Southbound

Indie K and I rode from Chiang Khong to Prachuap, with stopovers at Uttaradit and Suphan Buri. This morning at Prachuap, I will part with Indie K, who shall stay another day to explore Prachuap while I continue South.

It has been very satisfying travelling with Indie K, and observing his modus operandi during the ride. It was a no-brainer that, with his wealth of experience & knowledge of Thailand, he did the routing & stopovers while I happily tagged along, and thankful for the company. If we were not together, I would then be riding solo( >2600km) South after Chiang Khong as the others were heading back to Chiangmai. At least now, I have someone to talk with during dinners. Indie K plans were clear and concise with some elbow room built in. On the road, he steadfastly kept a cruising speed suitable for his CB500X. Always does his homework and review destinations so that when we arrived, little time is lost. Efficient. And quite prudent. A stickler for details, his laundry days and locations of laundromats are all pre-determined. He was using Google Map for navigation while I, Nav5. The routing may differ slightly but the destinations usually matched.

In other words, he is my opposite. I usually muddled along, the plan in my mushy grey(ing) cells that somehow always got me there, sometimes as schedule, but always nail-bitingly so. Maybe that’s what provided the cheap thrills and kept me coming back for more.

In all, there were four CB500X and a CBR300Rally, arguably the best sort of bikes for touring Thailand, and a R1200R(the odd one out). Cruising speed varies, as riding the Northern Regions, you don’t really want to go at ‘Autobahn’ speed and missed all the sights. We visited several festivals, bike events and POIs, which were all very interesting. Mae Kam Pong is the prettiest while Yee Peng Festival and Loy Krathong were the liveliest. These three must surely take the cake.

Two things caused me some disappointment though. First; one of the reasons I rode north was at an invitation to someone’s wedding. Of course, Loy Krathong & Yee Peng Festival were also huge bucket list items, and are part of the reason, too. Secondly, I did not get to visit Bikers Beach Cafe, though it was ready but not officially opened. As for the wedding that was called off, no explanation was forthcoming, and out of respect, no question asked. On hindsight, it is probably a joke right from the beginning, and a tasteless one at that. I even brought along money in an ang pow (or red packet) for the couple as a wedding gift and kept them nice and dry in a plastic pouch throughout. Can’t imagine why anyone would play a trick like that. Maybe I am too gullible & trusting toward friends. But, like water under the bridge, I’ll let it flow. And life goes on.

Apart from intriguing Wat Phra Tha Pha Sorn Kaew temple (Temple of The Five Buddha) and the accompanying mosaic pagoda at Petchabun, the Puek Tian Water Statue Park near Cha-am, and the bike and music festivals, all the others were new to me. I enjoyed all these places. Also appreciate the solitude when I rode solo at the initial and final part of this trip. On my own, I explored town the old-fashion way, by using single-page not-to-scale maps provided by hotels. At my own time & pace. I ate what I like(mostly street food and fruits), when I like (often) and where I like. In Prachuap, I sat on the low retaining wall along the esplanade, dinner on my lap and feet dangling over the shore of the Gulf of Thailand. Suck on a couple of beer bought from the minimart, enjoy the starry night and cool breeze, just like the locals do. And remembering those days when quaffing pints in a noisy pub or disco is a requisite after each day of riding. While I enjoyed those times, I am also contented now. Maybe its the skinny cigarette with the funny smell that someone offered me that was making me so pleased. Fuck! Must be getting old! Rambling on like a GOBB (Grumpy Old Biker Bastard). Please, somebody, tell me I am not a GOBB yet!!

While fueling at the PTT just outside Prachuap, met Ravi and two other members of the SG Chapter of Mad Dog on their Harleys. They were shooting for Krabi which was further then Surat, where I was going. At a slowdown due to road construction, they caught up, waved, and wriggled their way through the jam.

I broke journey at Surat, and at the border town Dannok. From Dannok, it was a nearly 10-hour ride to SG. Once through ICQ at Kayu Hitam, I topped up the tank at the nearest station, then again at Sg. Perak, and Ayer Keroh, and finally Gelang Patah before arriving at SG. Thankfully the weather was dry and only had a couple of snarls near KL and the Elite. Got in nice & early, in time for dinner with Little Lara.

22 days on the saddle. Should keep me sane for a while. I was supposed to stopover at Phuket to see a couple of friends but midway through the trip, I lost interest. I shall visit in April of 2024.