of this tour.
First I make notes on my phone as I go along, so I don't forget things.
Then I write the day up in my note book. ( Can't beat a hard copy ).
Then I write up Crazyguy.
Then I let folks at home/ Facebook know I'm still alive.
Then I sometimes let folks here know how it's going.
Here's today's ride.
https://www.komoot.com/tour/1130079372?ref=aau
Left the guesthouse at 0545 for a warm ride as the sun rose. My route took me through farm land and coconut oil plantations. It was very relaxing and beautiful. Not as flat as it has been but nothing strenuous. Lots of opportunities to stop for a snack/ ice cream or meal. Today's breakfast was rice and seafood.
Folks always interested in my origin and destination.
A favourite question is my age. Today, for the first time some guessed above my '69'.
Laughs all round when I told them I wasn't 75!
Maybe it's the beard?
Bike running very smoothly.
Costs are low for a UK tourist.
I'm spending £22/day including accommodation.
Some days it's £16.
Drivers very courteous but best to watch out for folks pulling out of side roads. I've yet to see an accident but the way folks ride overloaded motorbikes without crash helmets...
Pleased to answer any other questions.
I'm no expert but class myself as an adventurous amateur.
Cheers
Matt
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Enjoy the moments Matt. We vicarious followers can a wait for any shares. Don’t let the journaling get in the way of enjoyment and the making of great memories. Besides 69 is the new 49, as everyone knows!
PS looks can be deceiving, I’m told re Thailand 😉
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Enjoy the moments Matt. We vicarious followers can a wait for any shares. Don’t let the journaling get in the way of enjoyment and the making of great memories. Besides 69 is the new 49, as everyone knows!
PS looks can be deceiving, I’m told re Thailand 😉
Ha ha. I see what you did there, re looks.
Yes, the Thai ladies are lovely for sure.
A bit like a box of chocolates.
You're never sure which one contains nuts.😉
( Please remove post if unsuitable )
Matt
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Hi folks.
Entering the last third of my 50+ days here in Thailand.
By spending so much time here I feel I've got a little bit below the normal tourist surface.
Lovely friendly folks with excellent food.
Weather coming down the East peninsula towards Malaysia has been mostly dry but entering the wet season now so a few evening showers. Thunder and lightning occasionally but it all clears up remarkably quickly.
1,300+ km on the Speedo . A big day would be 117km,and a short day, 50 km.
Temperature has been 30°+ so I ride from dawn, 0600 to noon ish.
Mostly flat roads with wide cycle lanes.
Drivers generally good and courteous.
I'm in Songkhla today and heading West towards Trang tomorrow.
21 days before I fly home so still plenty of time to explore this wonderful country.
Cheers
Matt
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There's the riddle: did the Thai mural come before the Beatles crossed the road, or did it inspire the Beatles to cross the road?
Super photographs, Matt.
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Nicely done, Andre.
Reckon the big fella with the tummy knows the answer, but he's inscrutable, and jolly pleased with his secret.
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There's the riddle: did the Thai mural come before the Beatles crossed the road, or did it inspire the Beatles to cross the road?
Super photographs, Matt.
And why did the Beatles cross the road?
To reach the ATM perhaps?
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Sounds like you're having a great time, plenty of days left for a load more experiences.
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Sounds like you're having a great time, plenty of days left for a load more experiences.
Thanks PH.
It's been a funny ol' tour. Unlike previous ones, I've not had a tight schedule and stopped for rest days whenever I needed one or found somewhere I liked to explore. As we know, cycling brings us closer to the environment, culture, folks and sights.
But when I've dropped anchor for 2 or 3 days, well, I feel I've gained quite a lot more .
I consider myself very fortunate to be in this position. And don't take it for granted.
Boxes are ticked every day.
Hard to think of how things could go better.
I never like the hassle of flying back with my bike but since I've done it four times I should manage fine.
I'm a worrier by nature but keep telling myself, relax and enjoy the moment.
And there have certainly been quite a few here.
At Bangkok airport, unbeknown to me there is a special ' fast' lane at immigration for us err... mature folks. Saves lining up with dozens of other people.
I joined the standard queue and was suddenly taken by the elbow and shouted at by a very nice young lady.
"Far queue, far queue".
Not the nicest of welcomes, I thought. Until everything was revealed!
Cheers from Phattalung.
Matt
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There's the riddle: did the Thai mural come before the Beatles crossed the road, or did it inspire the Beatles to cross the road?
Super photographs, Matt.
And why did the Beatles cross the road?
To reach the ATM perhaps?
Well fielded, sir! I didn't even know that Thailand is a cricketing nation...
The Beatles crossed the road, choose one or more,
a) to give John's "big fella with the tummy" something to chuckle about,
b) because they were following the chicken to ask him the reason,
c) to get to the ATM in Matt's photo,
d) to reach the Abbey Road Studios.
Time of your life, Matt. Thanks for sharing.
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That's me just about to finish my tour here in Thailand.
Wonderful time in a fantastic and interesting country.
Definitely on my to do again list.
Raven performed faultlessly.
Pleased to answer any questions.
Link to my crazy guy page:
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/TimetotryThai
Cheers folks
Matt
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Hope you had a good trip back and enjoyed the bonus overnight. What an amazing trip, life changing experiences, I suspect the memories will be with you forever and you're enjoying the post tour reflections and the reacclimatising isn't too hard!
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Hope you had a good trip back and enjoyed the bonus overnight. What an amazing trip, life changing experiences, I suspect the memories will be with you forever and you're enjoying the post tour reflections and the reacclimatising isn't too hard!
Thanks - yes - all back to normal - whatever that is?
Funny you should mention re-acclimatising.
After my first tour to Tajikistan and Kyrgystan for the Pamir Highway, I was contacted by a post grad student working on a paper about how folks coped with returning to normality after a ' life changing ' experience.
Apparently quite a lot of folks find it hard to settle back into normal life.
I must admit to having a few err.. issues, when I returned.
It's an interesting subject.
Yes, it was an amazing trip and I learned a lot from it - about local folks and also myself.
I now never bring up the subject unless asked. Nothing worse that someone who bangs on and on about how wonderful life if is while bike touring.
Best
Matt
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I now never bring up the subject unless asked. Nothing worse that someone who bangs on and on about how wonderful life if is while bike touring.
A prophet is not honoured in his own country. -- Ecclesiastes (probably)
Thanks for going and sharing, Matt.
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Thanks, Matt.
It can be difficult, for sure, "No longer at ease in the old dispensation/With an alien people clutching their gods." (From Eliot's The Journey of the Magi)
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Thanks, Matt.
It can be difficult, for sure, "No longer at ease in the old dispensation/With an alien people clutching their gods." (From Eliot's The Journey of the Magi)
Thanks John. That's new to me and I'll follow it up with reading the work by Mr. Eliot.
A couple or 3 quotes I keep handy with me while away:
A man who hasn't traveled, has no eyes.
I haven't been everywhere yet, but it's on my list.
If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine. It's lethal.
Paulo Coelho.
Best
Matt
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Hi folks.
Finally finished off my Thailand trip blog.
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/TimetotryThai
I'm seriously considering returning next year. It had all the things I like: good weather, good food, cheap accommodation, flat roads with wide cycle lanes, friendly folks, interesting scenery and a safe vibe. Folks appeared to be happy with life there. I never once felt unsafe and was frequently overcome with strangers generosity.
Best
Matt
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Super photos, Matt. I vote for Thailand too if you're going to have more memories like these.
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Fabulous share Matt. Thanks for letting us vicariously ride along. As the UK summer ebbs away your timing is spot on.
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Fantastic account of your trip, thanks for sharing.