I had high hopes for breakfast. They told me it was Jok with chicken, which I love. And it was absolutely superb. The nicest I’ve had on this trip, so I had to finish the bowl and lick it clean.
They introduced me to the lady who cooked it, and she was really chuffed that I liked it so much.
I headed off expecting to get a half decent coffee in the main town, 15kms up the road. To summarise, I didn’t – I did get one of the worst coffees I’ve ever had. (And that includes Ipswich in the 80s). I was reminded of the coffee Baldrick made for Blackadder – from mud and dandruff. Regardless, I smiled, thanked the lovely people and headed off.
About 200m later, there was a Cafe Amazon. Cafe Amazon is a little bit like McDonalds. With McDonalds, you know what you are going to get; the taste is always consistent. That’s why I don’t get McDonalds, because it is consistently rubbish. Cafe Amazon is better than that – consistently ok coffee but never fantastic. However, I needed something to wash away the taste of the last one.
Finally back on the road, and the first part was boring – but oh so gradually, undulations and trees began to appear, and big open rice paddies began to disappear. Finally, I was leaving the flat areas of Thailand. I had a smile on my face even though I don’t particularly like hills. I simply like variety, but I’m sure over the next few weeks, I’ll pine for a few flat days.
It was a nce run into Wang Chin. I’d read of a place another cyclist had stayed at, but as I rode past, it didn’t look great, so I headed into town looking for some lunch. I found a place run by – you guessed it – really nice people, and ordered my daily dose of Pad Kapao Moo Kai Dao.
It was a good one. The guy spoke a fair amount of english so he asked me all about the trip etc. It turns out that we are the same age, well, I’m a few months older – so I told him he should pay me more respect – belly laughs all round. He told his wife and she got in on the act too.
They asked me where I was staying – I hadn’t booked a place but was going to have a look at a place out of town called Namda Resort. They said that was the best place around – ‘very clean and nice’, and the guy’s wife insisted on calling them and telling them I’d be there. You can’t possibly be nicer than that.
I found the resort, said hi, and the lady immediately called her daughter who spoke good english – we went through everything and I handed the phone back. I guess the mum is over the sign language and bad thai associated with people like me checking in.It was another superb bungalow. The people at the restaurant were spot on. I did my customary shower, gear washing, ate snacks, drank water and had a nap. Then it was time for dinner.
Google showed me a restaurant and convenience stores not far away, so I rode down at sunset. I missed the restaurant, but there were some street food vendors and a 7-11, so I couldn’t go wrong. Unfotunately, the street food vendors were closing up as I approached each one. I struggled to communicate with one guy and we agreed to give up. In the end, I had a 7-11 Chicken and Rice which they warmed up, and I sat by the river and ate it. Pretty tasty, and it’s always a good backup.
I went back to the Roti guy with high hopes, but he’d gone. 20 minutes earlier he had a queue. I guess it’s a small town and people eat at home, so the place closed early.
However, wherever I went in town, people were really friendly as usual. Even the dogs were fine, as I rode home. The place had a nice atmosphere and I suspect that few tourists come here. To me, it is an authentic place to see Thais going about their daily lives and not pandering to tourists.
Injury update – toe doing well, but the knee needs a rest.
Today’s ride: https://www.komoot.com/tour/917457998?ref=avs&share_token=aeUhRylc61ENYo1RAKEKcH7umhZSdyPL6MTfLUVuCwmVeFv3An