After bidding farewell to beautiful Bali after spending 2 weeks of reading eating and relaxing and watching beautiful bodies go by. Boy, did we see some beautiful bodies. It was time to head to Thailand and get some exercise. We have signed up for a 14 day epic bike ride from Bangkok to Saigon a lazy 490kms 10 days of actual riding with Grasshopper adventures. We have ridden with them on 5 other adventures through Asia and it is always a good mix of riding and cultural involvement.
But before we start with that part of the story let’s start right at the beginning our flight to Thailand. We had great seats for many reasons or not that good seats depends how you view the situation. Great seats for exiting the plane, right next to the door, great seats for getting a gin & tonic fairly quickly all sounds positive doesn’t it for flight that was only 4 hours, right. Here comes the interesting part of our flight. Seated in front gringo and Thai girlfriend. Next to them a lady in window seat. Nothing unusual about that you wouldn’t think. So gringo and Thai lady ask for a blanket each, nothing unusual about that . The usual routine of a meal is served drinks and so forth. Those Thai hostess had it all done in lightning speed too. So lights are dimmed so we can be distracted by watching a movie. Now wait for it, here comes the crescendo. Thai girl puts her seat back, me I have full view of the next events. As I am in the aisle seat. So lots of snuggling and whispering sweet nothings to each other which I get as it was Valentine day the day before. But hang on is that what I think is going on, the motions are all right. Man in aisle seat is getting a hand-job from Thai girl-friend. Ok, which way do my eyes look left to the screen or slightly right as it was all in full view. Awkward then my mind wondered how was man going to deal with his own crescendo. I will let you think a few minutes about that. Poor lady sitting in window seat which way does she look. Lady in window seat gets up and man think bingo, time for a big old boob grope up the shirt while lady is gone. It was really hard to look at them when we are all standing around the baggage collection area staring and waiting. Does he get a pat on the back of good on you or a look of, really . If you are thinking they were drinking, nope water. Obviously the juice of love for some.
Good start and welcome to Thailand. We had two nights in Bangkok before the ride started and were booked into a hotel in the backpackers area Khoasan like the cold chisel song, that’s played through my head time a few times. One day we did a canal tour to fill in a few hours as Bangkok isn’t our favourite city. We had previously been before, seen all the tourist hi-lights. It was a great way to escape the business and chaos on a long boat with the huge motors on the back. We went to a floating market and had the best mixed fruit salad freshly made by a lady with the beautifully laid out boat. So fresh and presented in a banana leaf bowl. Very hot day but it didn’t seem as hot as Bali. Also one night we walked down a side street and found a restaurant called Madame Musur tasty Thai food but a bit like tourist food though after a couple beers and some people watching it did the trick you can see why they call it the backpackers area. As further up the street you have the tuk tuk drivers holding out little signs of wanting to take you to see some ping pong not the kind that you use a bat to hit your balls over a net with either, wink, wink …….
Time to meet the new squad we are riding with this evening as well as our Guide Karn. We have Carla from Rio and Mirella from Sau Paulo Brazil. Also we have David from Seattle. We are all doing the whole journey to Saigon. We drive 3 hours out of Bangkok and meet another car with the other squad members which we have David from Scotland, Sam from Lebanon, Alec & Cristina from NYC and Campbell from Sydney, Sven who works for Grasshopper coming along on the ride too. First ride of 50kms is to Chanthaburi not a bad ride just cruising along the coast to our hotel with a lovely pool which is so welcoming at the end of day to cool the body down and chill out before dinner. Then some tasty local Thai food of the area for dinner. Next morning up and onya bike by 7.30am. To beat the heat of the day. Today we are crossing the border into Cambodia. This had its hi-lights. Just buying your visa then going across to the next window and getting your stamp and taking your finger prints was experience in itself. As Tony got the wrong visa and then they gave him back the wrong passport with someone elses visa, hilarious, didn’t even take all of his finger prints either so that was super weird. Just inside the Cambodian border is lined with casinos too. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr Packer doesn’t own one these. As Casinos are illegal in Thailand. Once all this was done. It was midday and my god the heat was beating down. Seriously hot with undulating rolling roads to ride with our New guide Mr Lot. Couldn’t wait for this day to be done. Welcome to Cambodia.
So we stopped the night in Palin apparently famous for harbouring some senior members of the Khmer Rouge after the fall of the tyrannous regime. Gems too if you were on the hunt for some. Seriously didn’t get taken anywhere near somewhere that sold gems. Which is lucky in hind sight.
Up early again which you totally get as the days are so very hot. To ride dirt tracks, yeah…… We are heading towards Battambang. But first stop is a temple or stupa on top of the hill very golden and some very weird statues of gore which I think it represents in Buddhism that you can go to not a pleasant place if you have been a bad person. Karma I am thinking. We are riding 55 kms on the road or black top as Mr Lot would call it. So sweaty. Todays snacks where some local sticky rice. I really can’t believe we are eating when we just had breakfast 2 hours earlier. But it was tasty. We arrive in Battambang to a really nice hotel have an hour or so of rest then back on the bike for an afternoon ride of 25kms out to a temple a really old 11th century one that you have to climb 300 steps up to. Yeah so excited. Riding is fine but 300 huge steps up not so much but you do it. To take the photo look at the view and decend. Day done.
Next day we are taken by a local guide around to view the local industries in food. First stop was a lady who made dried banana from a special little lady finger variety. It was really tasty. She was telling a story that when the Khmer Rouge were in power you had to hide and eat as the food by order That all food was given to the soldiers if not, you where shot. So a lot of sneaking around to feed the children and themselves how horrible that sounds. I guess this is how the the locals started eating bugs and rats for protein. We also tried some rice wine more like grappa had a punch to it and some sticky rice cooked inside bamboo. Mr Lot loved it…..pass for me.
Heading to Siem Reap 3 hours in the van as the roads are so bad, building a new freeway takes many years. We arrived at the best hotel we have stayed in so far for the next 3 nights.
Next morning we are up at 4am to be picked up by 4.45am to go to a ticket booth to get a ticket that has your photo on it so you can enter the Angkor Wat. Seems so silly as there could be a better way to do this. On-line could be on option but then you need to print it. I guess its stops people trying to resell their tickets for a profit. It was really nice sitting on the steps of the moat watching the colours immerse from the sky behind Angkor Wat very peaceful.
After we had breakfast changed into riding gear and set off to ride around and look at the temples that surround this area. So many tourists at some spots. The most famous of all the temples is the one featured in Tomb Raider. Maybe because its dry season didn’t really have the feel of lushness and green. But as usual the Chinese are so dam pushy trying to get a photo in front of the iconic temple with the strangling fig growing out of the roof. We got a snap just need to point and shoot with lightning speed.. Lunch we had was not so good. Being a vego is very much the struggle as meat with feet is more common and fish. Everything would taste the same, boring. Mr Lot would try though as he would order for the table. We also went to local circus produced by kids that have had a rough life and have been given a chance for some direction. It was a great performance like a mini cirque soliel. Rest time over, back on ya bikes slackers.
Bring on rest day so massage drinking GnT’s is the plan for rest day. Eating anything other than Cambodian food. So we went down the street for some Cambodian Mexican it was ok but full of Americans like bees to a flower. So weird they must be missing their fish tacos. The hotel we stayed was wonderful too. So spending 3 nights there was heaven.
We also picked up some new punters for the ride from Canada Janet & David they had come from -25 degrees in Canada so they were feeling the heat poor things did feel for them. So pale. What a nice couple great sense of humour and seem like a lot of fun.
On our way to Phnom Penh we stopped on the side of the road as we were on a bus for some snacks of insects, spiders, bugs you name it. Its was there to be eaten if you so desire. Not for us, it was horrendous baby chicks that where probably only a day old, fried up and older ones two. Disgusting, such a circus. Our guide Lot bought some crickets as a snack, he loved them with a beer he said.
Today we head out to Kampong Thom to see some 7th century Temples. But first lunch which was not good so I didn’t eat anything much. Maybe we rode 50kms I think, Mr Lot never does tell us exactly the number. Big mistake it was really hot, like super hot today. So I am thinking I may have got a bit of heat stroke riding along feeling very sick in the stomach isn’t a good feeling. Once we stopped for fruit and cold towels I could cool down but that wasn’t a good ride. By the time we got to the hotel that pool was very inviting to cool the body temp down and have a little nap before a very yummy dinner at he hotel.
We also rode to a temple on top of a hill which housed many statues of buddha . I received a lovely blessing from a monk, he had the best smile so much warmth in his face. I wish I took his photo he made my day.
Another day we caught a ferry down the Mekong Delta to Chau Doc in Vietnam some 4 hours later on a really loud ferry. Thank god for noise cancelling ear phones. Met our new guide Bao and crew. Well, first off better van, better bikes hotel is ok, super weird.. Bao paid for our drinks at dinner, win, win. As none of the other guides have. First Ride is around the canal area, nice paths over little bridges seeing life unravelling. Catching the little ferries over to see a silk woven into scarves etc So much greener compared to Cambodia on our way to Long Xuyen. 75 km One of our bigger days of riding . Hotel, holly molly, so weird the bed is so hard the breakfast is even weirder. Get me out of here.
Another big day coming up have 70kms not sure if we do that or not, the guides always along the way seem to fudge the kms a little. But today was the worst day of the whole ride it was so bumpy my bum Tony’s ass was killing him we couldn’t escape the bumps. Your wrists, shoulders the whole dam body was shaken just wanted the day to finish please, plus it was hot. We did stop along the way at some craft places a lady had amazing skill making grass mats on a machine. So a moment of respite. We did finish with a beer and a cold towel today how good is that on a tray, five stars to you Mr Bao. the accommodation was really nice for the second to last night. We were up next morning doing a boat ride to the floating markets very interesting indeed but I think I would love to have been there at dawn when the real business of food trade is happening. To many tourists boats like us.
All done and dusted 490kms. We are pretty well over riding, wearing nappy pants wearing non breathing jerseys, sweating and riding in the sun. Give me a beach I need it now. Slow down Sharon & Tony we still have 2 days of big city time in Saigon. Last night we booked into a nice hotel in Saigon and Mr Bao takes us on a walk after being in the bus for 3 hours around the French quarter to the Independence Palace built in the 1963 some quirky 60’s furniture and the bunker room was interesting I guess. I am not good at listening to guides bla, bla, bla. Tony is good, I just walk away and take photos we are more like speed tourist, if that is a thing. So goodbye dinner thanks for having us turned into a disaster for Bao. He took us to a restaurant looked pretty cool but service was a little to be desired. Food came out spasmodic, drinks did too. So Mr Bao had a huffy fit and spat the dummy. We are out of there not much dinner and went to this other restaurant not that good either, fail for last dinner. Lucky Canadian couple bailed from that, good choice. Janet and David.
Next day we booked into a Spesh place just up the road from last nights hotel the Reverie OMG……. Words cannot explain how the decorators and architects come up with these ideas. So OTT our room had amazing views so comfortable so lush we stayed there most of the day. After a bit of shopping at Zara, our go to store to re stock on T-shirts that laundry had destroyed. So let’s talk a little about that. I was supposed to buy and chuck out, that was how to keep the bag under 18kgs. Well, no judgement here please, I have failed big time so this is my purchases so far with minimal chucking. Black cool jump-suit , 3 t-shirts that’s NZ. Bali two dresses two t-shirt. Saigon 1 dress, one shorts two singlets. Chucking list one T-shirt dress, one t-shirt, 2 nappy pants bikes shorts, 4 jersey riding tops. I will briefly touch on Tony so he is still sitting under 16kg of luggage but he has bought 3 t-shirts one shorts. chucking nappy pants shorts and one 4 jerseys tops. grr…
So goodbye Vietnam has been short but sweet . The ride in whole has had its challenges but you would never experience what we have if you were in a car or on a bus just wizzing by. Met some awesome people in our squad Carla and Mirella had the best laugh and their take on the English language was so funny. David from Seattle had a warped sense of humour and was up for any challenge even eating bugs and Durian. love ya work David. We were the original bikers did very well to complete the whole ride.
So on to next adventure getting to the Andanman Islands for 8 nights…..
tonyandsharon 